[Success] El Capitan 10.11.5 + Nvidia Geforce 740 GT [4GB GDDR5] + Skylake

[jackharvest]

All about the Nvidia graphics here. I struggled with this one for at least 12 hours. Hopefully this can find someone and save them from the agony.

The Symptoms:

• Black screen after booting with Nvidia Geforce 740 GT. Mine is a 4GB GDDR5 model, but instructions may be similar.
• If Nvidia card is plugged in, and you try to use the built in graphics card (Intel 530 for me) then you get a spinning circle and a mouse arrow in the upper left hand corner. It will look like its in a boot loop doing circle and mouse over and over.
• I had installed Nvidia web drivers during my Multibeast installation, and even chose to "use the Nvidia Web Driver" from the drop down, but it just doesn't seem to stick.

Initial Eye Openers:

• Fact: You have to have the Nvidia card installed in order to enable the Nvidia web drivers from the Nvidia control panel.
• Fact: You're going to freak out a little when it works.

INSTRUCTIONS:

The order matters here. I will outline it the best I can.

1. Install OSX with your graphics card NOT installed at all. Get to a desktop, install multibeast, install Nvidia web drivers (don't do anything with this yet, just have it install!).
2. Reboot.
3. Open your BIOS, and change the default graphics choice to your PCIE slot 1st.
4. Save Bios, reboot. Press the power button once you see your bios logo. It's time to install the card. (Oh, and remove your USB -- you'll be booting with your normal drive this time since you installed clover via multibeast).
5. PC is off. Install the graphics card, and hook your video cable to it. DO NOT use VGA if you have it. I had success with the DVI connection. I will report back about the Mini-HDMI port later, someone remind me.
6. Power on the machine.
7. When you see the clover page, use your right arrow key until you get to options. In the boot args field, add the following: "nv_disable=1" (without quotes). This will tell your boot to "even though you see a graphics card, and its Nvidia, just ignore it this time".
8. You should get to a desktop (a nasty, unaccelerated desktop! Yay!)
9. Now, click the Nvidia icon at the top of the screen and click preferences. Unlock the settings with the lock in the bottom left corner. Click the update tab and make sure its the latest and greatest. Then, finally, select the nvidia web driver.
10. It will prompt to reboot. Go ahead and let it.
11. When you get to the clover screen again, go to options, and append something new to the end here: "nvda_drv=1" (no quotes). This tells the computer "hey dummy, now the software is ready to receive me, let's tell it we're here!".
12. Boot.
13. Profit.

Making it permanent:

1. Instead of having to type "nvda_drv=1" every time you boot, we need to edit your config.plist to just have it permanently. Use EFI Mounter V3 to mount your EFI partition. Then navigate to EFI/CLOVER/config.plist - open it in text edit.
2. Search for the term "arguments". You'll see "dart=0" or something already chill'n there. Just press spacebar after the dart=0, and change it to "dart=0 nvda_drv=1". Save.
3. Reboot.
4. Don't touch options this time and lets cross our fingers.
5. Profit / Success!

Please Ignore:

You'll note that the Nvidia GUI may put the selection bubble back to "OSX Driver". Don't worry. This is telling you lies. It is working! Please ignore it until it's time to upgrade again, and at that point you'll likely have to follow the "instructions" section again. The "making it permanent" section shouldn't be affected by upgrades, because you've modified your config.plist. Always make a backup of course!

If this helps anyone, please come back and comment.

 

[slim.jim]

If your board supports native NVRAM then the driver manager will display the proper entry. Gigabyte 100 series boards do not. You can emulate NVRAM by installing EmuVariableEfi64.

Nice write-up.

 

[jackharvest]

If your board supports native NVRAM then the driver manager will display the proper entry. Gigabyte 100 series boards do not. You can emulate NVRAM by installing EmuVariableEfi64.

Nice write-up.

Just so I get it straight -- I can put EmuVariableEfi64 in my clover setup, even though I'm on a 100 series board, and it will push the bullet point to "Web Driver" instead of the OS X one?

 

[slim.jim]

Just so I get it straight -- I can put EmuVariableEfi64 in my clover setup, even though I'm on a 100 series board, and it will push the bullet point to "Web Driver" instead of the OS X one?

Correct. For boards that don't support native NVRAM, EmuVariableUefi64 is the solution.

 

[AndrewJames]

Do you guys think this would work for the GTX 960? I've been having install troubles and I can't figure out what's going on (I'm new to this whole thing). When I try to boot with Clover, it just hangs on the Apple logo with a loading bar that doesn't fill.

HARDWARE
Motherboard: gigabyte lga1151 mini itx
CPU: intel i7-6700
GPU: gigabyte geforce GTX 960
RAM: crucial ballistix sport 2x8gb

SOFTWARE
OSX El Capitan 10.11.5
UniBeast 6.2.0

 

[jackharvest]

Do you guys think this would work for the GTX 960? I've been having install troubles and I can't figure out what's going on (I'm new to this whole thing). When I try to boot with Clover, it just hangs on the Apple logo with a loading bar that doesn't fill.

HARDWARE
GPU: gigabyte geforce GTX 960

Remember to perform your entire install WITHOUT the graphics card inserted physically into any ports yet. Then follow the instructions above for activating your graphics card.

 

[AndrewJames]

Remember to perform your entire install WITHOUT the graphics card inserted physically into any ports yet. Then follow the instructions above for activating your graphics card.

My display doesn't seem to be working with just hooking it into the HDMI on the motherboard... So I can't see what I'm doing

 

[jackharvest]

My display doesn't seem to be working with just hooking it into the HDMI on the motherboard... So I can't see what I'm doing

Make sure your bios is set for igfx for initial display. Or integrated, or whatever they make call it on your particular motherboard.

 

[AndrewJames]

Make sure your bios is set for igfx for initial display. Or integrated, or whatever they make call it on your particular motherboard.

I tried that earlier today and I'm pretty sure it bricked my mobo... What did I do wrong?

 

[fminus]

If Nvidia card is plugged in, and you try to use the built in graphics card (Intel 530 for me) then you get a spinning circle and a mouse arrow in the upper left hand corner. It will look like its in a boot loop doing circle and mouse over and over.

I have the *exact* same problem when I am using my quadro m2000 w./ my Intel 530. I have no idea why this happens. I am going to try your method and report back. Hope it works!