Which Intel CPUs Support XP Mode Virtualization?
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 | |
|---|---|
| E4300/4400/4500/4600/4700 | NO |
| E6300/6320/6400/6420/6540/6550 | YES |
| E6600/6700/6750/6850 | YES |
| E7200/7300/7400/7500 | NO |
| E8190 | NO |
| E8200/8300/8400/8500/8600 | YES |
| Core 2 Extreme | |
| QX6700/6800/6850 | YES |
| QX9650/9770/9775 | YES |
| X6800 | YES |
| Core 2 Quad | |
| Q6600/6700 | YES |
| Q8200/8200S/8300/8400/8400S | NO |
| Q9300/9400/9400S | YES |
| Q9450/9550/9550S/9650 | YES |
| Core i7/Core i7 Extreme | |
| I7-920/940 | YES |
| I7-965 | YES |
| Pentium D/Pentium EE | |
| 805/820/830/840 | NO |
| 915/925/935/945 | NO |
| 920/930/940/950/960 | YES |
| 955/965 | YES |
| Pentium for Desktop | |
| E2140/2160/2180/2200/2220 | NO |
| E5200/5300/5400 | NO |
Mobile CPU products
| Core 2 Duo Mobile | |
|---|---|
| L7200/7300/7400/7500 | YES |
| P7350/7450 | NO |
| P7370 | YES |
| P8400/8600/8700/9500/9600 | YES |
| SL9300/9400/9600 | YES |
| SP9300/9400/9600 | YES |
| SU9300/9400/9600 | YES |
| T5200/5250/5270/5300/5450/5470 | NO |
| T5500/5600 | YES |
| T5550/5670/5750/5800/5850/5870/5900 | NO |
| T6400/6570 | NO |
| T7100/7200/7250/7300/7400 | YES |
| T7500/7600/7700/7800 | YES |
| T8100/8300 | YES |
| T9300/9400/9500/9550/9600/9800 | YES |
| U7500/U7600 | YES |
| Core 2 Extreme Mobile | |
| QX9300 | YES |
| X7800/7900 | YES |
| X9000/9100 | YES |
| Core 2 Quad Mobile | |
| Q9000 | YES |
| Q9100 | NO |
| Core 2 Solo | |
| SU3300/3500 | YES |
| U2100/2200 | YES |
| Core Duo | |
| L2300/2400/2500 | YES |
| T2050/2250 | NO |
| T2300/2400/2500/2600/2700 | YES |
| T2300E/2350/2450 | NO |
| U2400/2500 | YES |
| Core Solo | |
| T1300/1400 | YES |
| T1350 | NO |
| U1300/1400/1500 | YES |
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.
- windows ,
- xp ,
- mode ,
- virtualization ,
- intel
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P8400/8600/8700/9500/9600 YES
Q9450/9550/9550S/9650 YES
all i needed
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.
Are some motherboards not compatible with VT?
Q8xxx no?
I am throwing a pity party now. 
Nice, good thing my QX9770 supports it!
http://www.intel.com/products/proc [...] ations.htm
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.
what about amd? who gonna have the bigger pitty party
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.
No E7xxx D:
So AMD win?
What other BIOS options would we need to look for, IE I have an XFX 780i SLI board, and a compatible VT enabled E8400.
both my desktop and notebook can run xps mode w00t
e8400 ftw!
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.
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.
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...
Hmm, I'd like to see what processors it works with AMD.
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.
What about Xeons and Opterons?
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...
My processor isn't on there. Dang.
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.
If only lenovo didn't hardcode the bios to turn VT off on my T5600.
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.
E6600 avoids the grave once again. 'Twill never be obsolete.
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!
Nevar! My E6600 kicks butt in everything I throw at it, even at 3.1GHz!
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.
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.
well forged alliance isn't equal to loading 12 instances of a calculator. It's a simple game, and it's not even the most demanding one out there. And the e6600 is supposed to handle games - thus it's obsolete.
On a side note - I'm running an e6600 myself.