<< Solved >> AMD WX4170 dGPU on ZBook G5 17 Laptop

[theroadw]

So with low level initializing, the hardware components are unstable and doing wrong communications with high level. So that’s why hardware part of vbios is fake, but acceleration is the same as in other amd gpu. And that’s why Mac OS driver is working, because it can’t operate with hardware components but good with high level.

You may be on to something here, So the Roms that boot Catalina work precisely because they don't communicate on a low level, so most likely driver can't control, but higher level stuff works because it uses different part of card/chip.

Interesting, so making it work would in theory be easier, since we don't need to make something work, but break something that "is working..."

 

[theroadw]

Ok I have mixed news..

Using the WX-4150-GOP Rom, All the Windows information shows up, but none of the video outputs work.
Performance is on par with 4150 card.

(under load testing)


Linux also recognizes and boots with the card, also no outputs, also performance low.

Here's the interesting stuff.
In MacOS

Under load the clock and Power are really low, which explains bad performance.

These are Catalina tests:

For Reference using 4170 Rom:

Ok, benchmarks aside, here's the juicy stuff.

I believe @EdwardGeo you're definitely onto something with the uninitialized part of the card theory.

If I boot clamshell-closed to Windows, I get bios display out until Windows boots display drivers, then no display and LCD becomes active. So Windows can't properly enable the outputs on the 4150 ROM, and neither can the bios in UEFI mode, hence no post in discrete mode, (didn't test in CSM mode, it may probably work, but I don't want to risk it)

Now same idea using Mojave, I get display during bios and boot, but as the display drivers get loaded, it stalls... BUT!!! if I press the power button for 2 seconds, the signal is sent to turn off the display and BOOM! drivers finish loading and all is good.
In Catalina I get the same stall as using my working 4170 Rom.

So... This could prove that the display controller is not properly resetting if I'm using the 4150 ROM and it is already active before Catalina starts the drivers. (which looks like the same problem on Catalina using the good 4170 ROM)

I guess the next test would be to try to use a radeon-deinit ssdt using the 4150 ROM in Mojave and see if I can get it to boot properly without screen sleep using clamshell-closed mode. Then if that works, try the same in Catalina, and we'll see if that is the only issue. (It could be that the radeon-deinit ssdt didn't work before in my tests because the register in the MXM card is different to a regular PCI card?

I think we may have a radeon-deinit problem using Catalina with the good 4170 ROM. Drivers sends command to initialize the card but fails and stalls, and Mojave does this differently.

 

[EdwardGeo]

Ok I have mixed news..

Using the WX-4150-GOP Rom, All the Windows information shows up, but none of the video outputs work.
Performance is on par with 4150 card.
View attachment 519108View attachment 519109
View attachment 519110
View attachment 519111
View attachment 519112
(under load testing)


Linux also recognizes and boots with the card, also no outputs, also performance low.

Here's the interesting stuff.
In MacOS

View attachment 519113View attachment 519114

Under load the clock and Power are really low, which explains bad performance.

These are Catalina tests:
View attachment 519116View attachment 519117
For Reference using 4170 Rom:
View attachment 519121View attachment 519122

Ok, benchmarks aside, here's the juicy stuff.

I believe @EdwardGeo you're definitely onto something with the uninitialized part of the card theory.

If I boot clamshell-closed to Windows, I get bios display out until Windows boots display drivers, then no display and LCD becomes active. So Windows can't properly enable the outputs on the 4150 ROM, and neither can the bios in UEFI mode, hence no post in discrete mode, (didn't test in CSM mode, it may probably work, but I don't want to risk it)

Now same idea using Mojave, I get display during bios and boot, but as the display drivers get loaded, it stalls... BUT!!! if I press the power button for 2 seconds, the signal is sent to turn off the display and BOOM! drivers finish loading and all is good.
In Catalina I get the same stall as using my working 4170 Rom.

So... This could prove that the display controller is not properly resetting if I'm using the 4150 ROM and it is already active before Catalina starts the drivers. (which looks like the same problem on Catalina using the good 4170 ROM)

I guess the next test would be to try to use a radeon-deinit ssdt using the 4150 ROM in Mojave and see if I can get it to boot properly without screen sleep using clamshell-closed mode. Then if that works, try the same in Catalina, and we'll see if that is the only issue. (It could be that the radeon-deinit ssdt didn't work before in my tests because the register in the MXM card is different to a regular PCI card?

I think we may have a radeon-deinit problem using Catalina with the good 4170 ROM. Drivers sends command to initialize the card but fails and stalls, and Mojave does this differently.

Can you added this vbios and those you’re using with high performance. I want compare timings

Upd1.
Where did you get or extract our gop?

What’s Radeon deinit?

 

[EdwardGeo]

get it to boot properly without screen sleep using clamshell-closed mode

Actually I have strange problem, I was described at the beginning of the thread (when lid was closed, I get backlight blinking (if open lid fast) and got strange micro freezes, like gpu lost power and then power on. Actually this was solved by Whatevergreen connectors patch. But if I insert wrong framebuffer (not Palena, Berbice, Yelcho) the system freezes on discrete mode if I plug off a/c psu and continue work if I fast it insert.

Just for reporting.

 

[theroadw]

- Roms attached
-Google "tracing-back-the-amd-gpu-wakeup-issue-to-its-origin" for the origin of radeon-deinit

Using 4170 Rom:

 

[EdwardGeo]

. I want compare timings

It seems, like your vbios is working fine, they fully inject "proper" gpu operations.


UPDATED 1:
Maybe everything is simplier, then we expected. HPs mobile gpu has only 2 Vram speed steps: 300, 1500 (like ON and IDLE). I cant noticed so small step counts in MBP 13.3, 14.3 vbioses.This explain why after some short time of operation on discrete mode my vram clock falls to 300mhz and stays there until restart. This never heppens with your powerconfig (info.plist patch of AMD9500 controller), but power config is not stable, if i unplug powersupply, the system freezes, because GPU not apply powersaving mode.

If you have another working vbioses on Catalina, added them please


Who else is using WX4170 on laptops \ workstations? Hp only, or Dell, ???

 

[theroadw]

It seems, like your vbios is working fine, they fully inject "proper" gpu operations.

But none of the outputs work in windows and no post in discrete. And I would be worried if the bios can't properly communicate with the card, maybe it can overheat because the GPU fan doesn't respond to load?

Maybe everything is simplier, then we expected. HPs mobile gpu has only 2 Vram speed steps: 300, 1500 (like ON and IDLE). I cant noticed so small step counts in MBP 13.3, 14.3 vbioses.

If you have another working vbioses on Catalina, added them please

This one worked as well. Needs to be patched for outputs, but it boots Catalina and all outputs work (MacOS)

<< Solved >> - AMD WX4170 dGPU on ZBook G5 17 Laptop

That's the standard hybrid configuration in Bios Yup it changes the PowerPlay tables just for fun...(not funny) Nice tip, thanks! I didn't use auto before because it didn't work very well in MacOS, before I figured out the HDCP connector flag for the LCD, I would get snow on boot. But I guess...

www.tonymacx86.com

Who else is using WX4170 on laptops \ workstations? Hp only, or Dell, ???

Just Dell and HP AFAIK

 

[EdwardGeo]

outputs work in windows and no post in discrete

no post, you mean non of devices on laptop is operational? No keyboard led lighcodes? Num+Capslock?

Always use external monitor and close lid. If Pegatron vbios the same as mine OEM vbios, then this one is workstation base, and have no backlight PWM configs

Just Dell and HP AFAIK

Did you found Dell vbios?


UPD1

, maybe it can overheat because the GPU fan doesn't respond to load?

Chipset gets values from internal insyde hp bios. Or you just can test it.

 

[theroadw]

no post, you mean non of devices on laptop is operational? No keyboard led lighcodes? Num+Capslock?

No post I mean semi-bricked, power led goes on, but no display, no external displays, nothing boots, turns off instantly on power button press.
Impossible to get back to bios setup without removing the MXM card and resetting to UMA mode, then putting card back in again, and UMA or Hybrid.

Edit

Something interesting about this ROM is that the iMac users that use it complain about it blind booting and not working for Windows...so many posts I seem to remember something like that. And is in line with what I saw in today's tests.

Always use external monitor and close lid. If Pegatron vbios the same as mine OEM vbios, then this one is workstation base, and have no backlight PWM configs

No use, none of the output connectors work either with lid open or closed, and no way to switch to CSM mode, and like I said before I'm not testing it again, I hate to open up my laptop.

Did you found Dell vbios?

No, but the Dell Crane is "compatible" so I suppose they make MXM cards at least branded as RX560

Chipset gets values from internal insyde hp bios. Or you just can test it.

what values?

 

[EdwardGeo]

what values?

I one forum I found an answer to the problem I have with full speed gpu fan issue. They called it lps or lpc or lspc I cannot remember that clearly. But this some kind of values that chipset is using to communicate with pwm controller through l2c interface.

I will look into 4pda forum. There is the theme related dell m4800 and wx4150. Maybe I will find there backup of dells vbios, because the one I found on tecpowerup is corrupted.

Ohh... I tired of this)))

We need more working vbioses on Catalina for comparison...

Users success with dell 4130

Users success with dell 4130 at aliexpr

UPD1.

All ways of success are related to VRAM Timings (look at timings are reported in roms):
possibly working:
- 4130 - https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/231980/231980
- 4150 - https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/204011/204011
- 4150 - https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/209988/hp-wx4150-4096-180123
-
not working:
- 4170 - https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/228551/228551
-

How do you unbricking vbios rom without programmer?



UPD2.
VBIOSES from 4pda forum

Поиск - 4PDA

Поиск

4pda.to

File: DELL_AMD_Radeon_Pro_WX4150_AtiWINFlash.zip
File: Baffin_mod.zip