Radeon HD4770 Solutions

[Svetolik]

"On the second one there is only 16 stream pocesors listed in the OpenCL test "

Nvidia processor count is 8* that shown count. Its normal for NV GPUs. Your GPU have 16*8 compute units i think - and all is OK for OpenCL.

NVEnabler 64 OpenCL test inserted hex from OSX86 tools in the NVEnabler pilst from pilst utility Chess working:

 

l-1/OpenCL2_Bench_V025 ; exit;

...........................................................

.................. OpenCL Bench V 0.25 by mitch ...........

...... C2D 3GHz = 12 sec vs Nvidia 9600GT = 0,93 sec ......

... time results are not comparable to older version! .....

...........................................................

 

Number of OpenCL devices found: 2

OpenCL Device # 0 = GeForce 9800 GT

Device 0 is an: GPU with max. 1375 MHz and 14 units/cores

Now computing - please be patient....

time used: 0.680 seconds

 

OpenCL Device # 1 = Intel® Core2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz

Device 1 is an: CPU with max. 2999 MHz and 2 units/cores

Now computing - please be patient....

time used: 11.989 seconds

 

Now checking if results are valid - please be patient....

Validate test passed - GPU results=CPU results

logout

 

[Process completed]

Xbench__Comparison_10.6.3.rtfd.zip

OpenGL_9800GT_OSX86_10.6.3.rtf

[Detosx]

Nvidia video editing are getting a bit off topic, though I appreciate your frustrations! I know little about video cards and video editing, beyond that Sony Vegas and Adobe Premiere look to have friendlier user interfaces than the amazing Final Cut. Though my hope is that my finances will lift from their dire base and I can yet afford a real Mac, I'll message you at a later date and find out how you are getting on! Meantime, as rafirafi says, good luck with Nvidia.

 

I tri-boot between Windows 7 (for occasional games) Snow Leopard (for productivity) and Ubuntu 10.10 (for experimentation and, debatable perhaps, added security). At the moment I am content with 4470 and Snow Leopard and hope rafirafi will continue with Snow Leopard, too, and further tweaks!

 

Getting back on topic, I ditched the login screen so I no longer have any inverted color glitch at start up.

[Svetolik]

NVEnabler 64 OpenCL test inserted hex from OSX86 tools in the NVEnabler pilst from pilst utility Chess working:

 

l-1/OpenCL2_Bench_V025 ; exit;

...........................................................

.................. OpenCL Bench V 0.25 by mitch ...........

...... C2D 3GHz = 12 sec vs Nvidia 9600GT = 0,93 sec ......

... time results are not comparable to older version! .....

...........................................................

 

Number of OpenCL devices found: 2

OpenCL Device # 0 = GeForce 9800 GT

Device 0 is an: GPU with max. 1375 MHz and 14 units/cores

Now computing - please be patient....

time used: 0.680 seconds

 

OpenCL Device # 1 = Intel® Core2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz

Device 1 is an: CPU with max. 2999 MHz and 2 units/cores

Now computing - please be patient....

time used: 11.989 seconds

 

Now checking if results are valid - please be patient....

Validate test passed - GPU results=CPU results

logout

 

[Process completed]

 

Partitiom with Nvinject OpenCL test:

 

 

 

 

Last login: Tue Sep 21 02:45:22 on console

/Volumes/COPY\ OF/Users/svetolik/Downloads/OpenCLBench_as_terminal_tool/OpenCL2_Bench_V025 ; exit;

svetoliks-iMac:~ svetolik$ /Volumes/COPY\ OF/Users/svetolik/Downloads/OpenCLBench_as_terminal_tool/OpenCL2_Bench_V025 ; exit;

...........................................................

.................. OpenCL Bench V 0.25 by mitch ...........

...... C2D 3GHz = 12 sec vs Nvidia 9600GT = 0,93 sec ......

... time results are not comparable to older version! .....

...........................................................

 

Number of OpenCL devices found: 2

OpenCL Device # 0 = GeForce 9800 GT

Device 0 is an: GPU with max. 1375 MHz and 112 units/cores

Now computing - please be patient....

time used: 6.646 seconds

 

OpenCL Device # 1 = Intel® Core2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz

Device 1 is an: CPU with max. 2999 MHz and 2 units/cores

Now computing - please be patient....

time used: 11.944 seconds

 

Now checking if results are valid - please be patient....

Validate test passed - GPU results=CPU results

logout

 

[Process completed]

 

 

So here is 112 units/cores listed buth that is not so important. This is screaming perfomance fill machine compared to histeric windows. Everything is on the rigt place and fills right. just tnink to do something and you are there. After 10 years in windows jail I will show this to my collegs from film archive and explain that Mac intel is much cheeaper than window$ platform on the year basis. How much working hours spend for apps and windows crashing?

How much money lose for service? How much frustration and broken tastatures and mices?

Windows for graphic use? just nonsens. I can imidliety see what is wrong with any damaged or restaurated movie despite windows everything the same look.

 

But let stick to the topic. I have some impresion that HD 4770 has more 3D effect compared to the flat and rigid sharpnes of 9800GT buth full screen mode is without authority of 256 interface. It is green edition and it is realy cool runer.

Yeah front row. I am just watching all marerials again.

Many THX to everybody who help me to make first steps in Hakintosh and build this tool.

We are all doing grate job for Apple.

OpenGL_test_10.6__9800GT_Nvinject.rtf

[rafirafi]

If you're testing I encourage you to visit:

TESTING ATI Radeon HD5xxx and HD4xxx support in Chameleon

 

You could test it and will make far easy to find what framebuffer could work for you.

Testing could improve a lot the new hackintosh user because it's time to tell wich framebuffer works for you/us (and no it's not the default one ak Peregrine) and make the GraphicsEnabler function work native.

 

Boot filr from Kabyl:

http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php...st&id=77479

 

Usage:

Delete any injector: evoenabler

Add the boot flag, p.exemple:

AtiFb=Flicker

or ATIFb=Motmot or ... whatever you want

 

Go to TESTING ATI Radeon HD5xxx and HD4xxx support in Chameleon and report.

[Detosx]

If you're testing I encourage you to visit:

TESTING ATI Radeon HD5xxx and HD4xxx support in Chameleon

 

You could test it and will make far easy to find what framebuffer could work for you.

Testing could improve a lot the new hackintosh user because it's time to tell wich framebuffer works for you/us (and no it's not the default one ak Peregrine) and make the GraphicsEnabler function work native.

 

Boot filr from Kabyl:

http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php...st&id=77479

 

Usage:

Delete any injector: evoenabler

Add the boot flag, p.exemple:

AtiFb=Flicker

or ATIFb=Motmot or ... whatever you want

 

Go to TESTING ATI Radeon HD5xxx and HD4xxx support in Chameleon and report.

I gave this a try and it works but I think not as well as your evoenabler in post 8. Also, I am unable to boot up my second Snow Leopard partition with that version of Chameleon. 

 

Edited - I have to retract that last statement about the new/tester Chameleon; I had just installed a second Snow Leopard partition on my hard drive (this is my test rig; on rare occasions it helps to be able to access one partition to make repairs on the other); my problem was not the new Chameleon but the ATI4800Controller.kext. I used the kexts I had been using on my first partition but, for whatever reason, and though installing them in the correct order, in verbose mode 4800 was throwing up error messages. So I used Pacifist to extract fresh copies of the needed ATI kexts from 10.6.3 combo update, added device IDs and installed in the correct order. Everything works fine.

[golfrguy]

Everything works fine.

 

How well is everything running compared to the method mentioned in this thread?

[Detosx]

 

How well is everything running compared to the method mentioned in this thread?

I was using the evoenabler in post 8 rather than the boot file method because the boot file method was giving me problems with my multi boot but now - see my supplementary tutorial in this thread's second post - I am using Kabyl's new Chameleon boot file and modified boot.plist. Initially I thought things looked fractionally less smooth when dragging browser windows about but if there is a difference it is very marginal. Youtube 720HD plays smoothly enough, perhaps marginally smoother under Windows 7 when using the highly optimized ATI drivers. Watching a movie on either there are no differences that I can see. 

 

The straight answer is that I need to set up a second hard drive with Snow Leopard on it and benchmark the two methods to see what the appreciable differences are, if any. I haven't felt the need, am enjoying the, for me, stable environment. I used Windows 7 for the last few days and, with no offense intended to Microsoft, couldn't wait to get back to Snow Leopard. 

[Detosx]

As mentioned by rafirafi it would be really helpful for continued development/support if everyone using this card could give a little back by helping Kabyl with a simple test to provide details about your specific card model. (To run it I had to quickly install/reboot/run myHack_lspci_Installer_1.0.mpkg, which there is a link to in the thread). It only takes a couple of minutes . All you're doing is copying and pasting a line into terminal and then copying and pasting the result for Kabyl (one of the developers of Chameleon boot loader). Also quickly save an ioreg dump (Install IORegistryExplorer, run it, save the file and upload it to your post:).

 

http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php...wtopic=231768 

[koax95]

guys..im a newcomer here and first time using hackintosh..fyi i still dont understan how to install kext file, how to replace boot in boot loader folder,tried to find that folder according to tutorial but failed..

 

im using sapphire 4770 with dvi and vga, iatkos s3 v2 boot fine but with no acceleration and low reso, installed chameleon rc4 when booting from dvd, can some one teach me step by step of how to install kext or replace boot file?or just give me some link where i can learn it..

 

pls dont flame me, im totally out of clue about this os but willing to learn it..

[Detosx]

guys..im a newcomer here and first time using hackintosh..fyi i still dont understan how to install kext file, how to replace boot in boot loader folder,tried to find that folder according to tutorial but failed..

 

im using sapphire 4770 with dvi and vga, iatkos s3 v2 boot fine but with no acceleration and low reso, installed chameleon rc4 when booting from dvd, can some one teach me step by step of how to install kext or replace boot file?or just give me some link where i can learn it..

 

pls dont flame me, im totally out of clue about this os but willing to learn it..

Hi Koax95, rather than hit you with the standard 'google is your friend' or suggest searching the forum, which in fairness people do because they are time pressed rather than selfish, but that I remember what it was like starting out; try this:-

 

The easiest way to install kexts is using Kext Utility. Posting external links is generally frowned upon by the moderators so you will need to search for that one. Ideally install it to the Utilities folder, which is inside the Applications folder, then drag it to the dock as a shortcut. To install kexts you then drag them (individually and as per the order in the tutorial) onto that kext utility dock shortcut. You will be asked for your password and have to wait a couple of minutes.

 

Where the boot file is depends on where you installed Chameleon. I installed mine to an EFI partition but I think the default is the root of your hard drive, which is to say right click on the finder icon in your dock and select New Finder Window, then click on your hard drive icon. Look for a folder called Extra - you will see the boot file in there, replace it with the new one.

 

It's important to follow the tutorial to the letter or you can find yourself locked out with a kernel panic at boot. Also, feedback is welcome on that tutorial which is my fleshed out version of great advice handed down from rifiari and Kabyl and others. And keep in mind that though it has worked for me and others your mileage may vary and, as with all things in this crazy time- eating hobby, you try it at your own risk, and so on, Keep an eye, say, on heat, especially when working under load, and any other random behaviors and report back.

[koax95]

Hi Koax95, rather than hit you with the standard 'google is your friend' or suggest searching the forum, which in fairness people do because they are time pressed rather than selfish, but that I remember what it was like starting out; try this:-

 

The easiest way to install kexts is using Kext Utility. Posting external links is generally frowned upon by the moderators so you will need to search for that one. Ideally install it to the Utilities folder, which is inside the Applications folder, then drag it to the dock as a shortcut. To install kexts you then drag them (individually and as per the order in the tutorial) onto that kext utility dock shortcut. You will be asked for your password and have to wait a couple of minutes.

 

Where the boot file is depends on where you installed Chameleon. I installed mine to an EFI partition but I think the default is the root of your hard drive, which is to say right click on the finder icon in your dock and select New Finder Window, then click on your hard drive icon. Look for a folder called Extra - you will see the boot file in there, replace it with the new one.

 

It's important to follow the tutorial to the letter or you can find yourself locked out with a kernel panic at boot. Also, feedback is welcome on that tutorial which is my fleshed out version of great advice handed down from rifiari and Kabyl and others. And keep in mind that though it has worked for me and others your mileage may vary and, as with all things in this crazy time- eating hobby, you try it at your own risk, and so on, Keep an eye, say, on heat, especially when working under load, and any other random behaviors and report back.

thx for your advice, yeah i google-ed alot bout this hackintosh( took me at least 6 month in mastering sony ericsson hacking, im a slow learner )

 

 

btw, im gonna install new copy of iatkos s3 v2 SL 10.6.3 and wanna ask your opinion bout settings im gonna use if its ok with u

 

bootloader - chameleon v2 rc 4

 

bootloader option - none

 

patches - default which is fakesmc, disablers, /extra directory, EVOreboot and RTC

 

modified kernels - qoopz 10.3.0(im on amd system)

 

main drivers 

 

  1.ahci/sata 

 

  2.sound voodooHDA and appleHDA (tried but not working, using alc889a)

 

voodooPstate

 

vga - ati - enablers

 

 

 

 

im using exactly same setting before but resulting in kp when reboot or restart:( there is no boot file, com.apple.boot.plist, themes folder in extra directory, do i need to add those file manually?but there is boot file and mach_kernel in root.

 

i followed your tutorial in post #2, modifying boot file on root and boot.plist in default folder but the result is i got weird screen, something like glitch on display, on the vorbose screen it say failed to load ATI4800Controller.kext, im using vga slot on my 4770, it comes with 1 DVI, 1 VGA and 1 HDMI, sapphire brand.

 

screen of KP

 

add: when i run lizzard app, it say no com.apple.boot.plist found..i remember when i generate new 1 on installation before this, my pc going into reboot loop..

 

[Detosx]

Hi Koax95

 

I can't give advice on iatkos and other third party installers, only on a purchased SL retail disc (it's a cheap item as hobbies go) when using a preboot CD. 

 

Re the boot file, you are correct it isn't in the Extra folder and I assume (though I have boot file and Extra installed on a seperate EFI partition) that having run the original Chameleon installer you would then just overwrite the existing boot file at the root of your snow leopard partition. To do so might involve making the origial hidden boot file visible, first - easiest way of doing that is to download the trial of Cocktail or the free Onyx application.  Your Extra folder should contain a boot.plist, a folder called Extensions, an Extensions.mkext which appears after you drag said extensions folder onto Kext Utility, and a folder named Themes.

 

I have no experience with AMD based laptops or laptops other than an old HP and some three year old Acers - your best bet is to search for someone using the same tech as you and message them. It saves a lot of time and aggravation!

 

Thanks for pointing out the dead link to me, which I have now updated to the current working one.

[Zodiac]

So did anyone get his Radeon HD4770 working on 10.6.5 yet ?

[Detosx]

So did anyone get his Radeon HD4770 working on 10.6.5 yet ?

A qualified yes (based on suggestions from rafirafi some months ago)

 

And my take on those suggesions - see below - is for people who already have their 4770 cards working under 10.6.4 using the vanilla(default) kernel, as per rafiari and my tutorials.

 

Firstly close all applications - some can foul up the Restart.

 

Then remove Sleep Enabler from your Extra / Extensions folder if you have it there and then remake your Extensions.mkext by dragging said Extensions folder onto Kext Utility (if you run voodoo sound from the Extra / Extensions folder you will have problems unless you update a kext; more on that later)

 

Go to System/Library/Extensions and back up your ATI 2000 kexts (four in all) to a folder on your desktop (let's call it 'update'.

 

Go to System/Library/Frameworks and back up your OpenGL.Framework folder to your update folder.

 

Install 10.6.5 update. It will take quite a long time. The one minute remaining will appear to last... a very long time.

 

Once it has installed, if you are running VoodooHDA sound from Extra / Extensions don't Restart yet. To allow voodoo sound to run from Extra / Extensions requires three kexts in addition to the VoodooHDA kext IOAudioFamily, IOPCIFamily and OSvKernDSLib. 10.6.5 updates the IOPCIFamily, so you will need to copy and paste it into your Extra Extensions folder (I copied and replaced all three just in case but as far as I could see only IOPCIFamily has been updated). Then drag said Extra Extensions folder onto Kext Utility to update the extensions.mkext.

 

Now click on the updates restart button.

 

Depending on your configuration you hopefully won't see any kernel panics on boot. You will see that your graphics card is essentially running in VESA mode.

 

Go to System/Library/Extensions and copy the new ATI4800Controller.kext to the update folder (it is dated 19 August but in the plist has a more recent revision number than the one we were using). Right click on that kext and select Show Package Contents and then click on Contents and then open the info.plist in textedit. Below IOPCIMatch you have the string with the card device ids. You need to add yours. Mine is 0x94b31002

 

The order in which I installed the kexts might cause problems because I didn't follow the tutorials. But I think doing it this way should work

 

Drag the revised ATI4800Controller onto Kext Utility.

 

Go to System/Library/Frameworks and overwrite the new OpenGL.Framework with your old one

 

Now onto the ATIRadeonX2000 kexts. Do it in the order below (to hopefully avoid kernel panic)

 

Drag your old ATIRadeonX2000AVDriver onto Kext Utility and wait for it to complete

 

Drag your old ATIRadeonX2000GLDriver.bundle onto Kext Utility    "  "

 

Drag your old ATIRadeonX2000GA.plugin onto Kext Utility             "  "

 

Finally, and be ready to Restart your computer after it has installed, drag your old ATIRadeonX2000 onto Kext Utility and wait for it to complete. Now Restart.

 

I restarted in Verbose mode. Unless you get an obvious kernel panic be patient during the first boot/first few attempts. At one point I booted with -F -V

 

Warning - I have only literally just done all this, have had it running for an hour. You might want to hold off a week or two. I am keen to run some tests. It seems to be working fine but the fan sounds as though it's working a little harder. I want to try again on another partition. I will refine the above in the process.

 

Try this only if you are not risk averse!

 

It would be good to hear rafirafi's thoughts and experiences.

[Malloot]

After quite some days of trying different methods of install i just got my amd/ati machine to install and boot properly using the nawcom boot cd, retail dvd and myhack 1.1.4 on that cd.

Ofcourse i would like to try to get my 4770 working properly now and i am trying to follow Zodiac's guide (wich one of the more readable and newb friendly ones ive read in the past few days). However i am having problems with the first part of the guide that deals with changing the boot.plist because i use Chameleon(v2.0-RC5 r273). I tried making sense of the posts that deal with it on page 3 but that didn't fare very well. 

i am wondering if anyone useing Chameleon atm is able to explain the boot.plist part somewhat better

 

Edit:

 

Ok i slept a night and tryed a somewhat harder and more awake this morning, i ran into the following problems.

 

I changed my boot file and boot.plist (with the flicker flag and enabled graphics)  before updating to 10.6.4 but it kept rebooting at loading mac. I replaced the edited files (in a 2nd mac install loaded with boot cd) with the ones i backed up and rebooted into 6.4 with success and just continued installing by using the terminal commands and adding the edited 4800 kext. i also replaced the boot and boot.plist with the edited ones again (before using the terminal commands)and rebooted with succes. However i didn't have the inverted color and higher resolution. I tryed adding the rest of the kexts in correct order but i gues it was hopeless at that time anyway. I can't boot into mac now because of panic.

 

this gives me the following questions:

 

should the he edited boot and boot.plist work before updating to 6.4 or should i reboot while in 6.0 hope it works and then update?

 

should running the terminal commands give some kind of confirmation? or is it correct when it just goes to the next line 

 

what is so special about the kexts from 6.3.1.1? can't i just add the device id to the 6.4-5 kexts and get the same results but after updating? (im guessing it has to do with the boot file being made for 6.3?) 

 

is just deleting all the edited files and restarting enough to start the process over or is it better if i just reinstall?

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks in advance for any help

[Zodiac]

Go to System/Library/Frameworks and back up your OpenGL.Framework folder to your update folder.

Thanks for your quick guide, but why i should restore old OpenGL.Framework ?

 

should the he edited boot and boot.plist work before updating to 6.4 or should i reboot while in 6.0 hope it works and then update?

Well, you can use EvoEnabler from first page "post #8" instead of boot method.

[Detosx]

Thanks for your quick guide, but why i should restore old OpenGL.Framework ? 

I was going by what rafiari had suggested to me some months ago. When I messaged him yesterday he hadn't yet tested the final of 10.6.5. I imagine when he has tried it out himself and experimented a bit he will stop by. Meantime, what I wrote above worked for me based on what he'd suggested some months ago. I was champing to try it out and went for it when I read your post. I hope to be able to experiment over the next week or so. (I tried the new OpenGL.Framework but my screen went a solid yellow instead of booting to desktop, periodically flashing, so I went with the previous OpenGL.Framework as suggested and it seems to be working.) I have a couple of other partitions and will experiment over the weekend if time. 

 

Meantime, I have been running the update as I described above for a full day now without ill effect. I thought the card's fan was working a little harder but I just stopped it with a finger and then let it run back up to speed and it's pretty quiet, though I am not running any graphically intensive applications at the moment, so any additional noise I am hearing is possibly from the CPU fan, though Temperature Monitor shows at most a 2 degrees C rise in previous temps from 10.6.4, which is insignificant and could be down to room temp. Without otherwise touching the card the air above it feels just warm; no overtaxed electronics smell, thus far. Things seems a little zippier but I need to benchmark. Youtube, which was okay before, seems less glitchy but that might be down to work done on the site. 

[Malloot]

Ok i finally got my 4770 to work using Detosx's guide on the first page after a fresh install, I updated to 10.6.4 before using the guide because thats what made kp's and confusion on my part last time.

However i still have one problem witch is that i can't use my video card for what its actually made for, gaming!

I open up world of warcraft and my pc restarts... no kp no error just bamn restart

anyone able to tell me why this is and if this is fixable?

And i guess i just have to live with inverted colors at login right?

 

Sorry for my newbish questions

 

Ok i seem to get better at this, wow uses some video accel that this fix doesn't support (GLL i belive) adding SET GxApi "OpenGL" to Config.wtf fixes it

[Detosx]

Ok i finally got my 4770 to work using Detosx's guide on the first page after a fresh install, I updated to 10.6.4 before using the guide because thats what made kp's and confusion on my part last time.

However i still have one problem witch is that i can't use my video card for what its actually made for, gaming!

I open up world of warcraft and my pc restarts... no kp no error just bamn restart

anyone able to tell me why this is and if this is fixable?

And i guess i just have to live with inverted colors at login right?

 

Sorry for my newbish questions

 

Ok i seem to get better at this, wow uses some video accel that this fix doesn't support (GLL i belive) adding SET GxApi "OpenGL" to Config.wtf fixes it

Hi Malloot, the best way to avoid the inverted colours is to get rid of login. Unless you are in a public environment you possibly don't need it.

 

I haven't tried games, so do report back any findings! Could you elaborate a bit on the part about 'adding SET GxApi "OpenGL" to Config.wtf fixes it'? (without providing an external URL to another website as the moderators don't like that) and maybe post a URL from within insanelymac if the procedure is listed within the insanelymac forum? I think with games it is a good idea to keep an eye on heat. I would be tempted to tell people to have a dual boot setup so they can run games in Windows as heat has been known to kill hackintosh hardware, including an HP laptop I owned. We all proceed in this hobby at our risk, but within that disclaimer it is always interesting to read others experiences with our card.

[Malloot]

Thnx for your reply detosx

 

The Config.wtf is a file in the wow folder that saves the config settings about sound and graphics you make in game and is easily edited outside of the game aswell. I learned about adding the line because some resent patch from wow killed the fps of regular mac owners and someone said that would fix it. The line added is very simply a copy paste job 

 

I just tryed if it would help on my problems and it did help me start the game. However the same fps problems mac owners have plague me aswell and i have to set the game to everything on low setting and still pull only 20fps @ 1920x1080 (in windows i have 50fps with everything on max).

 

My gpu is running hotter on mac then on windows in all occasions but gets to scary levels during gaming. I fixed this by cutting an extra hole in my case and adding a huge (but silent) case fan next to my card wich blows fresh air over and under it. That cooled it down to a steady 40ish degrees. 

 

Im going to keep trying to get the fps problem fixed and will play wow using dual boot for now. I have heard the 10.6.5 patch fixes a part of it so the next step will be updating to that using detosx's guide (altho i have little hope it will fix a thing as i guess removing the opengl line will just result in a crashing pc again) 

[Liability]

Hi Detosx,

You said in your guide above "for people who already have their 4770 cards working under 10.6.4 using the vanilla(default) kernel"

I'm on 10.6.5 and /really/ don't want to have to do another reinstall to get down to 10.6.4. Is there any hope for me to get this working?

 

Graphics: HD4770

CPU: Phenom II X4 965

Mobo: TA790GX A3+

[rafirafi]

You could always use only the kext and openGL framework from 10.6.3 (use pacifist to install framework and extract kext to modify).

It's far better than downgrading, no ?

 

Using another thing than 10.6.3 will not give you hardware acceleration (10.6.5 doesn't seem to kernel panic but fallback to software acceleration)

 

It's up to you but software rasterizer just S...!

 

But perhaps Destox has some good news: any good news with 10.6.5 ?

[Detosx]

Hi, I was going to hold off doing this until mid December but I will bring it forward a bit and start on Saturday or Sunday. I wanted to do a clean install, which I have done, and experiment a bit.

 

Provisionally I did so but with mixed results. I found myself unable to get back to where I was before the clean install.

 

rafirafi, in an earlier communication you had said use the OpenGL framework from 10.6.3 or 10.6.4 preferably. So I went with 10.6.4 and I seemed to have it working.

 

This time around I had ATI4800controller from 10.6.5 ('Snow Leopard Graphics Update's 4800 and 10.6.4's 4800 didn't work; error messages were flagged up in verbose boot mode but ATI 4800, with whatever your respecive cards id is inserted into its plist, from 10.6.5 seemed okay), then I used OpenGL framework buffer from 10.6.4, then I rebooted. The screen looked a little fuzzy, which I hadn't had before, but I carried on and installed the ATIx2000 kexts from 10.6.3.1 update (extracted with Pacifist), installing the ATIX2000 kext last of all to avoid kernel panic (again, you need to have whatever your cards id inserted into the plist). I remade the caches and on reboot in verbose mode used -F -V. My first trial run seemed to work okay but then, when I started from scratch to double check, I got a yellow screen at the end of boot. I'm not sure where I am going wrong - I have been installing kexts manually with terminal so perhaps I am doing something wrong, there, where previously I had been using Kext Utility, but will try again on Saturday and Sunday if I can make some time!  

 

Incidentally, be careful if you are playing along at home - if you can't overwrite the OpenGL framework package - it's in System/Library/Frameworks - and instead delete it to then drop in the one from 10.6.4 (or 10.6.3 as rafirafi is saying above), you will find that Finder stops working a moment or so later! - it's always a good idea to have an adjoining second Snow Leopard partition so that you can rescue yourself from any damage done! 

 

In fact, if people could breifly list which combinations they have tried that haven't worked for them, it would help everyone who is willing to experiment a bit.

[Detosx]

Here is what I have found (and I would greatly welcome reading other people's experiments). I used XBench to benchmark, running it four times on each setup with no other Applications running.

First, at all times to begin with, unless stated otherwise, I was using ATIRadeonX4800controller from 10.6.5 (just add your cards id to the plist) the X2000 kexts from 10.6.3.1 while leaving the ATISupport and ATIFramebuffer kexts as 10.6.5 (though later I tried swapping these out for those from 10.6.3.1

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I started with OpenGL.framework from Snow Leopard Graphics update (I was unable to get the OpenGL.framework from 10.6.5. to work, or initially the one from 10.6.3.1 (though starting the 10.6.3.1 version up with the arch=i386 command it worked and subsequently worked in 64bit, also) or from 10.6.4, which did briefly work but I have been unable to repeat - edit, see end of post).

 

Xbench scores were very interesting, with OpenGL.framework from 10.6.3.1 helping post an Open GL graphics test score of 280.27 /355.54 frames per second in the spinning squares test, as against 167.18 in Quartz and 146.67 /186.06 for OpenGL.framework from Snow Leopard Graphics update. In Snow Leopard Graphics update 64bit mode Quartz is 161.63 and OpenGL is 140.36 / 178.22)

 

In Quartz it was 183.87 for 10.6.3.1 OpenGL.framework as against 166.65 

 

Chess worked perfectly with OpenGL.framework from Snow Leopard Graphics Update. I was going to try it with the version from 10.6.3.1 but then something strange happened. Acceleration under 64bit no longer worked when trying out widgets, and then the same booting into 32bit. I have no idea why it stopped working but there you go, very frustrating in that the OpenGL results were so much better.

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I thought I would try OpenGL.framework from 10.6.4 one more time. It worked this time, but Chess causes a panic in 64bit. In 32bit Chess works - for a few minutes, but then the screen went orange and I was promptly logged out. I logged back in but there was a Finder error message when I got there. Quartz scored 168.40 and OpenGL 157.35.79 /199.60 frames a second in 32bit mode and Quartz 159.28 and OpenGL 142.39 / 180.63.  -----

 

A few more. Using the ATI4800Controller from 10.6.3 with the above mix, in 64bit I get Quartz 169.07 and OpenGL154.19/ 195.60fps. In 32bit mode I get Quartz 166.26 and in OpenGL I get 150.70 / 191.17ps.

 

I then tried adding 10.6.3.1's OpenGLframework to the above but that lost me toolbar panel transparency and the effects in Dashboard (acceleration)

 

I then tried using all of the kexts and the OpenGLframework from 10.6.3.1 but again no panel transparency/Deshboard effects.

 

I then tried all 10.6.3.1 with 10.6.4's OpenGLframework - line result in 64bit was 169.30 and OpenGL was 164.98 / 209.29. In 32bit it was 166.58 for Quartz and 158.99 / 201.69.

 

I then tried OpenGL framework from the origianl 10.6.3 (rather than 10.6.3.1) but I was back to no acceleration.

 

I then tried ATI4800Controller with the above; it wouldn't boot at first but...

 

At this point I noticed something. I usually calibrate a new setup for my Dell monitor. I found that Snow's calibration application wasn't working properly; the colors looked okay if going with the defaults so I hadn't tried before.

 

In conclusion! I am going to go back to 10.6.4, which is to say I will follow my own tutorial (and update anything where needed). I will keep a separate partition for 10.6.5 and keep experimenting but, realistically, I am looking at mid December earliest before I write up a full 10.6.5 tutorial. As always, rafirafi's concise notes are a good starting point! My frustration throughout my tests is that 10.6.5.1's OpenGLframework was by far the fastest when used in the combination stated above - but unstable and then unusable. If I learned anything it is that, fairly consistently, the benefits of running Snow in 64bit aren't to our advantage from the graphics card point of view.

[Detosx]

Edited, or rather left in for detail; see the bottom for what I settled on, for now. Also, again, you do all this at your own risk. As mentioned, one combination gave the appearance of hot pixels on the screen.

 

Provisional supplemental tutorial on installing your graphics card in a virgin 10.6.5 setup (I will flesh out with some terminal commands over the next week). it's a very good idea to have an adjoining partition to rescue things in case your computer kernel panics and locks you out.

 

The final setup that I went with is pretty much the same as when I was using 10.6.4 and which I intend to go back to because Calibration worked (the default setting is okay but a little dark) and... a string of reasons mentioned below.

 

 

I have the following kexts, which you need to extract with Pacifist, from Snow Leopard Graphics Update -

 

ATI4800Controller - with my cards id added to the plist

 

Install using Kext Utility

 

I used the OpenGL.framework from Snow Leopard Graphics Update

 

You need to overwrite the existing one which is in System/Library/Frameworks. It's a little tricky, best done from a neighboring partition, and you need to chmod and chown ideally. More on that when I write up another supplemental guide.

 

Then reboot

 

Use Kext Utility to install the ATIRadeonX2000 kexts (all extracted from 10.6.3.1 and not 10.6.3), of which there are four, the one named ATIRadeonX2000 you added your cards id to the plist

 

Use Kext Utility to install ATIFramebuffer and ATISupport kexts (both extracted from Snow Leopard Graphics Update).

 

Reboot.

--------

 

 

Note, you do this at your own risk. It would be good to have some testers on board who aren't risk averse. I have noted anomalies during testing, including what looked like hot pixels on the screen and also reduced brightness. If you give me until the middle of the month I will keep testing and then post a tutorial proper. If the very excellent rafirafi has any pearls of wisdom meantime, they would be great to hear.

 

 

Benchmarks? Not the best but I was going for stability. In 64bit I have Quartz 169.78 OpenGL 153.70 /194.98 frames/sec

 

 

EDIT - not happy with the lack of brightness issue, I tried a few more.

 

Using all 10.6.3.1 (by which I mean the stated needed kexts) with Snow Leopard Graphics Updates openglframebuffer gave me a brighter screen but marginally slower benchmark than the above.

 

Using all 10.6.3.1 with 10.6.3.1's OpenGL.framework meant no resolution options/vesa-like.

 

Using all 10.6.3.1 with OpenGL.framework from 10.6.4 - the screen is brighter, looks better. in 64bit Quartz is 169.05 and Open GL is 168.19 /213 frames/sec. Under 32bit it runs a little bit slower.

 

 

Using the OpenGL.framework package from 10.6.3 (as opposed to from 10.6.3.1 - incidentally I compared 10.6.3.1's ATI kexts, or at least the ones we use, with 10.6.3's; both have the same number identifiers in the plist but the OpenGL.frameworks are different sizes/number of files within) Best of four tests with Quartz on my setup is 169.40 and Open GL is 153.06 / 194.16 frames/sec; usually the scores in OpenGL were around 10% lower than that. Under 32bit boot is slow and benchmarks are a little slower than under 64bit.

 

 

I seem to have traded day for night. A few more experiments tomorrow and then I'm done.