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[Guide] Triple or quad monitors with two graphic cards

peach-os

By peach-os,
in Graphics Cards

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peach-os
peach-os
Posted
Posted

thanks to macgirl for the hints :P

 

now I have three monitors connected with a nvidia 7300gt (gainward) and a 7300gs(pny).

all resoutions QE/CI and rotation - all supported! tried it also with a fourth display - and it worked !

even sleep (except proper shutdown after wake up)

first of all I had no success using nvinject. I followed this instructions for creating a string for two identic cards

 

http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=101121

 

downloaded the plists from this thread http://forum.netkas.org/index.php/topic,55.0.html

 

first I couldn´t get the device paths, because the 7300gs appeared only as "monitor" in systemprofiler. so I pluggged in only one card and used gfxutil.

 

having all the neccesary details I merged the edited plists as described to one plist and created the hex file. pasted it as a string in com.apple.boot.plist .......et voila !! :P

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macgirl
macgirl
Posted
Posted

Thanks to you too.

 

could you attach a pic of you System Profiler on Graphics/Displays ?

 

Also if you coul explain just a litle more detailed which steps you made.

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peach-os
peach-os
Posted
  • Author
Posted

here some pics

 

post-120974-1210515629_thumb.png

post-120974-1210515640_thumb.png

 

here the merged plist

 

<?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(0x0)/Pci(0x1,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)</key>
<dict>
	<key>@0,VRAM,memsize</key>
	<data>
	AAAABAAAAAg=
	</data>
	<key>@0,compatible</key>
	<data>
	TlZEQSxOVk1hYw==
	</data>
	<key>@0,device_type</key>
	<data>
	ZGlzcGxheQ==
	</data>
	<key>@0,name</key>
	<data>
	TlZEQSxEaXNwbGF5LUE=
	</data>
	<key>@1,VRAM,memsize</key>
	<data>
	AAAABAAAAAg=
	</data>
	<key>@1,compatible</key>
	<data>
	TlZEQSxOVk1hYw==
	</data>
	<key>@1,device_type</key>
	<data>
	ZGlzcGxheQ==
	</data>
	<key>@1,name</key>
	<data>
	TlZEQSxEaXNwbGF5LUI=
	</data>
	<key>NVCAP</key>
	<data>
	BAAAAAAAAwAMAAAAAAAABwAAAAA=
	</data>
	<key>NVPM</key>
	<data>
	AQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==
	</data>
	<key>device_type</key>
	<data>
	TlZEQSxHZUZvcmNl
	</data>
	<key>model</key>
	<data>
	R2VGb3JjZSA3MzAwIEdUIEVGSQ==
	</data>
	<key>name</key>
	<data>
	TlZEQSxQYXJlbnQ=
	</data>
	<key>rom-revision</key>
	<data>
	MzE3NQ==
	</data>
</dict>
       <key>PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x3,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)</key>
<dict>
	<key>@0,VRAM,memsize</key>
	<data>
	AAAABAAAAAg=
	</data>
	<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,VRAM,memsize</key>
	<data>
	AAAABAAAAAg=
	</data>
	<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>NVCAP</key>
	<data>
	BAAAAAAACQAOAAAAAAAABwAAAAA=
	</data>
	<key>NVPM</key>
	<data>
	AQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==
	</data>
	<key>device_type</key>
	<string>NVDA,GeForce</string>
	<key>model</key>
	<string>GeForce 7300 GS EFI</string>
	<key>name</key>
	<string>NVDA,Parent</string>
	<key>rom-revision</key>
	<string>0x35373133</string>
</dict>
</dict>
</plist>

 

first I plugged only the GS card into the second pci-e slot and looked for the device path using gfxutil: ./gfxutil -f display

and received PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x3,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0) did the same with the GT only in first slot and received PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0).

 

pasted each in the first "key" line of the according plists that I attached. after that I merged the plists using textedit to one plist file.

 

using this command with gfxutil I created the hexfile: ./gfxutil -i xml -o hex merged.plist out.hex

 

opened the out.hex with textedit,copied and pasted the text as a string in apple.boot.com.plist.

 

repaired permissions with diskutil and removed Extensions.mkext and kextcache

 

sudo rm -rf /System/Library/Extensions.mkext

sudo kextcache -k /System/Library/Extensions

 

that´s it :(

 

P.S.: @ ricren - my whole specs are in my sig

 

plists.zip

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teknojunkie
teknojunkie
Posted
Posted

ok i tried it and it freezes at the apple logo and do not know why i made the out.hex put it in the com.apple.boot.plist

 

this is how it looks

 

<?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>Timeout</key>

<string>5</string>

<key>device-properties</key>

<string>3e0700000100000002000000990300001400000002010c00d041030a000000000101060000030

01060000007fff040014000000400032002c006e0061006d00650000001100000073656e736f722d

06172656e7436000000400032002c00680077006300740072006c002d0070006100720061006d007

002d00760065007200730069006f006e00000008000000000000021c000000640065007600690063

065005f0074007900700065000000100000004e5644412c4765466f7263650e0000006e0061006d0

650000000f0000004e5644412c506172656e7422000000400030002c006400650076006900630065

05f00740079007000650000000b000000646973706c6179100000006d006f00640065006c0000001

0000004e5649444941204765466f7263652037393030204754204f4322000000400031002c006400

50076006900630065005f00740079007000650000000b000000646973706c6179120000004000320

2c007200650067000000080000000000000222000000400032002c00640065007600690063006500

f0074007900700065000000120000004e5644412c6770752d64696f646520000000400032002c006

006f006d00700061007400690062006c0065000000160000004e5644412c73656e736f722d706172

56e7422000000400032002c002300730069007a0065002d00630065006c006c00730000000800000

0000000020000000400031002c0063006f006d00700061007400690062006c00650000000e000000

e5644412c4e564d616314000000400030002c006e0061006d0065000000120000004e5644412c446

73706c61792d413a000000400032002c0068007700730065006e0073006f0072002d007000610072

061006d0073002d00760065007200730069006f006e0000000800000000000002260000004000320

2c0023006100640072006500730073002d00630065006c006c007300000008000000000000011400

000400031002c006e0061006d0065000000120000004e5644412c446973706c61792d42200000004

0030002c0063006f006d00700061007400690062006c00650000000e0000004e5644412c4e564d61

31e00000072006f006d002d007200650076006900730069006f006e00000008000000000000a1100

00004e00560043004100500000001800000004000000000003000c00000000000007000000000e00

0004e00560050004d000000200000000100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

000000990300001400000002010c00d041030a0000000001010600001c0101060000007fff040014

00000400032002c006e0061006d00650000001100000073656e736f722d706172656e74360000004

0032002c00680077006300740072006c002d0070006100720061006d0073002d0076006500720073

069006f006e00000008000000000000021c0000006400650076006900630065005f0074007900700

65000000100000004e5644412c4765466f7263650e0000006e0061006d00650000000f0000004e56

4412c506172656e7422000000400030002c006400650076006900630065005f00740079007000650

00000b000000646973706c6179100000006d006f00640065006c0000001d0000004e564944494120

765466f726365203739303020475420304322000000400031002c006400650076006900630065005

00740079007000650000000b000000646973706c617912000000400032002c007200650067000000

80000000000000222000000400032002c006400650076006900630065005f0074007900700065000

00120000004e5644412c6770752d64696f646520000000400032002c0063006f006d007000610074

0690062006c0065000000160000004e5644412c73656e736f722d706172656e74220000004000320

2c002300730069007a0065002d00630065006c006c00730000000800000000000000200000004000

1002c0063006f006d00700061007400690062006c00650000000e0000004e5644412c4e564d61631

000000400030002c006e0061006d0065000000120000004e5644412c446973706c61792d413a0000

0400032002c0068007700730065006e0073006f0072002d0070006100720061006d0073002d00760

65007200730069006f006e000000080000000000000226000000400032002c002300610064007200

500730073002d00630065006c006c0073000000080000000000000114000000400031002c006e006

006d0065000000120000004e5644412c446973706c61792d4220000000400030002c0063006f006d

0700061007400690062006c00650000000e0000004e5644412c4e564d61631e00000072006f006d0

2d007200650076006900730069006f006e00000008000000000000a1100000004e00560043004100

00000001800000004000000000003000c00000000000007000000000e0000004e00560050004d000

002000000001000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000</string>

<key>Graphics Mode</key>

<string>1280x1024x32</string>

</dict>

</plist>

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  • 2 weeks later...
DJLunacy
DJLunacy
Posted
Posted
if the card is supported it should - just try :angel:

 

Well what i was wondering is whatever process i am going to have to attempt is this even compatible with ATI cards? I saw that you yourself was running nvidia and i didn't want to break anything.

 

If this is easily reversible I'm all for giving it ago, but if it's a futile idea i wanted to know from the start :D

 

Thanks

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peach-os
peach-os
Posted
  • Author
Posted

I can´tgive you a warranty that it works on your system.if you don´t want to break your system you shouldn´t try it. also I can´t understand you guys......if you want to be on the safe side: why don´t you buy a mac?

 

or just setup a pretty safe system: install a small partition with another leo on it (10 gigs) backup your main install with a clone tool. put all your important data on a third partition - here you go!

 

all the development here came from trial and error :P

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gu3d3s
gu3d3s
Posted
Posted

HI,

 

I try w 2 geforce, one 8800GT and 7300 GS

 

if i put only only one string, suystem boot up fine, but give me only dial display, second card is shoew PCI device but no monitor signal.

 

If i put efi striing w 2 vga cards, system freeze after logwindows start !!!????

 

if i use one vga w efi string and another w inject, same, system freze....

 

BTW: i make plist used one vga at time.....

 

any idea?

 

thx

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macgirl
macgirl
Posted
Posted

Well, is not that you "can't" use them both, but Nvinject "kills" the effect of gfx string, but only in the Graphics card, gfx string could have other device properties as Sound or Ethernet (Time Machine fix) or maybe other.

 

So if you have gfx string with certain properties and NVinject with another the NVinject's will prevail.

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  • 4 weeks later...
kavalir
kavalir
Posted
Posted

Hello, I have two same cards Sapphire ATI HD 3650 512mb. ... I want to have working GFX string because I like to have picture on 3 same monitors. Two lcds on one card working flawlessly with ATI installer from lastExile ( http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=107526 )..

When I put second ATI to my second PCIE slot, system profiler will show the card correctly! Everything looks fine, but it is not working

When I switch in bios to PEG2, everything is working too, but on the second card in second slot (logically). So the system see booth cards correctly.

 

Problem is that I cannot try GFX strings, because, after deleting Natit.kext, I didn't get low resolution (as described in aquamac how to http://aquamac.proboards106.com/index.cgi?...=569&page=1 ) - but I get screwed picture, so screen is unusable. System boots up correctly, everything is working, but picture in login screen is screwed;(

 

All I can do is boot with -x set up boot plist file with hex string, but after reboot is picture same like with original boot plist.

So any advices? ...

I made manually, boot plist - setting up plist file and generating hex with gfxutil (paste into boot plist)

 

My plist look like this

post-142145-1214997137_thumb.png

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peach-os
peach-os
Posted
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Posted

for me the pci root of the second card looks a little bit weird : 0x1c .....shouldn´t it be just an other number than 1? like 0x2 or 0x3?

 

did you check the pci roots with plugging in only one card in the according slot?

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kavalir
kavalir
Posted
Posted
for me the pci root of the second card looks a little bit weird : 0x1c .....shouldn´t it be just an other number than 1? like 0x2 or 0x3?

 

did you check the pci roots with plugging in only one card in the according slot?

 

hello, thanks for the reply

 

yes, 0x1c looks little bit weird;) but it is what gfxutil said. i tried both cards in both slots separately (one in first PCIE, and one is second PCIE).

 

but problem I have is before this step - if I just leave only one ATI card in computer, delete natit.kext and then reboot (original boot plist). it is not possible to login to system, because after grey apple (correctly shown), login screen is messed up.

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