iM 4,1-14,4 EnableGop: Pre-OpenCore GOP support for EFI-era iMacs and Mac Pros

[Bmju]

New release, version 1.1. Releases info added to first post.

This fixes the cosmetic only issue of the first lines of macOS verbose boot text running over the picker GUI (https://github.com/acidanthera/bugtracker/issues/2225 https://github.com/acidanthera/bugtracker/issues/2229). This also applied to verbose boot after the native picker, using the original release of EnableGop.

@tsialex @Macschrauber As promised I have included the EnableGop version number in the UI section. This can be seen easily with UEFITool. @Macschrauber since you wish to extract and display this info in your tool, I believe you would have to use something like UEFIExtract from LongSoft https://github.com/LongSoft/UEFITool/releases .

 

[CMCook]

Have you tried switching between DisplayPort 1.1 and DisplayPort 1.2 settings on your monitor? If that's what matters, you typucally need to have the right one selected already _before_ you start the machine.

and @h9826790 I was able to test all of my graphics cards outputs on different monitors and can confirm that all is well with the EnableGop firmware injection on my machine. All 3 types of output (HDMI, DisplayPort, and DVI) worked as expected with a 1920x1080 monitor. DisplayPort also worked on my 4k monitor if I configured it down to DP 1.1

Must be some oddity of the high resolution over DisplayPort with my specific monitor/graphics card combination that makes it not display properly. As I was paying more attention to my monitor while booting I noticed that it came out of sleep when I would have expected it to properly display the boot picker, but it would never display anything and then go back to sleep.

I'll just remember to keep my HDMI cable around in case I need to use the picker in the future.

Thanks!

 

[h9826790]

Interesting result. This was a problem long time ago. When we try to boot HD7950 (with the native Mac EFI UGA from Sapphire) on any DP 1.2 monitor, it will hang. We are forced to use DP 1.1 (which limit the referesh rate to 30Hz at 4K) during boot. But I didn't expect this is still a limitation when we using EnableGop on a RX580.

There are so many RX580 users in this community. May be someone can report back if they can boot with a DP 1.2 connection from a RX580 after EnableGop is injected.

 

[Bmju]

I wonder if it can also be to do with the monitor, or monitor/card combination? As there's obviously some active negotiation going on, rather than the GPU just setting up a mode and sending it for anyone who will listen.

 

[Macschrauber]

Fyi: Its even possible a DP 1.2 display can lock up the early boot process.

Had that with a customer running a DP1.2 display on a UGA flashed Kepler GPU some time ago. The box even did not survived POS. Say it didnt chime with a DP1.2 display connected.

 

[Macschrauber]

@tsialex @Macschrauber As promised I have included the EnableGop version number in the UI section. This can be seen easily with UEFITool. @Macschrauber since you wish to extract and display this info in your tool, I believe you would have to use something like UEFIExtract from LongSoft https://github.com/LongSoft/UEFITool/releases .

done,

Version 25-2-2023 lists the EnableGop version if present. Also did now (thanks to UEFIExtract) a full checksum scan thru all parts of the firmware file (~180 CRC32 checksums).

 

[MacNB2]

@Bmju and Team ....outstanding job !

I just followed verbatim @cdf's Appendix: Native boot screen support guide and like to report the following results using some GPU's I have:

1. Zotac GT240 👎
2. Zotac GT730 👍
3. Sapphire HD7770 OC 2GB 👍
4. MSI RX460 OC 2GB 👍
5. Sapphire RX580 Nitro+ 8GB 👍

I tried these on my "spare" virgin MacPro4,1 that is, untouched by OpenCore
The system has High Sierra installed.

I used EnableGop.ffs

1. Zotac GT240. No boot screen 👎.
Blind boots straight into High Sierra.
Holding Alt/Option Key on power-up as normal - black screen. Hitting Enter key boots last OS.
This GPU has HDMI, DVI and VGA connecters. Non produce boot screen.

2. Zotac GT730. Success 👍
Holding Alt/Option key at power-up brings Startup Manager. But it's stretched on my 4K monitor:



Looks like it defaults to 1280 x 1024:


I seem to recall that when I used this GPU in one of my hackintoshes, OpenCore bootpicker did the same.
So seems "normal" as it does not have 16:9 modes
This GPU has HDMI, DVI & VGA.
I could not test VGA (as I have stored away the VGA monitor).
HDMI & DVI work in the Startup Manager.
No artefacts and smooth mouse motion and animation.

3. Sapphire HD7770. Success 👍
This GPU had 2x Mini DP's, HDMI and DVI.

Startup Manager on HDMI:



Startup Manager on Mini DP (higher resolution) :



No artefacts and smooth mouse motion and animation.
High Sierra boots but the screen out remains grey and all ports.
This GPU worked fine on a Hackintosh booted via OpenCore and so should work on this MacPro4,1 (with OpenCore).

4. MSI RX 460 2GB. Success 👍
This GPU has HDMI, DP and DVI.
All three ports work.
Again, DP produces higher resolution Startup Manager display.
No artefacts and smooth mouse motion and animation.

5. Sapphire RX 580 8G. Success 👍
This GPU has 2x HDMI, 2x DP and DVI.
All ports work (well I tried one at a time).
Again, DP produces higher resolution Startup Manager display.


The Dell monitor used in these tests was S2721QS and its DP is 1.2 which cannot be configured to 1.1

IMHO, this method has the advantage of having the one GOP in the Mac for many GPU's as opposed to flashing each GPU that you may want to work with the Mac.
That is, I just found 4 unflashed GPU's that display boot screen.
Super happy.

Again great work guys.

UPDATE: added EnableGop on my second MacPro that had Reconstructed BootROM and flashed it. Working great on RX 580.

 

[MacNB2]

There are so many RX580 users in this community. May be someone can report back if they can boot with a DP 1.2 connection from a RX580 after EnableGop is injected.

Just done this. See my tests above

 

[Borowski]

3. Sapphire HD7770. Success 👍
This GPU had 2x Mini DP's, HDMI and DVI.

No artefacts and smooth mouse motion and animation.
High Sierra boots but the screen out remains grey and all ports.

Normal behaviour and macOS-issue since 10.10.3 for all HD77??-gpus: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/10-10-3-update-black-screen-with-cursor.161361/#post1018020

 

[MacNB2]

Normal behaviour and macOS-issue since 10.10.3 for all HD77??-gpus: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/10-10-3-update-black-screen-with-cursor.161361/#post1018020

True but can be made to work via OpenCore. I've had it working on Big Sur on one of my Hacks.

 

[Henninges]

just another successfull injection here on my crossflashed 4,1...

following cards was tested and showed nativ bootscreen:

- nvidia quadro k600
- amd gigabyte hd7970
- amd sapphire hd7970
- msi airboost vega 56 oc
- amd rx 6800
- ati firepro v4800 (after injecting a GOP EFI with GOPupd)

what a nice feeling to drop any (more or less modern card) and see the nativ bootpicker.

not figured out yet to add the EnableGOP.efi to an vbios...just copy and paste the file to an existing VBIOS at the bytes, where the implemented GOP part beginns?

 

[Bmju]

what a nice feeling to drop any (more or less modern card) and see the nativ bootpicker.

Well I guess - since I didn't do the bit of making it work with so many cards (that was already done, in OpenCore), even though I did do the bit of working out how to inject that into the BIOS - I'm just about allowed to say that I agree, it is a nice feeling, isn't it? And it does reassuringly 'just work' for the vast majority of cards!

not figured out yet to add the EnableGOP.efi to an vbios...just copy and paste the file to an existing VBIOS at the bytes, where the implemented GOP part beginns?

There is a script for Nvidia vBIOS in the distribution directory. Or read the links specified in the README.md also in the distribution directory.

EDIT: Although there's usually no real reason - except for a sense of curiosity - to do this on the Mac Pro; unlike on the iMac where a) it is not possible to do the first ever flash of main firmware without external hardware, and b) more often than on the Mac Pro, additional bits of flashing are needed for the various cards used there to work properly, even within OpenCore.

 

[ber404]

Hi, will it work with a GTX1070 8G from MSI ?

 

[Bmju]

Hi, will it work with a GTX1070 8G from MSI ?

From my own limited testing of this particular question, and understanding so far, MSI is exactly equivalent to same model AMD for the purposes of this driver.

 

[h9826790]

just another successfull injection here on my crossflashed 4,1...

following cards was tested and showed nativ bootscreen:

- nvidia quadro k600
- amd gigabyte hd7970
- amd sapphire hd7970
- msi airboost vega 56 oc
- amd rx 6800
- ati firepro v4800 (after injecting a GOP EFI with GOPupd)

what a nice feeling to drop any (more or less modern card) and see the nativ bootpicker.

not figured out yet to add the EnableGOP.efi to an vbios...just copy and paste the file to an existing VBIOS at the bytes, where the implemented GOP part beginns?

May I know if your RX6800 is flashed with the Syncretic fix?

 

[Henninges]

May I know if your RX6800 is flashed with the Syncretic fix?

yes, it is...

 

[MacNB2]

EDIT: Although there's usually no real reason - except for a sense of curiosity - to do this on the Mac Pro; unlike on the iMac where a) it is not possible to do the first ever flash of main firmware without external hardware, and b) more often than on the Mac Pro, additional bits of flashing are needed for the various cards used there to work properly, even within OpenCore.

Flashing the GPU for Mac Pro will make it usable only on the Mac and may not be possible to use it later on another non-Mac PC

 

[Henninges]

Flashing the GPU for Mac Pro will make it usable only on the Mac and may not be possible to use it later on another non-Mac PC

of course every apple flashed gpu is always usable in any usual PC...there is no difference.

 

[Bmju]

Flashing the GPU for Mac Pro will make it usable only on the Mac and may not be possible to use it later on another non-Mac PC

I believe @Henninges is right, although I have not tried it myself, others have also reported that this still works fine in a PC.

I was not specifically trying to achieve that, but I can see how it _could_ be okay in PCs - given certain pre-conditions about how PC BIOSes would need to behave, which I have never checked either way - so I am happy to take others testing as evidence that it does work fine!

 

[MacNB2]

of course every apple flashed gpu is always usable in any usual PC...there is no difference.

Cool. Good to know that

 

[MacNB2]

I believe @Henninges is right, although I have not tried it myself, others have also reported that this still works fine in a PC.

I was not specifically trying to achieve that, but I can see how it _could_ be okay in PCs - given certain pre-conditions about how PC BIOSes would need to behave, which I have never checked either way - so I am happy to take others testing as evidence that it does work fine!

Me too. Never tried it either.
I still have Mac's original GT120....might try that later in a PC

 

[Bmju]

Me too. Never tried it either.

Lol!

Well I did write the driver, and coordinate initial testing, so I guess it's kind of relevant what I have and have not tested - and what I know about what others have tested, even if I didn't test it myself... (Btw, the driver is pretty comprehensively tested - but even if it had NOT worked on PCs, I wouldn't have considered that a huge drawback: the idea is to get these cards working for pre-boot graphics on these machines, so that fact that it does still work on PCs afterwards is a bonus, the way I see it!)

 

[ber404]

From my own limited testing of this particular question, and understanding so far, MSI is exactly equivalent to same model AMD for the purposes of this driver.

Thanks a lot, and should it work with this firmware ?

MP51.007F.B03

I don't know if I can install a more recent firmware with High Sierra without installing Mojave ..

 

[Bmju]

Thanks a lot, and should it work with this firmware ?

MP51.007F.B03

I don't know if I can install a more recent firmware with High Sierra without installing Mojave ..

No! Completely untested and probably not. I would strongly advise upgrading to 144.0.0.0.0.

However, if you're happy to recover yourself from a brick if need be (desoldering followed CH341A + SOIC clip, or Matt card - and with a firmware backup taken before starting) then (but only then!) I'd be very happy to hear the result...

 

[Henninges]

I don't know if I can install a more recent firmware with High Sierra without installing Mojave ..

why not just start the installation of mojave ( with OpenCore, you can ignore the need of a metal card ) and just perform the 144.0.0.0 update, without installing mojave itself?