GPU

Don’t Forget the GPU in Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) Environments!

By March 25, 2020March 3rd, 2021No Comments

People often compare the experience they get using a physical workstation with the experience they get when working in a Remote Desktop session environment – but they forget that almost all physical workstations and even laptops these days contain a GPU. They forget to add a GPU to their remote desktop session hosts and are surprised by the less-than-stellar user experience. Comparing a GPU-backed user experience to one that only uses the CPU is comparing apples to oranges. The folks at REX Analytics decided to show this – and then they leveled the playing field…

REX Analytics first compares user experience of working on a physical workstation versus the user experience of connecting to a WVD environment using the new IGEL UD3 thin client.  The physical workstation has a GPU while the WVD session only emulates a GPU (uses the CPU as a GPU).  Then they compared the same physical workstation user experience versus a WVD environment that utilizes a GPU.

I won’t spoil the results for you (they might even !), but the message is clear: GPU acceleration in remoting environments is essential if you want your workforce to get the same (or better) performance in remoting environments that they are used to getting from physical machines sitting under their desks or on their laps.

Don’t forget the GPU when you migrate to Microsoft’s new Windows Virtual Desktop offering!