How To Set Up Virtu On A Desktop PC

Installing Virtu on a system could not be any easier. Assuming you’ve got a compatible platform with the necessary motherboard and iGPU and dGPU installed, there are only a few steps necessary to get Virtu up and running.

Virtu

1.    Choose Your Mode

As we've mentioned, Virtu can be set up in i-Mode, in which a monitor is connected to the processor’s integrated graphics output, or d-Mode, in which a monitor is connected to the discrete graphics card. Although our tests didn’t show much difference in either mode, you’ll want to use i-Mode if power consumption is your main concern and d-Mode if game performance is your priority. To choose your mode, simply connect your monitor to the desired display output on your graphics card (d-Mode) or motherboard (i-Mode). through the onscreen prompts to complete the process (image B). If all went to plan, once rebooted, Virtu will be installed and enabled.

2.    Enable Virtu In The System Bios/Uefi

For Virtu to function, you must be using a compatible motherboard with the necessary hooks incorporated into its system BIOS/UEFI. If you’re unsure about your motherboard’s support for Virtu, reference its specification on the manufacturer's website (if Virtu was included on your motherboard's driver disc, chances are it’s supported).

If you’re certain you’ve got a Virtu-compatible motherboard, the next step is to enter the system BIOS and enable Virtu (image A). On the Asus motherboard we used for testing, the setting was located in the Advanced > System Agent Configuration > Graphics Configuration section of the BIOS. The name and location of the setting will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, however.

Enable Virtu In The System Bios/Uefi

3.    Install Your Gpu Drivers

Virtu requires that your GPU drivers be installed before Virtu. Once you've got your monitor(s) connected and the necessary feature enabled in the BIOS, boot into Windows and install the latest drivers for your iGPU and dGPU.

4.    Install Virtu

Installing Virtu requires no special knowledge or configuration information. The tool installs the necessary drivers and abstraction layers and automatically detects the hardware in the system. Although a Virtu installer was likely included on your motherboard's driver disc, we recommend grabbing the most recent version from the LucidLogix website to ensure the broadest compatibility.

If you don't need to change the default installation options, simply start the installer, accept the license agreement, and click through the onscreen prompts to complete the process. If all went to plan, once rebooted, Virtu will be installed and enabled.

5.    Using Virtu

When the Virtu installation is complete, GPU virtualization will be enabled by default. To access Virtu's control panel, right-click the Virtu icon in the system tray and simply choose the option to open the control panel. There are only four tabs available in the Virtu tool—Main, Performance, Applications, and About—and they're all simple to navigate.

Using Virtu

There are only four tabs available in the Virtu tool—Main, Performance, Applications, and About—and they're all simple to navigate.

Putting Virtu To The Test

To get a feel for how Virtu functioned and to test whether or not it affects performance, we built up an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i7-3770-based system with integrated Intel HD 4000-series graphics, using a Z77 Express motherboard from Asus, 8GB of RAM, and a few high-end graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD, namely a pair of GeForce GTX 680s and a pair of Radeon HD 7970s. We tested every supported configuration, in both i-Mode and d-Mode, checking performance and power consumption along the way.

What we found was that Virtu had little impact on power consumption with our hardware. In fact, power consumption was typically a bit higher using Virtu, presumably because the iGPU is used for some of Virtu's proprietary functions when the dGPU in under load. We should point out, however, that this will not always be the case. Some older graphics cards behave differently under Virtu and may exhibit much lower idle power consumption. With the GeForce GTX680and Radeon HD 7970, though, idle powerwas mostly flat.

In terms of game performance, we found that Virtu had little impact. We saw some slight performance variations from configuration to configuration, but the deltas were relatively small and of no consequence. There is some over- head associated with shuttling frame buffer data between GPUs, but Lucid seems to have done a good job minimizing its impact on frame rates.

For the most part, Virtu just worked. When we wanted to use Quick Sync we could, regardless of the graphics configuration, and the applications and games we tested didn’t exhibit any image-quality or performance issues. Quick Sync's output quality was also unchanged in each configuration. We did, however, experience an issue with Metro 2033 when in i-Mode. The game simply wouldn't launch when GPU Virtualization was enabled. We'd get to the loading screen and the game would just hang.

Specification

POWER CONSUMPTION	Intel HD 4000	GeForce GTX 680	GeForce GTX 680 (d-Mode)	GeForce GTX 680 (i-Mode)
Idle (W)	89	112	114	115
Load(W)	116	308	312	316
GAME PERFORMANCE
3DMark 11 (Extreme Preset)
Overall Score	224	3,369	3,352	3,311
Graphics Score	197	3,062	3,064	3,029
Metro 2033 (High Quality, AAA, 16X Aniso)		i
1920x1200 (fps)	10.67	89.33	88	Fail
2560x1600 (fps)	6.67	57	56.67	Fail
Alien vs. Predator (SSAO=On, 4x AA, 16x Aniso)
1920x1200 (fps)	5.2	52.8	52.7	50.7
2560x1600 (fps)	5	32	32	30.8

 

POWER CONSUMPTION	Radeon HD 7970	Radeon HD 7970 (d-Mode)	Radeon HD 7970 (i-Mode)
Idle (W)	115	111	113
Load(W)	319	322	323
GAME PERFORMANCE
3DMark 11 (Extreme Preset)
Overall Score	2,825	2,823	3,609
Graphics Score	2,565	2,564	3,310
Metro 2033 (High Quality, AAA, 16X Aniso)
1920x1200 (fps)	81.33	82	Fail
2560x1600 (fps)	54.33	55.67	Fail
Alien vs. Predator (SSAO=On, 4x AA, 16x Aniso)
1920x1200 (fps)	62.3	62.4	60.1
2560x1600 (fps)	38.2	38.3	34.7