I'm looking for help (@netkas) with an upgrade from an Nvidia 7900GS 256 to an ATI 4670 1GB.

Current status:
vanilla install
Chameleon 2RC3
Asus P5K-e
2.33 GHz Core 2 Duo
4GB 800MHz DDR2
7900GS using EFI strings and GraphicsEnabler
DSDT Patches: sound (AD1988B), USB, SATA
supplemental kext: AD2000b.kext, fakesmc.kext, IONetworkingFamily.kext, JMicronATA.kext, LegacyJMB36xSATA.kext, NullCPUPowerManagement.kext, OpenHaltRestart.kext, PlatformUUID.kext

extra kext in : main partition - /Volumes/MacOSX/Extra/Extensions
test drive - /Volumes/EFI/Extra/Extensions

What I tried:

1. downloaded these kext: http://rapidshare.com/files/297629498/ATI4...Netkas_Beta.zip

2. copied boot to /Volumes/EFI/ on my test drive

3. copied kexts to /Volumes/SL2/System/Library/Extensions

4. chown/chmod/repaired permissions for above. I think I also ran kextcache but have a -f flag in my Boot.plist

Results:
boot hangs at:
ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin: :pushCPU_CSTData - _CST evaluation failed
ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin: :pushCPU_CSTData - _CST evaluation failed
ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin: :registerLPCDriver - Warning - LPC device ....

Second try:
booted with -x

Results:
boot hangs after:
DSMOS has arrived

Appreciate any insight offered on my upgrade.

BTW I did notice that using netkas' beta bootloader was a little different than the Chameleon 2RC3 bootloader. It seemed to ignore my /Extra and DSDT in my EFI partition install but did pick them up on my production install where they are on the same partition as the OS. I'm guessing that if the 4670 only runs with netkas PC EFI bootloader I'll have to make some minor changes to my existing setup based on Chameleon 2RC3.

Also should I expect to create a new DSDT and re-patch when adding hardware?

Still looking for help in getting my 4670 installed.

I did some further cleanup and have new, but unsuccessful, results. I...

* cleaned up some errant .kext in S/L/E that were copied by mistake
* force copied the Netkas .kext to S/L/E
* chown/chmod S/L/E
* repaired permissions
* ran Kext Utility to rebuild kextcache
* edited com.apple.Boot.plist for PC EFI boot flags (arch=x86_64, -v), removed 7900GS efi strings, removed DSDT key which was previously causing the DSDT.aml to not be read

My results are now consistent:

** Device in slot: Slot 1 **
ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin.kext - waitforService(resourceMatching(AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement) timed out

I tried booting with boot flags:
-pci1
-pci0
-x32
-x

All, the same result.

Appreciate any input. Thanks.

It wasn't showing on-screen but it does appear to be an issue with the graphics. I'm leaning towards removing my DSDT.aml and seeing if it will boot with the new 4670 and then creating a new DSDT.

Can anyone confirm this is necessity of generating and editing a new DSDT after a video card upgrade?

Unless you did a gfx hack in your DSDT, changing video cards should not effect the DSDT. Do you have EFI strings in your com.apple.Boot.plist? Or do you have a gfx enabler kext installed?

@og-phantom thanks for the feedback!

Progress. Well I've advanced to another problem to solve.

Of course my issues were my own. I had two key 'light bulb' moments:

1. I'm in a multi-boot environment (Vista, Win7, SL1, SL2). I had forgotten to change the boot drive in my bios so I was booting from my production SL install instead of my test SL install where I'd made changes to the Boot.plist, etc. A 'duh' moment.

2. Looking at kernel log I couldn't resolve why it kept trying to load Nvidia displays. Then it struck me again that I'd updated my EFI strings using OSX86 Tools which altered the com.apple.Boot.plist in /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration. Sure enough when I checked in nano there they were. I removed and am no longer hanging on the boot screen but am getting black screen on VGA and DVI connections as others were reporting at netkas.org.

I'll think about it at work today but I'm now leaning on upgrading to 10.6.2 (currently totally vanilla 10.6 install) to see if the new OS changes for ATI remove my black screen.

Don't forget



in your


My Saphire 4670 is working but at only one resolution 1024x768

QI/CE enabled?

koko what kext's or files did you use to get your 4670 working?

OK guys

I forgot about the QE/CI part.
What I get is card being recognized, kexts loaded and only one basic resolution.

I removed all other ATI kexts from S/L/E
put 3 kexts from netkas there + beta bootloader + GraphicsEnabler Y

Would love to hear how to go beyond that.