Score:0

WIndows VM: specs advice

ir flag

Looking for some advice. I run a 16gb machine OS is Ubuntu 18.04. I would like to create a VM running on Windows to use for gaming and excel and other windows utilities.

What kind of specs should I set the VM on: memory etc.... what's the max/optimum I can allocate to the VM/windows, 8gb, 10.... 16?

On an older Linux desktop with 8gb of ram I tried to create a VM and give it 8gb of memory but it always froze. the kind of games I'd like to play are very demanding on ram and unfortunately are not available for linux only OS PCs.

cocomac avatar
cn flag
You have tagged your question with [Windows Subsystem for Linux](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/about) (a.k.a. WSL) and [VirtualBox](https://www.virtualbox.org/). Which one are you using/which one do you want to use?
NotTheDr01ds avatar
vn flag
For clarity, Windows Subsystem for Linux is a way of running Linux inside Windows, not the other way around. If your primary OS is Ubuntu 18.04, then you are likely not asking about WSL.
Imparo Ubuntu avatar
ir flag
@cocomac. Thanks I edited the tag. I am a linux/ubuntu only machine. I would like to use Windows for Steam videogames and excel.
Score:3
jp flag

You shouldn't set the ram to the virtual machine to as much ram as you have in your computer, you have to leave enough ram for your OS to still operate while running the virtual machine. I would recommend 8-12gb of ram for your virtual machine.

As for gaming on the virtual machine, you need to have a GPU passthrough to get good performance. virt-manager gives you powerful options to work with to set it up how you are wanting it to work. If you are using VirtualBox there are options for it there as well.

Also, if you happen to have the games you're talking about on Steam, they have a compatibility layer called Proton that you can enable in settings > steam play > check Steam Play for all other titles, and set the drop-down box from Proton experimental to Proton 6.3-8. Check ProtonDB for your games to see how well they run on Linux.

Imparo Ubuntu avatar
ir flag
I had no idea you can use Steam vidoegames directly on Linux. That is fantastic news. I will have to give that a try and maybe skip the VM .
Imparo Ubuntu avatar
ir flag
when I try to play security breach I get this message: DX12 is not supported on your system. Try running without the -dx12 or -d3d12 command line argument. I have no idea :-)
ScarletNyaa avatar
jp flag
In the steam launch options for the game, put -d3d11 as an argument. The people on ProtonDB are saying that it's required to avoid crashes and issues. For most gaming issues, look through ProtonDB that I linked above, people report game status from all sorts of systems and setups and OS so if there's any issue with a game, the solution is likely there. I can't answer much more as it's derailing to off topic a bit, but I hope Ubuntu does well for your gaming needs!
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