Intel vPro® Platform
Intel Manageability Forum for Intel® EMA, AMT, SCS & Manageability Commander
2827 Discussions

KVM with Intel AMT is NOT an processor issue

idata
Employee
2,105 Views

Technically you dont need an I5 or i7. The following test proves that:

Take a PC with I5, configure AMT with KVM an do all tests.

Now the risky part: Shut down the PC, DONT unplug the power cord and change the I5 for a I3.

Start the PC and check for KVM functionality ... helas ... it works!!

Shut down, unplug the power cord ... wait ... plung in, start, test ... ups ... KVM gone!!

IMHO the whole thing is a marketing issue by Intel. Or a "buggy" BIOS ;-) ?

greets

sam

0 Kudos
4 Replies
idata
Employee
828 Views

Maybe it`s all about marketing and earning more $$$. I`m right now considering buy of i5-2400 + DQ67SW... but it`s time to look deeper onto Intel BIOS/Firmware before spending money on their HW .

Thanks for report, good job!

0 Kudos
Bruno_Domignues
Employee
828 Views

In fact, the procedure to replacing the CPU with machined with the power cord plugged is risk! you can damage your motherboard and CPUs.

Manageability and security are features included in the Business Desktop/Modile platform (aka. vPro) and KVM is one of these features, and you are right, Core i5 and i7 2nd generation are targeted to these line of computers. However, definitively, it is not only a market decison do not include KVM at this moment in Core i3. As you may remember, for the first Core i5 and i7 just a few CPU are KVM capable (only one with Direct Media Interface Integrated GPU) and all Core i7 desktops SKUs were not KVM capable, that is more expensive than Core i5 SKUs.

When a CPU is produced, we have a limited space available in die and every feature count space. For example, with the 1st Core i7 generation, Intel decided to include 4 cores instead of a GPU for higher performance, while with Core i5 decided to include only 2 core and one GPU, that allow use of KVM. - it's a metter of choice!

vPro, is a platform with several features, and how much different components you enable, more complex is the test matrix and more expensive will be the final product. It was also an engineering decision to select a set of CPUs designed for this purpose to have a competitive price.

Best Regards!

--Bruno Domingues

0 Kudos
idata
Employee
828 Views
0 Kudos
TBuko
Beginner
828 Views

The reason for the limitation looks like license related as the tech underneath is probably adopted

Good find though, definitely something for security guys to look into.

0 Kudos
Reply