Does the New 2.11 Bios add support for virtualization?

Message

amend · #1 Post by **amend** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 2:55 am

I am deciding between purchasing a T60 widescreen and Z61. One of my needs is the hardware assisted virtualization that is provided by the core duo and core 2 duo. Unfortunately this feature must be enabled in the BIOS and so far the only available info is that the Z61 series lacks this. However a new BIOS was recently released.

Does anyone know if the newest Z61 BIOS has added this option? If anyone has upgraded to version 2.11, could you check the bios configuration screen. At the BIOS screen you would choose Config and then CPU. If it is there you will see a choice for "Intel(R) Virtualization Technology".

I suspect that it has not been added because no mention is made here:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-65028
but it is still possible that it was added as part of the microcode upgrade.

Thanks,
Andy

sglaser · #2 Post by **sglaser** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:56 pm

Menu item not present in my system. All Config->CPU has is an item to enable/disable the dual core support.

Z61p (9450-3AU) with 2.11 BIOS

I updated BIOS to address problems with hangs after an unexpected undock (or power failure when docked).

amend · #3 Post by **amend** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 1:34 am

Thanks so much for your reply.
It's too bad, but perhaps IBM will eventually add the feature.

I wonder if there is anyone to contact to make the suggestion to implement the BIOS feature?

amend · #4 Post by **amend** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 4:08 pm

For what it's worth:

From a phone conversation with a Lenovo salesperson, I was told that the Product Manager for the Z series estimates that VT (virtualization) will be added to the Z-series BIOS in April 2007.

Since this is second hand info, I'm not sure that it is a guarantee, but it does now sway me to more seriously consider the Z61P.

SOL · #5 Post by **SOL** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 4:41 am

I hope that doesn't mean only the new santa rosa Z notebooks (should start april '07) will support vt...

jkahng · #6 Post by **jkahng** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 12:16 pm

hello everyone,
is there an update to this?
i see mixed posts about virtualization.

some say it won't be supported period.

any news would help...

disabling the setting (or not enabling it) would be waist of technology that came with the cpu....

thanks in advance.
jkahng

FirstTimer · #7 Post by **FirstTimer** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 5:48 pm

I just got BIOS v2.16 which still does not have VT in it

jkahng · #8 Post by **jkahng** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 11:44 am

hello firsttimer,
thanks for the reply, i hope we hear good news regarding this...

also, i noticed that you have the abgn card. did it come as an option or did you swap it out for the intel abg. if you did the swap, i would like to know if you had the internal 3rd antenna already in the lcd or did you have to install it yourself?

thanks,
jkahng

FirstTimer · #9 Post by **FirstTimer** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 1:08 pm

It was an option when I ordered the laptop. So it came with abgn card installed. However it has only two antennas attached to the card. It is a concern of course...

See this post regarding troubles I have with this card
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... highlight=

jkahng · #10 Post by **jkahng** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:52 am

thanks for the information.
i wonder if we can use the w wan antenna as the 3rd antenna...
hope you get things solved with your card. i'll watch closely. i have yet to upgrade my router so i'm sticking with the intel card that came with my z61m
jkahng

FirstTimer · #11 Post by **FirstTimer** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:40 pm

2.17 still does not have VT in it.

Lenovo tech support stated that if it does not have VT in the BIOS by now then it will never have VT

jkahng · #12 Post by **jkahng** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:31 pm

that's just a shame.... i was looking forward to using this...
thanks for the info..
jkahng

FirstTimer · #13 Post by **FirstTimer** » Sat May 12, 2007 5:00 pm

Look at the bright side. At least you do not have to worry about VT rootkits on your laptop

Seriously though, I’ve seen VPC loading Vista twice as fast with VT enabled

sapibobo · #14 Post by **sapibobo** » Sun May 13, 2007 1:03 am

Mine also 2.17 but there is no VT settings in CPU category. Only setting to enable or disable multi processing.

sokos · #15 Post by **sokos** » Mon May 14, 2007 4:01 pm

what practical applications does VT have on XP Pro system?

FirstTimer · #16 Post by **FirstTimer** » Tue May 15, 2007 9:57 pm

I was hoping to use it with VPC
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downlo ... fault.mspx

sokos · #17 Post by **sokos** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 6:08 am

well not to worry much, just some intel marketing trick just like the Turbo Cache memory on the T61's

I run VMWARE (and to my experience in work so far, they are the best Virtual Machine tools on x86 platforms) on the Z61t and they run super smooth (i got 2gigs of ram)

I run Ubuntu, Win2003 and WinXP on Vmware6 and it's very fast and smooth. What extra would the VT do, i can't tell

FirstTimer · #18 Post by **FirstTimer** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 1:24 am

Hmm... I've seen Vista loading twice as fast on VPC with VT on. I still want it

FirstTimer · #19 Post by **FirstTimer** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 2:07 am

Ah! Finally BIOS 2.18 has VT option in it!

sokos · #20 Post by **sokos** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 2:39 pm

upgraded my BIOS, Enabled it on the Z61t, run Vmware6 with various OS's i have installed there, didn't see much of a difference.
I think i ve read somewhere that Vmware doesn't support VT, but still it's top of it's class in VM-software.

Does the New 2.11 Bios add support for virtualization?

Does the New 2.11 Bios add support for virtualization?

I don't see it....

Who is online