Q: What are the requirements to use RemoteFX in Windows Server 2012?

RemoteFX uses DirectX 11, so the graphics card must support DirectX 11. Here's how to enable it.

John Savill

May 27, 2012

1 Min Read
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A:In Windows Server 2008 R2, the graphics card had to support DirectX 9.0c and 10, but in Windows Server 2012 (formerly code-named Windows Server 8),RemoteFX uses DirectX 11, so the graphics card must support DirectX 11. To enable RemoteFX, and for it to function correctly, the following must bepresent:

  • DirectX 11 capable graphics card

  • Windows 8 64-bit WDDM v 1.20 driver (if you try to use a non-Windows 8 specific graphics driver, the graphics in the virtual machines--VMs--won't render correctly and tearing will be present, which the screen shot below shows). Using a Windows 8 graphics driver fixes the issue. 



  • SLAT-capable processor. Remember, a great way to check whether your processor supports SLAT is to use the CoreInfo utility from SysInternals.com (use the -v switch and a * should be shown next to EPT):

C:Windowssystem32>pushd \live.sysinternals.com

Z:>coreinfo -accepteula -v

Coreinfo v3.04 - Dump information on system CPU and memory topology

Copyright (C) 2008-2012 Mark Russinovich

Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com

Note: Coreinfo must be executed on a system without a hypervisorrunning for accurate results.

Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 950 @ 3.07GHz

Intel64 Family 6 Model 26 Stepping 5, GenuineIntel

HYPERVISOR * Hypervisor is present

VMX * Supports Intel hardware-assisted virtualization

EPT * Supports Intel extended page tables (SLAT)

  • Remote Desktop Virtualization Host role service must be installed (to enable RemoteFX).

  • Enable the GPU for RemoteFX (see screen shot below).


    VMs can now be RemoteFX-enabled by adding the RemoteFX 3D Video Adapter hardware to a VM and setting the number of displays and resolution (see screen shot below).


See more FAQs on virtualization, System Center, and all things IT pro at John Savill's FAQs.

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