Mac OS X on x86 Hardware 2008–2024 Technical Archive
InfiniteMac OSx86 › Snow Leopard 10.6 › Whats The Best Graphics Card For Snow Leopard
32,105 reads · 2009-12-30 – 2010-02-10

Whats The Best Graphics Card For Snow Leopard

I want to know what is THE best GPU enabled Graphics card that is FULLY compatible with OSx86 and has a pci-e connection.

Primary Author
@00010 Published 2009-12-30
Collection
Snow Leopard 10.6
Archival Footprint
32,105 historical reads · 13 curated field notes (from 18 dispatches) · 2009-12-30 – 2010-02-10
Credited Voices (10)
@00010 (5)@Imkantus (3)@paulanderson (2)@tinetine (2)@spalek83@=)(=@will1384@OSX86TesTer@lflashl@stanca

I want to know what is THE best GPU enabled Graphics card that is FULLY compatible with OSx86 and has a pci-e connection.

Author Updates & Technical Revisions

Follow-up dispatches by @00010

Author Update #1 @00010 2009-12-30

I had a Larger budeget than that, I wanted atleast a 1GB GPU enabled card.

Author Update #2 @00010 2009-12-31

Thanx man, I'll look into it, I need to know if I can use my PCI-e video card as my main instead of my ATI Radeon 4200 HD onboard, Because it isent supported, my mainboard is a ASUS m4a785td-M EVO.

Synthesized Community Field Notes

13 technical responses curated from 18 original dispatches

Field Note #2 @paulanderson 2009-12-30

I dont know about the best but I went for something cheap that works and got a PCI-E 8400 GS 256MB from PC World for £30 and enabled it with EFI string, works a treat.

Field Note #3 @=)(= 2009-12-30

I have Nvidia 8600GT 256 MB, works excellent, just type graphicsenabler yes in boot.plist and it will work, u dont need EFI String.

Field Note #4 @will1384 2009-12-30 ↳ Re: @=)(=
@=)(=I have Nvidia 8600GT 256 MB, works excellent, just type graphicsenabler yes in boot.plist and it will work, u dont need EFI String.

Yea I to tried an old 8600GT, worked great with GraphicsEnabler, but I wanted
a new video card, so I got a GTS 250, it also works with GraphicsEnabler

Stick with Nvidia, and cards with two DVI ports, also avoid "OC editions"
factory overclocked and any other odd configurations

Field Note #5 @Imkantus 2009-12-31

I think the Radeon HD 4870 is the technically best you can currently get for easy use with OSx86.

As it's option for current MacPro it's device IDs are already part of the system, so it works just with graphics enabler or injector kext.

Field Note #6 @paulanderson 2009-12-31 ↳ Re: @00010
@00010I need to know if I can use my PCI-e video card as my main instead of my ATI Radeon 4200 HD onboard, Because it isent supported, my mainboard is a ASUS m4a785td-M EVO.

I replied to your other thread, yes you can 100%. I have done this when my onboard was not supported

Field Note #7 @Imkantus 2009-12-31 ↳ Re: @00010
@00010I was thinking about this card, Any input? ATI Radeon™ HD 4870 X2

There are people who have this working too, by additionally adding their Device ID to ATI4800Controller.kext - I think to remind mastermind netkas also wrote a dummy / legacy kext for that purpose...

Field Note #8 @OSX86TesTer 2010-01-06

I have an 8600GTS 256MB out of the box this card is a no go. If you can toss QE on it I would say yes, so honestly I wouldnt really stick with nvidia unless theres a 100% working card without much headache, But apple does use nvidias. I Would check the specs of a apple Mac Pro maybe the nvidia 9800 series is best in my opinion spec wise.

Field Note #9 @lflashl 2010-01-06

i have a Nvidia GTX260 works great just need to install drivers, for it! and a 6200 for backup! depends what you want your card to do, if you want something that installs out of the box then a 8600GT, if you want a bit of power then something higher.. i think the nvidias are the best options for OSX86.. more support then ATI but i may wrong about this…

Field Note #10 @stanca 2010-01-06

My old Nvidia GeForce FX 5500 works perfectly with nvinject for 256mb.Even in Linux Nvidia has the best support yet,for old video cards also.

Field Note #11 @tinetine 2010-02-08

I have SL 10.6.2 runing in 64 bits
I did only one thing for my video card (Geforce 8600GT 512Mo)
I added this in Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.boot.plist

  • <key>GraphicsEnabler</key>
  • <string>yes</string>

But no chance, I didn't get the QE/CI

I you have any ideas...

Field Note #12 @Imkantus 2010-02-08

What does the following command return, when you type it on the Terminal?

sudo ioreg -l | grep -15 AppleACPIPCI | grep UID

What is your Bootloader?

Field Note #13 @tinetine 2010-02-10

I reinstalled all the SL and Chameleon V2 RC2.
I added this in /Volume/EFI/Extra/com.apple.boot.plist

  • <key>GraphicsEnabler</key>
  • <string>yes</string>

I got QE/CI with my small Screen "15 VGA plugged on the DVI port with an adaptator (1024x768)

I was pretty happy, so after I shutdown the system, and removed this screen with the DVI adaptator to plug directly my LCD TV on the DVI port.

The system boots but just before displays the logon screen, the screen gets black and says no video.

I really don't know what's going on...

So I pluged my VGA screen on the VGA port and my LCD on the DVI port.
I turned on the system and both screens get black.

If you have any ideas...

Sources & Contributor Provenance (10 credited usernames · Thread #5075)
UsernameDossier ContributionDispatchesActive Window
@00010Primary Author52009-12-30 → 2010-01-01
@ImkantusCore Contributor32009-12-31 → 2010-02-08
@paulandersonContributor22009-12-30 → 2009-12-31
@tinetineContributor22010-02-08 → 2010-02-10
@spalek83Contributor12009-12-30
@=)(=Contributor12009-12-30
@will1384Contributor12009-12-30
@OSX86TesTerContributor12010-01-06
@lflashlContributor12010-01-06
@stancaContributor12010-01-06

Choose your language