Modern systems offer PCIe passthrough capabilities.
Modern systems offer PCIe passthrough capabilities.
I need to replace an ancient system that's run a specialty software for the last 20 years. I can potentially install it on a modern Windows installation, I have no guarantee of that. Worst case scenario, I virtualize the an older and supported version of Windows and PCIe passthrough a PCIe-parallel expansion card that the machine would require (it has a hardware based licensing key that uses a parallel port). So far finding a motherboard with this support listed directly has been difficult. I'd like to stick to Intel CPUs just in case (the system runs off an ancient Pentium), especially CPUs without E-cores like the i5 12400 and 13400. Is anyone aware of PCIe passthrough support on B760 boards or is this one of those features that Intel gatekeeps behind their W series boards? So far the motherboards I'm looking at: ASUS PRO B660M-C D4-CSM - motherboard - micro ATX - LGA1700 Socket - B660 - PRO B660M-C D4-CSM - Motherboards - CDW.com ASUS Pro WS W680-ACE IPMI LGA 1700 ATX PRO WS W680-ACE IPMI B&H (bhphotovideo.com) Worst case scenario, this machine would be used as a spare workstation if this doesn't work entirely, but I feel like virtualizing it with PCIe passthrough should work either way.
I've tried PCI passthrough on a 4790k and it works well, and I think it's improved since then.
I think what really counts is whether the CPU has VT-d support, and the 13400 does. Still, the Intel CPU I used recently with HW passthrough was a v3 Xeon, while AMD's IOMMU performs quite well.
I'm considering sticking with Intel because the current setup uses an Intel machine. Since the software is quite old, I'm aiming to minimize dependencies. The 12400/13400 models with 6 cores and no E cores seem suitable. They don't need ECC support, which is beneficial. The main issue is ensuring the parallel port works properly, which can be achieved via PCIe. In the worst case, I'm sure it could be virtualized if the system supports PCIe passthrough for that port. Pro B660M-C D4-CSM from ASUS USA is currently my top choice, especially if the software runs natively on Windows 10 Pro or Server 2016 without needing virtualization.
It’s likely the "legacy IO" is managed by a distinct chipset connected to a PCIe lane. If that’s true, it should work without issues.
I'm acquiring the Asus PRO B660 board together with an i5-12400 processor. The board includes an LPT port header, which is why I purchased a cable and PCIe bracket along with the parallel expansion card. My plan is to test only if necessary, preferably avoiding a virtual machine entirely.