Using EFI 32 from 8800 GT on GTX 285 Mac Edition

[Ti22]

hey guys,

I don't know if this will work but would it be possible to use the EFI firmware from the GT8800 and flash it onto the GTX285 mac Edition? or something? to make it work on the Macpro 1,1 (2006-2007 Mac Pro Users)

 

[peskaa]

...that certainly wouldn't work. EFI flashing requires cards to be of the same type (ie: 8800GT with 8800GT or similar, or GTX 285 with GTX 285).

 

[Ti22]

...that certainly wouldn't work. EFI flashing requires cards to be of the same type (ie: 8800GT with 8800GT or similar, or GTX 285 with GTX 285).

how about chopping up the EFI32 part from the 8800 GT and combinging it with the original EFI from the GTX285

i mean compare the EFI 64 from 8800GT to EFI 32 and get just the part that are different.

and then simply replace the EFI64 part of the GTX with the EFI 32 part.

 

[peskaa]

You want to give that a go?

Firmware isn't just about taking bits and pieces from places and hoping it'll work. The solution for getting a GTX 285 on a 2006 Mac Pro is to use netkas' injector plus GT200 drivers.

 

[MacVidCards]

Right idea.......

I think a better question is whether it is possible to recompile or re-write EFI64 into either EFI32 or the EBC code ATI uses.

I GUARANTEE that EVGA wishes there was an easy way to do this, it would more than DOUBLE their potential user base for Mac GTX285 so it is rather discouraging that they haven't done it. (might be proof that it is beyond us)

With 10thhzmac report of ROM file being 156K vs. PC file at 64K.....I doubt they puffed it up with 00000000's to fill a larger chip.

Who wants to step up with the facts on EFI64 vs 32 here?

 

[AdvocateUK]

I emailed Jacob at EVGA asking if the 285 will work in my 2007 Mac Pro (1,1) here is his reply, along with mine to him.

Hi,

If the O.S. is 64bit, then you can use it.

Thanks,
Jacob

And my reply

Hi Jacob,
Thanks for the speedy reply!

I know for sure the OS is 64 bit as I'll be running Snow Leopard when it comes out.

My worry is that the card will only work in a Mac Pro that has 64 bit EFI, which is what happened when the original 8800gt was launched by Apple. A second variant that supported 32 bit EFI Mac Pro models (mine included) was later launched because of this.

Perhaps you could shed some light on why this issue only seems to affect nVidia cards as the ATi cards work in both models, whether officially supported or not.

Would it be an option to ship the card as is but include a cd to flash the firmware of the card to support 32 bit EFI should it be required?

Of course Apple could solve this whole debacle by issuing a Firmware update to older Mac Pros to allow them to use the new cards but I doubt this will happen.

Regards

Alistair Hutchinson

Sent from my iPhone

I'll post his reply when I get it

 

[AdvocateUK]

Wow Jacob replies quickly! Unfortunately not with the best of news this time.

Update,

I just confirmed, it will only work on a 64bit EFI.

We are looking into other options, but that is the requirement for now.

-Jacob

Here's hoping though!

 

[MacVidCards]

GREAT JOB !!!

While you have his attention, you might point out that they could DOUBLE their potential customers by writing an EFI32 version.

 

[Cuda]

I think a better question is whether it is possible to recompile or re-write EFI64 into either EFI32 or the EBC code ATI uses.

I GUARANTEE that EVGA wishes there was an easy way to do this, it would more than DOUBLE their potential user base for Mac GTX285 so it is rather discouraging that they haven't done it. (might be proof that it is beyond us)

With 10thhzmac report of ROM file being 156K vs. PC file at 64K.....I doubt they puffed it up with 00000000's to fill a larger chip.

Who wants to step up with the facts on EFI64 vs 32 here?

Without the source code, it's not real easy, however UGA.

Most of the EFI firmware for Nvidia cards is all the same, so as to comply with UGA, so edits to the Firmware, sort of like what was done with the NDVA,BMP with PPC FCode Roms.

A lot of the EFI Code is not needed, really only a basic UGA so you could get an EFI Shell, and Text and basic Color for Mach_kernel, Once NVResman loads, there is no use for the EFI part anyway.

I think we could Decompile the 7600GT 32bit EFI and know where to start, then recompile EBC.

Thats my take on what UGA is meant to be, Basic parts of the Nvidia EFI rom should work with any NV GPU, so you could well flash an altered 8800 Rom to a later card, and at least see something on your screen.

I could be wrong, or only half right on some points, however, when it comes to NVDA and Mac's, I've not often failed to get it working correct.

Renderer: NVIDIA Quadro FX 560 OpenGL Engine
Vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
Memory: 256 MB
Version: 2.0 NVIDIA-1.5.49
Shading language version: 1.20

So start Here as the 7600GT's EFI was compiled with edk Tiano 2005 12 14.

That's about all I should say as DMCA issues and such, feel free to PM me for a better understanding of how to have a basic look at what the EFI code is, is not.

 

[AdvocateUK]

Another update from EVGA, with good news.

First my reply to him.

Thanks for the quick update Jacob, I appreciate it.

I hung on when the 8800GT was launched and didn't buy. I hung on when
the 4870 was launched, and haven't bought. I'm itching to buy an EVGA
285 GTX, please don't let me and many other Mac Pro 1,1 users down.
Find a way to get it working on EFI64 AND EFI32 machines

I'm sure a cd that contained a program that would autorun and flash
the cards to EFI32 compatible mode would be the cheapest and most
convenient solution for EVGA and negate the need for a seperate EFI32
compatible card.

If the cd was bootable and just "did it's thing" to the card then the
user wouldn't even need to see what was going on.


Go on! You know you want to

Regards

Alistair

Then his reply

Thanks, we will look into this for sure

I hope they sort this out for us

 

[Cuda]

Hmmmmm....................

/Edk/Sample/Bus/Pci/VgaMiniPort/Dxe/VgaMiniPort.c

//
// EFI Driver Binding Protocol Instance
//
// This driver has a version value of 0x00000000. This is the
// lowest possible priority for a driver. This is done on purpose to help
// the developers of UGA drivers. This driver can bind if no UGA driver
// is present, so a console is available. Then, when a UGA driver is loaded
// this driver can be disconnected, and the UGA driver can be connected.
// As long as the UGA driver has a version value greater than 0x00000000, it
// will be connected first and will block this driver from connecting.

Hmmmmmm................/Edk/Sample/Bus/WinNtThunk/Uga/Dxe/WinNtUgaDriver.c

Abstract:

This file implements the EFI 1.1 Device Driver model requirements for UGA

UGA is short hand for Universal Graphics Abstraction protocol.

This file is a verision of UgaIo the uses WinNtThunk system calls as an IO
abstraction. For a PCI device WinNtIo would be replaced with
a PCI IO abstraction that abstracted a specific PCI device.

 

[netkas]

/Edk/Sample/Bus/Pci/VgaMiniPort/Dxe/VgaMiniPort.c




Hmmmmmm................/Edk/Sample/Bus/WinNtThunk/Uga/Dxe/WinNtUgaDriver.c

it works onlt for duet iirc

to get vga/vesa output mode with a card, card has to be POSTed, it can be done by card's bios or efi uga driver.

in case with macpro - vgfa bios cant do it, because its not used, vga's uga driver is missing(or wrong arch) and cant be used.

Also apple changed their own uga/gop protocol, running their uga drivers in DUET result in panic.