[Works] Sapphire 6450 512MB full CI/QE

[osx86geek]

Edited my last post a little. Only tested on 10.7.3, nothing earlier. I do have Steam but I've removed the card from my system. I can say that you should not expect great gaming performance from this card - my card's benchmarks matched most reviews of this card done in Windows but it's a low-end, bottom of the barrel card. It'll be fine for low-resolution, low-settings, casual gaming, but anything more and it'll start to choke. What exactly are your questions, maybe I can help you out!

I'm currently still on Snow Leopard with my HD 4550 card... I've been looking to update to Lion, but I can't seem to get it to work on Lion. Everything works on Snow Leopard though, except for HDMI. Anyways, I've just decided it would be easier to upgrade my card. Portal 2 plays alright on my HD 4550 in SL, so does Minecraft. Did Geekbench start? In my Lion, Portal 2 would start but not load into the actual game. That's why I ask if any Steam games launch and play on the card. Same thing happened with Minecraft. I don't need great gaming performance, so I'd be ok if I wasn't on the highest settings. Thanks!

 

[osx86geek]

Edited my last post a little. Only tested on 10.7.3, nothing earlier. I do have Steam but I've removed the card from my system. I can say that you should not expect great gaming performance from this card - my card's benchmarks matched most reviews of this card done in Windows but it's a low-end, bottom of the barrel card. It'll be fine for low-resolution, low-settings, casual gaming, but anything more and it'll start to choke. What exactly are your questions, maybe I can help you out!

Edit: techpowerup's review with a lot of games benchmarked - looks like most games are unplayable

Is there any other ATI card under $50 that will set up better/easier than a 6450?

 

[claes]

It sounds like your issue is the framebuffer. Your card should work in Lion provided you have loaded the correct framebuffer. Please post your boot.plist and maybe someone can help you.

You will have to go through a testing process to find the correct framebuffer with almost every Radeon card available. Some are better documented than others, but certainly not the <$50 cards. Given you won't see a large increase in performance with a newer card like the 6450 (basically an updated 4550), I'd just test your card until it works rather than spend more money and still have to go through the testing process.

How to test:
Update to latest Chimera 1.9
Set org.chameleon.boot.plist:
GraphicsEnabler=Yes
PciRoot=1

Reboot, see if it works, if not use the following key at the chimera bootscreen:
AtiConfig=X, where x is a framebuffer for your card. Go through all of the framebuffers until you find one that works (This might keep you from testing every single one). It is easier to keep a terminal open and run the command "ioreg | grep ATY" rather than opening up DVD Player or whatever every time. If your terminal outputs "Radeon Framebuffer," it's not working - reboot and try the next one on your list. If it outputs whatever framebuffer you entered at boot with AtiConfig, it's working! If none of the framebuffers work for you add AtiPorts=(the number of ports on your card) and try again. If that still doesn't work add UseAtiRom and drop a properly named rom from GPU-Z on Windows or techpowerup into your /Extra folder and try again. You may have to edit the kext for your card's series to be sure the Device ID is in there.

Obviously if you pick up my exact model it should just work with the settings I posted, but YMMV if you pick up a 1GB DDR3 HD 6450 from a different manufacturer. The same logic applies if you purchase the exact model and use the exact same instructions as another successful user.

Aside: In my experience it is easier to get nVidia cards working - I have gotten all but one (of eleven) to boot with nothing but GraphicsEnabler=Yes and a driver installation, so if you can't be bothered I'd go with an nvidia card.

 

[osx86geek]

It sounds like your issue is the framebuffer. Your card should work in Lion provided you have loaded the correct framebuffer. Please post your boot.plist and maybe someone can help you.

You will have to go through a testing process to find the correct framebuffer with almost every Radeon card available. Some are better documented than others, but certainly not the <$50 cards. Given you won't see a large increase in performance with a newer card like the 6450 (basically an updated 4550), I'd just test your card until it works rather than spend more money and still have to go through the testing process.

How to test:
Update to latest Chimera 1.9
Set org.chameleon.boot.plist:
GraphicsEnabler=Yes
PciRoot=1

Reboot, see if it works, if not use the following key at the chimera bootscreen:
AtiConfig=X, where x is a framebuffer for your card. Go through all of the framebuffers until you find one that works (This might keep you from testing every single one). It is easier to keep a terminal open and run the command "ioreg | grep ATY" rather than opening up DVD Player or whatever every time. If your terminal outputs "Radeon Framebuffer," it's not working - reboot and try the next one on your list. If it outputs whatever framebuffer you entered at boot with AtiConfig, it's working! If none of the framebuffers work for you add AtiPorts=(the number of ports on your card) and try again. If that still doesn't work add UseAtiRom and drop a properly named rom from GPU-Z on Windows or techpowerup into your /Extra folder and try again. You may have to edit the kext for your card's series to be sure the Device ID is in there.

Obviously if you pick up my exact model it should just work with the settings I posted, but YMMV if you pick up a 1GB DDR3 HD 6450 from a different manufacturer. The same logic applies if you purchase the exact model and use the exact same instructions as another successful user.

Aside: In my experience it is easier to get nVidia cards working - I have gotten all but one (of eleven) to boot with nothing but GraphicsEnabler=Yes and a driver installation, so if you can't be bothered I'd go with an nvidia card.

Thanks, I actually spent a whole week trying to get it to work; no dice. The problem was/is that Lion doesn't have an ATI4500Controller.kext, and I was using ATI4600Controller.kext... I'm pretty sure that was the problem. I tried all three framebuffers and the only one that kinda worked was Flicker... I did end up just ordering a Sapphire HD 6450 1GB after all. I might be posting back here in a few days, hopefully only for success. This is the ony I just ordered: http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Radeon-PCI-Express-Graphics-100322L/dp/B004XLPJNK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333998104&sr=8-1 Can't wait!

Thanks again!

 

[claes]

That's the one I had, hope it works out for you! Be sure to post back if it does and if you try HDMI audio.

 

[osx86geek]

That's the one I had, hope it works out for you! Be sure to post back if it does and if you try HDMI audio.

Yes, will do! Did you manage to get HDMI audio to work for you?

Thanks!

 

[philwil007]

Yes please?!?! Any help with HDMI audio would be greatly appreciated. As in my earlier posts, HDMI works purrrrrfect with GE=No and dsdt edits for audio. All of my attempts to load the correct frame buffer breaks audio. I went as far as to try a 5670 card with the same exact results. HDMI audio shows up connected, shows my receiver model connected in sound prefs, but just won't output sound. Been working on this for weeks with no results.

 

[shibirian]

Yes please?!?! Any help with HDMI audio would be greatly appreciated. As in my earlier posts, HDMI works purrrrrfect with GE=No and dsdt edits for audio. All of my attempts to load the correct frame buffer breaks audio. I went as far as to try a 5670 card with the same exact results. HDMI audio shows up connected, shows my receiver model connected in sound prefs, but just won't output sound. Been working on this for weeks with no results.

Try Onyx in my signature with clearing all caches (audio, etc.) and all the rest, like kernel, etc, and reboot twice, with an cold reboot, too...and see if that helps the matter.

 

[osx86geek]

Yes please?!?! Any help with HDMI audio would be greatly appreciated. As in my earlier posts, HDMI works purrrrrfect with GE=No and dsdt edits for audio. All of my attempts to load the correct frame buffer breaks audio. I went as far as to try a 5670 card with the same exact results. HDMI audio shows up connected, shows my receiver model connected in sound prefs, but just won't output sound. Been working on this for weeks with no results.

This guy on InsaneyMac got his HDMI audio working by modifying the personality. It is really in depth though. http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index. ... pic=249642

Hope it helps!

 

[osx86geek]

It sounds like your issue is the framebuffer. Your card should work in Lion provided you have loaded the correct framebuffer. Please post your boot.plist and maybe someone can help you.

You will have to go through a testing process to find the correct framebuffer with almost every Radeon card available. Some are better documented than others, but certainly not the <$50 cards. Given you won't see a large increase in performance with a newer card like the 6450 (basically an updated 4550), I'd just test your card until it works rather than spend more money and still have to go through the testing process.

How to test:
Update to latest Chimera 1.9
Set org.chameleon.boot.plist:
GraphicsEnabler=Yes
PciRoot=1

Reboot, see if it works, if not use the following key at the chimera bootscreen:
AtiConfig=X, where x is a framebuffer for your card. Go through all of the framebuffers until you find one that works (This might keep you from testing every single one). It is easier to keep a terminal open and run the command "ioreg | grep ATY" rather than opening up DVD Player or whatever every time. If your terminal outputs "Radeon Framebuffer," it's not working - reboot and try the next one on your list. If it outputs whatever framebuffer you entered at boot with AtiConfig, it's working! If none of the framebuffers work for you add AtiPorts=(the number of ports on your card) and try again. If that still doesn't work add UseAtiRom and drop a properly named rom from GPU-Z on Windows or techpowerup into your /Extra folder and try again. You may have to edit the kext for your card's series to be sure the Device ID is in there.

Obviously if you pick up my exact model it should just work with the settings I posted, but YMMV if you pick up a 1GB DDR3 HD 6450 from a different manufacturer. The same logic applies if you purchase the exact model and use the exact same instructions as another successful user.

Aside: In my experience it is easier to get nVidia cards working - I have gotten all but one (of eleven) to boot with nothing but GraphicsEnabler=Yes and a driver installation, so if you can't be bothered I'd go with an nvidia card.

I just got it today, could you post the ROM that you used? I can't seem to get a framebuffer to work. It just gives me a black screen every time! Thanks again!