Dell XPS 15 l502x HM67 virtualization VT-D support

Hello,
first of all, i am new user and i can not find similar post here, maybe search function isnt working right now (sry for bad eng).

I would ask if anyone uses Dell XPS 15 l502x (or similar) laptop with exactly chipset Intel HM67 Express has functional (meaning that the ON / OFF in bios) VT-D virtualization (not only VT-X). I intend to buy a model with a HM67 chipset, but Intel says this strange technology support (must be supported by the BIOS, chipset and CPU) on the web, even if CPU fully supports it (CPU i want to buy - i7-2760QM).

Question - Does BIOS of this model support that, if i will buy CPU with support?

Could anyone having the HM67 chipset (and one of the processors which SUPPORTS VT-D technology, support link below) please tell me, if VT-D works on his laptop or not? Could someone send BIOS screenshot where this function is referred tangled if true? I would be very grateful! Thank you.

Links:
VT-D supported CPUS
i7 - ARK: Advanced Search
i5 - ARK: Advanced Search
Chipset HM67 - Intel® BD82HM67 PCH

 

On the XPS 1645, VT-D is disabled by default, and in the stock BIOS, there is no way to turn it on. There is a way to hack the BIOS to enable hidden options, which include VT-D. This is the same for several other Dell models, so I would assume it's the same for the l502x. I don't know how to modify the 502x myself, but there's a thread here where you might find help: http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...modded-bioses-download-gpu-voltages-more.html

 

Thans, if somebody here can confirm this on l502x, it will be awesome!

 

I can check later today. But I'd be surprised if HW virt wasn't enabled, since I can boot Ubuntu in a virtualbox VM (from poweron to graphical loginprompt) in 9 seconds flat.

 

There's an option in the bios to enable/disable hw virt.

 

Thanks, but as i can see, u can have only VT-X virtualization enabled, the CPU of yours (i2670) doesnt support VT-D. I am seeking for somebody with HM67 chipset and CPU with VT-X + VT-D support.

You can determine if your CPU has hardware virtualization support (VT-D) using links in my #1 post or with this utility http://www.grc.com/securable.htm.

 

Except that I've got the 2760QM, which does support VT-D. I see there's a typo in my signature...

SecurAble doesn't appear to work correctly on a 64-bit OS for some reason? It complained about not being able to check something related to hw virt, and asking me to reboot into 32-bit OS. Which I don't have

 

Great then! You have exactly configuration i need for test this. Can i ask for one more favour? Can you please post BIOS screenshot, the screens with virtualization options and add BIOS version? Do you have original or modified BIOS? Is there only one option called "Virtualization" - Enabled/Disabled? Or there are more of virt. options? Is there a word what explicitly says "Hardware" virtualization?

P.S. Secureable works on 64 ok for me
I might try microsoft HAV ( Download: HAV Detection Tool - Microsoft Download Center - Download Details) tool or Everest, but i can't prove this is working.

P.P.S Unfortunately, if is there only "Virtualization" - Enabled/Disabled, we can not figure if VT-D is enabled or disabled Except that you really wanted to be a Samaritan and install Xen or KVM on Linux, then I would provide a few lines to determine the availability of technology for 100% sure. I can provide USB image with linux OS too, which will boot directly with XEN or KVM hypervisor and print the statistics.

 

Only Enabled/Disabled.

It said that my PC supported hardware virtualization, without further details.

Here are the screenshots of Secureable on my laptop:

When I click on the last "Yes", I get this screen:


I presume it's not detectable from within a virtual machine, eg. ubuntu in virtualbox? If not, then I could try the USB image and give you a definitive answer.

 

Sadly, according to screenshot it wasnt typo It's really i7-2670 Thanks for help, but without CPU with VT-D we can not go anywhere. At least we know this laptop has VT-X (hardware) virtualization enabled.

 

... Now I feel quite a bit silly. I was convinced I had the 2760qm for some reason. Oh well, sorry for wasting your time.

 

No problem, at least we figured out that is basic virtualization capable.

Can I at the end ask if the BIOS of yours is original or modified? Was BIOS original and delivered with the notebook or upgraded? Thanks.

 

Berserker, if I think of it, I'll check mine tonight. I have the 2720QM, which iirc supports everything. No promises I'll remember

 

BIOS is modded, but only for undervolting. Using the latest BIOS.

 

Please think of it This is the technology of future and if we figure this out and working, it can help many people over time and increase attractiveness of this laptop.

Too bad you have xps 17 (in your signature) nor 15, but we can figure this too, i naively hope it is the same like 15 only with bigger screen (its properties suggest that).

 

2760 does

267 does not

 

Well, I get the same results with securable except with i7-2720QM as the processor shown of course. I'm running x64 Win 7 naturally... The BIOS option is merely enable/disable for "virtualization". Nothing about the different blends. Stock BIOS (A10 which is pretty old), I don't think I even flashed mine since I got it April 2011. If you have a different way to check if it is enabled, I will try for you (short of reinstalling Windows )

The l702x (XPS 17) and the l502x (XPS 15) are EXACTLY the same except for chassis, the 17 has 2 HDD bays, and the 17 has some better GPU options. The mobo is essentially the same, though with obvious size and layout differences. Same chipset which is really all that matters.

 

Well, I don't know if this is definitive or not, but I ran CPU-z which lists the instructions the CPU has and VT-D is not listed, VT-x is. But again, there's probably a better way to check?

 

Unfortunately, CPU-Z won't show this feature. I figured that only way to detect VT-D is install Xen or thru some VMware specialist, who tried PCI-passthrough feature on his laptop. In the near future I will prepare USB bootable image with default Ubuntu and Xen and someone may want to try it

 

The only way I've been doing it is taking Intel's word for it and using their ARK subsite (ark.intel.com) and reading their product spec sheets.

Intel Core i7-2720QM (via ARK subsite)

 

Yes, but CPU is not the problem. Problem is the chipset HM67. Intel says at Intel® BD82HM67 PCH there's not VT-X and no VT-D on this chipset. So what the hell? Why is in the BIOS "Virtualization" entry, and why secureable shows "Hardware virtualization - yes" + CPUZ shows VTX? So i think yes, there is a possibility of HW virtualization, but i dont know how much limited.

Btw. i cannot conctact Intel support any way, forum registration doesnt working and my e-mails are never answered

 

Read your link again. There is a tool tip that pops up that essentially says it may not be present, it depends on the CPU. Which, as already noted, not all of them support it. But the 2720QM does so it likely is there. But I don't deal in VMs (aside from an occasional Windows XP Mode, but that's not installed - if there is a chance the utility from before will work in XP Mode - which is 32-bit only - then I can try that out).

 

I've mode my VM's off my laptop, but I never found I needed to specify/configure my VMware to specifically use any sort of VT options. For all my VMs, the stock virtualization settings were enough for me.

What specific benefits do you gain by using the virtualization settings? I have all my VM's set to "Automatic" (in VMware, VM's settings, Processors -> Virtualization engine -> Automatic/Binary translation/Intel VT-x or AMD-v/Intel VT-x/EPT or AMD-V/RVI).

 

I wish that to be as simple. That popup say VT-D is not only CPU feature, chipset must support it too. What is confusing, Intel says the referenced chipset doesnt support it, but sligtly different chipset QM67 yes - Intel® BD82QM67 PCH. Comparsion of this two chipsets is source of my confusion.

The basic hardware virtualization setting can increase performance of VM, but advanced (vt-d) HW virt. is very experimental feature, it can provide PCI or VGA passthrough (export graphic card directly into VM, for example you can play 3D games in VM with full performance).

 

I have an l502x with an i7 2760m. I have tried to pass my Nvidia 540m to a guest os using both KVM and XEN. I am currently running Ubuntu 12.04 and XEN 4.1 with a rebuilt 3.2 kernel that I enabled all IOMMU options on. Once I unbind the 540m from the host os I am able to assign it to a guest copy of Windows 7 and I can see the device in Device Manager, but it is disabled (code 43) in both XEN and KVM. I am going to try XEN 4.2 unstable next. Let me know if there are any tests I can run for you. I am pretty sure VT-d works with this cpu/chipset;

root@apex:~# xm info | grep ^virt_caps.*hvm_directio
virt_caps : hvm hvm_directio

root@apex:~# xm pci-list-assignable-devices
0000:01:00.0

Casey

 

Hi Berserker_cz, did you manage to get to the bottom of this? Did anyone manage to test if VT-d is working with i7-2760m or other VT-d capable processors?

Hi yesac, did you get around to trying XEN 4.2? You mention that being able to unbind the 540m from the host and bind it to the guest as implying VT-d is supported. Do you know if this is a good test? I'm afraid I've not had the opportunity to see a VT-d system before so am quite naive about the meaning of this test.

I'm looking at getting a similar system, as long as this is supported, so thanks to everyone for documenting your discoveries here! It's so useful to be able to see these. I've been talking to Dell for the last five days and still have no definite answer, just a lot of different sales pitches for the Latitude or Precision lines. My appreciation goes out to you all. When I get a new system I will be sure to spread the knowledge.