Help needed: Hardware for Homelab server running ESXi

[afischersa]

Hi guys,

I'm planning to get my first server for my homelab.

As I need an environment for the preparations for my Cisco CCIE certification.

I also want to run some of my services hosted @ home on this ESXi.

I want to build a server with an i7-8700 and want to pass through the integrated Intel GPU to one of my VMs.

Do I need to go with a C232/C236 mainboard in order to get full feature support with ESXi or is a consumer chipset like Z170 etc also doing fine?

As I read the C232 does not support the integrated Intel GPU, but my question is:

Is only the graphics output of the integrated GPU not supported

or

the integrated GPU at all is not supported?

Is the C232 chipset (like on Gigabyte GA-X150M-Pro) able to passtrough the integrated GPU to the ESXi, or do I have to go with C236(or maybe consumer chipset like Z170) chipset?

Are there any other problems that you might see with my setup?

I plan to get the following setup:

Core i7-8700

64GB DDR4 RAM

4x GbE ESXi supported NIC card

ESXi supported RAID controller

Thank you in advance for your support!

PS: Hope this is in the right subcategory, if not, please move it to the right one.

[richard612]

I don't have an answer for your questions; only a suggestion.  You might find it easier to grab a cheap low-end video card that's known to work with pass-through.  It'd save you from being constrained to select motherboards.