Hi, I am trying to setup a gaming VM with below config:

 

 

 

 

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<domain type='kvm' id='3' xmlns:qemu='http://libvirt.org/schemas/domain/qemu/1.0'>
  <name>Windows 11</name>
  <uuid>79923a18-d917-e5cc-2278-3f329451d52c</uuid>
  <metadata>
    <vmtemplate xmlns="unraid" name="Windows 11" icon="windows11.png" os="windowstpm"/>
  </metadata>
  <memory unit='KiB'>26214400</memory>
  <currentMemory unit='KiB'>26214400</currentMemory>
  <memoryBacking>
    <nosharepages/>
    <source type='memfd'/>
    <access mode='shared'/>
  </memoryBacking>
  <vcpu placement='static'>12</vcpu>
  <iothreads>1</iothreads>
  <cputune>
    <vcpupin vcpu='0' cpuset='4'/>
    <vcpupin vcpu='1' cpuset='5'/>
    <vcpupin vcpu='2' cpuset='6'/>
    <vcpupin vcpu='3' cpuset='7'/>
    <vcpupin vcpu='4' cpuset='8'/>
    <vcpupin vcpu='5' cpuset='9'/>
    <vcpupin vcpu='6' cpuset='10'/>
    <vcpupin vcpu='7' cpuset='11'/>
    <vcpupin vcpu='8' cpuset='12'/>
    <vcpupin vcpu='9' cpuset='13'/>
    <vcpupin vcpu='10' cpuset='14'/>
    <vcpupin vcpu='11' cpuset='15'/>
  </cputune>
  <resource>
    <partition>/machine</partition>
  </resource>
  <os>
    <type arch='x86_64' machine='pc-i440fx-7.1'>hvm</type>
    <loader readonly='yes' type='pflash'>/usr/share/qemu/ovmf-x64/OVMF_CODE-pure-efi-tpm.fd</loader>
    <nvram>/etc/libvirt/qemu/nvram/79923a18-d917-e5cc-2278-3f329451d52c_VARS-pure-efi-tpm.fd</nvram>
  </os>
  <features>
    <acpi/>
    <apic/>
    <hyperv mode='custom'>
      <relaxed state='on'/>
      <vapic state='on'/>
      <spinlocks state='on' retries='8191'/>
      <vendor_id state='on' value='none'/>
    </hyperv>
  </features>
  <cpu mode='host-passthrough' check='none' migratable='on'>
    <topology sockets='1' dies='1' cores='6' threads='2'/>
    <cache mode='passthrough'/>
  </cpu>
  <clock offset='localtime'>
    <timer name='hypervclock' present='yes'/>
    <timer name='hpet' present='no'/>
  </clock>
  <on_poweroff>destroy</on_poweroff>
  <on_reboot>restart</on_reboot>
  <on_crash>restart</on_crash>
  <devices>
    <emulator>/usr/local/sbin/qemu</emulator>
    <disk type='file' device='disk'>
      <driver name='qemu' type='qcow2' cache='writeback'/>
      <source file='/mnt/user/domains/Windows 11/vdisk1.img' index='3'/>
      <backingStore/>
      <target dev='hdc' bus='virtio'/>
      <serial>vdisk1</serial>
      <boot order='1'/>
      <alias name='virtio-disk2'/>
      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x05' function='0x0'/>
    </disk>
    <disk type='file' device='cdrom'>
      <driver name='qemu' type='raw'/>
      <source file='/mnt/user/isos/Windows 11 Premium (22621.1992) By Phrankie.iso' index='2'/>
      <backingStore/>
      <target dev='hda' bus='ide'/>
      <readonly/>
      <boot order='2'/>
      <alias name='ide0-0-0'/>
      <address type='drive' controller='0' bus='0' target='0' unit='0'/>
    </disk>
    <disk type='file' device='cdrom'>
      <driver name='qemu' type='raw'/>
      <source file='/mnt/user/isos/virtio-win-0.1.229-1.iso' index='1'/>
      <backingStore/>
      <target dev='hdb' bus='ide'/>
      <readonly/>
      <alias name='ide0-0-1'/>
      <address type='drive' controller='0' bus='0' target='0' unit='1'/>
    </disk>
    <controller type='pci' index='0' model='pci-root'>
      <alias name='pci.0'/>
    </controller>
    <controller type='ide' index='0'>
      <alias name='ide'/>
      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x01' function='0x1'/>
    </controller>
    <controller type='virtio-serial' index='0'>
      <alias name='virtio-serial0'/>
      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x04' function='0x0'/>
    </controller>
    <controller type='usb' index='0' model='ich9-ehci1'>
      <alias name='usb'/>
      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x07' function='0x7'/>
    </controller>
    <controller type='usb' index='0' model='ich9-uhci1'>
      <alias name='usb'/>
      <master startport='0'/>
      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x07' function='0x0' multifunction='on'/>
    </controller>
    <controller type='usb' index='0' model='ich9-uhci2'>
      <alias name='usb'/>
      <master startport='2'/>
      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x07' function='0x1'/>
    </controller>
    <controller type='usb' index='0' model='ich9-uhci3'>
      <alias name='usb'/>
      <master startport='4'/>
      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x07' function='0x2'/>
    </controller>
    <filesystem type='mount' accessmode='passthrough'>
      <driver type='virtiofs' queue='1024'/>
      <binary path='/usr/libexec/virtiofsd' xattr='on'>
        <cache mode='always'/>
        <sandbox mode='chroot'/>
      </binary>
      <source dir='/mnt/user/isos'/>
      <target dir='isos'/>
      <alias name='fs0'/>
      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x02' function='0x0'/>
    </filesystem>
    <interface type='bridge'>
      <mac address='52:54:00:15:14:c3'/>
      <source bridge='br0'/>
      <target dev='vnet2'/>
      <model type='virtio-net'/>
      <alias name='net0'/>
      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x03' function='0x0'/>
    </interface>
    <serial type='pty'>
      <source path='/dev/pts/0'/>
      <target type='isa-serial' port='0'>
        <model name='isa-serial'/>
      </target>
      <alias name='serial0'/>
    </serial>
    <console type='pty' tty='/dev/pts/0'>
      <source path='/dev/pts/0'/>
      <target type='serial' port='0'/>
      <alias name='serial0'/>
    </console>
    <channel type='unix'>
      <source mode='bind' path='/var/lib/libvirt/qemu/channel/target/domain-3-Windows 11/org.qemu.guest_agent.0'/>
      <target type='virtio' name='org.qemu.guest_agent.0' state='disconnected'/>
      <alias name='channel0'/>
      <address type='virtio-serial' controller='0' bus='0' port='1'/>
    </channel>
    <input type='mouse' bus='ps2'>
      <alias name='input0'/>
    </input>
    <input type='keyboard' bus='ps2'>
      <alias name='input1'/>
    </input>
    <tpm model='tpm-tis'>
      <backend type='emulator' version='2.0' persistent_state='yes'/>
      <alias name='tpm0'/>
    </tpm>
    <audio id='1' type='none'/>
    <hostdev mode='subsystem' type='pci' managed='yes'>
      <driver name='vfio'/>
      <source>
        <address domain='0x0000' bus='0x03' slot='0x00' function='0x0'/>
      </source>
      <alias name='hostdev0'/>
      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x06' function='0x0'/>
    </hostdev>
    <hostdev mode='subsystem' type='pci' managed='yes'>
      <driver name='vfio'/>
      <source>
        <address domain='0x0000' bus='0x03' slot='0x00' function='0x1'/>
      </source>
      <alias name='hostdev1'/>
      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x08' function='0x0'/>
    </hostdev>
    <hostdev mode='subsystem' type='pci' managed='yes'>
      <driver name='vfio'/>
      <source>
        <address domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x1f' function='0x3'/>
      </source>
      <alias name='hostdev2'/>
      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x09' function='0x0'/>
    </hostdev>
    <hostdev mode='subsystem' type='pci' managed='yes'>
      <driver name='vfio'/>
      <source>
        <address domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x14' function='0x3'/>
      </source>
      <alias name='hostdev3'/>
      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x0a' function='0x0'/>
    </hostdev>
    <hostdev mode='subsystem' type='pci' managed='yes'>
      <driver name='vfio'/>
      <source>
        <address domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x16' function='0x0'/>
      </source>
      <alias name='hostdev4'/>
      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x0b' function='0x0'/>
    </hostdev>
    <hostdev mode='subsystem' type='pci' managed='yes'>
      <driver name='vfio'/>
      <source>
        <address domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x1f' function='0x5'/>
      </source>
      <alias name='hostdev5'/>
      <address type='pci' domain='0x0000' bus='0x00' slot='0x0c' function='0x0'/>
    </hostdev>
    <hostdev mode='subsystem' type='usb' managed='no'>
      <source startupPolicy='optional'>
        <vendor id='0x046d'/>
        <product id='0xc53f'/>
        <address bus='1' device='6'/>
      </source>
      <alias name='hostdev6'/>
      <address type='usb' bus='0' port='1'/>
    </hostdev>
    <hostdev mode='subsystem' type='usb' managed='no'>
      <source startupPolicy='optional'>
        <vendor id='0x1462'/>
        <product id='0x7d43'/>
        <address bus='1' device='3'/>
      </source>
      <alias name='hostdev7'/>
      <address type='usb' bus='0' port='2'/>
    </hostdev>
    <hostdev mode='subsystem' type='usb' managed='no'>
      <source startupPolicy='optional' missing='yes'>
        <vendor id='0x22d9'/>
        <product id='0x2765'/>
      </source>
      <alias name='hostdev8'/>
      <address type='usb' bus='0' port='3'/>
    </hostdev>
    <hostdev mode='subsystem' type='usb' managed='no'>
      <source startupPolicy='optional'>
        <vendor id='0x25a7'/>
        <product id='0xfa70'/>
        <address bus='1' device='2'/>
      </source>
      <alias name='hostdev9'/>
      <address type='usb' bus='0' port='4'/>
    </hostdev>
    <hostdev mode='subsystem' type='usb' managed='no'>
      <source startupPolicy='optional'>
        <vendor id='0x8087'/>
        <product id='0x0026'/>
        <address bus='1' device='14'/>
      </source>
      <alias name='hostdev10'/>
      <address type='usb' bus='0' port='5'/>
    </hostdev>
    <memballoon model='none'/>
  </devices>
  <seclabel type='dynamic' model='dac' relabel='yes'>
    <label>+0:+100</label>
    <imagelabel>+0:+100</imagelabel>
  </seclabel>
  <qemu:capabilities>
    <qemu:del capability='usb-host.hostdevice'/>
  </qemu:capabilities>
</domain>

 

 

I have an intel I7-12700 (non K), AMD Radeon RX-6800. I passthrough cores 4-15 to the VM. However, while playing heavy games (recently tried Starfield), the CPU cores not passed through to the VM (specifically core 2) get to a 100% which lower the in game FPS from 60 FPS to 40 FPS. Once the CPU utilisation for those cores goes down, the game comes back to 60 FPS. I am guessing this might be due to some overheads related to IO or something else.

 

Another point to note, the game is stored on a share pool I have created specifically for installing games off of an DRAM-less SSD.

 

Any help on the same would be much appreciated. Please do let me know if any further details are required from my end.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. I tried the following variation:

 

I tried to set cores 2,3 for emulatorpin and now if the core 0 is 100% utilised, the FPS tanks. CS:GO runs generally at 250+ FPS but when core 0 is 100%, FPS drops to ~40FPS. Any ideas, anyone??

Maybe your problems are the same as in this discussion

 

Did you find a soulution, same Problems here.. getting FPS drops randomly with passthrough gtx1660ti

See my comment here for some xml config options which may help. https://forums.unraid.net/topic/139810-windows-vm-stuttering-on-upgrade-to-unraid-6115/?do=findComment&comment=1371536