CPU/Motherboard (&/GPU) for GPU passthrough?

[dbzlotrfan]

- Budget & Location: Would $800 be enough? And USA

- What is your intended use for this build? The more details the better.
*Able to pass a second GPU (such as a 7970, 980 or something else) through to a virtual machine of Windows 7 (or Windows 8.1/10) to play Windows games on a Linux distro. And when I can/feel like it, playing games that are on Linux (steam/gog) or through WINE/Playonlinux . . . Folding@home, browsing the net, watch videos.

If gaming, what kind of performance are you looking for? (Screen resolution, FPS, game settings)
* Resolution: 1080p *perhaps* up to 4k (at some point?)
* FPS - Up to or around 60, since I only have 60 hz monitors.
* It'd be nice to play at (or near) the highest settings as if I was playing natively on Windows . . . .

My current parts list:
CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H-WB ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (x2, 32 GB total ram)
Storage: Sandisk Extreme 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card
Case: Cooler Master HAF X ATX Full Tower Case
Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Full (VM)
Operating System: Linux distro . . . .
Monitor: Asus PB278Q 60Hz 27.0" Monitor
Monitor: LG 22MP55HQ-P 60Hz 22.0" Monitor
Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard

No overclocking at all - I live in one of the hottest states (of the US) (during summer) I don't need the extra heat, nor we exactly get cold winters (as Philip of PCPP could tell you). :wub)

 

[Ken g6]

You should just need a new CPU, as that one doesn't support VT-d. I checked your mobo manual (PDF), and it does support VT-d if your CPU supports it. I'd suggest a Xeon E3 V2 chip, 1230-1280, and ending in a 0, as they run slightly cooler since their onboard GPUs are disabled. (You're not using Virtu or Quick Sync, are you?) 1230 is a little slower than your current chip; 1270 is equal, and 1280 is slightly faster.

So, how much do you want to pay? You can search Ebay for used parts. Or a few chips are available new:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAAEE40S0739
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117413

Whatever you pay, I'd save the rest of the $800 for a new GPU when the 14nm chips come out this summer.

Edit: I just read more about this process, and it looks like if you don't want two discrete GPUs at the same time, you will need an onboard GPU. So, i7 3770 non-K, or Xeon 1245-1285

 

[zir_blazer]

Do you want to stay on your Ivy Bridge platform, or do a full upgrade? Assuming that your Motherboard has working VT-d/IOMMU support (With proper ACPI DMAR Tables in the BIOS), you only need to replace your Ci7 3770K with another Processor that supports VT-d (Standard Ci7 3770, or a Xeon E3 V2).

For multiGPU, the main issue with Intel consumer platforms is that they don't support PCIe ACS (Access Control Services) in the Processor PCIe Controller, you need a LGA 2011/2011-3 platform for that. ACS forces PCIe to disable Peer-to-Peer and forces all traffic to go through the IOMMU. Otherwise, if you have two or more PCIe Devices connected to the Processor PCIe Controller (Like when you're using two Video Cards in 8x/8x mode), they aren't fully isolated.
Software side, this is represented by them being in the same IOMMU Group, which means that you will have to use a patched Linux Kernel that overrides the IOMMU Group granularity allows you to do Passthrough of devices in the same IOMMU Group to different VMs (Which by default is not allowed). The availability of these patches are widespread and chances are that someone already has an easy way to use such Kernel in whatever distro your use, and is what most people uses for the setup you want to do since not everyone has the bigger Intel platform.
Skylake was also not a really recommended platform since Intel decided to group different Single PCI Devices functions into a single, undivisible Multifunction PCI Device. I think there were patches for that, too.

The way to go for you would be LGA 2011-3. I'm not extremely happy with it since you're sacrificing the IGP, which will be very important when XenGT/KVMGT becomes production ready, since is the only mainstream GPU that allows for GPU virtualization (And a reason to absolutely avoid IGP-less Xeons). Besides, its one generation behind, since at most you will be using a Broadwell-E instead of a Skylake.

 

[dbzlotrfan]

I think it'd probably be better to do a "small" or medium ish upgrade, newer parts, being sold . . . Then several years from now when 4k, higher refresh rates, larger capacity HDD/SSDs and more (and faster) is/are cheaper do a complete overhaul (except probably the case, I'd imagine).

 

[zir_blazer]

I don't think you will lose a lot if you purchase a Broadwell-E platform in the next month. Skylake-E Socket P is supposed to be first half 2017 according to the latest roadmaps I remember. Xeons E5 26xx V4 Broadwell-E for Dual Processor systems were recently released, I suppose that the Xeon E5 16xx V4 and Core i7s 6xxx will be coming soon.
Since the platform is stagnant, you may not miss anything if you go big with Processor, Motherboard and RAM, then wait for the rest of the parts (Video Card mostly, since it has been around two years with roughly the same parts and there will be major releases soon. Then NVMe SSDs).

 

[PingSpike]

Its a bummer you have the K processor since otherwise you're almost certainly ready to play.