Video Cards in OSX

[cakemonster]

I found this list of device IDs recognized by Apples Drivers...

http://www.infinitemac.com/f7/list-of-n ... ard-t4385/

I am familiar with linux Windows in terms of drivers etc, but still learning how things work in OSX and Apples support of cards not actually sold with their machines.

Are there some video cards(and other devices) that work with no additional kext at all, ie SL just recognizes native(kexts already there)?

Is that what this list suggests?

In other words, if you drop in a card that is in the Mac Pro (GT120) does it recognize it without any intervention(are kexts already there waiting for their standard hardware)? Or do you still need to add it to your DSDT or use a kext.

If it is not a card technically supported by stock apple hardware, are those kexts able to get the same performace/interface with nvidia hardware(same fps, performance)?

These definitions helped me, but I still have a lot to learn.

http://ihackintosh.blogspot.com/2008/12 ... c-efi.html

http://www.ihackintosh.com/2009/02/what ... tall-kext/

I will google more tonight to try to understand this better but I am trying to pick a card that plays as nicely as possible with OSX as many of my programs depend on OpenGL and run in X11 etc. I want harmony there...

The last question I have is does Apple/Nvidia spend extra time on the drivers for cards they know they will be using (i.e. can a "slow" card with optimized drivers actually be faster than a non-supported "faster" cards, as is often the case in linux). For example SUPER fast ATI cards would be slower than BASIC nvidia cards a while back as nvidia supports linux better than ATI(at least historically).

Any one working in X11 on things that require OpenGL?

Thank You

 

[cakemonster]

Found this from Tony Mac...

http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2009/12/ ... ation.html

It sounds like the most robust way to do all of this is to edit your DSDT.

http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2010/01/ ... phics.html

It sounds like no matter what card you get (even GT120 etc, nothing is totally recognized OOB) you still need to do this due to MB etc, so there is no "free lunch". Is this correct?

 

[tonymacx86]

It sounds like no matter what card you get (even GT120 etc, nothing is totally recognized OOB) you still need to do this due to MB etc, so there is no "free lunch". Is this correct?

Well- the closest thing to a free lunch we have so far is GraphicsEnabler=Yes in Chameleon. It works without kexts for a lot of cards. Then I guess DSDT editing would be 2nd least kexts. But I've always said, and I'll continue to say- whatever works. That's why I included all of the fixes in that graphics post on the blog- it's kind of an overview. Good luck!