Configuring NVIDIA GPU Passthrough on Proxmox

This guide walks you through configuring PCI passthrough for an NVIDIA GPU on Proxmox VE, allowing your virtual machines to directly access the graphics card for hardware acceleration. Essential for media servers, gaming VMs, or any GPU-accelerated workload.

What You'll Achieve

GPU passthrough configuration for:

Hardware-accelerated video transcoding in VMs
GPU compute workloads (CUDA, machine learning)
Gaming in Windows VMs
Professional graphics applications

System Specifications

Hardware Requirements

CPU: Intel with VT-d or AMD with AMD-Vi (IOMMU support)
Motherboard: IOMMU support enabled in BIOS
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB (or any NVIDIA card)
IOMMU Group: GPU should be in its own group (check first)

Software Stack

Hypervisor: Proxmox VE 7.x or 8.x
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (GP106)
PCI IDs: 10de:1c03 (GPU), 10de:10f1 (Audio)

Example Hardware Detection

PCI Slot: 01:00.0
Device: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
PCI ID: 10de:1c03
Audio Device: 10de:10f1

Prerequisites

Before starting:

Proxmox VE installed and updated
CPU supports IOMMU (Intel VT-d or AMD-Vi)
IOMMU enabled in BIOS/UEFI
Root access to Proxmox host
GPU not required for Proxmox host display

Part 1: Identify GPU Information

Step 1: List PCI Devices

lspci | grep -i nvidia

Example output:

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GP106 [GeForce GTX 1060 6GB] (rev a1)
01:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation GP106 High Definition Audio Controller (rev a1)

Note the PCI slot: 01:00.0 and 01:00.1

Step 2: Get Device IDs

lspci -n -s 01:00.0

Example output:

01:00.0 0300: 10de:1c03 (rev a1)

Record the hex ID: 10de:1c03

Repeat for audio device:

lspci -n -s 01:00.1

Record: 10de:10f1

Part 2: Configure VFIO

Step 3: Create VFIO Configuration

Edit VFIO module configuration:

echo "options vfio-pci ids=10de:1c03,10de:10f1 disable_vga=1" > /etc/modprobe.d/vfio.conf

What this does:

Binds GPU and audio to vfio-pci driver
disable_vga=1 prevents VGA arbitration issues

Step 4: Blacklist NVIDIA Drivers

Prevent Proxmox from loading NVIDIA drivers:

echo "blacklist nouveau" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
echo "blacklist nvidia" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

Why? Proxmox shouldn't use the GPU; VMs will load drivers instead.

Step 5: Update Initramfs

Apply changes to boot image:

update-initramfs -u -k all

Part 3: Enable IOMMU

Step 6: Configure GRUB

Edit GRUB configuration:

nano /etc/default/grub

Find line:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet"

Change to (Intel CPU):

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet intel_iommu=on iommu=pt"

OR for AMD CPU:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet amd_iommu=on iommu=pt"

Parameters explained:

intel_iommu=on / amd_iommu=on: Enables IOMMU
iommu=pt: Pass-through mode (better performance)

Save and exit (Ctrl+X, Y, Enter).

Step 7: Update GRUB

update-grub

Part 4: Load VFIO Modules

Step 8: Add VFIO Modules to Boot

echo -e "vfio\nvfio_pci\nvfio_virqfd\nvfio_iommu_type1" >> /etc/modules

These modules enable PCI passthrough functionality.

Part 5: Reboot and Verify

Step 9: Reboot Proxmox

reboot

Step 10: Verify VFIO Binding

After reboot, check driver binding:

lspci -nnk -d 10de:1c03

Expected output:

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation GP106 [GeForce GTX 1060 6GB] [10de:1c03] (rev a1)
        Kernel driver in use: vfio-pci
        Kernel modules: nvidiafb, nouveau

Key line: Kernel driver in use: vfio-pci ✓

Verify audio device too:

lspci -nnk -d 10de:10f1

Should also show vfio-pci in use.

Step 11: Verify IOMMU is Enabled

dmesg | grep -i iommu

Look for lines like:

DMAR: IOMMU enabled

Part 6: Configure VM for GPU Passthrough

Step 12: Edit VM Configuration

Find your VM ID (e.g., 100):

nano /etc/pve/qemu-server/100.conf

Add these lines:

machine: q35
bios: ovmf
cpu: host
args: -cpu host,kvm=off
hostpci0: 01:00,pcie=1,x-vga=1

Configuration explained:

machine: q35: Modern chipset required for PCIe passthrough
bios: ovmf: UEFI boot (required for GPU passthrough)
cpu: host: Pass through host CPU features
args: -cpu host,kvm=off: Hides virtualization from NVIDIA drivers
hostpci0: Passes through GPU at 01:00 (both functions)
pcie=1: Use PCIe bus
x-vga=1: Enable VGA arbitration

Step 13: Add EFI Disk (if not present)

In Proxmox web interface:

Select your VM
Go to Hardware tab
If no EFI disk exists:
- Click Add → EFI Disk
- Storage: Select storage (e.g., local-lvm)
- Click Add

Part 7: Test GPU in VM

Step 14: Start VM and Verify

Start the VM
Inside VM, check for GPU:

Linux VM:

lspci | grep -i nvidia

Windows VM:

Open Device Manager
Look under "Display adapters"

Install NVIDIA drivers in the VM (see Jellyfin GPU Setup)

Troubleshooting

Issue: `vfio-pci` not binding to GPU

Solutions:

Check IOMMU is enabled:

dmesg | grep -e DMAR -e IOMMU

Verify device IDs in vfio.conf are correct:

cat /etc/modprobe.d/vfio.conf

Check for IOMMU grouping issues:

find /sys/kernel/iommu_groups/ -type l

GPU should be in its own group or with only its audio device.

Some motherboards require:

# Add to GRUB line
video=efifb:off

Issue: VM won't start with GPU attached

Solutions:

Ensure VM uses:
- Machine type: q35
- BIOS: OVMF
- EFI disk added
Check Proxmox logs:

tail -f /var/log/syslog

Try without x-vga=1 first:

hostpci0: 01:00,pcie=1

Issue: Code 43 error in Windows VM

Solutions:

Add to VM config:

args: -cpu host,kvm=off,hv_vendor_id=proxmox

Ensure hidden state is enabled:

cpu: host,hidden=1

Update VM machine type to q35
Install latest NVIDIA drivers in VM

Issue: Black screen when VM starts

Solutions:

Connect via VNC/SPICE first (primary display)
Once drivers load, GPU output activates
Consider using x-vga=0 if not using GPU as primary display
Check physical monitor connection

Performance Notes

With successful passthrough:

Near-native GPU performance (95-98%)
Full CUDA/NVENC support
Multiple VMs can use same GPU (with SR-IOV support)
Windows gaming achieves within 5% of bare metal

Security Considerations

Important notes:

GPU passthrough requires IOMMU, which impacts security isolation
Consider dedicated GPUs for untrusted VMs
Some GPUs may leak information between reset cycles
Always use latest Proxmox and CPU microcode

Advanced: Multiple GPUs

To pass through multiple GPUs:

Identify all GPU IDs
Add all to vfio.conf:

options vfio-pci ids=10de:1c03,10de:10f1,10de:1b80,10de:10f0

Assign to different VMs:

# VM 100
hostpci0: 01:00,pcie=1

# VM 101
hostpci0: 02:00,pcie=1

Conclusion

You now have GPU passthrough configured on Proxmox, enabling:

✓ Direct GPU access for VMs
✓ Hardware-accelerated workloads
✓ Near-native GPU performance in VMs
✓ Support for CUDA, NVENC, gaming, and more

Your VMs can now leverage dedicated GPU hardware for demanding applications.

Next steps:

Set up Jellyfin with GPU transcoding
Configure Windows gaming VM
Explore SR-IOV for GPU sharing
Monitor GPU temperature and performance

Configuring NVIDIA GPU Passthrough on Proxmox

What You'll Achieve

System Specifications

Hardware Requirements

Software Stack

Example Hardware Detection

Prerequisites

Part 1: Identify GPU Information

Step 1: List PCI Devices

Step 2: Get Device IDs

Part 2: Configure VFIO

Step 3: Create VFIO Configuration

Step 4: Blacklist NVIDIA Drivers

Step 5: Update Initramfs

Part 3: Enable IOMMU

Step 6: Configure GRUB

Step 7: Update GRUB

Part 4: Load VFIO Modules

Step 8: Add VFIO Modules to Boot

Part 5: Reboot and Verify

Step 9: Reboot Proxmox

Step 10: Verify VFIO Binding

Step 11: Verify IOMMU is Enabled

Part 6: Configure VM for GPU Passthrough

Step 12: Edit VM Configuration

Step 13: Add EFI Disk (if not present)

Part 7: Test GPU in VM

Step 14: Start VM and Verify

Troubleshooting

Issue: vfio-pci not binding to GPU

Issue: VM won't start with GPU attached

Issue: Code 43 error in Windows VM

Issue: Black screen when VM starts

Performance Notes

Security Considerations

Advanced: Multiple GPUs

Conclusion

Issue: `vfio-pci` not binding to GPU