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Zotac GT-520 - works but definitely not as it suppose to


ampersAnd
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Hello everyone. Asking for the help, because I can not solve this by myself keeping try for a 2 weeks.

 

I have Zotac GT-520 PCI card and I can not make it work properly after updating to 10.7.3.

Symptoms: the UI is sloooowwww, windows minimize by steps, quickview also opens pictures by 4-5 noticeable steps.

What I did:

- card is turned on by DSDT

- card's id is in AppleGraphicPowerManagement but this kext doesn't load as I can see.

- card's id is in NVDAGF100Hal.kext

- turn on OpenCL by modifiing GeForceGLDriver.bundle

 

the menu bar is translucent, the water ripples in dashboard presents.

Cinebench shows me 13 fps, Luxmark (GPUs and Accelerators only checkbox) - 38 (and shows clock: 0 Mhz)

 

If I boot in safemode, acceleration doesn't start but UI runs much faster (not so smooth, but much faster)

Any additional info will be provided if needed.

 

Thank's in advance and sorry for my poor English(

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hey... i have the zotac gt 520(PCI-E(x16) version) however...not a great card apparently...except as a media centre...i overclock mine in win7...still only matches scores of OSX in opengl viewer(about 400 fps for cube test opengl 1.1-2.1)...the card runs mac very fast and smooth...but i hesitate to try any games...i get 44 fps in OpenCL OceanWave..here's a peek in the Cuda-Z app

 

post-11772-0-15040800-1335221206_thumb.jpgpost-11772-0-91063500-1335221179_thumb.jpgpost-11772-0-83311900-1335221165_thumb.jpg

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hey, thanks for the respond.

I realize that this card is not the best one, but it's ok for the work now. But, I can't make it run smooth in user interface and any apps also. Mac runs "steppy", if You know what I mean.

I tried a Cuda-z, and get the same result as yours for first two screens, but the third one differs. idk what does it mean :|

post-114826-0-07870500-1335280170_thumb.png

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hmmm...well i tried two games ("Psychonaunts" from AppStore and "TombRaider Anniversary")...with all setting on max(i know not very demanding games)...and was surprised to find both played very well...tried thru vga to my old Apple 21" Display(1600x1200x32@85)...and thru hdmi to my 30" Phillips CRT-HDTV(1280x720x32@60-720P)smooth transitions and gameplay... :gun: now I suppose I'll have to try AssassinsCreedBrotherhood for Mac :sorcerer: that should lag a bit(and AssassinsCreedBrotherhood with medium graphics settings ...damn...runs fine too :thumbsup_anim: )

Edited by robertx
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I have Zotac GT-520 PCI card and I can not make it work properly after updating to 10.7.3.

Symptoms: the UI is sloooowwww, windows minimize by steps, quickview also opens pictures by 4-5 noticeable steps.

Did it work well before you updated to 10.7.3? Have you considered that it is something slowing down the whole OS and not your card? Booting -x not only turns off the video drivers but also turns off other things. Maybe it was one of the other things that is slowing you down.

 

Go to /Applications/Utilities and open Activity Monitor. Sort the CPU column so highest CPU usage is at the top. Is there something always maxing out the processor? If so, need to deal with that and then maybe the card will show itself to be working fine.

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Did it work well before you updated to 10.7.3? Have you considered that it is something slowing down the whole OS and not your card? Booting -x not only turns off the video drivers but also turns off other things. Maybe it was one of the other things that is slowing you down.

 

Go to /Applications/Utilities and open Activity Monitor. Sort the CPU column so highest CPU usage is at the top. Is there something always maxing out the processor? If so, need to deal with that and then maybe the card will show itself to be working fine.

Hi. Yeap, it was okay before I accidentally updated to 10.7.3.

Nope, th CPU loaded as usual, iStat shows normal behavior and nothing heavy is loaded in Activity Monitor list. I have sleep and speedstep working ok, different benches display a proper values for i7, so I believe the CPU side is apart from this issue.

 

An as I mentioned in 1st post, if i boot in safe mode, GUI runs much smoother with no hw acceleration. When in normal mode I guess the system thinks that card is online, so all the graphics job has to be done with it and cpu abandons to make a deal with it.) but video card can not make it the right way some how.

 

if it important I use DVI connected HP monitor @1920x1200

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hmmm...i can reproduce your stuttery behavior ...now my rig IS different...but if i allow AppleLPC.kext to load...i get that skippy, jittery effect...without it smooth as silk...does that kext load on your system ampersAnd?

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I would first try to look after the AGPM . You can set an Logging key to 1 in the AGPM .plist (of your smbios Model, devid section in the .plist).

Then you can see if the gpu speedstepping is working - perhaps it stays to long on low Ghz(GPU) and this makes the GUI to slow.

IN the console you can see the AGPM logging info about GPU Pstate changes. Try to move windows for small gpu loads or run some XBENCH OpenGL test to see how gpu PStates changes.

THere is an AGPM Thread in NVIDIA section about changing the gpu steppings (low / high thresoud settings).

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i get this in console with AGPM MacPro5.1 profile using the stock settings...just added my cards' id

12-04-28 4:20:11.490 PM [0x0-0x2f02f].net.sourceforge.CUDA-Z: Starting 24-bit integer test on GeForce GT 520 on 1 block(s) 1024 thread(s) each.

12-04-28 4:20:11.511 PM [0x0-0x2f02f].net.sourceforge.CUDA-Z: Test complete in 21.410849 ms.

12-04-28 4:20:11.511 PM [0x0-0x2f02f].net.sourceforge.CUDA-Z: Waiting for new loop...

12-04-28 4:20:12.522 PM [0x0-0x2f02f].net.sourceforge.CUDA-Z: Thread loop started

12-04-28 4:20:12.522 PM [0x0-0x2f02f].net.sourceforge.CUDA-Z: Free host pageable for GeForce GT 520.

12-04-28 4:20:12.522 PM [0x0-0x2f02f].net.sourceforge.CUDA-Z: Free host pinned for GeForce GT 520.

12-04-28 4:20:12.522 PM [0x0-0x2f02f].net.sourceforge.CUDA-Z: Free device buffer 1 for GeForce GT 520.

12-04-28 4:20:12.522 PM [0x0-0x2f02f].net.sourceforge.CUDA-Z: Free device buffer 2 for GeForce GT 520.

12-04-28 4:20:12.522 PM [0x0-0x2f02f].net.sourceforge.CUDA-Z: Free local buffers for GeForce GT 520.

12-04-28 4:20:12.522 PM [0x0-0x2f02f].net.sourceforge.CUDA-Z: Thread is done

12-04-28 4:20:17.000 PM kernel: AGPM: GPU = display G-state set to 1 from 0, ControlID = 18

12-04-28 4:20:19.000 PM kernel: AGPM: GPU = display G-state set to 2 from 1, ControlID = 18

12-04-28 4:20:22.000 PM kernel: AGPM: GPU = display G-state set to 3 from 2, ControlID = 18

 

...so i guess it's working... alot of state changeing going on...but interface is smooth as silk

Edited by robertx
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  • 2 weeks later...

I would first try to look after the AGPM . You can set an Logging key to 1 in the AGPM .plist (of your smbios Model, devid section in the .plist).

Then you can see if the gpu speedstepping is working - perhaps it stays to long on low Ghz(GPU) and this makes the GUI to slow.

IN the console you can see the AGPM logging info about GPU Pstate changes. Try to move windows for small gpu loads or run some XBENCH OpenGL test to see how gpu PStates changes.

THere is an AGPM Thread in NVIDIA section about changing the gpu steppings (low / high thresoud settings).

Thank's for your respond.

I did as You suggested and the following is shown on console:

...

 

07.05.12 11:44:02,000 kernel: AGPM: GPU = GFX0 G-state set to 2 from 1, ControlID = 18

07.05.12 11:44:08,000 kernel: AGPM: GPU = GFX0 G-state set to 3 from 2, ControlID = 18

07.05.12 11:44:11,000 kernel: AGPM: GPU = GFX0 G-state set to 0 from 3, ControlID = 18

...

and so on. So i beleive states are switching ok. as i can see those changes are going fast enough (I mean, changes apply fast)

 

I'll try now to find that tread concerning AGPM.

 

UPD:

I've made changes in AGPM from that topic, and it didn't help... Nothing changed at all. :(

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