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Which Intel CPUs Support XP Mode Virtualization?

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4:31 PM - May 5, 2009 by Marcus Yam

Windows 7 RC is finally here for everyone, and with it comes a brand new feature of being able to run Windows XP in all its glory in a virtualized environment.

As we’ve detailed before, XP Mode will run the older operating system in a virtual environment inside Windows 7 for maximum compatibility with older applications. In fact, Microsoft is claiming that XP Mode provides near perfect Windows XP compatibility within Windows 7 – so that takes care of one of the raison d'etre for the old OS.

A minimum of 2 GB RAM is needed for XP Mode. And as we detailed last week, XP Mode will utilize and require virtualization technologies in recent processors such as Intel VT and AMD-V. Often hardware virtualization will need to be enabled in the system BIOS too.

Now the confusion comes in for many owners of recent Intel CPUs. Even if you have a Core 2 Duo or Quad CPU, that doesn’t mean that you have what it takes to run XP Mode in Windows 7.

For one reason or another, Intel has confusingly differentiated its processor line by including and excluding VT, even in CPUs of the same generation and family. To make matters worse, there isn’t an easy way to tell if your CPU is capable of virtualization other than digging through the documentation.

Thankfully, Ed Bott in his ZDNet blog has done the dirty work for us and compiled a list of all current Intel processors and have marked them with either a “Yes” or “No” for the presence of Intel VT.

Desktop CPUS

Core 2 Duo 
E4300/4400/4500/4600/4700NO
E6300/6320/6400/6420/6540/6550YES
E6600/6700/6750/6850YES
E7200/7300/7400/7500NO
E8190NO
E8200/8300/8400/8500/8600YES
Core 2 Extreme 
QX6700/6800/6850YES
QX9650/9770/9775YES
X6800YES
Core 2 Quad 
Q6600/6700YES
Q8200/8200S/8300/8400/8400SNO
Q9300/9400/9400SYES
Q9450/9550/9550S/9650YES
Core i7/Core i7 Extreme 
I7-920/940YES
I7-965YES
Pentium D/Pentium EE 
805/820/830/840NO
915/925/935/945NO
920/930/940/950/960YES
955/965YES
Pentium for Desktop 
E2140/2160/2180/2200/2220NO
E5200/5300/5400NO

Mobile CPU products

Core 2 Duo Mobile 
L7200/7300/7400/7500YES
P7350/7450NO
P7370YES
P8400/8600/8700/9500/9600YES
SL9300/9400/9600YES
SP9300/9400/9600YES
SU9300/9400/9600YES
T5200/5250/5270/5300/5450/5470NO
T5500/5600YES
T5550/5670/5750/5800/5850/5870/5900NO
T6400/6570NO
T7100/7200/7250/7300/7400YES
T7500/7600/7700/7800YES
T8100/8300YES
T9300/9400/9500/9550/9600/9800YES
U7500/U7600YES
Core 2 Extreme Mobile 
QX9300YES
X7800/7900YES
X9000/9100YES
Core 2 Quad Mobile 
Q9000YES
Q9100NO
Core 2 Solo 
SU3300/3500YES
U2100/2200YES
Core Duo 
L2300/2400/2500YES
T2050/2250NO
T2300/2400/2500/2600/2700YES
T2300E/2350/2450NO
U2400/2500YES
Core Solo 
T1300/1400YES
T1350NO
U1300/1400/1500YES

Check out Ed Bott's blog for some further clarity in the mess that is Intel VT CPUs. If you've already got your Windows 7 RC on, check out the Virtual PC and XP Mode beta here.

Source : Tom's Hardware US

Talkback
Add your comment
IzzyCraft 05/05/2009 11:01 PM
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P8400/8600/8700/9500/9600 YES
Q9450/9550/9550S/9650 YES
all i needed

Spanky Deluxe 05/05/2009 11:04 PM
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At least some P7350 chips do actually support Intel VT. All the ones in the Early 2009 generation of 2.0 GHz Mac Minis certainly appear to. Source.

A Stoner 05/05/2009 11:06 PM
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--1+

Are some motherboards not compatible with VT?

vettedude 05/05/2009 11:06 PM
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-0+

Q8xxx no? :( I am throwing a pity party now. ;)

zerapio 05/05/2009 11:07 PM
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-0+

Nice, good thing my QX9770 supports it! :D

blackthorne 05/05/2009 11:09 PM
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oddly enough it actually wasn't too hard finding this information as I already looked it up after hearing you needed this tech for xp mode. see link above.

IzzyCraft 05/05/2009 11:11 PM
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--1+

what about amd? who gonna have the bigger pitty party

deltatux 05/05/2009 11:28 PM
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-18+

AMD has virtualization built into all 65nm and 45nm processors. That's why it's not really needed to post an AMD list as all recent AMD processors support AMD-V.

LockPick 05/05/2009 11:28 PM
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-1+

No E7xxx D:

zaratustra06 05/05/2009 11:51 PM
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-10+

So AMD win?

Dax Corrin 05/06/2009 12:21 PM
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-1+

What other BIOS options would we need to look for, IE I have an XFX 780i SLI board, and a compatible VT enabled E8400.

gosefroba 05/06/2009 12:23 PM
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-1+

both my desktop and notebook can run xps mode w00t

kamkal 05/06/2009 1:02 AM
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-0+

e8400 ftw!

Spanky Deluxe 05/06/2009 1:03 AM
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-1+

Dax Corrin :
What other BIOS options would we need to look for, IE I have an XFX 780i SLI board, and a compatible VT enabled E8400.



I believe there's a bios option called "Disable C1E" or "Disable Vanderpool Technology". Alternatively, just fire up CPU-Z and check to see whether VT is already enabled.

Anonymous 05/06/2009 1:37 AM
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Since the whole idea is to ensure more compatibility, MS should be able to make virtual XP mode work without the VT support at CPU level if CPU fast enough and lots of RAM. I successfully ran Virtual PC on same PC that runs Windows 7 only to find out that the CPU does not qualify since no VT (Desktop CoreDuo 945, laptop has 5800) Both PCs have 4 GB ram.

joeman42 05/06/2009 1:48 AM
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-1+

About the table, black text on dark grey? Not too bright.

Anonymous 05/06/2009 3:46 AM
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--1+

So, in other words, if "XP mode" was primarily aimed at helping enterprises easily migrate to Win7 from XP, then the whole "XP mode" was a massive, combined epic fail from Microsoft and Intel? SRSLY, that just fuxxed up any chance of a quick and easy Win7 UAT certification from any large enterprise...

yoda8232 05/06/2009 4:18 AM
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Hmm, I'd like to see what processors it works with AMD.

Matt_B 05/06/2009 4:29 AM
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deltatux :
AMD has virtualization built into all 65nm and 45nm processors. That's why it's not really needed to post an AMD list as all recent AMD processors support AMD-V.


Another senseless act on Intel's part to even diasable a feature such as this. Seems like it would be easier to make things a little more uniform. Oh well, I have an E8400 so i'm covered anyway.

Yes to the above poster about Virtualization Technology and it being a BIOS option. If I recall though, it should be enabled by default.

mrubermonkey 05/06/2009 5:03 AM
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--1+

What about Xeons and Opterons?

shovel 05/06/2009 5:11 AM
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--3+

What's all the fuss, we're talking productivity apps right - not games so speed isn't a killer?

To those of you without a VT enbled CPU, why not just use Virtualbox, it doesn't need a VT enabled CPU.

I'm using it quite successfully on an E2180 CPU & even a 2.4GHz P4...

Admitedly you have to install it & the XP OS, but the end result works fine... I mean surely we're talking about old apps that aren't supported any more...

scryer_360 05/06/2009 5:19 AM
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My processor isn't on there. Dang.

papasmurf 05/06/2009 6:06 AM
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amazing both laptops and my wifes desktop all with core 2s don't support vt... only my i7 does. So xp mode doesn't work at all without vt? Thats ridiculous all that time and money they put into this isn't going to work on 90 percent of business computers anyways.

Anonymous 05/06/2009 8:38 AM
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-1+

If only lenovo didn't hardcode the bios to turn VT off on my T5600.

neiroatopelcc 05/06/2009 10:35 AM
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-0+

spanky deluxe :
I believe there's a bios option called "Disable C1E" or "Disable Vanderpool Technology". Alternatively, just fire up CPU-Z and check to see whether VT is already enabled.


C1E is enhanced halt state no? has nothing to do with vt, merely with power management. I don't know what nvidia calls the VT feature, but on my gigabyte p35 system it's simply called Virtualization Technology with an Enable/Disable toggle.

randomizer 05/06/2009 2:03 PM
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-2+

E6600 avoids the grave once again. 'Twill never be obsolete.

neiroatopelcc 05/06/2009 2:04 PM
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-0+

randomizer :
E6600 avoids the grave once again. 'Twill never be obsolete.


oh it is obsolete already! it's just way too slow for a modern enviroment. Even at 3.4ghz a conroe just isn't really quick anymore - you at least need two of them!

randomizer 05/06/2009 2:12 PM
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-0+

Nevar! My E6600 kicks butt in everything I throw at it, even at 3.1GHz! :D

neiroatopelcc 05/06/2009 2:15 PM
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-0+

randomizer :
Nevar! My E6600 kicks butt in everything I throw at it, even at 3.1GHz!


Enable LLA - load forged alliance with 4-5 AI's on a 40km map with 1000 as unit cap - and tell me after 1½ hours of gameplay, that it's still kicking ass.

randomizer 05/06/2009 2:22 PM
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-0+

Go and load up 12 F@H SMP clients on a Q9550 and tell me it's still kicking ass. No need to make them do things they can't for no reason. If I was to upgrade I would be out of pocket a good $400-450 for no tangible benefit.


Comments are closed on this page.

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