[SOLVED] VMs and 3D software

[Inglebard]

Hi,

Il would like to have windows VM(s ?) to use a 3d software (CAD/CAM software).
To work properly it needs GPU computing.

If I understand well I need PCI passthrought, right ?

However, I don't understand why there are two different wiki : https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/PCI(e)_Passthrough , https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Pci_passthrough .

Then there is something I am not sure to understand :

If you want to use the GPU as a hardware accelerator, for example, for programs using OpenCL or CUDA, this is not required.

So If I need CUDA, what should I do ? And If I need Opengl/vulkan or Directx what should I do ?

 

[dcsapak]

If I understand well I need PCI passthrought, right ?

yes, the only other method (atm) to get some 3d is to use qxl/spice but this renders all on the cpu (so will not be very fast)

https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/PCI(e)_Passthrough

is part of the official reference documentation

and

https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Pci_passthrough .

is the older mainly user maintained wiki article

both contain useful infos (altough the second link may be outdated in some parts)

If you want to use the GPU as a hardware accelerator, for example, for programs using OpenCL or CUDA, this is not required.

this is meant as an addition for

When passing through a whole GPU or a vGPU and graphic output is wanted, one has to either physically connect a monitor to the card, or configure a remote desktop software (for example, VNC or RDP) inside the guest.

what is meant is that if you pass through a gpu that you want to use only for compute (e.g. opencl in blender)
you do not have to set the passed through gpu as primary or connect a monitor to it

you can then also have a virtual gpu and use the standard novnc webinterface to connect but use the gpu for opencl/cuda/etc...

if some program needs opengl acceleration for displaying the application itself (e.g. a game), you will need to use the passed through gpu as primary and use it via a directly connected monitor (or rdp server in the guest)

 

[Inglebard]

Hi,

thanks @dcsapak for the details.