Dell 1GB NVidia GT640 single slot card w/ DisplayPort for $110... Thoughts?

[alans17]

Good news: The card arrived, and it's as advertised.
Bad news: i can't seem to get it to work!

What's the procedure for getting a Kepler card working in Mountain Lion if you're moving from HD 4000 on Z77 board?

 

[Going Bald]

Good news: The card arrived, and it's as advertised.
Bad news: i can't seem to get it to work!

What's the procedure for getting a Kepler card working in Mountain Lion if you're moving from HD 4000 on Z77 board?

Since you don't list your board under System in your profile, can't give exact guidance, but in general, if the discrete GPU is natively supported, do this:
1. check org.chameleon.boot.plist for presence of graphics enabler and change

<key>Graphics Enabler</key>
<string>yes</string>

to

<key>Graphics Enabler</key>
<string>no</string>

if GE=YES is present.
2. Shut down and install GPU
3. boot to BIOS and set first display device from IGPU to either Auto or PEG, save and exit.

That should be all you need to do,

 

[alans17]

Since you don't list your board under System in your profile, can't give exact guidance, but in general, if the discrete GPU is natively supported, do this:
1. check org.chameleon.boot.plist for presence of graphics enabler and change

<key>Graphics Enabler</key>
<string>yes</string>

to

<key>Graphics Enabler</key>
<string>no</string>

if GE=YES is present.
2. Shut down and install GPU
3. boot to BIOS and set first display device from IGPU to either Auto or PEG, save and exit.

That should be all you need to do,

It's the Dell 1GB NVidia GT640 OEM as mentioned in the thread's title.

I'm currently using HD 4000 on board. I actually attempted the above steps, but was unsuccessful. I very varying degrees of failure from kernel panic to getting through the login page and immediately freezing at the desktop.

I will try again this weekend to see if I didn't just somehow screw something up.

It may be worth mentioning that I've upgraded to the latest version of Chimera and my system profile is set to mac mini 5,1.

 

[Going Bald]

It's the Dell 1GB NVidia GT640 OEM as mentioned in the thread's title.

I'm currently using HD 4000 on board. I actually attempted the above steps, but was unsuccessful. I very varying degrees of failure from kernel panic to getting through the login page and immediately freezing at the desktop.

I will try again this weekend to see if I didn't just somehow screw something up.

It may be worth mentioning that I've upgraded to the latest version of Chimera and my system profile is set to mac mini 5,1.

Check the specs of the card. If it is Fermi chip based, add Fermi drivers in MultiBeast before installing card.

 

[alans17]

Check the specs of the card. If it is Fermi chip based, add Fermi drivers in MultiBeast before installing card.

The specs don't mention which specific chipset. It appears that the very first GT 640's were Fermi, but they've been Kepler ever since. I'll ahve to figure out which one this is. Fermi's make me nervous because of the freezing issues of the past.

 

[alans17]

Well Dell's website claims it's PCI Express 3.0 x16 so it must be a Kepler card. that's a relief. Still doesn't solve my problems, though. :-S

I'll just have to keep playing with it. It sent my dock icons into an irrepairable psychodelic rage the last time I tried to use it, but at least I found out that my backups work.

 

[Going Bald]

Well Dell's website claims it's PCI Express 3.0 x16 so it must be a Kepler card. that's a relief. Still doesn't solve my problems, though. :-S

I'll just have to keep playing with it. It sent my dock icons into an irrepairable psychodelic rage the last time I tried to use it, but at least I found out that my backups work.

Try take a look at it with DPCIManager downloaded from SourceForge - http://sourceforge.net/projects/dpcimanager/ if you can get to desktop in safe mode with -x

Did you remember to change GE=YES to GE=NO?

 

[aaron97]

I would definitely consider an upgrade... but not to a GT640 for $110, thats a major rip off. You could get a 650 for that same price. I think one of the best bang for the buck cards is a 650 ti boost or a 660. Although this will bring you close to $200. If you just trying to get a good performance boost hands down GTX 650.

 

[alans17]

I would definitely consider an upgrade... but not to a GT640 for $110, thats a major rip off. You could get a 650 for that same price. I think one of the best bang for the buck cards is a 650 ti boost or a 660. Although this will bring you close to $200. If you just trying to get a good performance boost hands down GTX 650.

I already bought one for $70. A GTX 650 or GTX 650 Ti won't work because neither have DislpayPort. The next option is a 650 Ti Boost for $150 or so. The GT 640 is all I need if I can get it to work.