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[HOW TO]: Make 9800GX2 work in Mac Leopard 10.5.5! QE/CI Enabled! (WORKS ON NVIDIA M/Bs ONLY!)

Azamic

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Azamic
Azamic
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Guys, I managed to get 9800GX2 work with all resolutions and QE/CI enabled!

 

To start off, my system specs are as follows:

 

CPU: Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 o/c@3.5GHz - Aircooled

OS: Leopard 10.5.2 (Leo4All)

M/B: XFX Nvidia Nforce 790i SLI Ultra

Mem: Patriot DDR3 PC 10666 @1333MHz

GPU: XFX GeForce 9800GX2 (QE/CI Enabled with All resolutions)

Sound: Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Platinum (Not working with 10.5.2 :( )

HDD: 2x500GB SATA WD Caviar & 1x750GB SATA WD Caviar

 

Ok now for the best part of making 9800GX2 work with your Leopard:

 

1. Uninstall / Delete NVinject.kext

2. Install GeForce.kext, NVDAResman.kext and NVDANV50Hal.kext from here (extracts from latest kexts for 10.5.3).

3. Go to System Profiler and note down the 4-digit Device ID for your 9800GX2 (4 digits after 0x.)

4. Now go to DiaboliK's Helpful Files and install NVKush.

 

DO NOT RESTART YET

 

5. Now using some help from DiaboliK's plist generator, we will create Info.plist for the three kexts installed in step 2 using the Device ID for your 9800GX2 noted in step 3.

  • On DiaboliK's Plist Generator page, click "NVIDIA". Once you click it, it will expand to show Info.plist generator for GeForce.kext, NVDAResman.kext and NVDANV50Hal.kext.
  • Modifying Info.plist for GeForce.kext
    • Let's start with creating the Info.plist for GeForce.kext. enter the 4-digit Device ID noted in Step 3 in the FIRST box saying 10.5.2 GeForce.kext Info.plist. and press Create Info.plist.
    • Now you should see the Info.plist text with an option to copy it to clipboard. Press the button "Copy to Clipboard".
    • Now go to /System/Library/Extensions, select GeForce.kext and go to its contents. Now in the Contents folder of GeForce.kext, move Info.plist (don't use copy command otherwise you will lose the plist text you copied earlier!) to desktop. Now open Info.plist you moved to the Desktop with TextEdit and replace all the text in the file with the plist data you copied to the clipboard from DiaboliK's plist generator website. Save Info.plist and move back to the Contents folder of GeForce.kext.

  • Modifying Info.plist for NVDAResman.kext
    • Now we will create the Info.plist for NVDAResman.kext. enter the 4-digit Device ID noted in Step 3 in the SECOND box saying 10.5.2 NVDANV50Hal.kext Info.plist and press Create Info.plist.
    • Now you should see the Info.plist text with an option to copy it to clipboard. Press the button "Copy to Clipboard".
    • Now go to /System/Library/Extensions, select NVDAResman.kext and go to its contents. Now in the Contents folder of NVDAResman.kext, move Info.plist (don't use copy command otherwise you will lose the plist text you copied earlier!) to desktop. Now open Info.plist you moved to the Desktop with TextEdit and replace all the text in the file with the plist data you copied to the clipboard from DiaboliK's plist generator website. Save Info.plist and move back to the Contents folder of NVDAResman.kext.

  • Modifying Info.plist for NVDANV50Hal.kext
    • Let's start with creating the Info.plist for NVDANV50Hal.kext. enter the 4-digit Device ID noted in Step 3 in the THIRD box saying 10.5.2 NVDAResman.kext Info.plist and press Create Info.plist.
    • Now you should see the Info.plist text with an option to copy it to clipboard. Press the button "Copy to Clipboard".
    • Now go to /System/Library/Extensions, select NVDANV50Hal.kext and go to its contents. Now in the Contents folder of NVDANV50Hal.kext, move Info.plist (don't use copy command otherwise you will lose the plist text you copied earlier!) to desktop. Now open Info.plist you moved to the Desktop with TextEdit and replace all the text in the file with the plist data you copied to the clipboard from DiaboliK's plist generator website. Save Info.plist and move back to the Contents folder of NVDANV50Hal.kext.

6. Last step, we will change the com.apple.Boot.plist. Go to /Library/Preferences/System Configuration/ and COPY com.apple.Boot.plist to Desktop and open it using TextEdit. Now replace teh contents of the file with the following (change the flags as you desire but the ones I am using were stable for my system):

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">

<plist version="1.0">

<dict>

<key>Kernel</key>

<string>mach_kernel</string>

<key>Kernel Flags</key>

<string>-f cpus=1</string>

<key>Timeout</key>

<string>5</string>

</dict>

</plist>

 

Save com.apple.Boot.plist and move it back to /Library/Preferences/System Configuration/.

 

Now go to Disk Utility and select your Leopard volume and repair permissions.

 

Now reboot and hopefully, like me, your 9800GX2 will be up and running with all the resolutions and QE/CI enabled!!!

 

Good luck!

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Azamic
Azamic
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Thanks for the tutorial! I will report back on my success.

 

Your download link only links to a geforce kext.

 

Also, all 9800gx2's have the device id of 0604. You could just upload your kexts with them modified.

 

The download link has a zip file with all three kexts and NVKush.

 

Point noted. Download 9800gx2 tweaked kexts from following links:

 

Tweaked NVKush for 9800Gx2 (512MB each core)

 

GeForce.kext

 

NVDAResman.kext

 

NVDANV50Hal.kext

 

For all others, if you install the kexts from the above links, please ignore Step 2 to 5 in Post 1 above.

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Azamic
Azamic
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Did you edit the NVKush plist for 512mb ram?

 

I did edit it but am not able to get 512MB on my system profiler. Correct me if I am wrong, I made the following change to Info.plist for NVKush.kext:

 

<key>IOPCIMatch</key>

<string>0x060410de</string>

 

Is my setting correct?

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bubsterboo
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This needs to be added to your plist in the right place:

 

<key>VRAM,totalsize</key>

<data>AAAAIA==</data>

 

On Diaboliks's site you chose to generate a plist for nvkust and select 512mb ram.

I can't get it to work, trying various things. I have a EVGA 9800gx2. The only thing that i can think that's different with your set up that would make a difference is the rom on the card.

 

Maybe you could dump the rom from the GX2 for us.

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Azamic
Azamic
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This needs to be added to your plist in the right place:

 

<key>VRAM,totalsize</key>

<data>AAAAIA==</data>

 

On Diaboliks's site you chose to generate a plist for nvkust and select 512mb ram.

I can't get it to work, trying various things. I have a EVGA 9800gx2. The only thing that i can think that's different with your set up that would make a difference is the rom on the card.

 

Maybe you could dump the rom from the GX2 for us.

 

If you can tell me how I can get the rom from my GX2 I will gladly dump it here for you guys.

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bubsterboo
bubsterboo
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Bubs / Aqua

 

My 9800GX2 ROM dumps as requested:

 

XFX 9800 GX2 1

 

XFX 9800GX2 2

 

Good luck!

 

Thanks a lot my friend! Will try as soon as i can get these off rapidshare, the cat image verification drives me nuts.

 

Having a look at the rom file before i flash it. It seems to be a revision above the one i have on my card. Hopefully this will do it for me :D

 

 

Edit: No luck :thumbsup_anim: Same problems still exist. I'm running a EVGA card on a DFI-P35-T2R motherboard.

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Azamic
Azamic
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Thanks a lot my friend! Will try as soon as i can get these off rapidshare, the cat image verification drives me nuts.

 

Having a look at the rom file before i flash it. It seems to be a revision above the one i have on my card. Hopefully this will do it for me :(

Edit: No luck ;) Same problems still exist. I'm running a EVGA card on a DFI-P35-T2R motherboard.

 

I think the problem is with your Intel motherboard. Before my 9800gx2 worked for me on leopard, I was really cursing my 790i but now its a completely different story.

 

BTW, try changing the flags to -f cpus=1 maxmem=2048 (that is if you use more than 2GB on your system) and see if it works for you

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bubsterboo
bubsterboo
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I think the problem is with your Intel motherboard. Before my 9800gx2 worked for me on leopard, I was really cursing my 790i but now its a completely different story.

 

BTW, try changing the flags to -f cpus=1 maxmem=2048 (that is if you use more than 2GB on your system) and see if it works for you

Thanks for the suggestion. Tried it, didn't help. Those flags are only necessary for nvidia chipset users.

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Azamic
Azamic
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SUCCESS!!!! I can see 512MB on each of my 9800GX2 cores!!! The best part, Leopard recognizes my cards as GeForce 9800 GX2 and its QE/CI enabled!!!

 

So in short, my 9800 GX2 has no shortfalls on Leopard now. :D

 

 

The problem as I mentioned earlier was due to the usage of older kexts. I have uploaded the kexts working on my system (CAUTION! only compatible with 9800GX2) here.

 

Edit: Do not forget to fix permissions!

 

Note: These kexts may not work with non-Nvidia motherboards.

post-240263-1213398865_thumb.png

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Azamic
Azamic
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A bit off topic here, but did you get LAN to work on your 790i? What kernel and drivers did you selected in leo4allv3?

 

My lan is working with ForceDeth-V kext. But I am currently using Wireless connection via my USR PCI card (used Broadcom kext).

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Azamic
Azamic
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I am a bit lost, did you install everything correctly before you upgrade to 10.5.3?
Alexlyc, I have not upgraded my system to 10.5.3 using combo update. The only thing I have from the 10.5.3 update are the kexts. I don't think Forcedeth-V kext was part of the official Apple 10.5.3 update so I am presuming it was there on Leo4all installation.
this works in kalyway or only in leo4allv3? and on x48 chip not works?
rstt, I have Leo4allv3. I gave up on kalyway long time ago... it was too much of a hassle to even get it to disk utility window during install.Leo4allv3 is the best if you have nv 790i ultra chipset and a 9800gx2 gpu. So, since I only have one rig with an Nvidia chipset, I am not sure if it is going to work on non-Nvidia ones. Some have tried to use my procedure on Intel boards but they failed.
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aqua-mac
aqua-mac
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Could you also let me know what specific nvidia kexts you are using in general to get your board working. A look at IORegistry explorer would be very useful. I am pretty sure this is NV board only compatible at this stage.

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