I’ve been wanting to make a proper switch over to Linux for a while now. I’ve currently have a dual-boot setup but still mostly use Windows. The majority of my games should work without fuss, but I’d like to have a simple solution for running the handful of things that don’t work in Linux, such as my WMR VR headset and a handful of Steam games.
Linked is a video on Single GPU passthrough with KVM/VFIO, which I’d like to try.
Before I try this, I’d like a sense of how likely it is to work, and I’m wondering if there might be a better solution I don’t know of. I’m also open to any tips you might have about speeding up the transition between Host/Guest OS.
Here are the specs of my machine:
Motherboard: MSI B550 A-Pro
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (no integrated graphics)
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
RAM: 32GB DDR4 3200MHz
Host OS: Manjaro
Guest OS: Windows 10 Pro
I’m not going to watch the video, but what’s the procedure for switching between Linux and Windows? Usually you dedicate a GPU entirely to VFIO, with a 2nd GPU for the host OS (or run headless).
Anyway, will it work? Yes, minus some anti-cheat software. Will it be a simple solution? Well, once you get things stable, yes. The tech behind this is mature, but it can be a rabbit hole.
I would look into a non-Nvidia GPU for your 2nd PCIe x16 slot (x4, shared with the 2nd M.2 slot FYI). Good idea to check IOMMU groups before buying anything, but modern AMD motherboards are usually fine. Blacklist the Nvidia drivers and dedicate the 3070 to VFIO to make your life easier, and run Linux off the secondary GPU. Intel A380 might be a good choice. Do gaming stuff on Windows and stream via Parsec/Looking Glass/Moonlight+Sunshine; everything else on Linux.