GFX Strings - DUAL CARDS - How To

[flyingroti]

Okay, I have tried this now, having to modify the steps a little because I am using a GT 220 as a second card and a GTX9800 as my primary card. I have a gigabyte mobo so put the primary card in PEG2 and set bios to PEG2. I did all the steps and output the hex on a leopard system, and when I booted, the resolution is awful and only one monitor is working! My com.apple.boot.plist is in my chameleon boot disk (usb) and originally looked like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>Kernel</key>
<string>mach_kernel</string>
<key>Kernel Flags</key>
<string></string>
<key>Default Partition</key>
<string>hd(2,2)</string>
<key>Legacy Logo</key>
<string>Yes</string>
<key>Timeout</key>
<string>10</string>
<key>Wait</key>
<string>No</string>
<key>GraphicsEnabler</key>
<string>Yes</string>
<key>EthernetBuiltIn</key>
<string>Yes</string>
</dict>
</plist>

I added the graphics string at the end. Any suggestions as to what I am doing wrong?

Thanks

Ben

[flyingroti]

I also tried to change my system config boot.plist file. Repaired permissions, put back my original chameleon boot file and am getting the same results.

[flyingroti]

I have spent HOURS and HOURS researching this and trying to make it work. With graphicsenabler I feel like I am so close. When I put BIOS to PEG2, it seems as if its going to boot and then I get a KP. This is with my main card (9800 GTX) in the PEG 2 slot furthest from the CPU. If I set it to PEG and use my secondary card (GT 220) I can get two monitors to work, and system profiler sees two cards, but only one works. When I try to use a gfx strings method described here I can only get one monitor to work with horrible resolution. I am ready to throw my computer off a building. Can someone PLEASE help walk me through this. I feel I am going crazy.

[flyingroti]

Here is what shows up in system profiler when I use PEG.
Unknown:
This is the GT 220
Chipset Model: Unknown
Type: GPU
Bus: PCIe
Slot: Slot-1
PCIe Lane Width: x8
VRAM (Total): 1024 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0a20
Revision ID: 0x00a2
ROM Revision: xx.xx.xx - internal
Displays:
SyncMaster:
Resolution: 1680 x 1050 @ 60 Hz
Pixel Depth: 32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
Main Display: Yes
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Rotation: Supported
SONY TV:
Resolution: 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz
Pixel Depth: 32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
Mirror: Off
Online: Yes
Rotation: Supported
Television: Yes

This is the 9800 GT

GeForce 9800 GT:

Chipset Model: GeForce 9800 GT
Type: GPU
Bus: PCIe
Slot: Slot-2
PCIe Lane Width: x8
VRAM (Total): 4294967295 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x0614
Revision ID: 0x00a2
ROM Revision: xx.xx.xx - internal
Displays:
Display Connector:
Display Connector:

It says no displays for the 9800 even though i have one plugged in.

[aquamac]

See your PM's.

[muchlife]

wow, amazing! worked perfectly on Gigabyte EP45-UD3P (rev 1.0) using two of the same cards BFG 9600 GT OC 512

took few restarts until i caught that "giga boards need be set to boot PEG2" which did stop my kernel panics and allowed both cards to recognize with full QE/CI and hardware accell

if you dont nail this on the first try... best advice for people having problems is what aquamac said earlier in this thread - do not waste time trying to get both working at the same time, until you can boot 1 at a time in each PCIe slot, with full support / hardware accelleration. When you boot fine with card 1 in slot 1 (no card in slot 2), then boot fine with card 2 in slot 2 (no card in slot 1) only then should you have no problems booting with both cards plugged in at same time.

[aquamac]

Thanks for the update muchlife. With the info you have gathered, you should have no problems getting future cards going if you ever update. Don't forget to make a backup of your working in.plist, out.hex and com.apple.boot.plist on some removable media!

[leopaquard]

I have a question Aquamac,

All is working fine exept of vram recognition.
Snow Leopard see -2048 MB instead of 2048 MB, if it was only cosmetic it didn't matter, but I can't install softwares cause of this bug !!!

Solved with combo update 10.6.5 and tonymacx86 NVIDIA Update !

My config :
ASUS P6T7 - I7 975 - 3 x 2 GB Corsair dominator GT 2 Ghz
3 x GTX 285 2 GB
HighPoint Rocket Raid 2720 ( working with official driver of 2722 for MAC)

Thank you in advance for your help !!

And by the way, excuse me for my English, I'm from Switzerland...

[unisex]

Hi,

thx that works fine!
but on the 3. monitor i have a black screen.
is syspref i can see both cards.
2nd slot: cl.ly/27ddb3148e42794a5c67
1st slot: cl.ly/a8cb6f156b467a515911
plist: ompldr.org/vNXc1ZA

black screen on 3rd monitor on 2nd slot-card

someone can help pls?

[jeansebastienbg]

Hi aquamac,

I'm just going nuts!!! I have a dual booting system on 10.5.8 and 10.6.3. I have:
- Asus P6t Deluxe V2
- EVGA 9800 GTX+ superclockedin slot 1
- EVGA 9800 GTX+ in slot 2.

I boot with Chameleon V2

I did all the steps to modify my com.apple.boot.plist., pointed out the PCI slots one at a time, generated the Hex values under 10.5.8 etc... The problem is that I can't boot on 10.6.3, it loads on a black screen after longing in. I can boot in 10.5.8, but QE is not supported.

I didn't found anything in my bios to boot from peg2.

Here's my in.plist

<key>PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x3,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)</key>
<dict>
<key>@0,compatible</key>
<string>NVDA,NVMac</string>
<key>@0,device_type</key>
<string>display</string>
<key>@0,name</key>
<string>NVDA,Display-A</string>
<key>@1,compatible</key>
<string>NVDA,NVMac</string>
<key>@1,device_type</key>
<string>display</string>
<key>@1,name</key>
<string>NVDA,Display-B</string>
<key>@2,#adress-cells</key>
<string>0x01000000</string>
<key>@2,#size-cells</key>
<string>0x00000000</string>
<key>@2,compatible</key>
<string>NVDA,sensor-parent</string>
<key>@2,device_type</key>
<string>NVDA,gpu-diode</string>
<key>@2,hwctrl-params-version</key>
<string>0x02000000</string>
<key>@2,hwsensor-params-version</key>
<string>0x02000000</string>
<key>@2,name</key>
<string>sensor-parent</string>
<key>@2,reg</key>
<string>0x02000000</string>
<key>NVCAP</key>
<data>
BAAAAAAAAwAMAAAAAAAABwAAAAA=
</data>
<key>NVPM</key>
<data>
AQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==
</data>
<key>VRAM,totalsize</key>
<data>
AAAAIA==
</data>
<key>device_type</key>
<string>NVDA,GeForce</string>
<key>model</key>
<string>NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+ sc</string>
<key>name</key>
<string>NVDA,Parent</string>
<key>rom-revision</key>
<string>3172a</string>
</dict>
<key>PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x7,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)</key>
<dict>
<key>@0,compatible</key>
<string>NVDA,NVMac</string>
<key>@0,device_type</key>
<string>display</string>
<key>@0,name</key>
<string>NVDA,Display-A</string>
<key>@1,compatible</key>
<string>NVDA,NVMac</string>
<key>@1,device_type</key>
<string>display</string>
<key>@1,name</key>
<string>NVDA,Display-B</string>
<key>@2,#adress-cells</key>
<string>0x01000000</string>
<key>@2,#size-cells</key>
<string>0x00000000</string>
<key>@2,compatible</key>
<string>NVDA,sensor-parent</string>
<key>@2,device_type</key>
<string>NVDA,gpu-diode</string>
<key>@2,hwctrl-params-version</key>
<string>0x02000000</string>
<key>@2,hwsensor-params-version</key>
<string>0x02000000</string>
<key>@2,name</key>
<string>sensor-parent</string>
<key>@2,reg</key>
<string>0x02000000</string>
<key>NVCAP</key>
<data>
BAAAAAAAAwAMAAAAAAAABwAAAAA=
</data>
<key>NVPM</key>
<data>
AQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==
</data>
<key>VRAM,totalsize</key>
<data>
AAAAIA==
</data>
<key>device_type</key>
<string>NVDA,GeForce</string>
<key>model</key>
<string>NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+</string>
<key>name</key>
<string>NVDA,Parent</string>
<key>rom-revision</key>
<string>3172a</string>

So what am i doing wrong?

[aquamac]

If you look under Graphics/Displays in system profiler in Leo, what is reported - can you post a "grab" of it.

[jeansebastienbg]

Hmmm, weird.

I kept trying lots of things on the 10.6.4 HDD, nothing works, but now, it works in 10.5.8... I didn't change anything in the com.apple.boot.plist on the 10.5.8... The info under Graphics/Display is a picture in attachment.

Attachments:

[aquamac]

The same com.apple.boot.plist should work in both Leo and Snow Leo. In snow Leo you will not see the info about Quartz Extreme and Core Image - so check if it is working by using DVD player or Chess or getting the ripple when opening a new widget in dashboard. Otherwise you may need to re- install the nv kexts for 10.6.4. I have an installer in the driver download section to do just that.

[jeansebastienbg]

I've tried to use the same boot.plist working in Leo.

The problem in Snow is not that QE and CI is not enabled, it's just not booting. All I get is a black screen after login in. OSX seems to be running in the background, cause the LED on my Wifi usb dongles flashes, but the screen is black.

About reinstalling the NV kexts, are you talking about the NVIDIA 9 Series Driver Installer? Because it's mentionned I shouldn't use it with anything other than 10.5.5.

With the GFX string in the com.apple.boot.plist, should I mess with the DSDT?

[jeansebastienbg]

Okay, it booted!!!

I tried again with the com.apple.boot.plist from Leo, it didn't work, the I tried with a new DSDT for my motherboard. V3.3 in post #4 of this thread: www.insanelymac.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t208724.html

So, now it's booting, it recognizes my two cards, but I can't get QE and CI enabled.

For Leo, I used OSX86tools, when I try it in Snow I get this error message:
Can’t make "The domain/default pair of (com.apple.windowserver, QuartzGLEnabled) does not exist" into type boolean. (-1700)

What's the next step?