How to extend the iMac Pro to X99 [Successful Build/Extended Guide]

[kgp]

Hi KGP,

I am happy to report that changing to SMBIOS iMac17,1 resolved my issues with the Nvidia card. In addition, it also made the sound work. Here are the exact changes I made from the original "recipe"

• Installed NVWebDriverLibValFix.kext to /Library/Extensions
• Installed LATEST NvidiaGraphisFixup.kext and lilu.kext to /EFI/CLOVER/kexts/Other/
• Removed the SSDT-sleep.aml from /EFI/CLOVER/ACPI/patched/
• Merged your new config.plist with my original (key change was to remove 4 KextsToPatch, and to add 3 lines in Acpi/Drop Tables (those lines were in your NEW config.plist but not in the original. They were:

DMAR
SSDT TableID Cpu0lst
SSDT TableID CpuPm​

• Changed SMBIOS to iMac17,1 generated a new Serial # and checked it to be sure it passed the tests
• I did NOT install EmuVariableUefi-64.efi, nor did I run the AGDPfix.app
• Of course, I installed the Nvidia Web Driver and enabled NvidiaWeb in Clover Configurator/System Parameters (things I was also doing previously)
• When installing the Web Driver, I got 2 error messages, as always. One in the middle told me the installation might be failing. I clicked Continue (as always). The other was at the end, where there was a message about System Preferences
• Out of SUPERSTITION I decided before rebooting to rebuild my kext caches with the commands:

sudo chown root:wheel -R /System/Library/Extensions
sudo chown root:wheel -R /Library/Extensions
sudo chmod 755 -R /System/Library/Extensions
sudo chmod 755 -R /Library/Extensions
touch /System/Library/Extensions
touch /Library/Extensions
sudo kextcache -update-volume /​

Upon reboot, everything was working. So, again, this is with a 12-core Haswell E5-2690v3 CPU on a Gigabyte GA-X99P-SLI. I was unable to get SMBIOS MacPro 6,1 to work with the GeForce GTX 980 Ti, but this now seems perfect. As far as I can tell, all of the USB 2 and USB 3 ports are also working. However, the USB 3.1 port is NOT working. Sleep is also working like a charm!

Hope this update helps other people.

Regards,
AndrewL7332

I am happy to see your friendly and positive reply. However, I have to unfortunately emphasize that SMBIOS iMac17,1 is adequate for Skylake-X/X299 but is totally inadequate for Broadwell-E/EP (Haswell-E/EP)/X99!

Sorry for this certainly disappointing news! I have to make this point clear to not confuse all other readers!

Cheers,

KGP

 

[AndrewL7332]

I am happy to see your friendly and positive reply. However, I have to unfortunately emphasize that SMBIOS iMac17,1 is adequate for Skylake-X/X299 but is totally inadequate for Broadwell-E/EP (Haswell-E/EP)/X99!

What about using iMac 17,1 is inadequate? What am I going to lose? Previously I was using 14,1 on the same hardware with Sierra and was getting very excellent results with high-end video editing applications. What is the advantage of using MacPro 6,1?

 

[kgp]

What about using iMac 17,1 is inadequate? What am I going to lose? Previously I was using 14,1 on the same hardware with Sierra and was getting very excellent results with high-end video editing applications. What is the advantage of using MacPro 6,1?

The macPro 14,1 bases on Broadwell-E and X99 technology.. As I already said, one can stay with SMBIOS 14,1 if one does not want to use of unknown reason SMBIOS macPro6,1. The macPro6,1 supports Broadwell-E /EP, Haswell-E/EP and X99 technology, moreover SMBIOS macPro6,1 has been successfully employed over many years on Broadwell-E /EP, Haswell-E/EP and X99 Systems, see e.g. my Broadwell-E /EP (Haswell-E/EP)/X99 macOS Sierra 10.12 Desktop Guide. (>170.000 reads, >2000 replies)...

In contrary, the iMac17,1 bases on Skylake technology and does not consider Broadwell-E /EP, Haswell-E/EP and X99 components. Your are certainly free to use SMBIOS iMac17,1 if your want, but I have to emphasise that this approach is inadequate! I am further somewhat surprised, that Pike Alpha's ssdtPRGen.sh works with Broadwell-E /EP, Haswell-E/EP and the latter SMBIOS. However, by using SMBIOS iMac17,1 you will certainly not be able to take advantage of the already working ASUS X99-A II XHC USB Kext (in case you employ the latter mobo), which also assumes SMBIOS macPro6,1! Further you will not be able to use USBInjextAll.kext or any derivatives. Thus you are forced to develop your board specific XHC USB Kext based on SMBIOS iMac17,1..

Thus please tell me one reason why to choose SMBIOS iMac17,1 for Broadwell-E /EP (Haswell-E/EP)/X99????

Cheers,

KGP

 

[brumie]

sudo chown root:wheel -R /System/Library/Extensions
sudo chown root:wheel -R /Library/Extensions
sudo chmod 755 -R /System/Library/Extensions
sudo chmod 755 -R /Library/Extensions
touch /System/Library/Extensions
touch /Library/Extensions
sudo kextcache -update-volume /

@kgp @AndrewL7332 I can confirm this working with my fresh installation on Asus Extreme VIII + 980 Ti Strix, previously AGDPfix.app doesn't work at all.
btw let me fix abit:

sudo chown -R root:wheel /Library/Extensions
sudo chmod -R 755 /System/Library/Extensions
sudo chmod -R 755 /Library/Extensions
sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions
sudo touch /Library/Extensions
sudo kextcache -update-volume /

Thank you!
cheers!

​

 

[kgp]

@kgp @AndrewL7332 I can confirm this working with my fresh installation on Asus Extreme VIII + 980 Ti Strix, previously AGDPfix.app doesn't work at all.
btw let me fix abit:

sudo chown -R root:wheel /Library/Extensions
sudo chmod -R 755 /System/Library/Extensions
sudo chmod -R 755 /Library/Extensions
sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions
sudo touch /Library/Extensions
sudo kextcache -update-volume /

Thank you!
cheers!

​

I hope your are not also starting to use now SMBIOS iMac17,1 on a Broadwell-E /EP, Haswell-E/EP and X99 System!

However, the kextcache update might be indeed a valid and useful approach! By the way, when do you apply this latter approach? After installing the 10.13 Nvidia web drivers or after additionally installing NVWebDriverLibValFix.kext in /L/E/ and using lilu.kext and NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext in the /EFI/CLOVER/kexts/Other/ ? Do you apply the AGDPFix.app now at all?

Let me know about your further fixing progress...

Cheers,

KGP

 

[brumie]

I hope your are not also starting to use now SMBIOS iMac17,1 on a Broadwell-E /EP, Haswell-E/EP and X99 System!

However, the kextcache update might be indeed a valid and useful approach!

Let me know about your further fixing...

Cheers,

KGP

we have different board I'm using Asus Maximus Extreme VIII with Skylake, I just came across to your thread after headache with AGDPfix on HS, it was my regular patch on Sierra but on HS it doesn't work anymore but thanks to your thread, finally I can start to work again

 

[AndrewL7332]

sudo touch /System/Library/Extensions
sudo touch /Library/Extensions

Thanks, I fixed that.

 

[brumie]

Thanks, I fixed that.

you need to edit "recursive" option to:
sudo chmod -R .....
just to avoid confusion for non command-line user.

cheers!

 

[AndrewL7332]

I hope your are not also starting to use now SMBIOS iMac17,1 on a Broadwell-E /EP, Haswell-E/EP and X99 System!

For what it's worth, I reset my system to use SMBIOS iMac 14,2 and I cannot see any difference in performance or features.

• Geekbench scores are within 1 percent, and probably due to variation
• Same USB ports work or don't work
• Sleep/wake still works either way

Sure, it would be great to get SMBIOS MacPro 6,1 working, but how much time is it worth spending, and what will be the performance difference? I have tried every one of your suggestions and none of them work. Perhaps it's the difference between our motherboards? And I still don't know what I will gain by getting MacPro 6,1 to work. Is Turbo Boost or CPU Throttling going to work differently? You know what they say? "Perfection is the enemy of good!"

Thanks again for your help. Without your guide, I wouldn't even be at this point. I'm happy to try some other experiments, but I'm a bit lost about what else to try.

By the way, I was really happy to see that the latest IntelMausiEthernet drive is working with Jumbo Frames/MTU 9000

AndrewL7332

 

[kgp]

we have different board I'm using Asus Maximus Extreme VIII with Skylake, I just came across to your thread after headache with AGDPfix on HS, it was my regular patch on Sierra but on HS it doesn't work anymore but thanks to your thread, finally I can start to work again

Good that you can start to work again ... However you did not answer my original question. At which point did you apply the kextcache update approach? After installing the 10.13 Nvidia web drivers or after additionally installing NVWebDriverLibValFix.kext in /L/E/ and using lilu.kext and NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext in the /EFI/CLOVER/kexts/Other/ ? Do you apply now the AGDPFix.app now at all?

Thanks in advance for your response!

Cheers,

KGP