Unique Brainstorm for Linux + Passthrough Windows Gaming

So, I’m trying to wrap my brain around how I can go about doing this with my custom setup.

Currently I’m using Fedora with x6 monitor setup. I want to have x6 monitors working as they are now but use PCI pass through for gaming on windows with AMD Ryzen 2600 build or an intel one for the onboard graphics.

Problem is, I assume I’ll need to buy two graphics cards? I doubt there would be a way to say utilize onboard intel graphics over x6 monitors. Or am i wrong?

Help on getting a game plan for this would be much appreciated.
If worse comes to worse I can always just dual boot but boy I hate doing that…

Was thinking something like…
Onboard Intel + HDMI MST - Then RX 580 for Passthrough. would that even work?

(I guess this is prob the best way)
Buy a cheap Workstation card for the x6 monitors. Then use the RX 580 I already have for passthrough. I guess the problem comes down to the workstation graphics support in linux.

Hi,

i had a similar problem when setting up mine.
I only had three monitors instead of 6, but the problem is basically more than two.

So take the following not entirely as facts because it was just my particular experience based on my limited linux knowledge.

Internal gpu only supports up to two as far as i know.
So for 6 monitors you definitely have to have itnernal plus a graphics card for host and a gpu to pass to windows.
i got it working for 3 monitors with internal mixed with a cheap one slot (i think nvidia) gpu and a amd passed through. But it was very unstable, because of driver mixing, for intel and nvidia in my case. I don’t know if that was limitation on my part concerning that subject or if this mixing drivers was/is in general a nightmare.

So for your case i would buy two identical cards for host, each three monitors. There are gpus on the cheaper side which can do this. Cheap means short under 100€ (dollar around the same i think).
And for gaming, one from the opposing brand, because it might make the passthrough easier when seperating brands for host/guest. But in general just dont buy the same card for gaming and the host, so the ID won’t conflict. I guess, e.g. a Radeon 7870 for guest and a 580 or something would be fine because they have different architectures.

Unless you want to have all 6 monitors in windows too?

Vega 3 and Vega 8 as part of the AMD Ryzen™ Embedded V1000 (!) can drive 4 x 4k @ 60fps. Most boards lack the outputs so you need to daisy chain your monitors. (Do your monitors support that?)

2400G (Vega 11) only supports 4 displays max, because there are “only” four displays controllers in Raven Ridge APUs.

See here. Check the table “Radeon Display Hardware” and look in the column “Digital”.

Polaris and Vega as cards can drive 6 displays.

Intels newest Generation only supports 3 Displays on the iGPU.

Their announced 8809G supports 6 displays because it comes with full Vega dedicated on the Chip. This isn’t an option for you. The price will be pretty bad compared to CPU + GPU. Cause its new, powerful, small and Intel.

It is a workstation. Get a CPU without integrated graphics and two GPUs. Less hassle. Easier trouble shooting, better ugrade paths, ….

Edit: It might be cheaper to buy a DP MST Hub (DisplayPort Multi-Stream Transport) [100$€] instead of two small GPUs for the host or replacing monitors that don’t support daisy chaining .

Example video

I have a MST Hub with 4 ports problem is it hates linux.

I think a cheap used workstation GPU for the x6 monitors then use my rx 580 for passthrough on the VM.

Though that partnership with AMD and Intel recently seems to have fruited some interesting tech with onboard graphics for x6 monitor support thats really interesting. I mean a Workstation GPU would be like 400$ brand new, and a new CPU im in the market for is prob 200-400. So i duno I was thinking of going threadripper but mmm… Choices.

What cheap workstation GPU do you have in mind?

And what is the you use? And what are the problems? So we are warned.