Adding host to VMware vCenter cluster fails with "The host's CPU hardware does not support the cluster's current Enhanced vMotion Compatibility mode"
Article ID: 436715
Updated On:
Products
Issue/Introduction
When you attempt to add a new host to an existing cluster using the vCenter Web UI, the "Move host into cluster" task fails.
Additionally, you will see the vim.fault.EVCAdmissionFailedCPUModelForMode error recorded in the vpxd log:2026-04-09T21:39:00.000Z error vpxd[#####] [Originator@#### sub=Default opID=xxxx#x#z-########-auto-###aa-h5:########-##] [VpxLRO] -- ERROR task-####### -- <UUID>(<UUID>) -- domain-c###### -- vim.ClusterComputeResource.moveInto: :vim.fault.EVCAdmissionFailedCPUModelForMode...currentEVCModeKey = "intel-icelake,vsga-baseline"
Environment
VMware vCenter Server
Cause
This issue occurs because the cluster's Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) baseline minimum supported CPU generation is higher than the physical CPU hardware capabilities of the host being added.
In this scenario, the cluster is configured for a newer EVC mode (such as Ice Lake), but the incoming host possesses older CPU hardware that lacks the required instruction sets (e.g., AVX512BITALG, AVX512VBMI2, UMIP) needed to join a cluster operating at that level.
Resolution
To resolve this issue, you must lower the EVC baseline of the cluster to match the physical CPU hardware capabilities of the oldest host.
Power off all existing virtual machines currently running within the cluster. (Note: Running virtual machines cannot dynamically surrender CPU features they have already consumed at power-on, so they must be powered off to lower the EVC baseline).
Edit the EVC settings for the cluster and downgrade the EVC baseline to a generation that matches the oldest physical CPU hardware among all cluster hosts (e.g., Cascade Lake).
Add the new hosts to the cluster via the vCenter Web UI.
Power the virtual machines back on.
Additional Information
The error message references the following KB articles and documentation for additional foundational information regarding Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC):
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