Race to dump the 4870 ROM, Who's first?

[pipomolo42]

the EFI SDK provides an implementation of the compression & decompression algorithms. I can post binaries for simple compression and decompression tools this evening.

So, I don't have XCode installed, and don't really want to download 1GB just for this.

So instead, here are instructions to build small tools that allow to compress and decompress the EFI PE32 binaries : http://boeglin.org/static/efidecompress/

You can get the EFI spec at uefi.org, and look at chapter 13.4.2 for PCI Option ROM details.

 

[jeanlain]

Well, it seems that Apple's mini displayport to vga adapter had a firmware update recently ...

Would it be realistic to say that maybe it contains a microcontroller that handle the Digital to Analog conversion, and that the video card is unable to do it because it has purposely broken drivers ?

But what about the DVI port on the apple card? Surely, it can output VGA.

 

[goin3d]

That's interesting...didn't know the 1gig cards also came in a 113-** model. Mine is 288* as well. (So i might be back to having to put together the rom + efi again)

 

[elvisizer]

I really think you should rather incorporate the EFI BIOS in your card's ROM.
AG

yes, especially since the part numbers are different, probably not a good idea to use that rom with my card.

 

[macz1]

Well, it seems that Apple's mini displayport to vga adapter had a firmware update recently ...

Would it be realistic to say that maybe it contains a microcontroller that handle the Digital to Analog conversion, and that the video card is unable to do it because it has purposely broken drivers ?

That's funny! Nowdays even a cable has its own firmware! haha. This is absurd. But true...

 

[elvisizer]

that's how every other displayport to vga adapter i've seen works, so i wouldn't be surprised.

off topic
I hate displayport right now. The nvidia 5800's are so freaking flaky under linux when you use the displayport, it's making my life hell at work.
/off topic

 

[Chilz0r]

You guys who want vga really need to get with the times lol. Like get a monitor that supports digital input.

 

[red9]

Just had a few more total newbie questions-

1. Am thinking of getting the 1GB Sapphire card that most people seem to want to get. Do I ALSO need that extra power cable from http://shop.ati.com/product.asp?sku=3280778 ? I am in the USA, do electronics stores carry the cable also, or is it a very special item?

2. I have ONLY a Mac Pro, no PC. I don't have bootcamp installed atm, but can install it whenever. Can I safely do all the flashing procedures necessary without a PC? If so, is there a quick tutorial on what I'd need to do to get it working?

Thanks for the help!

 

[elvisizer]

1 gb 4870 successfully flashed

this is a sapphire, PN# 288-20e85-130sa/SKU# 11133-04-20r.
i used pipomolo42's method to create a frankenrom, and did the flashing using a pc, bootable usb key with DOS, and atiflash. osx drivers are from the irc channel netkas mentioned.
the card's up and running with no problems. i don't have analog to test, sorry. everything i have tested is working under os x and vista.

 

[thehimay]

Just had a few more total newbie questions-

1. Am thinking of getting the 1GB Sapphire card that most people seem to want to get. Do I ALSO need that extra power cable from http://shop.ati.com/product.asp?sku=3280778 ? I am in the USA, do electronics stores carry the cable also, or is it a very special item?

2. I have ONLY a Mac Pro, no PC. I don't have bootcamp installed atm, but can install it whenever. Can I safely do all the flashing procedures necessary without a PC? If so, is there a quick tutorial on what I'd need to do to get it working?

Thanks for the help!

1. Probably going to have to order the cable. It would appear Apple only gives them to you if you have cards that need them. There's only one in my machine for the 8800GT in it. I had to put an order in for it tonight...hopefully I'll see it in a day or two. I had no luck finding it locally, but it was by no means an exhaustive search.

2. Yes, you should be able to. Netkas wrote a brief tutorial on it (http://netkas.org/?p=90, somewhere around page 3 or 4 I think), and pipomolo added some more to it for finetuning the ROM edit I think (https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/661681/). Any other details, you can track down within this thread or they'll tell you where to go.

 

[netkas]

AGDenton.

Could you install this kext and check if it changes dvi ports attitude ?

http://rapidshare.de/files/46144490/Natit.kext.tar.bz2.html

 

[macz1]

You guys who want vga really need to get with the times lol. Like get a monitor that supports digital input.

Yes, but this won't happen until I see an LCD with comparable contrast and black levels to my good CRT. Not to mention the viewing-angle independent color accuracy... You see, I have my reasons to stick with analog...

 

[jeanlain]

1. Probably going to have to order the cable. It would appear Apple only gives them to you if you have cards that need them. There's only one in my machine for the 8800GT in it. I had to put an order in for it tonight...hopefully I'll see it in a day or two. I had no luck finding it locally, but it was by no means an exhaustive search.

Couldn't you use a standard PSU to 6-pin PIC-E cable that should be bundled with the card? Connect it to the available plug in the optical drive bay, unless you have two drives or a Mac Pro 2009?
In fact, I am not sure that you can connect two PCI-E apple cables on the motherboard. But I haven't looked.

 

[7x7]

Have read somewhere this:

[ATI Radeon HD2600 was device ID 9589 and Apple Device ID is 9598. This card works properly editing BIOS.rom and change the ID's to the apple ID's and flashing it].
Noticed ID´s mismatch?

Have someone checked this with HD4870?

 

[thehimay]

Couldn't you use a standard PSU to 6-pin PIC-E cable that should be bundled with the card? Connect it to the available plug in the optical drive bay, unless you have two drives or a Mac Pro 2009?
In fact, I am not sure that you can connect two PCI-E apple cables on the motherboard. But I haven't looked.

The MP boards come with two auxiliary 6-pin power supplies. I could use the cables that came with the card, but as you stated, I'm in the situation I've got two optical drives in my MP. I'll just have to wait on the cable (unless I want to temporarily disable an optical drive...tempted, so I can get the firmware done and taken care of).

 

[MRU]

So anybody tried one of these frankencards inside a REV 1.1 mac pro yet ?

 

[smgfreak]

I did 6 Pairs of Cable today for me and some friends cause everybody needs them for the 4870.

1. you Buy the Enermax EMC004 Cable = 3 $
2. you Just Buy the MICRO PLUGS
3. you buy the PINS
4. CUT One Plug that is to big and Swap it with the MICRO PLUG

it took me 5 Minutes Each !

My Final Price for a PAIR for 4870 is TOTAL 12 $

NO I DO NOT SELL THEM

 

[jeanlain]

So anybody tried one of these frankencards inside a REV 1.1 mac pro yet ?

Some tried PC cards with the unmodified Mac ROM and it works. There is no reason why custom ROMs should not work in these machines (either with 512MB or 1024MB cards).
The apple ROM uses EBC, which is compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit EFI.
PCI-E 1.1 is not a problem.
I may give it a try myself once 10.5.7 is out.

 

[netkas]

Have read somewhere this:

[ATI Radeon HD2600 was device ID 9589 and Apple Device ID is 9598. This card works properly editing BIOS.rom and change the ID's to the apple ID's and flashing it].
Noticed ID´s mismatch?

Have someone checked this with HD4870?

7x7, what hardware noob wrote that ?

Apple's 2600 device id is 9588 , which is match to radeon 2600xt, and 9589 is 2600pro, which isnt even supported by osx by default (need to edit some plist).

 

[PatrikL]

Darn, would like to know if it would be possible to moddify the bios to fit on a 4870x2 i'm thinking of buying that card or 2x 4870 but a 4870x2 would be nicer.
Any idea?
//Patrik

 

[jeanlain]

Have read somewhere this:

[ATI Radeon HD2600 was device ID 9589 and Apple Device ID is 9598. This card works properly editing BIOS.rom and change the ID's to the apple ID's and flashing it].
Noticed ID´s mismatch?

Have someone checked this with HD4870?

Same device ID: 9440.

 

[netkas]

Darn, would like to know if it would be possible to moddify the bios to fit on a 4870x2 i'm thinking of buying that card or 2x 4870 but a 4870x2 would be nicer.
Any idea?
//Patrik

as long as device id remains 0x9441 (normal for 4870x2), the card WILL NOT work in osx.
if you will write 4870's rom to both bioses (if there is two), u will(maybe) get two 4870 cards crossfire connected(this could prevent from them working in osx), and u will loose 4870x2 .
last thing, crossfire doesnt work in osx at all, there is absolutely no point to get 4870x2 for osx, because it will (if will) work as two 4870 cards.

 

[PatrikL]

as long as device id remains 0x9441 (normal for 4870x2), the card WILL NOT work in osx.
if you will write 4870's rom to both bioses (if there is two), u will(maybe) get two 4870 cards crossfire connected(this could prevent from them working in osx), and u will loose 4870x2 .
last thing, crossfire doesnt work in osx at all, there is absolutely no point to get 4870x2 for osx, because it will (if will) work as two 4870 cards.

Yeah i know! maybe i should get two 4870 then.
I want to have the crossfire option in windows. (osx doesnt need to have this because i only use osx when i'm working etc not playing games)
//BR
Patrik

 

[AGDenton]

Hello,

I just discovered that the 1GB 4870 will not sleep (the card stays on and keeps driving the monitor, even though the rest of the system stops). I guess some variables are missing in IORegistry...

AGDenton.

Could you install this kext and check if it changes dvi ports attitude ?

http://rapidshare.de/files/46144490/Natit.kext.tar.bz2.html

I've put this kext in /System/Library/Extensions, corrected the permissions, and rebuilt Extensions.mkext, but it still doesn't load (no entry in kextstat). Do you know what could cause this?

By the way, here's what I get for the card when I run ioreg -lw 0 in single-user mode :

 

[netkas]

it shouldnt stay in kextstat, it attaches to device, sets binimage and detaches.

the only way to check it worked is to connect both dvi ports

and, if you want to make ioreg for checks, make it this way

ioreg -l -w0 -p IODeviceTree | grep device-properties > dump.txt

device-properties var hass all keys efi driver module passes to kernel.

btw, about your dump:

| | | | "@0,display-dual-link" = <02000000>

i think we need to try to set this key (with natit) for second display ("@1,display-dual-link" = <02000000>)