Gigabyte's Nvidia 9400 powered M-ATX MOBO

[wanky]

interesting, good thing for a media server HDMI output works with full HD support by the way on this one?

 

Full HD works for me, but I am using an extra Geforce 8600GTS. (I have not tested audio over HDMI)

[nemorigolo]

interesting, good thing for a media server HDMI output works with full HD support by the way on this one?

 

HDMI work in FullHD with 9400 onboard card. But sound not work for me.

[leppy700m]

Leppy700m, try SMBIOSresolver.kext pointed to in my guide to installing retail 10.5.6 on this board. You can find the guide HERE.

 

 

Thank you. I got everything in profiler working except when I drill down to the memory page - it says "There was an error while gathering this information".

 

I think I am really liking this board. I stuck a Q8200 CPU with a stock fan in it, 4 GB of cheap GSKILL memory, a 1 TB western digital SATA hard drive and LG SATA DVD burner. Relatively cheap machine that played nice with IPC from the very first boot. Very very nice.

 

I've heard some of you guys looking for the ethernet kext, but it's right in the IPC distro. Just pick Realtek (There was only one Realtek option for all of their LAN chips) during the intall. Even though the lan chipset isn't listed, it worked for me OOB with no fuss and no muss.

[guibzh]

Thank you. I got everything in profiler working except when I drill down to the memory page - it says "There was an error while gathering this information".

 

I think I am really liking this board. I stuck a Q8200 CPU with a stock fan in it, 4 GB of cheap GSKILL memory, a 1 TB western digital SATA hard drive and LG SATA DVD burner. Relatively cheap machine that played nice with IPC from the very first boot. Very very nice.

 

I've heard some of you guys looking for the ethernet kext, but it's right in the IPC distro. Just pick Realtek (There was only one Realtek option for all of their LAN chips) during the intall. Even though the lan chipset isn't listed, it worked for me OOB with no fuss and no muss.

Thank you for your feedbacks.

Could you please give us the kernel, drivers and fixes you selected during iPC installation?

By the way, which version of iPC did you use? Is it iPC 10.5.6 PFF5?

[leppy700m]

Same - no audio over HDMI, but digital audio works fine with TOS link when viewing HDMI video. I didn't expect to have HDMI audio support since no MAC as HDMI yet. DVI also works.

 

I use VGA as primary display and HDMI or DVI for second. It's easy to set the proper resolution for each display. As others have said, HDMI and DVI can't be used for two monitors with onboard graphics. This is a limitation of the motherboard.

 

HDMI work in FullHD with 9400 onboard card. But sound not work for me.

[leppy700m]

Sorry, but I didn't take any notes on this one because I supposed it would be a lot more trial and error than it actually was.

 

I suspect it's the unpatched beta, but I don't know. volume info says iPC 10.5.6 Mac OS X Install DVD, created December 26, 2008. I am certain that doesn't equate to the PF5 release.

 

For boot options, I used "platform = acpi -v" because of issues with this distro on my Dell D630 that I think are related to SATA drive installations. That worked for the Dell, so I went with that right away and it worked.

 

I used the default kernel (didn't pick one), an nv chipset, 889 sound, realtek ethernet. I installed OSX86 tools, After installation, I added various patches & things to get everything going, but ethernet worked right away, making it simple to get on the net (here) and play with things some.

 

I applied an older applesmbios to get the system profiler working better, nvkush for graphics, a patch to allow shutdown/restart correctly,

 

Looking at the iPC site, it looks like the current distro has different options, so my selections are only valid for the same distro.

 

 

what works for me:

 

video - NVKUSH

 

Sound: AppleHDA.kext from ALC889_fix

 

Profiler: AppleSMBIOS

 

Shutdown/Restart: openHaltRestart.kext

 

I installed kexts with OSX86 tools.

 

 

I am sure I am missing things here, but this is a really easy board to get running

 

Thank you for your feedbacks.

Could you please give us the kernel, drivers and fixes you selected during iPC installation?

By the way, which version of iPC did you use? Is it iPC 10.5.6 PFF5?

[wanky]

Sorry, but I didn't take any notes on this one because I supposed it would be a lot more trial and error than it actually was.

 

...

 

I am sure I am missing things here, but this is a really easy board to get running

Hey leppy,

do you have sound after waking up from sleep?

Cheers

wanky

[leppy700m]

Hey leppy,

do you have sound after waking up from sleep?

Cheers

wanky

 

Ah, sleep. I managed to bugger that up somehow - it was working. I now have mouse problems after waking from sleep - once that's solved, then I can check sound.

 

It looks like sleep is the last bug to swat. There may not be a sleep issue with the retail/bios flash method, but I am not willing to give up 2 GB ram. Honestly, that looks like a nicer way to go once the RAM issue is solved.

[leppy700m]

It's a beautiful thing....

[dlach]

Ah, sleep. I managed to bugger that up somehow - it was working. I now have mouse problems after waking from sleep - once that's solved, then I can check sound.

 

It looks like sleep is the last bug to swat. There may not be a sleep issue with the retail/bios flash method, but I am not willing to give up 2 GB ram. Honestly, that looks like a nicer way to go once the RAM issue is solved.

 

Someone over on the retail 10.5.6 guide topic asserted that the JMicron kext would fix the > 2GB ram issue. I haven't tried it. Also, if you look in Netcastle's signature he has a pointer to a list of kexts that he has verified fixes the 2>GB problem. I've copied Netcastles link HERE. I've not tried either because I really don't want to jam up my mostly vanilla install with more kexts. Audio on resume from sleep is the last real issue for me since I want this for an HTPC setup and don't really need > 2GB. I have hopes, however ill founded, that some combination of 10.5.7 and maybe a new bios from Gigabyte will fix the outstanding issues.

[leppy700m]

Someone over on the retail 10.5.6 guide topic asserted that the JMicron kext would fix the > 2GB ram issue. I haven't tried it. Also, if you look in Netcastle's signature he has a pointer to a list of kexts that he has verified fixes the 2>GB problem. I've copied Netcastles link HERE. I've not tried either because I really don't want to jam up my mostly vanilla install with more kexts. Audio on resume from sleep is the last real issue for me since I want this for an HTPC setup and don't really need > 2GB. I have hopes, however ill founded, that some combination of 10.5.7 and maybe a new bios from Gigabyte will fix the outstanding issues.

 

A new bios won't help you if you still need to flash a patched version of the old one to get things going. Hopefully a new patch for the new bios might help everything. I agree that an install as close to vanilla is the way to go. Have to tried applying any of the Apple updates yet?

 

 

It looks like we are at a similar place - sleep doesn't work correctly.

[lowrizzle]

You guys need to lurk more. The >4gb solution listed is NOT for boards using onboard video, it is only working for boards with an additional vid card. If you read through all the posts (at least the last 10 pages of posts) you'll see the solution for >4gb lies in the bios. I've got everything working except a proper nvcap in the bios (or in a dsdt.aml on the drive minus the bios, even) so I don't have two monitors and QE at the same time.

 

A new bios won't help you if you still need to flash a patched version of the old one to get things going. Hopefully a new patch for the new bios might help everything. I agree that an install as close to vanilla is the way to go. Have to tried applying any of the Apple updates yet?

 

 

It looks like we are at a similar place - sleep doesn't work correctly.

[dlach]

You guys need to lurk more. The >4gb solution listed is NOT for boards using onboard video, it is only working for boards with an additional vid card. If you read through all the posts (at least the last 10 pages of posts) you'll see the solution for >4gb lies in the bios. I've got everything working except a proper nvcap in the bios (or in a dsdt.aml on the drive minus the bios, even) so I don't have two monitors and QE at the same time.

Lowrizzle,

I've been lurking a long time and read most of the posts. The "solution" in the bios you mention seems stymied. It looked like Koalala was poking at it but I haven't seen anything new in a long time. Since I don't really care about >2GB anyway, I haven't paid much attention to netcastle's solution, and I didn't notice his solution only works with non-onboard video. Also the guy on my retail install thread claiming jmicron.kext fixed it said nothing about not using onboard video.

 

Leppy700m,

You don't have to use Koalala's bios, you can just use the dsdt.aml that he patched it with and an off the shelf bios. I put using the patched bios in my guide because it simplies the install. Yes we're in pretty much the same place with regard to sleep (if you solved your mouse problem).

[e60]

Hi there,

 

i´m also a GA-E7AUM-DS2H owner and a bloody noob on installing Mac OS nedding your help. My installation is always freezing after the grey Apple apears. I´m using a retail DVD following this Tutorial *Klick*. Is there maby something wrong with my Mac OS DVD?

 

This is my Hardwaresetup:

 

- Intel Core 2 Duo E8400

- GA-E7AUM-DS2H with Koala´s Bios flashed

- SATA DVD Rom

- IDE HDD

- Onboard VGA

 

PS.: Please excuse my horrible English

[dlach]

Did you follow it exactly? For example are you using a 10.5.6 DVD and you have no more than 2GB of ram, and you used the boot.iso referred to in the guide to make your boot CD?

 

 

Also please post your hardware config. For example how what are your hard disks, opitcal disk, and how are they connected (sataor ide), are you using on-board graphics.

[e60]

Hi dlach.

 

Thank you for your quick response. I´m following exactly the Tutorial. I´ve got a 10.5.6 retial DVD, burned the NEWISO Disk requied to boot from and flashed Koala´s Bios. I´ve also tried two different DVD Drives. Every Time the same problem. The installation is always freezing at this point

 

 

- OrigenAE S16V Case

- Intel Core 2 Duo E8400

- GA-E7AUM-DS2H with Koala´s Bios flashed

- 2 GB Geil Black Dragon RAM

- LG SATA DVD Drive GSA-H62N / Teac DVD Drive

- Hitachi Deskstar IDE HDD

- Onboard Grafic

[lowrizzle]

You're missing the JMicronATA.kext most likely, or whichever kext you need for PATA support. The symbol you're seeing is saying "hey I can't mount any drives cuz I don't have drivers"

 

Hi dlach.

 

Thank you for your quick response. I´m following exactly the Tutorial. I´ve got a 10.5.6 retial DVD, burned the NEWISO Disk requied to boot from and flashed Koala´s Bios. I´ve also tried two different DVD Drives. Every Time the same problem. The installation is always freezing at this point

 

 

- OrigenAE S16V Case

- Intel Core 2 Duo E8400

- GA-E7AUM-DS2H with Koala´s Bios flashed

- 2 GB Geil Black Dragon RAM

- LG SATA DVD Drive GSA-H62N / Teac DVD Drive

- Hitachi Deskstar IDE HDD

- Onboard Grafic

[dlach]

You're missing the JMicronATA.kext most likely, or whichever kext you need for PATA support. The symbol you're seeing is saying "hey I can't mount any drives cuz I don't have drivers"

 

No I didn't need jmicron and I used ide. I had this problem until I got my drives jumpered /cabled correctly. Your HD needs to be the master and CDROM slave.

[e60]

The symbol you're seeing is saying "hey I can't mount any drives cuz I don't have drivers"

 

@lowrizzle

Thank you for the information. But like dlach wrote, using his Tutorial I don`t need any further Drivers.

 

@dlach

Its probably in fact a DVD Drive problem. After I juperd my HDD to Master and the DVD to Slave the installation proceeded once to this point

 

 

Next to that my IDE DVD Drive had some trouble to read the retail Disk. I suppose that this is the case why I can´t install Mac OS. When I´m using my LG SATA Drive, the installation is freezing like I wrote in my first post. Today I will borrow a different IDE DVD Drvie and give it another try.

 

Many thanks for your help!

[dlach]

e60,

 

Here is what I had set in the integrated peripherals section of the bios:

 

on board Ide controller = enabled

NV sata controller = enabled

on-ship SATA mode = IDE.

 

 

That said, I don't remember getting stuck on that screen while I was working the guide out. Also, I don't remember errors reading the installation media.

[DatMacMan]

i have a question. this doesn't really match this forum but what the hack.--> OSx86 is to run Mac operating system and applications on Windows PersonalComputers right? Is OSx86 finnished yet. like is it good enough to download and not screw around with and does it crash? can you download it? where can i get the download? and is it better with Parallels/VWfusion or native?

[leppy700m]

You guys need to lurk more. The >4gb solution listed is NOT for boards using onboard video, it is only working for boards with an additional vid card. If you read through all the posts (at least the last 10 pages of posts) you'll see the solution for >4gb lies in the bios. I've got everything working except a proper nvcap in the bios (or in a dsdt.aml on the drive minus the bios, even) so I don't have two monitors and QE at the same time.

 

I am using the built in video card, have QE enabled and can run two monitors with 4 GB ram. I am not using the BIOS patch. I am not sure what lurking more is going to bring to the table as I fully understand the contention that the onboard video doesn't work OOB with some amount of ram greater than 2gb, but my findings are different.

[mrosxn00b]

I am using the built in video card, have QE enabled and can run two monitors with 4 GB ram. I am not using the BIOS patch. I am not sure what lurking more is going to bring to the table as I fully understand the contention that the onboard video doesn't work OOB with some amount of ram greater than 2gb, but my findings are different.

 

A bit of a repost, but...

 

It can often seem like >2gb mem is working right, however it's usually a matter of time (and stressing the memory) before the problems emerge.

 

To test it quickly, you can run this:

 

http://www.sendspace.com/file/2vy4b8

 

If your machine crashes out on you then you've got shared memory issues, if the program exits then you've not.

[leppy700m]

A bit of a repost, but...

 

It can often seem like >2gb mem is working right, however it's usually a matter of time (and stressing the memory) before the problems emerge.

 

To test it quickly, you can run this:

 

http://www.sendspace.com/file/2vy4b8

 

If your machine crashes out on you then you've got shared memory issues, if the program exits then you've not.

 

I see - according to this test I have the shared memory issue after all, though other than this test, I haven't seen any evidence of the problem.

[e60]

Hi dlach,

 

please excuse my late response. After I´ve changed the DVD Drive, the installation was sucsessful. Thank you very mutch for your help! Your tutorial is realy great. My only worries are the 2 GB and the Dualview issue. I can´t use VGA and DVI at the same time. Maby someone will find a workable solution therefor. Otherwise I have to use a built in video card.