VMware Workstation Gen 9: BOM2 P2 Device Checks and Windows 11 Install
For the Gen 9 BOM2 project, I have opted for a clean installation of Windows 11 to ensure a baseline of stability and performance. This transition necessitates a full reconfiguration of both the operating system and my primary Workstation environment. In this post, I will ensure devices are correctly deployed, installed Windows 11, and do a quick benchmark test. Please note that this is not intended to be an exhaustive guide, but rather a technical log of my personal implementation process.
Validate Hardware Components
After the hardware configuration is complete its best to ensure it is recognized by the motherboard. There are quite a bit hardware items being carried over from BOM1 plus several new items, so its import these items are recognized before the installation of Windows 11.
Using IPMIView with SuperMicro X11DPH-T is quite handy. IPMIView enables me to see all types of data and allows for remote console access without physically being at the console. Simply connect a network cable into the IPMI port (Fig-1) and by default it will get an DHCP address or you can set the IP address in the BIOS. Next via https go to the assigned address, log in (by default username and password are both ADMIN), and you’ll have access to the IPMIView console. From this console you can manually set the IP address, VLAN ID, remote access to the console, and so much more.
Fig-1
The SuperMicro IPMIView allows me to view some of the system hardware. After logging in I find the information under System > Hardware Information. I simply click on a device and it will expand more information.
The IPMIView is a bit limited on what it can show. To view settings around the PCIe slots or CPU configuration I’ll need to access the BIOS. While in the BIOS I validate that the CPU settings have the Virtual-Machines Extensions (VMX) enabled. This is a requirement for Workstation.
Next I check on the PCIe devices via the bifurcation settings. I’m looking here to ensure the PCIe devices match the expected linked speed. The auto mode for bifurcation worked without issue, it detected every device, speed, and there was no need for any change. To validate this, while in the BIOS I went into Advanced > Chipset Config > North Bridge > IIO Configuration > CPU1 and validated the I0U# are set to Auto. I repeat this for CPU2. Then just below the CPUs, I drill down on each CPU port to ensure the PCIe Link Status, Max, and speed are aligned to the device specifications. I use the System Block Diagram from my last post to ID the CPU, then the CPU port number, which leads me to the PCIe slot number. From there I can determine which hardware device is connected. In fig-2 below, I’m looking at one half of the 8x PCIe card in Slot 5. Auto mode detected it perfectly.
Fig-2
Windows 11 Install
Once all the hardware is confirmed I create my Windows 11 boot USB using Rufus and boot to it. For more information on this process see my past video around creating it.
Next I install Windows 11 and after it’s complete I update the following drivers.
- Install Intel Chipset drivers
- Install Intel NIC Drivers
- Run Windows updates
At this point all the correct drivers should be installed, I validate this by going into Device Manager and ensuring all devices have been recognized.
I then go into Disk Manager and ensure all the drives have the same drive letter as they did in BOM1. If they don’t match up I use Disk Manager to align them.
Quick Bench Mark
After I installed Windows 11 Pro, I ran a quick ATTO benchmark on my devices. I do this to ensure the drives are working optimally plus it’ll serve a baseline if I have issues in the future. There is nothing worse than having a disk that is not performing well, and it’s better to get performance issues sorted out early on.
These are the results of the 1.5TB Optane Disks.
I tested all 6 of the Rocket 2TB NVMe Disks, here are results for 3 of them, each one on a different PCIe slot.
Lastly, I tested the Intel 3.48GB SSD.
With the hardware confirmed and the OS installed I’m now ready to install Workstation 25H2 and configure it.
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