macOS Sierra & R9 290 Sapphire Vapor-X problem

[Swear]

Hi! This is my very first topic here.

So, about a month ago I succesfully installed macOS Sierra but I'm not sure how did I manage to get there. I really don't remember what flags I used but I do know what was on my USB because I haven't touched it from back then.

So, to be as immediate as possible, I can't get the system to boot without the use of -x and I'm 99% sure it's because of the video card, since I had problems with Yosemite and a little with El Capitan too.

 

Booting in verbose mode I get stuck in some points, they're not always the same and this is because I change things like Fb name ( I used Baladi and Hawaii because I found those name for R9 290) and the card ID ( which is 0xB701002 ), injected ATI, but non of them boots the system without -x.

So the only way for me to get to the system is booting with -x flag which means I have no graphics but the thing is that if I go in "about this mac" it shows me right my card and the correct VRAM but still I can't get it to work properly.

 

Well, all of this was before I updated to the latest build which caused me to not boot at all, even with -x flagged.

 

Am I the only one facing this issues with this card?

I really hope you guys can help me ._. Thank you very much and excuse me for my English

[ombra88]

Hi! This is my very first topic here.

 

So, about a month ago I succesfully installed macOS Sierra but I'm not sure how did I manage to get there. I really don't remember what flags I used but I do know what was on my USB because I haven't touched it from back then.

 

So, to be as immediate as possible, I can't get the system to boot without the use of -x and I'm 99% sure it's because of the video card, since I had problems with Yosemite and a little with El Capitan too.

 

Booting in verbose mode I get stuck in some points, they're not always the same and this is because I change things like Fb name ( I used Baladi and Hawaii because I found those name for R9 290) and the card ID ( which is 0xB701002 ), injected ATI, but non of them boots the system without -x.

 

So the only way for me to get to the system is booting with -x flag which means I have no graphics but the thing is that if I go in "about this mac" it shows me right my card and the correct VRAM but still I can't get it to work properly.

 

Well, all of this was before I updated to the latest build which caused me to not boot at all, even with -x flagged.

 

Am I the only one facing this issues with this card?

 

I really hope you guys can help me ._. Thank you very much and excuse me for my English

hi honestly you are more lucky then me cuze mine doesn't recognize the effective msi r9 290x and i can boot only with the onboard gpu, if i try to use my r9 after the apple logo doesn't happen totally nothing, only no signal

[MattsCreative]

http://imgur.com/i9sklTbenough said 

[Swear]

hi honestly you are more lucky then me cuze mine doesn't recognize the effective msi r9 290x and i can boot only with the onboard gpu, if i try to use my r9 after the apple logo doesn't happen totally nothing, only no signal

These video cards are so messy with these things... Maybe wardoc can help both of us

 

http://imgur.com/i9sklTbenough said 

 

My specs:

Motherboard: Gigabyte Z97X Gaming 5

CPU: Intel i7 4790k

GPU: AMD Radeon R9 290 Vapor-X 4 GB

RAM: 16 GB

 

I attached a screenshot of the infos I get on El Capitan.

As you can see I don't get the right chipset model name, but you do. I'd really like to fix this thing and learn how. Can you please tell me how you fixed?

 

Unfortunately there are not many topics about this card.

[ombra88]

http://imgur.com/i9sklTbenough said

 

Can you help us to fix this problem cuze for me it's impossible even boot with the r9 and thr fact that when i mount my usb with cliver config on my hackintosh the efi folder is empty :/, thanks for thr support and attention!

[Swear]

Can you help us to fix this problem cuze for me it's impossible even boot with the r9 and thr fact that when i mount my usb with cliver config on my hackintosh the efi folder is empty :/, thanks for thr support and attention!

I can give you my EFI folder if you want to give it a try. Maybe you'll manage to boot with -x flag too. You could just fix your things for your hardware and try. Let me know and I will upload it

Or maybe it's better for you to use a config.plist and do the clover installation by yoursefl. Better for you and quicker for me ( my upload speed is very low )

[ombra88]

Thats perfect!! Thank you and can you tell me what should i do, so if i understand i boot from my usb, but i don't get where paste your config. Thank you hope i will be useful, and maybe find a way to fix our problem.

 

Btw so you are booting with the onboard gpu?

[Swear]

I boot with R9 290 etc, yes

Here's the file. If you have questions, let me know

config.zip

[ombra88]

I boot with R9 290 etc, yes

 

Here's the file. If you have questions, let me know

are you experiencing a problem with the empty folder of the usb with clover configurator on your hackintosh?

[Swear]

are you experiencing a problem with the empty folder of the usb with clover configurator on your hackintosh?

I use the USB installer EFI folder because I noticed my hard drive EFI partition was empty. Only the EFI folder (empty) was inside of it. I tried to install clover and copy the entire EFI folder but it didn't work at all to reach the login screen, I don't know why. I really wish @wardoc helps us since he seems to have everything ok.

Anyway, did the config.plist help you in some way?

 

 

 

http://imgur.com/i9sklTbenough said

Sorry to ask again, but could you give us a hand?

[ombra88]

I use the USB installer EFI folder because I noticed my hard drive EFI partition was empty. Only the EFI folder (empty) was inside of it. I tried to install clover and copy the entire EFI folder but it didn't work at all to reach the login screen, I don't know why. I really wish @wardoc helps us since he seems to have everything ok.Anyway, did the config.plist help you in some way?Sorry to ask again, but could you give us a hand?

 

Nothing, still this no signal screen

[Swear]

Nothing, still this no signal screen

Can you post a screen of your SMBIOS configuration? Are you sure it is properly set for your hardware?

[ombra88]

Can you post a screen of your SMBIOS configuration? Are you sure it is properly set for your hardware?

if i remember the smbios is in the config.plist, right? sorry is a long time that i don't nothing in the hackintosh world.

 

if yes, this is the smbios from the config.plist that i was using before yours.

Smbios.zip

[Swear]

if i remember the smbios is in the config.plist, right? sorry is a long time that i don't nothing in the hackintosh world.

 

if yes, this is the smbios from the config.plist that i was using before yours.

I asked you a screenshot because I'm at work and I can't open it :/

[ombra88]

 I asked you a screenshot because I'm at work and I can't open it :/

 

 

 

if you need more materials, tell me, and thank you so much for your help!!! i'm sure we are helping other guys that have the same problem with this topic.

[Swear]

You should use Clover Configurator. It has GUI and it's a lot better to configure the boot. When you're done with Clover Configurator, try to set your computer as a Mac Pro 6,1

[ombra88]

You should use Clover Configurator. It has GUI and it's a lot better to configure the boot. When you're done with Clover Configurator, try to set your computer as a Mac Pro 6,1

i'm already using clover configurator the problem is that i dk what to choose, if i can ask, what did you choose to setup your hackintosh in clover config?

[Swear]

I used Mac Pro 6,1. Did you try it?

Anyway I don't get why wardoc left us without any advice or solution since he did manage to get the 290 to work just fine. He could be useful for anyone who has that card too... 

[okrasit]

It seems the problem is with the state of the GPU when Sierra loads the driver. It works if the card is in uninitialised state.

With R9 290, simply flash it with 290X bios and boot "blind"!

[Swear]

It seems the problem is with the state of the GPU when Sierra loads the driver. It works if the card is in uninitialised state.

With R9 290, simply flash it with 290X bios and boot "blind"!

Thank you for your reply. Personally, I am a bit noob about this. Could you please guide us through? Again, thank for making something finally clear!

[okrasit]

Boot to windows. Download atiwinflash & 290X bios for your card

https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/?architecture=&manufacturer=Sapphire&model=R9+290X&interface=&memType=&memSize=

Flip the switch on the card? Run command prompt as admin, atiwinflash -f -p 0 thebiosfileyoudownloaded.rom

You'll get black screen until the os is loaded, so you better setup clover to boot Sierra automatically.

[Swear]

Boot to windows. Download atiwinflash & 290X bios for your card

https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/?architecture=&manufacturer=Sapphire&model=R9+290X&interface=&memType=&memSize=

Flip the switch on the card? Run command prompt as admin, atiwinflash -f -p 0 thebiosfileyoudownloaded.rom

You'll get black screen until the os is loaded, so you better setup clover to boot Sierra automatically.

But does it mess up something? I mean, there should some difference between 290 and 290X... or not?

Anyway when I boot up my PC it just loads clover because I already set my hard drive with El Capitan in the boot order, which has clover installed.

 

The one I have has not the X after 290. This is why I'm asking

[okrasit]

But does it mess up something? I mean, there should some difference between 290 and 290X... or not?

Anyway when I boot up my PC it just loads clover because I already set my hard drive with El Capitan in the boot order, which has clover installed.

Well, yes it does mess up the loading of the vbios on boot and that's the whole point of it? 

You can setup clover to boot Sierra like after 5 secs by setting DefaultVolume & Timeout in Clover's config.plist.

[Swear]

Well, yes it does mess up the loading of the vbios on boot and that's the whole point of it? 

You can setup clover to boot Sierra like after 5 secs by setting DefaultVolume & Timeout in Clover's config.plist.

Thank you very much! The point is "do I break the card with the 290X bios if I flash it to my 290?" 

If you can assure me this is totally safe, I can proceed! 

[okrasit]

Thank you very much! The point is "do I break the card with the 290X bios if I flash it to my 290?" 

If you can assure me this is totally safe, I can proceed! 

Sort of, it'll be a bit retarded with the 290X bios but there's the switch on the card so you can alway go back to the original bios just by flipping it.