Jump to content

[Guide] Triple or quad monitors with two graphic cards

peach-os

By peach-os,
in Graphics Cards

 Share
203 posts in this topic

Recommended Posts

AbetheGeek
AbetheGeek
Posted
Posted

Ok. I tried with and without installing those drivers. Both times it hangs just before launching the GUI. As for native support, I think 10.5.7 had native support for 9500gt, I found my device ID in either NVDAResman.kext or NVDA50HAL, I can't remember which one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kdawg
kdawg
Posted
Posted
Ok. I tried with and without installing those drivers. Both times it hangs just before launching the GUI. As for native support, I think 10.5.7 had native support for 9500gt, I found my device ID in either NVDAResman.kext or NVDA50HAL, I can't remember which one.

 

Just to verify, you converted the plist to a EFI string first right. Like so.

 

com.apple.Boot.plist.zip

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AbetheGeek
AbetheGeek
Posted
Posted
Just to verify, you converted the plist to a EFI string first right.

 

Yes, I used ./gfxutil to convert. Also, keep in mind I have those other cards I can use, if you think any of them would be easier. I personally just don't get what's going on. Other people have had success with these cards. I'm going to keep trying though.

 

Another thing I don't get is why nvinject .2.0 can get any combination of cards to work, just now with CE/QI

 

Edit: here is a copy of my com.boot.

com.apple.Boot.plist.zip

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kdawg
kdawg
Posted
Posted
Just an update; using the com.apple.boot plist you provided, it boots but doesn't identify cards correctly, just as displays.

 

Do both displays turn on? Do you have core image hardware/software acceleration at all? What bootloader are you using? Try Chameleon v2 RC2

 

Let me know how you make out? Dont give up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AbetheGeek
AbetheGeek
Posted
Posted
Do both displays turn on? Do you have core image hardware/software acceleration at all? What bootloader are you using? Try Chameleon v2 RC2

 

Let me know how you make out? Dont give up.

 

 

Me give up? Nope, I'm a glutton for punishment. :) . I've gotten it to work using the following method:

 

1. Fresh Retail install of 10.5.7

 

2. Made one EFI string for only the 9500GT card that was going to be in PEG2 (bottom Pcie slot).

 

3. Installed NVdarwin installer 1.2.5.

 

4. Insert 2nd card.

 

5. Boot and rejoice with full QE/CI

 

This method has worked with any combination of cards. I used 2x 9500GT, 1x 9500GT 1x 8400Gs, 1x 9500GT 1x 7300GT. I am really at a loss as to why EFI strings for 2 cards (regardless of combination) simply would not work on my hack. I was using boot think, then I installed Chameleon rc2.

 

Are there any downsides for using injectors beside having to reinstall them after every update?

 

Once again, I sincerely thank everyone who has helped. With special thanks to Kdawg.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kdawg
kdawg
Posted
Posted
a small update that might help:

 

try to find the correct NVCAP for your card and correct it in your plist before creating the hex.

use plist edit pro and look for NVCAP.

 

 

Definitely be sure you have the right NVCAPs. Various ways to get them.

 

On top of that one of the VRAM params was wrong.

Try this one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ricren
ricren
Posted
Posted

Hi kdawg,

 

I've noticed in your signature that you're using an 8800 and a 8500 card together, right? I'd like to have your opinion on this:

 

Do you notice a difference in performance between the two cards in common tasks, including H264 playbak? Is it worth to buy an 8800 today?

 

Thanks a lot for your input.

 

Ric

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nanomx
nanomx
Posted
Posted

hi, i have a retail install of 10.5.7 and have a EVGA 260 GTX fully working for a while

but today i stumble a cross a 9600 Gigabyte installed in the second PCI-e Slot and when i booted

i didn't have CI/QE for the 9600 so i edited NVDANV50 , NVDAResman , GeForce and i use ATY_init

from netkas.org and edit that too and got full suport for both cards in system profiler but when i go

into system preferences/display everything becomes slooow and some times i may change the resolution

o the arrangement of the 3 screen attach but sonner o later it crash system preferences or i lose a screen

usually is the 9600 one

 

 

any advice o by the way i use the CristalClear Interface program i dont think that has something to do

with it, any ways

 

thanls

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kdawg
kdawg
Posted
Posted
Hi kdawg,

 

I've noticed in your signature that you're using an 8800 and a 8500 card together, right? I'd like to have your opinion on this:

 

Do you notice a difference in performance between the two cards in common tasks, including H264 playbak? Is it worth to buy an 8800 today?

 

Thanks a lot for your input.

 

Ric

 

Yes I have both cards working together. I don't really notice a difference between the two. I use the 8800GT 512MB to drive a 26" monitor and the 8500GT 256MB to drive a smaller 19". The only real reason I have the 8500GT was because it has a HDMI port I was going to hook up to my TV. The HDMI works fine but I still haven't got sound out of it. The 8500GT 256MB is more than capable of playing back full screen H264 video on my 26" display.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ricren
ricren
Posted
Posted

Thanks for your answer.

About not noticing a difference between the two cards, I had a hunch that would be the case. I had an old 6100 card and I didn't notice a much better performance in common tasks when I changed it for two 7300GT driving 4 monitors. This set up is getting old, so I'm considering an upgrade, but I do not know if it's worth, bearing in mind that I do not game on this machine.

 

cheers

 

Ric

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 1 month later...
prinzessin
prinzessin
Posted
Posted

Does anyone has already experiences with SL and two graphic cards working?

 

I have two HD3870 passive and would like to have them work under SL.

If it would be nessesarry to switch the HW than could someone propose

a good silent / passive card for this purpose?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 1 month later...
Slyrfecso
Slyrfecso
Posted
Posted

I tried both of them.

2nd video card is very old PCI card, and it is not in efi studio list.

If I will se PCI ino, than I can't see in EFI studio.

I tried add EFI Strings to boot flag in osx86Tools, but can't make "0" into tpe boolean. (-1700)

 

 

These datas from XP:

 

Device id

PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_017A&SUBSYS_015E10DE&REV_A3\4&31B6CD7&0&10F0

 

Hardware Ids

PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_017A&SUBSYS_015E10DE&REV_A3

PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_017A&SUBSYS_015E10DE

PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_017A&CC_030000

PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_017A&CC_0300

 

 

Compatibel Ids

PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_017A&REV_A3

PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_017A

PCI\VEN_10DE&CC_030000

PCI\VEN_10DE&CC_0300

PCI\VEN_10DE

PCI\CC_030000

PCI\CC_0300

 

 

Matching Device Id

pci\ven_10de&dev_017a

 

Can you told me step by step what to do?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
peach-os
peach-os
Posted
  • Author
Posted

that means that only the strings for that card are not available in efi-studio. you need to check the exact definition in IOreg

and put into efi-studio to check the pci root. otherwise put only one card into the slots and use gfxutils. howto is described in my second post

Link to comment
Share on other sites
starobrno1
starobrno1
Posted
Posted

Hey peach-os good to see this thread is still alive, also it´s good to see you´re still helping folks out. Just one quick question offtopic. You see I´m running snowleo these days and though my two 7300 gs works better than ever using the old NVinject.kext I once edited and got working ok for these old videocards one does allways want it to be better. More for less that´s allways the case is´nt it B) .

 

So in your experience how much more/better performance would one get doing it the right way compared to using injector kexts? Yeah I know it´s a lazzzzzzy question allrigt but man it took a whole lot of time to find out how get SL up running the easy way. Lots of good guides around here how to get SL up running but they pretty much all seemed way to timeconsuming and complecated for me so I found my own way. Works for my gear don´t know if it does for just any combination of HW though.

 

In short words since I decided to go the easy way with the SL installation I´m trying to find out what I may miss allways going about all of this the easy way. Lately I´ve been thinking it could be really cool with a perfect install in all aspects but if I gain +10% and if that 10% is pretty much just bonjour and your what not (that I don´t use anyway) well I guess you can see what I mean.

 

Take care thanks for your good work here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
dooky
dooky
Posted
Posted

Basically I woudl need to know if you could have two external monitors connected with dvi1 and dvi2 to the same mac with only one graphical card?

 

I have Latitude e6400 with a dock which has two DVI ports. Can I connect two monitors somehow to it as I did in Windows?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
peach-os
peach-os
Posted
  • Author
Posted

@starobrno

 

yes.....I´m still alive and really busy - but helping if I do find the time. this community gave me a lot of knowledge - so I´m always trying to give back something :lol:

 

the answer is unfortunately very short: I still didn´t have the time to install SL

I´m using my system everyday for business and can´t risk any problems for the next weeks (veeery busy).

I´ve bought SL two weeks ago and it´s waiting :)

 

@dooky

 

you are asking in the wrong thread. you are asking about dual monitor support - this is thread is about dual gfx card support.

 

but imho it should work with the right kext or strings - look for threads about your built in gfx

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 months later...
  • 2 months later...
starobrno1
starobrno1
Posted
Posted

I read in another thread about two cards in the same hack people talking about system profiler says only 8 for bandwith when they actually have their cards in the "16 slot". I decided to check out what my SP said and for sure it is 8, I noticed here in this thread in the pics uploaded yours say the same. Anyway I was thinking if EFI strings maby would take us up to full 16 and boost our cards performance?

 

I don´t know maby it´s just cosmetic? Any ideas?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...