Patching DSDT to solve AMD 7870 ports problems?

[Sunman]

Hi all
I have GB-Z68XP-UD5 with i7-2600 (non K) and Sapphire 7870 OC (2 DVI, 1 HDMI, 1 DP)
I successfully booted 10.9 with DSDT (from this site) +Multibeast+GE=no+iMac 12,2 definition and the AMD 7870 is working fine when only one monitor is connected.
But if I try to connect more one monitor to the system the display just freeze.
I want to connect more than one monitor

Under settings + see that the AMD is detected as 7xxx, but under PCI Cards it says "no pci cards installed".
My question is - is I am supposed to edit (patch) my DSDT to add support for external graphics card or I must try someting else to enable more than one port of card?

Thanks

 

[toleda]

am supposed to edit (patch) my DSDT to add support for external graphics card or I must try someting else to enable more than one port of card?

Not necessary. You have a framebuffer problem, see ATI/AMD 5xxx 6xxx 7xxx Graphics Cards Framebuffer Personalities

 

[Sunman]

Not necessary. You have a framebuffer problem, see ATI/AMD 5xxx 6xxx 7xxx Graphics Cards Framebuffer Personalities

Thank you very much for the quick reply!
I followed those instructions before posting the above question but with no luck (when I tested all frame buffer definitions the machine was configured with MacPro 3,1 - later I found that the 7870 gives much high results (40% improvements in Luxmark) by just changing the definition to iMac 12,2)

I will run the tests again but one final question (I hope)
When trying all definitions should I use Chameleon wizard to change the values or It is better to use boot parameters. Also is it enough just to define the AtiConfig and AtiPorts or should define somewhere the "magic numbers" described here? Should I try framebuffers with different number of porst than mine (for example is Chutoro (5) a good candidate when i Have only 4 ports?)

http://www.tonymacx86.com/graphics/112299-apple-intel-amd-ati-framebuffers.html
If I must define those number how to do this?
Also I none of the above configurations does not work with AtiPorts=4 (in my case) is there any chance to "define" my custom framebuffer?

Ops the questions are more than one

 

[Sunman]

Soooooo
First attempt with AtiConfig=Hamachi AtiPorts=4 and my second monitor is working now BUT both displays are in mirror mode. I tuned off the mirroring - rearranged them and rebooted. Booted again with the same config (Hamachi,4) and now I get black screen on the DVI port and white on the HDMI
Disconnecting the DVI port and the HDMI is up and running. Reconnecting the DVI and black screen on it + frozen HDMI monitor. Disconnect DVI and HDMI is back.....

It looks like initially when the Mavericks run in mirroring mode both ports get enabled but turning off the mirroring and rebooting breaks the initialisation. Is there any way to programatically "turn on the mirroring" (I can not do this manually because the UI is broken when have two monitors running) so the 10.9 can initialise the output ports?

 

[toleda]

Is there any way to programatically "turn on the mirroring"

No. Try the other framebuffers.

 

[Sunman]

No. Try the other framebuffers.

It looks like I highjacked the DSDT thread - sorry for this
But my above "first attempt" was fake - When entered the AtiConfig I was using GE=No so it actually was not "active"
The funny thing is that with GE=No and "default ATI Framebuffer" I managed to run dual monitor setup but only during the very first attempt (when the system setup the config in mirroring mode - when I turned off the mirroring the two monitors worked PERFECTLY during the first reboot - from this point on GE=No and 2 connected monitors result in "freeze" until I disconnect one of them)

I have started to try GE=Yes and different buffers and for now the best results are with Futomaki (can boot and HDMI is working) - but when connect DVI -> black screen for the DVI monitor and frieze for HDMI.

Hamachi gives similar results

I will continue to try with the "other buffers".

 

[Sunman]

I give up
The only AtiConfigs that actually boot are: Futomaki, Hamachi, Junsai
All show HDMI output when only one display is connected and have similar "issues" when connecting second display from the DVI - the second monitor powers on but there is no image on it and the first one starts to behave strange...

My only hope is in Apple to do something about my pure 7870 and support it better in 10.9.1

Thanks a lot for all guidelines - at least I figured out that GE=Yes to be able to "test" with different AtiConfigs - The description in http://www.tonymacx86.com/graphics/...graphics-cards-framebuffer-personalities.html
was misleading for me - I spend a lot of time trying with GE=No

 

[toleda]

The description in http://www.tonymacx86.com/graphics/...graphics-cards-framebuffer-personalities.html
was misleading for me - I spend a lot of time trying with GE=No

AtiConfig only works with GE=No.

 

[Sunman]

AtiConfig only works with GE=No.

Ok but if GE is No then the IOReg |grep ATY shows the default buffer. And "all AtiConfig values" results in successful boot with working HDMI and absolutely the same result when I connect the second monitor - the second monitor have grey vertical lines and the HDMI monitor is freezing.

Only when I boot with GE=Yes changing the AtiConfig results in "different boot results" - some boot, some can not pass the Chimera (Memory allocation error), some starts 10.9 but then the HDMI port "sleeps"... and when I boot successfully (only 3 working values) the IOReg | grep ATY shows the name of the configuration as the FrameBuffer and the amount of ports defined in AtiPorts

So my conclusion is that only when GE=Yes the AtiConfig and AtiPorts are applied by the 10.9

Can you explain how to check that the AtiConfig value is applied? Is the above "check" wrong? Thanks a lot for your help... maybe I will give another try if have something to use as a "reference" check that changing the AtiConfig actually do something!

My only options for connecting monitors are - DVI (and old Samsung Syncmaster 1280x1024) and HDMI - LG IPS235 (1080p).
On the DP i can not connect any thing

Sooooooo

Even if this guide
http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/to...g-xfx-hd6850-connectors-to-work/?fromsearch=1
is for 6xxx is it worth trying to follow it to "patch" 7870 - Of course changing the "specific" stuff - (I am Objective-C and iOS developer so I know how to "read" - the question is is there "big" difference between the 10.9 and referenced mac OS version and the way 6xxx and 7xxx are handled)

If there is a "similar" guide for 7xxx and 10.9 it will be great. For now my conclusion is that 7xxx is in too early "support state" and the Sapphire with its
[DVI-D] [HDIM] [DP]
[DVI-I]
is not a popular port configuration for the frame buffers defined in AMD7xxxController

Dam it I can't give up

 

[toleda]

So my conclusion is that only when GE=Yes the AtiConfig and AtiPorts are applied by the 10.9

I don't agree with your GE=No versus GE=Yes conclusions. I did my HD7xxx framebuffer testing with dsdt injection and GE=No. The framebuffer editing techniques are the same for HD5xxx, HD6xxx, HD7xxx. It is unlikely you will see any change to the framebuffers for your situation as no native products have DVI-D or DVI-I (a framebuffer or two may be added for MacPro6,1, DP only).