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    Virtualization Software for gaming

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by Spider_3000, Aug 14, 2007.

  1. Spider_3000

    Spider_3000 Notebook Consultant

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    Hi. I was reading about the different virtualization softwares and was wondering which one would be the best for gaming. I'm planning to have the recommended program installed in XP or Vista with the guest OS being XP as well (perhaps even Vista...). Before you ask why I would want to do that, I'll tell you the reason. I don't want to fill my host OS up with too much software and want only the essentials. Then I want to use the guest OS for testing new software and installing software such as games that I will uninstall later anyway. Also some game protection install services and cause all sorts of trouble, so I want to keep it in the guest OS.
    Thanks.

    edit: all I find on Google is Parallels Desktop for Macs... is there nothing for Windows?
     
    Spider_3000, Aug 14, 2007
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  2. Budding

    Budding Notebook Virtuoso

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    MS Virtual PC and VMWare are two popular virtualisation apps for Windows. Both work very well, but you will get a noticable penalty in performance in both OSes when you run two OSes side by side.
     
    Budding, Aug 14, 2007
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  3. Spider_3000

    Spider_3000 Notebook Consultant

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    I heard VMware is still testing its support for 3d acceleration. As for Virtual PC, there's a limit on VRAM as far as I know.
     
    Spider_3000, Aug 14, 2007
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  4. Kwakkel

    Kwakkel Weirdo

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    even with a C2D?
    i'd imagine the Virt. could run on 1 core, and the game on the other?
     
    Kwakkel, Aug 14, 2007
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  5. Greg

    Greg Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    You do not play games using the CPU cores...the GPU is what matters. You need to virtualize access to the GPU core (and not just the memory as Spider suggested) in order for it to work. I'm looking forward to the day it does work.
     
    Greg, Aug 14, 2007
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