[How To] PNY GeForce 7600GS 512MB AGP

cmdshft · #1 01-01-2009, 07:08 AM

This is for 10.5.6.

I recently bought a 7600GS 512MB AGP card, and I was informed that all 7x00 series cards that had more than 256MB VRAM had issues in OS X that required flashing the ROM BIOS on the card.

Thanks to another member on InsanelyMac, the card is now working at FULL 512MB, with QE/CI+Rotation WITHOUT FLASHING THE BIOS! No more risking a bricked GFX card.

Here's how you can do it:

First, download these kexts and extract them to a safe location.

Make sure that you have UInstaller by ~pcwiz installed.

Next, make sure to go into your extensions folder ( /System/Library/Extensions ) and delete all Intel and ATI video drivers.

Using UInstaller, check the option to install kexts from HD, and then press browse and select all the kexts you downloaded from the link above, and then press install.

Next, delete Extensions.mkext in /System/Library and reboot, and at darwin, type -f.

gipo · #2 02-03-2009, 06:13 PM

i've got a 7600gs too... but 256mb, and i'm beating with it to make it work on your ipcx86 release. i didn't ticked any graphic driver on installation, so osx start in vga mode, but then, i tried several injectors, tried old kexts working with 10.5.5 and the result it is always black screen with idle cursor and stop.
Restart with -x in safemode give a 1680x1050 right resolution (without qe and ci) with most of them.
(Vendor: NVIDIA (0×10de) Device ID:0×0392 Revision ID: 0×00a1)

cmdshft · #3 02-03-2009, 07:28 PM

Add your device ID into the kexts, the 512MB and 256MB cards have different ID's.

gipo · #4 02-03-2009, 07:33 PM

which injector do you think it's best? nvdarwin, nvinject or what else?

cmdshft · #5 02-03-2009, 08:15 PM

Any that work. I recommend using the 7600GS package on iPC, boot with -x, change the ID to your cards' ID in the proper kexts and reboot with -f. The NVinject in that package is what I use and it's working just fine.

gipo · #6 02-03-2009, 09:02 PM

Thanks... i'll try soon when i'll be home.

p.s. which are the proper kexts that i must modify?

cmdshft · #7 02-03-2009, 09:45 PM

Just these:

GeForce.kext
NVDANV40Hal.kext
NVDAResman.kext

gipo · #8 02-03-2009, 09:52 PM

thanks again...

gipo · #9 02-05-2009, 02:36 PM

So, perfect, i modify kexts inserting my id... needed to modify the injector kext too and on reboot with -f i had full resolution and CI + QE.
I had issues with finder prefs and keyboard panel, resolved with files from 10.5.5.
Last problem, well it's not a real problem, is the processor name in sys info, my athlon5200 is seeing as an intel core2duo... may be a problem? is there a solution that i don't know?
Kernel is 32bit in default? at 64 running as well?

cmdshft · #10 02-05-2009, 05:30 PM

Glad to hear that it worked for the most part. (I didn't have to use any graphics stuff from 10.5.5 though, so that's weird that you did.)

As for the CPU name, I think it's done on purpose to allow compatibility with apps that do CPUID checking. You can manually fix it in About This Mac, but as far as it's appearance in System Profiler, I think you're SOL as long as you're using Voodoo XNU 9.5.0. I wont get too deep into it (this thread isn't for it, but check out the Voodoo documentation which you can find on the site, it's very helpful).