clipper99 Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Hi, Running Snow Leopard 10.6.1 with a XFX 8800GT 512MB and need to switch to the XFX Radeon 4870 1GB. I see way too many methods for getting Radeons to work that are not really/necessarily specific to my brand of card, and of those methods I am seeing literally hundreds of replies..... Which makes me think that this is not exactly plug-n-play here, its actually rocket science! This card has been around for a while and I'm guessing(?) that there isn't a magical program out there yet that will let me run it, turn of the Hack box, install the ATI card, and reboot back into desktop nirvanna...is there? Cheers! Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/187332-help-with-xfx-radeon-hd-4870-1gb-card/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunLizard Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Clipper99, I just ordered the same card so I could make the switch to Snow Leopard. Evidently (reading netkas.org post) you shouldn't have any major issue with this card. If you have any NVInjectors running or have some special dsdt.aml you've built, you may want to re-build those. Read some of the comments on netkas' site as they may tell you the best .kexts to load for full card functionality. How I'd proceed since you already have some sort of stable system is: 1) back up your working kexts for your 8800 2) install kexts (with kext helper) for your new card (while still on your 8800.) 3) rebuild NVIjectors / dsdt.aml (without support for graphics if thats where you put it) 4) power down. 5) put in your new card. 6) attemp boot with -v -f (to rebuild your mkext) and see whats going on. 7) if you get static/hardship, remember you can alway boot with -x (safe mode) or -s (single user - command line only) 8) if you get a gui, tweak it in for your new card. Good luck. Post how it goes. S_L Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/187332-help-with-xfx-radeon-hd-4870-1gb-card/#findComment-1272082 Share on other sites More sharing options...
clipper99 Posted September 19, 2009 Author Share Posted September 19, 2009 Clipper99, I just ordered the same card so I could make the switch to Snow Leopard. Evidently (reading netkas.org post) you shouldn't have any major issue with this card. If you have any NVInjectors running or have some special dsdt.aml you've built, you may want to re-build those. Read some of the comments on netkas' site as they may tell you the best .kexts to load for full card functionality. How I'd proceed since you already have some sort of stable system is: 1) back up your working kexts for your 8800 2) install kexts (with kext helper) for your new card (while still on your 8800.) 3) rebuild NVIjectors / dsdt.aml (without support for graphics if thats where you put it) 4) power down. 5) put in your new card. 6) attemp boot with -v -f (to rebuild your mkext) and see whats going on. 7) if you get static/hardship, remember you can alway boot with -x (safe mode) or -s (single user - command line only) 8) if you get a gui, tweak it in for your new card. Good luck. Post how it goes. S_L Thanks for all this info SunLizard, I had switched the video cards already before I read this as I've managed to bork up my SL install already! At this point, after literally days of trying to fix this, I've decided to sit back and resist the urge to totally hork my other Hack-box that actually works. I'm probably gonna need it when I see what I really want posted, which I have to think, might be soon. The Lifehacker method *just* needs to also have ATI Radeon HD support............. . Cheers Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/187332-help-with-xfx-radeon-hd-4870-1gb-card/#findComment-1272586 Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunLizard Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Sorry to hear you have woes. Lifehacker was blessed/lucky with having compatible hardware for an easy install. I'd be willing to bet your problems aren't overwhelming, just takes a bit of reading and you'll be back at it. cheers. S_L Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/187332-help-with-xfx-radeon-hd-4870-1gb-card/#findComment-1273235 Share on other sites More sharing options...
clipper99 Posted September 19, 2009 Author Share Posted September 19, 2009 Sorry to hear you have woes. Lifehacker was blessed/lucky with having compatible hardware for an easy install. I'd be willing to bet your problems aren't overwhelming, just takes a bit of reading and you'll be back at it. cheers. S_L Well, woke up this morning afresh and found more tutorials on editing and injecting and hacking a custom boot config....so away i go! I'll report back, hopefully with good news. Now, on to try to find an EFI(?) string for the XFX HD4870! Update..Saturday afternoon, another 4 hours of my life I'll never get back! I GIVE UP!!!!! I didn't have this much headache installing Leopard on my Asus P5KSE so on that note, I'll wait untill I see a method of installing SL that doesn't involve an Nvidia card. Every single vanilla install method either uses Nvidia or I need to add EFI strings or whatever the heck it is that I can't figure out! At least I have my one working 10.5.8 working eh!? Thanks for your help. Link to comment https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/187332-help-with-xfx-radeon-hd-4870-1gb-card/#findComment-1273240 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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