This is a guide for using
Kext modifications to enable AMD RX 470-480 graphics cards acceleration.
AMD RX 460 cards or at least 2-3 brands work by simply using CPU integrated graphics mode. The Gigabyte RX 460 no 6 pin power model, and the Sasphire RX 460 are both reported to be working. I think a Powercooler model was also reported that I know of. My Gigabyte RX 460 has been running in Sierra since September of 2016 or since the early Sierra betas without any need to adjust anything other than IGFX, IGD, or IGPU as primary display output (integrated graphics mode). If you have an X99 board you can use a lesser AMD or Nvidia graphics cards as a placebo integrated graphics device, or IGFX/IGPU. I have tested it and others report it working with any apple supported graphics card like GT210, 8400GT, or AMD HD 5000, 7000 series. A $35 helper card can allow the RX cards to function if you have no internal or CPU graphics options.
Other Alternative Methods. If you are in Sierra 12.2, 12.3 you may be able to simply use ATI fake ID 0x67EF1002 to achieve graphics accelleration of your card. Try your clover boot screen menu and add it to Graphics settings in boot screen menu. **As of Sierra beta 12.4 this will no longer work because the AMD9500ControlerKext has been replaced with the AMD 9510ControllerKext and it no longer contains the 0x67Df1002 definition. There are other methods that are using clover to inject kexts, or kext mods as well but for simplistic sake this guide will only cover the Manual kext modification or info.plist edit.
These types of fixes offer benefits like withstanding updates, unless a kext is changed or a value, or the kext to be fixed is removed (9500kext no longer in Sierra 12.4). These fixes have to be re written as this happens so in a setup with El Capitan with a major update every six months or so they offer security for minor updates, but for Sierra they may be a crutch. Sierra changes like the wind or at least the betas do and I have found that this guide serves me well and after you've done it a few times is quite easy to master. After an update it takes me about 2-3 minutes to fix my graphics card. The update takes 20 minutes or more so its a small amount of time to get trouble free support.
AMD RX 470-480 Most major brands have been reported working, some brands have seen more reports of success or user compatibility. XFX, Sapphire, Powercoller, MSI, have all been well documented to work well for many users. Gigabyte and Asus models have been reported to work for some but for others they reported problems. I tried Asus, Gigabyte, Sapphire, and XFX RX 470 and 480 models in the testing thread when Sierra was in the early stages and the Asus and Gigabyte cards were a no go. However, theoretically they should all work but some just seem to have a better success report card. Others recently reported them working which is a good to know, I still hear people struggling with some of those cards.
*Make sure to set your mobo bios settings to IGFX, IGD, IGPU as primary display output (internal graphics, the intel CPU graphics), minimum allocated memory to 64mb, and set to Enabled or Auto if possible. My Gigabyte board has the IGFX selection in peripherals menu, and the Auto setting in Chipset menu. You will need to connect to your motherboard graphics to see the clover boot screen and or bios screen, and during the middle of the boot process this screen usually drops out and the RX card shows the boot screen. I currently use a single monitor with my motherboard connection a VGA cable ( for boot screen), and HDMI to my RX 480. My GUI settings are set at 1920x1080 so the VGA screen drops out of support during boot and the RX takes over on the same display. Some displays may require manually changing the screen selection HDMI 1, HDMI2 VGA, etc... If you have only one display connection you can hot swap it after boot. Sierra has some very different display settings that you will need to get used to by experimenting with them depending on how many monitors or which type(s).
*X99 System users can use a helper graphics card to get the RX 4XX cards to work if they don't have a CPU graphics chip. Nvidia gt210, 710, 8400gt etc.. or an AMD card that has native support in Sierra like a HD 5000, or 7000 series, R9 270, 280 etc.. You will need to have extra PCIE slots and place the helper card in slot one and the RX in slot two. This has worked for many X99 users but there are exceptions if the board doesn't let you configure your PCIe lanes, or if they don't automatically configure.
*For Skylake CPU users if you haven't set up Intel HD 530 graphics fixes try these simple steps to get easy SKL CRB 1536mb graphics with ARBG2101010 30 bit color and metal support. When using a graphics card (supported) the HD 530 glitches are not an issue so you don't need to fix them for premium performance. In Clover boot screen menu set Intel Fake ID to 0x19120003, and below it set ig. to 0a206080. Do not inject Intel, or Intel=false. You can set it permanently using clover configurator or other means later.
*For Haswell users In Clover boot screen menu set Inject Intel=true, set Intel fake ID to 0x04128086, and ig# below it to 0d220003, for Haswell systems for acceleration. Only the Skylake SKL CRB setup will work without Intel injection and get acceleration and metal support. For other older systems inject Intel should generally be used.
If you don't use any fix for CPU graphics the RX cards will work. If you have Display 7mb it means you have default framebuffers working but no acceleration for CPU graphics and it will support the RX cards but it is much better to have metal supported 1536mb graphics to support the RX cards.
Required Apps. Kext Wizzard or equivalent kext repair tool that does repair permissions and clears caches. This guide is using TexEdit which come with Sierra in apps section. It can also be done using Xcode to open the info.plist files.
Optional Apps. Xcode, iHex, IORegistry, Clover Configurator.
FOR SIERRA 12.4 modifying the AMD9510ControllerKext is now required. For Sierra 12.3 users follow the first screen shot and then skip to the AMD 4100kext below.
This is a sample of the AMD9510ControllerKext "info.plist" edit which is now required for Sierra 12.4 (Beta) If the ATI fake ID doesn't work for you in Sierra 12.3 or you want to run this method as it may be required for future updates (12.4) continue on.
Go to Systems/Librariy/Extensions.
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Go to AMD9510ControllerKext and right click "Show Package Contents" select.
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Drag the info.plist to the desktop, now select desktop copy and duplicate or copy and create a backup folder for the info.plist, place it in the folder to save as a backup. Probably not necessary but in case you want to revert your fix. Now right click on the desktop copy of info.plist and select "open with other" select "TexEdit" and open the file.
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In TexEdit scroll down until you see the 0x67EF1002 which is for the RX 460 cards. Either place 0x67DF1002 before or after the 0x67EF1002 definition and leave just one space bar between the two. After you have added the 067DF1002 hit save and then close textedit.
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Make sure that you moved the "info.plist" when you opened up the "contents" folder and placed it on desktop to make the changes. Make the changes, select save, and return the file to contents folder. You will get "Authentication and replace" prompts and then enter your password. If you get only "Authentication' and then password
STOP the info.plist is not in the right place so hit cancel. Do not use the password unless you have both the "Authenticate and Replace" prompts. After replacing the info.plist you need to run Kext Wizzard or equivalent kext tool. It is absolutely critical that you run this prior to rebooting after making these edits. Do not reboot until you have fixed permissions and repaired caches with a kext tool.
The AMD4100kKext edit
Follow the steps above System/Library/Extensions, and then select the AMD4100Kext. Right click on it and select "Show Package Contents". Drag a copy of the info.plist to your desktop. Make a folder to place another copy of the info.plist in for a backup (optional). Right click on the desktop copy and select "open with' choose "other". Scroll down to "TexEdit" and open.
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Scroll down to the 0x67EF1002 definition and place the 0x67DF1002 one space behind it as shown in the picture below. You can also change on of the 0x67EF1002 to 0x676DF1002 but its just as easy to add it. Hit save and close the TexEdit app. Drag the desktop copy of info.plist to the folder. You will get "Authentication and replace" prompts and then enter your password. If you get only "Authentication' and then password
STOP the info.plist is not in the right place so hit cancel. Do not use the password unless you have both the "Authenticate and Replace" prompts. After replacing the info.plist you need to run Kext Wizzard or equivalent kext tool. It is absolutely critical that you run this prior to rebooting after making these edits. Do not reboot until you have fixed permissions and repaired caches with a kext tool.
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Reboot and check "About This Mac" select "System Report" tab and select "Graphics Displays". Check for "metal' supported status. Open IORegistry and check to see if the 4100kext is loaded.
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To fix the R9 xxx download iHex, its free. Go to System/Library/Extensions/AMD9500controllerkext and right click to get "show package contents" then open the "macOS" folder. There willl be the controller there drag it to desktop. Open iHex and drag the desktop copy of 9500Controller to iHex window. Select find.
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Select "text" on top left of window, and type in R9 xxx in the FIND window. Now, type in RX 480 in the REPLACE window. Select "Next" be careful to only hit it once. You should see a yellow or Amariilo color. Now select the "Replace' tab only once. Hit save, and close the application.
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Drag the 9500controller back to the folder and follow the "Authenticate and Replace" prompts. Run Kext Wizzard and then reboot.
**As of 12/3/16 Polaris 10 support is in Sierra Beta 4 version, and now there is Vega 10 (the new unreleased AMD card Polaris10xt2) in the AMD9500Controllerkext.
