GFX Strings - DUAL CARDS - How To

[ybott]

Hi again,

I can now boot and system profiler shows 2 cards but does not recognize them;

"Type: GPU
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 32 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x05e3
Revision ID: 0x00a1"

and

" Type: GPU
Bus: PCIe
PCIe Lane Width: x16
VRAM (Total): 32 MB
Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de)
Device ID: 0x05e3
Revision ID: 0x00a1"

Here is my latest in.plist (later converted to hex and string inserted to com.apple.Boot.plist in /Library/Prefs/SystemConfiguration);

<?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>PciRoot(0x1)/Pci(0x3,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)</key>
<dict>
<key>@0,AAPL,boot-display</key>
<string></string>
<key>@0,can-hot-plug</key>
<string></string>
<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,can-hot-plug</key>
<string></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>AAPL,aux-power-connected</key>
<string>0x00000001</string>
<key>AAPL,backlight-control</key>
<string>0x00000000</string>
<key>AAPL,gart-width</key>
<integer>64</integer>
<key>AAPL00,blackscreen-preferences</key>
<string>0x00000000</string>
<key>AAPL01,blackscreen-preferences</key>
<string>0x00000000</string>
<key>IONVRAMProperty</key>
<true/>
<key>NVCAP</key>
<data>
BAAAAAAAAwAcAAAAAAAACgAAAAA=
</data>
<key>NVDA,Features</key>
<string>0x108006ff</string>
<key>NVPM</key>
<data>
AQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==
</data>
<key>VRAM,totalsize</key>
<string>0x60000000</string>
<key>device_type</key>
<string>NVDA,GeForce</string>
<key>model</key>
<string>1. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 DDL/HDMI</string>
<key>rm_board_number</key>
<data>
AAAAAA==
</data>
<key>rm_multiboard_capable</key>
<data>
AQAAAA==
</data>
<key>rom-revision</key>
<string>0x34333433</string>
<key>subsystem-id</key>
<string>0x00001080</string>
</dict>
<key>PciRoot(0x1)/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>
AAAAQA==
</data>
<key>device_type</key>
<string>NVDA,GeForce</string>
<key>model</key>
<string>NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 DDL</string>
<key>name</key>
<string>NVDA,Parent</string>
<key>rom-revision</key>
<string>3172a</string>
</dict>
</dict>
</plist>

I'm out of ideas now so I'm going to try installing different drivers to see if that helps (specifically a driver I knew worked for the 285 only (the 480 driver is already installed). But I'm not even sure if these drivers will be used without an enabler.

I'm also using a DSDT, so incase that is the problem I've also attached it to this post.

Please let me know if there's anything I can try!

Thanks again,

Toby

Attachments:

[ybott]

ITS WORKING! FINALLY!

The trick was to put the string into the Boot.plist in my /Extra folder (as well as /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration. I now have full QE and CE on both cards.

It's working perfectly with DaVinci Resolve, using the 285 for GUI and the 480 for CUDA processing.

Thanks!!

[johnnyboy]

I thought I share this, since I spend several days trying to get this working on Lion.

This same solution works on Lion with a minor setting change in the BIOS.

I had Gigabyte EP45 board that I've ran triple monitor setup for a year until 10.6.7. When I updated to 10.6.8, it stopped working (during the boot it gets stuck at PCI something rather error message). I was able to get around that by setting the default video card to boot from PEG1 rather than PEG 2. (Note, for Gigabyte MB, you had to set it to PEG2 in the BIOS to make this work in the past. For me, that changed since 10.6.8.)

You have to do the samething with the Lion. Follow the steps in this guide, but leave the option to PEG1 in the BIOS. In my case, I have Gigabyte Z68 MB for Lion, and it is now called PCIe16 or PCIe8, and I've set it at PCIe16, and it would boot with triple monitor, but it would get stuck during boot if I set it at PCIe8.

Don't forget to disable the Graphics Enabler in the .plist file.

[theartofdance]

I've got dual gtx 260s in my hackintosh that were working perfectly in 10.6.7, but when I upgrade to 10.6.8 or Lion, it goes back to that ugly resolution and no detected graphics cards in my system. I've replaced every boot plist in my hard drives with ones with gfx strings, but to no avail. Any ideas?

Edit....problem solved. deleted gfx strings and set graphicsenabler to yes. No strings needed. Both cards running and detected properly

[editrt]

Hello everybody,

I've successfully installed dual gpu 9800gtx GUI + 470GTX GPU to run Davinci Resolve 8.
My Efi strings seems to work, since osx 10.6.8 recognize both card.
The problem is that cuda on gtx470 doesn't work, if I test with CUDA-Z the system slows down and I get nothing under the performance tab...
Changing che PCIe device in bios (PCIe8x / PCIe16x) makes no difference.
Moreover no matter wich boot PCIe I set in the bios, when I have two cards, it boots from the first slot even if I plug the monitor on the second one, only when the system start I see the diplay working, but not during the boot.

If I use any of the two cards in single mode, they both work fine, cuda works too.

any clue?

thanks for the help!

EDIT: SOLVED! same EFI string works perfectly on Lion

[ffpsx]

Hello aquamac, I just want to say thank you for putting together this guide. After many hours I was finally able to get both my cards to be functional with the help of your guide here. Although I got both cards to work, I can not get both cards to have full graphics acceleration. Initially I was not using a DSDT file and I used your guide. I got both cards detected in the system profiler this way, but only one card would actually display anything on my LCDs. At one point I booted from my snow leopard USB installer and was able to get both cards to work. Eventually I discovered it had to do with the DSDT file on the USB stick. So I am using it on my main install drive now. The DSDT file just has information for the primary card. The system profiler shows settings I have in the DSDT for the primary card, while the secondary card is using information from the com.Apple.boot.plist EFI string. The secondary card works perfectly but the primary card is not fully accelerated. For example in the dashboard widgets dont make the ripple effect. I tried to take all the settings from the EFI string and convert them to work in the DSDT, but upon reboot the primary card doesnt detect the LCDs. I narrowed it down to one line on the DSDT file. If I change the line that says...

"device_type",
Buffer (0x0D)
{
"NVDA,Parent"
},

...to...

"device_type",
Buffer (0x0D)
{
"NVDA,GeForce"
},

...then when I reboot the LCDs are not detected. Both cards show up under system profiler though. I have tried everything I can think of/find online. Do you have any ideas?

I am running OSX 10.6.8 on a Gigabyte GA-EP45-DSLR motherboard. And the two cards are an nVidia GeForce 9800 GTX card and nVidia GeForce 210 Silent card. Both cards work perfectly independently. Any help will be greatly appreciated.



To actually get both my cards to work.. I had to set my mobo to PEG1. Load the EFI string info from here and the DSDT I found online for a guide to install OSX on my mobo.

[deomitrus]

Any thoughts on running 3 or 4 graphic cards following this method?

[cantinflas]

Hello Aquamac,

I'm amazed and grateful for all of your work. I have a problem, I have a MOBO gigabyte P67A-UD7-B3 and 2 two NVIDIA video cards (GT430 and GTX285). My system is working fine. I have have full QE and CE on both cards but when I use DaVinci Resolve 8 and this software recognizes only the GT430 (installed in PCIEX16-2 and is the main card in my BIOS).

I've used TonymacX86 multibeast 3.80 method and custom DSDT. My OS is 10.6.8. I've tried to use EFI strings that I attached to this comment to correct the problem with the recognition of both GPU, but then I lose QE and CE, additionally, when OS starts I have to change the monitor to my second card (GTX285, which is not the main card in BIOS). The GT430 won't give any video.

These are my cards' addresses:

gt 430 slot 2 pcix16
PciRoot(0x1)/Pci(0x1,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/Pci(0x3,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)

gtx 282 slot 1 pcix16
PciRoot(0x1)/Pci(0x1,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)

I don't really know much about this topic but I've spent a lot of hours trying to make it work. I don't know if what I'm doing is alright.

If anyone else could help me, I'd be really grateful.

Attachments:

[sstiwari]

Hi Everybody!

I have a strange problem. I have two MSI GTX 480 card running in SLI in windows(i.e. SLI Bridge is also connecting the two cards) with 120Hz Benq Display connected through DVI-D. For using the same PC in hackintosh, I was using EFI Strings for both cards (with Graphics Enabler=No) from your site. It was perfectly fine upto 10.6.7. When I tried the same set of Strings in 10.6.8, everything goes fine up to the point where the screen finally flashes to get to the main desktop. There, my LED monitor goes blank saying no signal detected. Surprise, the same EFI Strings work perfectly fine in Lion 10.7, but then not again in dev preview 10.7.2, the same "No Signal Detected" problem. This is the case with my first card. As for SLI in windows all display comes from 1st (Master) card only. But if at that point of display going blank, if I connect my DVI-D cable to second card after detaching it from first card, then the display is there and everything is normal. In the console log there are two messages

Kernal: NVDA, Display A: Not usable
Kernal: NVDA, Display B: Not usable

though both cards show up in System Profiler along with all the infos put into the EFI.

The location paths for the Cards are

PCIROOT(0x0)/PCI(0x3,0x0)/PCI(0x0,0x0)
PCIROOT(0x0)/PCI(0x7,0x0)/PCI(0x0,0x0)

Tried all sort of combinations suggested like, rolling back AppleACPI, IOPCIFamily. Changing NVDA, Geforce to NVDA, Parent for first card, then for second then for both, but not resolved. Yes changing to NVDA, Parent does give KPs, using HDMI instead of DVI-D. Nothing works in 10.6.8 and 10.7.2 other than connecting the display to second card.

Using one card at a time is fine with all versions. I am using DSDT for my board, MSI Big Bang Xpower and it doesn't have any edits for Graphics.

May be something needs to be modified in the in.plist for the first GTX 480.

Strange, any suggestions will be highly appreciated.

SST

[muhandis]

Aquamac's guide just fixed my dual gtx570 install on Lion. Thanks to him and everyone who have been contributing here as well as tonymac, netkas and the whole hackintosh community.

[maximilian75]

I have a problem with lion and 2 video cards
When I run SL 10.6.8 the aquamac guide work perfectly with my 450 gts and 7300, but in lion don't work
No way, the system hung up with KP SHUTDOWN or dead in white screen before logon screen appears
I have a gigabyte mother X58A UD3R 2rev FG

[aquamac]

I think because possibly 7300 is not supported in Lion.

[muhandis]

Is it possible to have the hdmi and display ports on the 570 card work with the 2 gpu's? Right now only the dvi ports work.

[aquamac]

With my Gtx 480's, HDMI works only if one of the DVI ports is not populated, (sorry, can't remember which one), it will not be possible to get all 3 working at once as mac drivers will not support this. You may need to take a look at your NVCAP values.

[muhandis]

Thanks aquamac. ;D