Enabling Intel GPU on Supermicro X11-SCA-F ?

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voip-ninja

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Apr 5, 2019
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I recently built a new machine for ESXi that is based on an Intel E-2278G (P630 graphics) and X11SCAF Supermicro motherboard.

ESXi does not see the Intel GPU.

Is there a setting in the Supermicro motherboard to make this function? Does the motherboard not support an iGPU (would seem a weird choice on a workstation oriented board)?

Thanks!
 
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voip-ninja

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Apr 5, 2019
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Okay, it looks like it "should" work based on Supermicro's own description of the motherboard -

"
  1. 1 HDMI port, 1 DVI - D port, 1 DP (DisplayPort) port, 1 VGA port,
    Intel UHD P630 graphic(For CPU Xeon E-21XXG series only)"
But I can't find an information on making this GPU available to the host OS.
 
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PigLover

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Do you have anything plugged in to the HDMI, DP or DVI ports? The RGB driven by the BMC with its own ASPEED GPU. If you don't have anything plugged into the iGPU ports then it won't be activated by the host OS. Try plugging in a monitor or a dummy-plug on one of the iGPU ports and reboot.
 
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voip-ninja

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PigLover said:
Do you have anything plugged in to the HDMI, DP or DVI ports? The RGB driven by the BMC with its own ASPEED GPU. If you don't have anything plugged into the iGPU ports then it won't be activated by the host OS. Try plugging in a monitor or a dummy-plug on one of the iGPU ports and reboot.
Click to expand...
I don't have anything plugged in and was actually just starting to think about this.

Does this mean I will always have to leave a monitor plugged in and powered up whenever the motherboard boots for the iGPU to come online or once it learns the hardware is there it will remember it?

I will try plugging a monitor in when I reload ESXi tonight to see if that makes any difference.

I ready something about an SRIOV setting in the BIOS, is this something I need to worry about?

Thanks!
 
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PigLover

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voip-ninja

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Okay I have an update on this that might help the next person who stumbles on this thread in a Google search.

Simply connecting a display to the HDMI port on the motherboard didn't accomplish anything.

The default configuration of the motherboard in fact has the onboard graphics disabled and I had to do a couple of things to get it working.

Advanced->System Agent->Graphics Configuration->Internal Graphics.

Set this to ENABLED the default is DISABLED.

After doing this and rebooting I still couldn't get video out of the connected HDMI port. It is unknown by me if at this point the GPU would have been available to the hypervisor.

Go back into the Graphics Configuration and set Primary Display to IGFX (internal graphics). Now the HDMI port works and now the Intel video shows up in ESXi and (theoretically) can be passed through to a VM.

I don't yet know if the pass through is working as I haven't yet had time to set that VM up and start testing it so it's also unknown if a monitor needs to stay connected for the internal GPU to keep working.
 
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RolloZ170

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MrCalvin said:
Additional info: the motherboard need to have VHD support to provide power to the iGPU otherwise the iGPU is not visible to the system at all.
Click to expand...
different platform. the X11SSW boards have no display outputs at all.

this is not the problem here, the iGPU is powered from design.
X11SCA
  1. 1 HDMI port, 1 DVI - D port, 1 DP (DisplayPort) port,
    Intel UHD P630 graphic(For CPU Xeon E-21XXG/E-22XXG series only)
edit: its very interesting that even if the board does not have additional display outputs the iGPU may be active powered(on some boards)
i.e. (both don't have iGPU display outputs)
X11SSW-F iGPU not powered
X11SSW-TF iGPU powered, VHD support
 
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MrCalvin

MrCalvin

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It was more for general info in regards to make use of the iGPU in a VM (passthrough).

And if a board doesn't have additional display outputs (beside the Aspeed BMC VGA output) then it is in particularly relevant to check for VHD support on the board.
 
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