MP 1,1-5,1 Activate AMD hardware acceleration

[heero503]

That is because 4K requires different setting.
Regular screen:

<key>UIScale</key>
                <data>
                AQ==
                </data>

4K:

<key>UIScale</key>
                <data>
                Ag==
                </data>

So it looks like you power both it does not work as it is a mixture. You can try changing UIScale to the 4K setting or better use one or the other for betting only.

Resolution
Type: plist string
Failsafe: Empty string
Description: Sets console output screen resolution.
• Set to WxH@Bpp (e.g. 1920x1080@32) or WxH (e.g. 1920x1080) formatted string to request custom resolution from GOP if available.
• Set to empty string not to change screen resolution.
• Set to Max to try to use largest available screen resolution.
On HiDPI screens APPLE_VENDOR_VARIABLE_GUID UIScale NVRAM variable may need to be set to 02 to enable HiDPI scaling in Builtin text renderer, FileVault 2 UEFI password interface, and boot screen logo. Refer to Recommended Variables section for more details
4D1EDE05-38C7-4A6A-9CC6-4BCCA8B38C14:UIScale
One-byte data defining boot.efi user interface scaling. Should be 01 for normal screens and 02 for HiDPI screens.

How about if I can change the boot screen in LG only?

 

[esulat]

Thank you very much to everyone. Confirmed #594 works on 10.15.5 beta, with OpenCore 0.5.6. My OS runs on NMVe.

The problem I had that took me days to figure out was that I had another OpenCore running on my other NMVe drive. So, whatever changes I make it does not reflect on the new OpenCore drive because of the boot sequence was hitting the old OpenCore first rather than the newly blessed drive/EFI. Lesson learned! DRM on Safari (Netflix... etc), Handbrake, VideoProc works. Whew.
Now, I am waiting for my programmer to come to Zap my Titan Ridge.

 

[dsbell]

OpenCore 0.5.6 released. I created a new "easy to install package" as per many requested.

For those who only need HWAccel, post #594 has everything you need. This new package mainly offer HWAccel + boot screen. Also, this package should work in Catalina for dual processor cMP.

I don't mind you guys discuss anything about this package, but I have no plan to provide any explanation about OpenCore at here. If you want to know more, please join cdf's OpenCore thread. For new joiners, please make sure read through the FAQ in post #1 before you ask anything.

The attached packaged included Clover Configurator and a complete preconfigured OpenCore. All credits goes to the developer teams. If you want to show your support, please give them donation (declaration of interest： I am NOT in any of their developer teams)

For Clover Configurator and OpenCore developers teams, please let me know if you want me to remove the associated software inside my attachment in this post.

This is a "one package fit all" solution. So, it's designed to fit as much setup as possible, which may not be optimised for your setup (e.g. I did't provide HiDPI boot picker, for those who are running 4K screen, the text may be quite small to read). You have to do the optimisation by yourself (details in the OpenCore manual, some info also available in cdf's OpenCore thread).

Anyway, for those who have RX 460 or newer AMD GPU, this package should gives you:

1. Boot screen (via GOP for unflashed card, including some Nvidia card)
2. Firmware protection (to run Windows in EFI mode without risking the cMP bootROM)
3. HWAccel (H264 / HEVC hardware decode + encode in Mojave or later)
4. ability to watch DRM streaming content (Mojave or later)
5. Boot picker (only support EFI systems, only tested with wired keyboard. Light grey background, black text, 10s timeout. If you can't see this. Just don't touch the keyboard, and your cMP should continue to boot to desktop)
6. NVMe and SATA drives show up as internal
7. Support for Apple USB SuperDrive
8. TRIM (regardless trimforce status)
9. Ability to run non-GUI 32bit software in Catalina
10. Ability to reset NVRAM in boot picker
11. Ability to run any natively supported ancient OSX with modern graphic card e.g. Radeon VII in 10.6.8 (only can display, no acceleration) [Update 9th Mar 2020: Sierra and High Sierra are not fully supported yet. Thanks for pierrox's report]
12. Ability to boot Catalina Recovery Partition
13. Sleep should work (tested on my cMP, but I can't guarantee it also work with your hardware)

It's impossible for me to test every single function in all situations. So, as usual, use at your own risk. But you are welcome to report back if there is any problem / error.

Anyway, I tried to make the installation as simple as possible. Here is what you need to do

1. Disable SIP
2. Download the attachment in this post
3. Follow the steps in this video
   
4. Reboot

Other info

• Recommend to backup your BootROM between step 1 and 2 (e.g. by using ROMTool)
• If you want to remove OpenCore, please mount the EFI partition by using Clover Configurator, then follow step 9 in this post.
• If your cMP stuck at boot. After shutdown, please pull out the hard drive that contain OpenCore, then perform NVRAM reset. If still doesn't work, then please install your emergency graphic card that has boot screen. Hold Option to boot, then select your backup boot drive. This should disable OpenCore.
• For those who want to report issue / error. Please provide details (e.g. which graphic card, OpenCore installed on NVMe / SATA drive, the issue's details, etc) otherwise it will be extremely hard (or even impossible) for me to work out what's wrong.
• If you applied my previous non-OpenCore HWAccel mod, please revert them. For Lilu + WEG method, that means delete Lilu.kext in /Library/EXtensions/ and reboot. For hex edit method, that means delete AppleGVA.framework in /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/ and rename AppleGVA.framework.bak to AppleGVA.framework

Additional option 1: If you have 4K screen, and you want to scale up the boot picker or that Apple logo. You may download this package -> unzip it -> mount the EFI partition -> REPLACE the whole EFI folder by this one. (Please do all 4 steps above BEFORE you apply this option)

N.B. Unflashed card means "the ROM is never modified". For those who bought used card, and can't see the boot screen, most likely the last user flashed the card with modified ROM (e.g. downvolt for mining). In this case, you can go to TechPowerUp to find a ROM that fit your own card, and flash it.

I have a Radeon HD 7950. I can't see the picker menu. How do I fix that?

 

[mrtang42]

I have a Radeon HD 7950. I can't see the picker menu. How do I fix that?

7950 does not support UEFI originally. You need to add UEFI/GOP module into the video bios to be able to see the boot screen. (How to do it? See here: https://www.win-raid.com/t892f16-AMD-and-Nvidia-GOP-update-No-requests-DIY.html#msg15729)

 

[dsbell]

7950 DOES support UEFI. I thought Opencore is supposed to provide boot screen without flashing.

 

[Ludacrisvp]

7950 DOES support UEFI. I thought Opencore is supposed to provide boot screen without flashing.

If the vbios you have on it has been modified it will fail the GOP driver check and not display an image via OpenCore during boot. If i understand correctly early cards like this and some nvidia cards from the same era didn't have a GOP portion in their ROM but was added later in the product life cycle.

So you either need an EFI modified ROM with UGA support or a ROM that has not been altered that contains UEFI GOP support. Techpowerup may have a compatible rom that provides the latter available for your card.

Do you want UEFI Gop on your 7950/7970? I can add it to...

www.overclock.net

 

[tsialex]

If the vbios you have on it has been modified it will fail the GOP driver check and not display an image via OpenCore during boot. If i understand correctly early cards like this and some nvidia cards from the same era didn't have a GOP portion in their ROM but was added later in the product life cycle.

So you either need an EFI modified ROM with UGA support or a ROM that has not been altered that contains UEFI GOP support. Techpowerup may have a compatible rom that provides the latter available for your card.

Do you want UEFI Gop on your 7950/7970? I can add it to...

www.overclock.net

HD 7950/7970 and earlier R9 280/280x are older than UEFI v2.3.1 release. Most the cards that had UEFI support from factory, have an initial and pre-ratification version that don't have correct option ROMs support and don't work with OpenCore.

Later updates of R9 280/280x work fine and support UEFI v2.3.1

 

[dsbell]

so - I guess I don't care as much about boot graphics - but a text based picker would be really nice. Would that work with this card?

 

[tsialex]

so - I guess I don't care as much about boot graphics - but a text based picker would be really nice. Would that work with this card?

While OpenCore menu is a text based boot picker, it's draw on a GOP graphics screen, this was explained early on by OpenCore developers, no GOP/UEFI support, no support for OpenCore boot picker:

OpenCore on the Mac Pro

Ok, the latest OpenCore from master should show the interface fine on most GPUs. For the good, no UGA is involved, as Mac Pro uses GOP, but it indeed has UGA on some handle, which is misleading. I should thank @startergo for patient testing. The GOP problem. On Macs there are >= 2 GOPs: one...

forums.macrumors.com

A HD7950/7970/R9 280/R9 280X with a firmware that don't support GOP correctly, won't work with OpenCore boot menu.

 

[dsbell]

Okay. So I need a newer graphics card.

 

[mrtang42]

While OpenCore menu is a text based boot picker, it's draw on a GOP graphics screen, this was explained early on by OpenCore developers, no GOP/UEFI support, no support for OpenCore boot picker:

OpenCore on the Mac Pro

Ok, the latest OpenCore from master should show the interface fine on most GPUs. For the good, no UGA is involved, as Mac Pro uses GOP, but it indeed has UGA on some handle, which is misleading. I should thank @startergo for patient testing. The GOP problem. On Macs there are >= 2 GOPs: one...

forums.macrumors.com

A HD7950/7970/R9 280/R9 280X with a firmware that don't support GOP correctly, won't work with OpenCore boot menu.

Please do not send wrong information if you have not tried.

I am the one currently using sapphire HD7950 vaper-x with Opencore 0.56 and have boot picker working fine.

My current UEFI is 1.69.xx, but even the older UEFI 1.3x also works.

 

[tsialex]

Please do not send wrong information if you have not tried.

I am the one currently using sapphire HD7950 vaper-x with Opencore 0.56 and have boot picker working fine.

If you have one card that have an updated firmware and works for you, good for you, but this not represent the majority.

Btw, seems you know more than the main OpenCore developer, you should correct him.🤣

 

[donvito4ever]

@h9826790 , do you have undervolted your RX580 working with Open Core or you reflashed it to stock?

 

[ivhrb]

Can You update it? New version released。

 

[heero503]

After upgrade to Catalina and enable Hardware decoding/ encoding, I check the hardware encoding of new OS and RX580.

I found that there is not huge usage of GPU when it is render and my clip total time 11:47s in total, render time around 23:38s to finish. Is it normal? (All clip in HEVC 4K by iphone 11 Pro, no heavy effect applied)
If I want to improve the render performance, upgrade to Radeon VII is a good option? I will do the pixlas mod soon.
I believe CPU I cant upgrade any more.
My Mac Pro major usage is FCPX so I would like to get better more performance of render.

 

[h9826790]

I have a Radeon HD 7950. I can't see the picker menu. How do I fix that?

Why you want to use this package for the 7950?

Flash the 7950 with the EFI UGA ROM is so much easier (and more "native")
[automerge]1586258815[/automerge]

@h9826790 , do you have undervolted your RX580 working with Open Core or you reflashed it to stock?

MUST re-flash back to stock config.

Any modification to the voltage table will break the UEFI GOP.
[automerge]1586258993[/automerge]

After upgrade to Catalina and enable Hardware decoding/ encoding, I check the hardware encoding of new OS and RX580.

I found that there is not huge usage of GPU when it is render and my clip total time 11:47s in total, render time around 23:38s to finish. Is it normal? (All clip in HEVC 4K by iphone 11 Pro, no heavy effect applied)
If I want to improve the render performance, upgrade to Radeon VII is a good option? I will do the pixlas mod soon.
I believe CPU I cant upgrade any more.
My Mac Pro major usage is FCPX so I would like to get better more performance of render.

View attachment 904153

I don't think FCPX can output HEVC via HWAccel. If possible please try DV.

Anyway, you can monitor if the AMD VCE is really working by using OpenGL Driver Monitor

Activate AMD hardware acceleration

Just found that we can actually monitor the AMD GPU HWAccel activities by using OpenGL Driver Monitor. P.S VCE always active in the video due to it was working to record the screen.

forums.macrumors.com

Or by using terminal command

Activate AMD hardware acceleration

The goal of the post was to show that while using both cards doesn't let the RX 580 show video but the computer is able to access it for hardware encoding. So if you need boot screens and an 'encoder' card you could get by with having both cards installed and just not use the RX580 for any...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[donvito4ever]

[automerge]1586258815[/automerge]

MUST re-flash back to stock config.

Any modification to the voltage table will break the UEFI GOP.

In the case that I didn't need to see the init screen (like boot picker), can be undervolted to increase performance and lower consuption or can't be possible/don't be usefull for low performance increasement?

 

[h9826790]

In the case that I didn't need to see the init screen (like boot picker), can be undervolted to increase performance and lower consuption or can't be possible/don't be usefull for low performance increasement?

Correct, the only thing cannot co-exist is "downvolt" and "boot screen via GOP". All other functions can still work as expected.

Therefore, you can still follow my downvolt guide to flash your RX580, and use the OpenCore package to activate HWAccel.

But if you do that, I highly suggest you turn off the boot picker in the config.plist. Otherwise, it will give you another 10s "black screen time" during boot. The boot picker still there, you can still use it by pressing the numeric keys, but you just can't see it.
[automerge]1586261524[/automerge]

Can You update it? New version released。

It's NOT a direct update, quite a few thing need to be changed in the config.plist. I will do that later.

 

[heero503]

Why you want to use this package for the 7950?

Flash the 7950 with the EFI UGA ROM is so much easier (and more "native")
[automerge]1586258815[/automerge]

MUST re-flash back to stock config.

Any modification to the voltage table will break the UEFI GOP.
[automerge]1586258993[/automerge]

I don't think FCPX can output HEVC via HWAccel. If possible please try DV.

Anyway, you can monitor if the AMD VCE is really working by using OpenGL Driver Monitor

Activate AMD hardware acceleration

Just found that we can actually monitor the AMD GPU HWAccel activities by using OpenGL Driver Monitor. P.S VCE always active in the video due to it was working to record the screen.

forums.macrumors.com

Or by using terminal command

Activate AMD hardware acceleration

The goal of the post was to show that while using both cards doesn't let the RX 580 show video but the computer is able to access it for hardware encoding. So if you need boot screens and an 'encoder' card you could get by with having both cards installed and just not use the RX580 for any...

forums.macrumors.com

CHECKED with terminal command, activity of UVDec, no VCE because i play a HEVC demo.
That means there is no benefit even I upgrade the RX580 to Vii in FCPX?
If so I will save the money...

 

[h9826790]

CHECKED with terminal command, activity of UVDec, no VCE because i play a HEVC demo.
That means there is no benefit even I upgrade the RX580 to Vii in FCPX?
If so I will save the money...

I don't know anyway to export HEVC in FCPX via HWAccel. In fact, FCPX itself doesn't have HEVC export options. And I can't make Compressor use HWAccel to export HEVC so far. H264 is fine if that's good enough for you.

 

[h9826790]

I finished the update to OC 0.5.7 for the package. Before I update the post #1314, I put the package at here for some advance users to test it.

I double checked the package, all required update should be done. The idea is simple, replace the whole old EFI folder by this one.

Of course, you should backup your current working EFI folder. And have your recovery plan if anything goes wrong.

If you don't know what I am talking about, or how to perform this test, please skip this post, it's not for you. The package in post #1314 is fine for the current Mojave and Catalina, please use that. I will update the package in that post later.

 

[octoviaa]

I finished the update to OC 0.5.7 for the package. Before I update the post #1314, I put the package at here for some advance users to test it.

I double checked the package, all required update should be done. The idea is simple, replace the whole old EFI folder by this one.

Of course, you should backup your current working EFI folder. And have your recovery plan if anything goes wrong.

If you don't know what I am talking about, or how to perform this test, please skip this post, it's not for you. The package in post #1314 is fine for the current Mojave and Catalina, please use that. I will update the package in that post later.

Hi H98,

The latest package works great on my machine.

I've test the HW-Decode by playing the Jelly-Fish and Swordsman video both run without any hiccup.
I only add HiDPI setting to your config as my monitor is 4K.

Let me know if you want me to run additional test.

Thank you for your guide.

 

[mrtang42]

If you have one card that have an updated firmware and works for you, good for you, but this not represent the majority.

Btw, seems you know more than the main OpenCore developer, you should correct him.🤣

I have no idea why you think I should correct him. Do you mind to sure your source? All I found is this from the opencore guide(https://insanelymacdiscord.github.io/Getting-Started-With-OpenCore/):

• CSM (Compatibility Support Module) disabled in firmware settings if present. You may need to flash GOP ROM on NVIDIA 6xx/AMD 2xx or older. Use GopUpdate or AMD UEFI GOP MAKER in case you are not sure how.

 

[tsialex]

I have no idea why you think I should correct him. Do you mind to sure your source? All I found is this from the opencore guide(https://insanelymacdiscord.github.io/Getting-Started-With-OpenCore/):

• CSM (Compatibility Support Module) disabled in firmware settings if present. You may need to flash GOP ROM on NVIDIA 6xx/AMD 2xx or older. Use GopUpdate or AMD UEFI GOP MAKER in case you are not sure how.

Did you know that I’m talking about one thing and you are talking about other?

UEFI 2.3.1 is the spec that Option ROMs have to follow and not the AMD GOP Option ROM version that is stored inside the AMD 7950 firmware. Several AMD GCN 1.0 and NVIDIA Kepler GPUs need to have the GOP option ROM updated to be able to work correctly with Windows 10 UEFI and OpenCore.

Even eVGA GTX 680 Mac Edition need the GOP option ROM update to work with W10 when not in CSM mode.

 

[mrtang42]

Did you know that I’m talking about one thing and you are talking about other?

UEFI 2.3.1 is the spec that Option ROMs have to follow and not the AMD GOP Option ROM version that is stored inside the AMD 7950 firmware. Several AMD GCN 1.0 and NVIDIA Kepler GPUs need to have the GOP option ROM updated to be able to work correctly with Windows 10 and OpenCore.
Even eVGA GTX 680 Mac Edition need the GOP option ROM update to work with W10 when not in CSM mode.

Yes, then why you think 7950, clearly GCN1.0, won't work. The statement clearly says it will until flash GOP ROM.