# PC Motherboards supporting VMWare vSphere server?



## grt (Dec 19, 2010)

Hi,
Could someone give some hints for which PC motherboards of those common makes like: Asus, Acer, Foxconn, Gigabytes, support VMWare's vsphere virtual machine server, at the intel socket 1156, or even 775, but not intel 1366?
I just want a low end PC alike virtual server based on a common PC motherboard and cpu.
I have already asked Gigabytes. According to their answer, only their EX58 series motherboards which are for socket 1366 support VMware's virtual server. But I want a bit of lower end PC to do this thing.
Any hint to this?
thanks


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## Stu_computer (Jul 7, 2005)

well you can tell Gigabyte that i don't agree with them.

firstly though, don't bother with socket 775 thats old technology and will cost about the same but be less likely to implement full vsphere support, (Intel BOXDG45ID if you really want to check).

as you know, the CPU; northbridge chip; BIOS; and OS all have to support virtualization.

so, better to go with Core i5/i7 technology because the northbridge guts were integrated into the CPU die and now it's only a matter of the BIOS supporting Virtualization Technology (VT enable).

So check the socket 1156 with P55 chipset for boards that catch your interest and when you narrow it to a few just download their manuals and verify Virtualization Technology (VT enable) is actually in the BIOS setup (pretty much all of them have it now).

example: GIGABYTE GA-P55-USB3 listed under "Miscellaneous Settings" (coincidence, same price as that intel 775 board)

here i'll make it easy for you.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ption=&Ntk=&CFG=&SpeTabStoreType=&srchInDesc=

if you want to know which Core i5/i7 supports Intel Virtualization Technology List http://ark.intel.com/VTList.aspx

VMware vSphere 4.0 page
http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vs_pages/vsp_pubs_esx40_vc40.html




and if your still wondering about that gigabyte EX58 chipset series thingy.
the EX58 series supports Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (a new and improved....yawn...not important).
anyway, its a northbridge that does some fancy stuff with the 1366 board pcie (that wasn't built into the Core i's) and thats why it does vt-d.
but the 1156 board doesn't have that extra fancy pcie stuff so the core i's handles the vt.

have fun.


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## grt (Dec 19, 2010)

*@Stu_computer
It's really nice to see a positive answer. And more, it also reminds me that I actually noticed for nearly all Gigabytes' motherboards with Intel H55 or P55 have the BIOS settings for configuring the so called "Virtual Technology" functionality. I was just thinking at that time that only the support provided from motherboards is not enough for such hypervisors, and I did not do the further to try them. I am wondering why I only tried on socket 775 motherboards from Gigabytes.
From your message and my previous practices, it turns out that it seems ALL motherboards from Gigabytes, ASUS etc using Intel H55 and P55 chipsets WOULD support VMWare's ESXi server. Maybe not ALL, because of various different other devices on boards which affect the compatiblity, but MOST of the motherboards WILL DO.

BTW, for your words "*example: GIGABYTE GA-P55-USB3 listed under "Miscellaneous Settings*", I could not find that type in VMWare vSphere's hardware compatibility list as
*[url]http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php?action=search&deviceCategory=server&productId=1&advancedORbasic=advanced&maxDisplayRows=50&key=&release[/URL][]=142&datePosted=-1&partnerId[]=-1&formFactorId[]=-1&filterByEVC=0&filterByFT=0&min_sockets=&min_cores=&min_memory=&rorre=0
*, nor in the Community Supported List as
*[url]http://communities.vmware.com/cshwsw.jspa?sortField=1&sortOrder=1&start=25[/URL]
.

* But I found a ASUS motherboard *P7P55D-E LX supports ESXi server.
I will try the Gigabyte motherboard.

Thank you!


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