GTX460 Sluggish w/ Lion

[sbl03]

I've installed Lion successfully, but I don't seem to be getting the full performance from my card. The system is generally quite sluggish, even when typing this, especially when playing simple flash games. I did not install any graphics drivers besides the CUDA update - Chimera seems to take care of the rest. I get full resolution, and I do get the ripple effect in Dashboard (after changing that setting in Mission Control). When I try installing any graphics drivers (Andy package, tonymac driver), I get stuck with default resolution, and performance degenerates.

Here's what I see in System Info:

GeForce GTX 460:

  Name:	NVDA,Display-B
  Type:	Display Controller
  Driver Installed:	Yes
  MSI:	Yes
  Bus:	PCI
  Slot:	Slot-1
  Vendor ID:	0x10de
  Device ID:	0x0e22
  Subsystem Vendor ID:	0x1462
  Subsystem ID:	0x0010
  ROM Revision:	70.04.1B.00.00
  Revision ID:	0x00a1
  Link Width:	x16
  Link Speed:	2.5 GT/s

Here's what I have in com.apple.Boot.plist

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>Kernel</key>
	<string>mach_kernel</string>
	<key>Kernel Flags</key>
	<string>arch=x86_64</string>
	<key>GraphicsEnabler</key>
	<string>Yes</string>
	<key>Timeout</key>
	<string>2</string>
	<key>Legacy Logo</key>
	<string>Yes</string>
	<key>EthernetBuiltIn</key>
	<string>Yes</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Any input is greatly appreciated.

 

[sbl03]

Update 1 - found this small utility that supposedly checks for hardware acceleration capability, and my card failed.

http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index. ... pic=261104

An error was returned by the decode layer. This may happen for example because of bitstream/data errors during a decode operation. This error may also be returned from VDADecoderCreate when hardware decoder resources are available on the system but currently in use by another process. (I don't currently have anything graphics intensive open, besides a Youtube vid)
VDADecoderCreate failed. err: -12473

Update 2 - Downloaded OpenGL Extensions Viewer from App Store (free). Apparently I currently have OpenGL version 2.1 NVIDIA-7.4.10 and OpenCL platform OpenCL 1.1, with MacPro3,1

Update 3 - I tried applying these two (one, two(netkas) hex edits. Apparently, after running Luxmark, I have OpenCL with my card. Card performance according to XBench has risen about 10%.

 

[sbl03]

bump

 

[custom-mac]

bump

Please, read my post in http://tonymacx86.com/viewtopic.php?f=168&t=27595&start=60
I had the same issue...

 

[sbl03]

bump

Please, read my post in http://tonymacx86.com/viewtopic.php?f=168&t=27595&start=60
I had the same issue...

Thank you very much! I am looking into it now.

Update 4 -

CineBench with OS X - 47.50fps / 6.45pts
CineBench with Windows 7 (64bit) - 61.43fps / 6.70pts

After deleting AppleGraphicsPowerManagement.kext - 45.37fps

Alright, so that wasn't my problem apparently. I'm now considering that the outdated OpenGL version might be a problem.

 

[custom-mac]

Thank you very much! I am looking into it now.

Update 4 -

CineBench with OS X - 47.50fps / 6.45pts
CineBench with Windows 7 (64bit) - 61.43fps / 6.70pts

Thank you for utility tip. BTW, I found a few bugs in the source code causing segmentation fault on Lion:
The entire section should be rearranged as following:
if(kVDADecoderNoErr != status) fprintf(stderr, "VDADecoderCreate failed. err: %d\n", status);
if(decoderOut) VDADecoderDestroy(decoderOut);
if(decoderConfiguration) CFRelease(decoderConfiguration);
if(inAVCCData) CFRelease(inAVCCData);
return 0;
Common issue, when resources (decoderConfiguration) are released before the main object and object released twice (decoderConfiguration).
I have no idea how to contact the author...

 

[sbl03]

Thank you very much! I am looking into it now.

Update 4 -

CineBench with OS X - 47.50fps / 6.45pts
CineBench with Windows 7 (64bit) - 61.43fps / 6.70pts

Thank you for utility tip. BTW, I found a few bugs in the source code causing segmentation fault on Lion:
The entire section should be rearranged as following:
if(kVDADecoderNoErr != status) fprintf(stderr, "VDADecoderCreate failed. err: %d\n", status);
if(decoderOut) VDADecoderDestroy(decoderOut);
if(decoderConfiguration) CFRelease(decoderConfiguration);
if(inAVCCData) CFRelease(inAVCCData);
return 0;
Common issue, when resources (decoderConfiguration) are released before the main object and object released twice (decoderConfiguration).
I have no idea how to contact the author...

Have you tried the GitHub?

https://github.com/cylonbrain/VDADecoderCheck

 

[sbl03]

Update 5 - Tried running a TF2 benchmark test. Application literally crashes everytime, it's unable to even start the benchmark. I played an offline game, and while the in-game fps showed a constant 60fps, there was incredible lag and choppiness in the game, something that was never a problem in Windows, where I can normally get 160-280fps.

Since I discovered how to get my CPU clock at a constant 4.4GHz, my XBench score for graphics has increased 25% though.

Update 6 - Just found this thread: http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index. ... pic=266036

Will attempt it once I understand any of it lol.

 

[custom-mac]

Have you tried the GitHub?

https://github.com/cylonbrain/VDADecoderCheck

Just created an issue with the fix.

 

[custom-mac]

bump

Please, read my post in http://tonymacx86.com/viewtopic.php?f=168&t=27595&start=60
I had the same issue...

Thank you very much! I am looking into it now.

Update 4 -

CineBench with OS X - 47.50fps / 6.45pts
CineBench with Windows 7 (64bit) - 61.43fps / 6.70pts

After deleting AppleGraphicsPowerManagement.kext - 45.37fps

Alright, so that wasn't my problem apparently. I'm now considering that the outdated OpenGL version might be a problem.

After 10.7.2 update - endless KP and freezes. I swapped GTX 460 for GTX 260 from my Windows box. Believe me, it is really good feeling when your system is rock solid. Having latest and greatest, but unstable just does not cut it.

BTW, performance wise on Lion: GTX 260 was head-to-head with GTX 460 in Cinebench, even a bit higher, LuxMark with GTX 260 3000 vs. 3900 on 460. CUDA allows 27 units on 260 vs. only 14 on 460.

Only needed to copy Apple's GTX 260 power profile from Mac 5,1 to iMac 12,2 to get AppleGraphicsPowerManagement.kext to handle it properly, as I am running iMac type SMC. You also need to restore any modified kext for fermi to the original apple version.

Enabled XMP 1600MHz profile in BIOS and it works perfectly, with GTX 460 frequency of KP and Freezes would get even worse with XMP enabled.

No KP, no freeze, now I could over clock the hell out of it... All because of video, figures...