[SUCCESS] Gigabyte Designare Z390 (Thunderbolt 3) + i7-9700K + AMD RX 580

[AlexD]

@jdapolo

It turned out that there was a firmware issue of Titan Ridge controller in Z390 Designare/Z390 Extreme motherboards and GC-Titan Ridge add-in card. These products are known to be affected by this issue.

For some reason, Titan Ridge controller doesn't switch to Legacy Mode properly, when needed, and only operates in Native Mode (which isn't supported by Thunderbolt 1 devices).

I managed to have Gigabyte and Intel working together on this. Issue confirmed and solution found.

Currently Gigabyte already developed and succesfully tested custom firmware in their lab completely resolving this issue.

Now they need to sign the binaries by Intel, after that it will be shipped as a regular update to all users.

 

[CaseySJ]

@jdapolo

It turned out that there was a firmware issue of Titan Ridge controller in Z390 Designare/Z390 Extreme motherboards and GC-Titan Ridge add-in card. These products are known to be affected by this issue.

For some reason, Titan Ridge controller doesn't switch to Legacy Mode properly, when needed, and only operates in Native Mode (which isn't supported by Thunderbolt 1 devices).

I managed to have Gigabyte and Intel working together on this. Issue confirmed and solution found.

Currently Gigabyte already developed and succesfully tested custom firmware in their lab completely resolving this issue.

Now they need to sign the binaries by Intel, after that it will be shipped as a regular update to all users.

This is the most impressive thing I've seen in a while! Kudos for the way you handled this. They should give you a beta copy of the firmware so you can be the first to test it against your Apple Thunderbolt Display...

 

[CaseySJ]

Thanks as usual for the prompt help. But it didn't worked. I think I'm missing something....

Here's what I did:

- Signed out iCloud
- Mounted Efi Mojave partition with clover configurator, (as I always normally do when want to make some changes in clover) (please see picture attached)
- Opened config.plist from efi/clover/
- In Clover configurator on 'Install drivers' I only see 'EFI' and not Mojave or anything else. Only EFI (please see picture attached)
- EmuVariableUefi-64 was already installed. Anyway I uninstalled it, rebooted, installed it again, rebooted again.
- After reboot I can make login on iCloud, but can't login on App store and iMessage...

What I'm missing? I really want to avoid clean install.

Thanks

Edit:

Meanwhile, reading carefully your initial guide, I noticed that I should Uninstall 'EmuVariableUefi-64' instead of installing it. Either way.... it doesn't work.

As curiosity, every-time i do this on my hackintosh, my other apple devices asks me again to insert iCloud password. But I think it should be normal.

This is just speculation on my part, but it seems as if your existing serial number might be associated with some "hardware ID" from the old motherboard. Try using a new serial number in SMBIOS as follows:

1. Sign out of iCloud and everything else.
2. In Clover Configurator, mount EFI partition, backup the current config.plist, open config.plist from CLOVER folder, go to SMBIOS section, and use the pop-up menu to select "Macmini8,1" again. New serial numbers will be generated.
3. Take the new Serial Number and copy/paste it here: https://checkcoverage.apple.com/
4. If there is an ERROR message, then you are SAFE to use the serial number. The error means no one else is using that number. But if there is no error, then use pop-up menu again to generate another serial number.
5. Save the file.
6. Make sure EmuVariable is still installed.
7. Reboot and login to iCloud, then Messages and FaceTime. Then check App Store as well.

 

[CaseySJ]

Ok so after a good nights sleep I had a moment of clarity.

I temporarily removed the "USB SSDT" from patched and enabled the "Remove USB port limit in XHCI kext" patch in Config.plist. Rebooted and..
Presto! My Bluetooth came on.
So as the 2 lead USB connector currently has the chevron at pin #2 in the header, my "www.osxwifi.com" PCIE wifi/bluetooth card wants HS12 active. It would appear to me that HS11 (top row) is active & HS12 (bottom row) is disabled by
"SSDT-UIAC-DESIGNARE-Z390-V3.aml"

I then swapped the leads on my USB header cable so that I'm now using pin #'s 3 & 5 from HS11 instead of #4 & 6 from HS12.

Problem solved and no need for an edited USB SSDT!

As Always Thanks..

Music to my ears (er, eyes)!!

 

[ummario]

This is just speculation on my part, but it seems as if your existing serial number might be associated with some "hardware ID" from the old motherboard. Try using a new serial number in SMBIOS as follows:

1. Sign out of iCloud and everything else.
2. In Clover Configurator, mount EFI partition, backup the current config.plist, open config.plist from CLOVER folder, go to SMBIOS section, and use the pop-up menu to select "Macmini8,1" again. New serial numbers will be generated.
3. Take the new Serial Number and copy/paste it here: https://checkcoverage.apple.com/
4. If there is an ERROR message, then you are SAFE to use the serial number. The error means no one else is using that number. But if there is no error, then use pop-up menu again to generate another serial number.
5. Save the file.
6. Make sure EmuVariable is still installed.
7. Reboot and login to iCloud, then Messages and FaceTime. Then check App Store as well.

Thanks.... That's what I thought... I will try and let you know.

 

[AlexD]

@CaseySJ
Thank you very much. I really want to send all the kudos to Gigabyte Taiwan HQ team. There are really true professionals working there, who was very interested in helping me and potentially other people in solving this. And they did it.

They instantly found the same displays, took it to their lab, wrote custom firmware, performed all tests – all with extensive and in-depth comments and reports to me directly. Every single day. That is the most impressive thing I've seen in a while from a tech company!

Unfortunately, there's another and way less positive side of this story. And it is about Intel.

As I been told, current workaround with custom firmware is not official and goes against Intel plans in regards of Titan Ridge.

Basically, Intel don't want to let any Titan Ridge controller to work in Legacy Mode, as they prefer to have it in Native Mode only.

That may be only the reason that Intel may decline their requiests to sign these custom firmware binaries.

But I also worked really hard on this and obtained the contacts at Intel who will potentially help Gigabyte with this requests. Now they are already communicating and I really believe for the successful outcome of this collaboration.

P.S.: Our guess about Apple using dual Thunderbolt controllers in their most recent products were absolutely correct.
They did it intentionally in order to provide complete and full support to any generations of Thunderbolt devices (1, 2 and 3). As Alpine Ridge controller is able to work and switch to Legacy Mode, while needed, when Titan Ridge isn't.

So, that explains everything for me now. Apple probably had a consultations with Intel, before starting the design and manufacturing process. And they were probably told about these limitations and were advised to place both controllers to work in pair.

So, if Gigabyte did the same and just added Alpine Ridge chip next to Titan Ridge. In this case we'd received complete Thunderbolt support on our systems. The cost of the chip is around $30-$40. Which is not that big.

But anyways, we have what we have now.

I'll keep you guys updated once I'll get more information about this. Stay tuned!

 

[CaseySJ]

My Mojave is running, But my video Not owned any information

and when I use MultiBeast and Final Steps in Post-Installation reboot the computer

it can't use

EFI.zip is finished Phase 2 Original state

You can still boot with the USB install disk. Insert that disk and press F12 when the "Gigabyte" BIOS splash screen appears. Then select the USB disk as the Boot Disk.

When Clover starts, choose "Boot macOS from Mojave" and log in.

Now run Clover Configurator and select "Mount EFI" from the left side panel. Do you see something similar to the red box?



If so, click "Mount Partition". You will then see a new "EFI" disk icon. Open that and compress/upload the CLOVER folder inside (EFI partition --> EFI folder -->CLOVER sub-folder).

 

[CaseySJ]

@CaseySJ
So, that explains everything for me now. Apple probably had a consultations with Intel, before starting the design and manufacturing process. And they were probably told about these limitations and were advised to place both controllers to work in pair.

If Apple could not get permission from Intel to activate Legacy Mode on Titan Ridge, I'm worried that Gigabyte might not get permission either. But I also don't understand why Intel would object to it -- unless Legacy Mode has some technical problems that Intel wants to hide.

 

[ummario]

This is just speculation on my part, but it seems as if your existing serial number might be associated with some "hardware ID" from the old motherboard. Try using a new serial number in SMBIOS as follows:

1. Sign out of iCloud and everything else.
2. In Clover Configurator, mount EFI partition, backup the current config.plist, open config.plist from CLOVER folder, go to SMBIOS section, and use the pop-up menu to select "Macmini8,1" again. New serial numbers will be generated.
3. Take the new Serial Number and copy/paste it here: https://checkcoverage.apple.com/
4. If there is an ERROR message, then you are SAFE to use the serial number. The error means no one else is using that number. But if there is no error, then use pop-up menu again to generate another serial number.
5. Save the file.
6. Make sure EmuVariable is still installed.
7. Reboot and login to iCloud, then Messages and FaceTime. Then check App Store as well.

Thank you but it didn't worked. I think I'm about to make a clean install....

Anyway, and again just by curiosity, on your guide you mention that we should delete EmuVariable. And now you tell me to 'Make sure EmuVariable is still installed.' Can I just ask why?

I tried first with EmuVariable installed, didn't worked. Repeated all the process without EmuVariable. Same result.

In both trials I removed iMac pro (my hackintosh) from the icloud.com and Apple Id website from listed devices. This after making iCloud logout and before generating new serial.

 

[CaseySJ]

Thank you but it didn't worked. I think I'm about to make a clean install....

Anyway, and again just by curiosity, on your guide you mention that we should delete EmuVariable. And now you tell me to 'Make sure EmuVariable is still installed.' Can I just ask why?

I tried first with EmuVariable installed, didn't worked. Repeated all the process without EmuVariable. Same result.

In both trials I removed iMac pro (my hackintosh) from the icloud.com and Apple Id website from listed devices. This after making iCloud logout and before generating new serial.

We need EmuVariable in order to login to Messages and FaceTime. Credit goes to @NoiseCoalition for discovering this. But after login has been done, we don't need EmuVariable any longer so it can be deleted -- but you can leave it installed permanently because it doesn't do any harm.

I agree -- it is better to reinstall the O/S now.