3D in VMWare

[VJ]

Hello,

VMWare supports 3D acceleration for Windows guest OSes, allowing for acceleration of both Direct3D and OpenGL.
Anyone here that knows how well this performs?
My google searches all come up with threads and tests from 2007 or early 2008, when this functionality was either in beta or just out of its beta phase. But I can't find data on the current situation.

Is an older game (> 3-4 years) playable on such a virtualized OS?

Thanks!


Jörg

[Evildead666]

I had the impression it was a Hardware sharing purpose to it.

Basically, you might be able to do basic 3D (square box, etc), but the idea was to share something like Cuda apps or DXCompute apps, across multiple virtual machines, with just one card. As far as I know.

I could be wrong....

[VJ]

I have found that people managed to run some games and 3D benchmarks, even 2 years ago. So who knows...

I'll have to test it...
So much things to test, so little time...

[Fluff]

I have found that people managed to run some games and 3D benchmarks, even 2 years ago. So who knows...

I'll have to test it...
So much things to test, so little time...

http://hdx.citrix.com/hdx-3d Is a remote desktop that does 3d. that's the nearest i could find.

[VJ]

Yes, but it requires XenDesktop... And this basically requires a dedicated machine on which you can no longer interact (unlike vmware server, virtualbox, ....).
I would like to still be able to use the pc that hosts the virtual machines, so I can't use it.

[UtwigMU]

Try VMWare workstation 7. I can test it but all machines I have access to, have crappy graphics to begin with.

[VJ]

It is for personal use,and the Workstation isn't free. But I'll try with Server and/or Player.

[UtwigMU]

You can download a trial and every couple of months Workstation is selling at a discount, close to 100 Euros, you just need to subscribe to their spam to find out when. At work we buy Workstation licences when they're being sold at a discount.

[VJ]

But what it the functional difference for an end user? What benefits would the workstation give me over for instance the Server or the Player?
The player more limited (no remote access), but are there things that are possible with the workstation that are not possible with the server?

[UtwigMU]

Problem is server 2.0 only has java web console. You can use VI client but it's hard to find the client that supports all features of the server.

I don't know about player but I'd guess it's not on same level of 3D as workstation.

[VJ]

Yes, it is possible (allthough it should support 3D as well).

But I'll have to try it out. Any thoughts on how VirtualBox compares to it (but I am inclined towards VMWare)?

[UtwigMU]

I haven't extensively played with virtualbox but booting and general performance was worse than VMWare.

[MultimediaMan]

3D Apps will work best in VMWare Workstation with specific hardware on Windows OS only... currently there are issues with Win7 Support in VMWare. Citrix 3D desktop is adequate for Aero, but not much else.

[VJ]

I assume with Windows 7 as host...?
Does the xp mode in Windows 7 work with 3D accelleration (I find different answers on the internet)?

[MultimediaMan]

VMWare workstation has problems hosting Win7.

3D accelleration in Windows XP mode within is not possible (The XP Mode is nothing more than a VPC2007 Session and internal RDP - performance wise).