GTX 660 underperforming in Sierra. Help?

[Adrian B]

Try iMac 14,2 first as it used similar technology nvidia Kepler graphics. If you have problems revert to the above links in the graphics section that I listed above for problem solving.

 

[agrajag]

In the "About This Mac" tab, the GPU is (mis)identified as "NVIDIA Chip Model 8 MB," but in the Clover boot menu, it's correctly identified as "EVGA GeForce GTX 660."

Is this a problem people encounter often? I've tried a few different boot options but clearly i've not got the right formula yet. A little help?

I have had an issue with the latest versions of the nVidia web driver not running the GTX 660 at full speed. For me the Apple-supplied default drivers work fine, so I have given up on the webdriver for now. I found it confusing as my GTX 650 Ti works fine with either driver, and the 660 did work with the web drivers in the past, but I am unsure when that stopped working for me. I tested on both my Z97 and Z77 systems with the same results. I fiddled with various settings to no avail.

 

[84mac]

Is there an easy way to test either of those hypotheses? The only thing that occurs to me is I could try to install Windows (blech) to see if the GPU runs normally. As for the CPU - the system identifies it properly, and, as you said, although it's dated, I don't think it's so primitive that it should be causing those problems under such light load.

a boot disc of ubu or mint linux would be how I would test it...

 

[absurdio]

Try iMac 14,2 first as it used similar technology nvidia Kepler graphics. If you have problems revert to the above links in the graphics section that I listed above for problem solving.

I reran MultiBeast, redefined the system as iMac14,2, and rebooted. The system definition stuck, but nothing has changed. And I can now confirm: when i try to boot without nv_disable=1, the system hangs at this line:

"IO80211Interface::updateReport _peerManager is missing"

That means nothing to me, but the line immediately preceding it - "IOConsoleUsers: gIOScreenLockState 3, hs 0, bs 0, now 0 sm 0x0" is a familiar frustration. I'm not sure if that's related.

I haven't done the fresh install yet because I wanted to see if some of these options might do the trick before nuking everything. But no luck yet.

Does the _peerManager line mean anything to you?

Edit: When I delete nv_disable=1, booting stalls at that IOConsoleUsers line even in safe mode.

 

[absurdio]

I have had an issue with the latest versions of the nVidia web driver not running the GTX 660 at full speed. For me the Apple-supplied default drivers work fine, so I have given up on the webdriver for now. I found it confusing as my GTX 650 Ti works fine with either driver, and the 660 did work with the web drivers in the past, but I am unsure when that stopped working for me. I tested on both my Z97 and Z77 systems with the same results. I fiddled with various settings to no avail.

How underpowered was it? Did it seem like this issue? Because I'm not just a *little* underpowered... I'm totally freaking hamstrung. :/

 

[Adrian B]

Go into the BIOS and disable the Serial port (SuperIO) on some boards.

 

[agrajag]

How underpowered was it? Did it seem like this issue? Because I'm not just a *little* underpowered... I'm totally freaking hamstrung. :/

Using the Unigine Heaven benchmark (2560x1440) I would get 3-4 fps using webdrivers, and around 30fps with the Apple drivers. Similar results with CUDA-Z and Luxmark. BTW with my new GTX 1060 I get ~70fps.

 

[absurdio]

@Adrian B I've booted from USB drive, and it's worth noting that now - pre-MultiBeast - the system already calls the GPU "NVIDIA Chip Model 8 MB."

Is that right? Should I expect MultiBeast to correct that? :/

[Edit: I ran MultiBeast with default legacy mode settings. Only boot flag is "dart=0," no Graphics Injector settings ticked. The last thing on-screen before the screen goes blank is the IOConsoleUsers line.]

 

[VioletDragon]

I've got almost everything running as it should, finally, but I'm still having graphics problems.

Here's a video of the kind of problems I mean: graphics get choppy over very simple things. Sometimes it'll play video but rarely at full screen.

In the "About This Mac" tab, the GPU is (mis)identified as "NVIDIA Chip Model 8 MB," but in the Clover boot menu, it's correctly identified as "EVGA GeForce GTX 660."

Is this a problem people encounter often? I've tried a few different boot options but clearly i've not got the right formula yet. A little help?

NVIDIA Chip Model 8 MB indicates that you have Inject Nvdia/Yes in config. GTX660 is native how ever injection and Nvidia Web Drivers are not needed.

 

[Adrian B]

A GTX 660 should have the correct video memory amount recognised correctly - 8mb is clearly not correct. This indicates that the nvidia driver is not active - the kext will not have loaded. Why this is the case I am not clear.

There should be no graphics injection for nvidia, AMD or Intel. nv_disable=1 should not be present. You also do not need to use dart=0 with your hardware. Did you find any Serial port in the BIOS to disable?

MultiBeast will not correct how the GPU card is registered within macOS - that is really down to the drivers to do.