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Installing Nvidia Web Drivers on OSX betas?


johndshea

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This may be a dumb question, but I recently upgraded my 2013 15'' MBPr to a beta build of OS X (the 10.10.3 public beta with the photos app - long story). Anyway, my Nvidia Web Drivers are refusing to run because they detect an incompatible operating system, and since I am running a GTX970 eGPU, it essentially prevents me from using my eGPU in OS X.

This is 1) my own damned fault, and 2) not the end of the world, especially once Nvidia releases an updated driver. But I was wondering, is there a way to force the Nvidia Web Drivers to run on a different version of OS X than they are programmed to check for, and if so has anyone here done that? It might be as simple as removing the line of code that contains the OS check, but I don't know for sure.

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This may be a dumb question, but I recently upgraded my 2013 15'' MBPr to a beta build of OS X (the 10.10.3 public beta with the photos app - long story). Anyway, my Nvidia Web Drivers are refusing to run because they detect an incompatible operating system, and since I am running a GTX970 eGPU, it essentially prevents me from using my eGPU in OS X.

This is 1) my own damned fault, and 2) not the end of the world, especially once Nvidia releases an updated driver. But I was wondering, is there a way to force the Nvidia Web Drivers to run on a different version of OS X than they are programmed to check for, and if so has anyone here done that? It might be as simple as removing the line of code that contains the OS check, but I don't know for sure.

I am running OS X 10.10.3 (14D105g) on one of my Macs. All you have to do is change 14C1510 to 14D105g in kexts and run kextcache command, but there are visual artifacts and slowness on the external monitor. Better to wait for Nvidia’s new web driver for 10.10.3.

I guess you have the 750M model, which doesn’t always detect an external monitor in OS X with the Maxwell card due to the dGPU.

EDIT: The driver for 10.10.3 is already available:

Nvidia Web Driver updates for Yosemite - New Releases and Updates - InsanelyMac Forum

Gives accelerated graphics on the external monitor via HDMI & DVI with my GTX980.

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Thanks, @goalque!

And yes, I have the 750m model, and yes, it doesn't always detect the eGPU for monitor output. The main issue that I have is that, with the eGPU connected, the laptop doesn't always boot. Repeatedly power cycling the machine eventually solves the problem, but I'm not sure what the cause is. I think your Maxwell/750m conflict theory is a good one.

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Thanks, @goalque!

And yes, I have the 750m model, and yes, it doesn't always detect the eGPU for monitor output. The main issue that I have is that, with the eGPU connected, the laptop doesn't always boot. Repeatedly power cycling the machine eventually solves the problem, but I'm not sure what the cause is. I think your Maxwell/750m conflict theory is a good one.

You’re welcome! Yep, the theory about Maxwell/750M has been discussed here:

http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/8412-2013-15-mbp-gt750m-gtx-980-sonnet-iii-d-wont-boot.html

Kepler architecture GPUs, such as GTX 780 Ti + GT 750M seem to work fine together though.

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I am running OS X 10.10.3 (14D105g) on one of my Macs. All you have to do is change 14C1510 to 14D105g in kexts and run kextcache command, but there are visual artifacts and slowness on the external monitor. Better to wait for Nvidia’s new web driver for 10.10.3.

I guess you have the 750M model, which doesn’t always detect an external monitor in OS X with the Maxwell card due to the dGPU.

EDIT: The driver for 10.10.3 is already available:

Nvidia Web Driver updates for Yosemite - New Releases and Updates - InsanelyMac Forum

Gives accelerated graphics on the external monitor via HDMI & DVI with my GTX980.

Sorry, i am very new to this eGPU setup thing. I am atm doing some research. I can't install the nvidia web driver on my rMBP 2014 15" because i have the model without 750m. Isn't it possible to do eGPU at all then?

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You've got more research to do.

Many of the guides detail how to do this.

I'm not trying to be rude, the point is that you need to read MANY guides and get the "jist" of what is going on.

That is the only way you will end up with a successful result.

Asking questions about the easy parts that are well documented doesn't bode well for when it gets tricky.

There is a way to trick the system to install by using an eGPU as well as modified drivers that don't do a system check. Or Pacifist. Many ways to skin that cat.

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  • 1 month later...

Has anyone else noticed that OSX external display output doesn't work on Maxwell cards with a 750m rMPB and the latest public release of Yosemite? Mine was working fine up until the latest version of Yosemite and the Nvidia Web Drivers.

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Has anyone else noticed that OSX external display output doesn't work on Maxwell cards with a 750m rMPB and the latest public release of Yosemite? Mine was working fine up until the latest version of Yosemite and the Nvidia Web Drivers.

This does sound like Apple, but not like Nvidia.

Did you remember to put the NVStartup modded kext AFTER installing web drivers? The other 2 kexts can happen after 10.10.3 and the security and supplemental update but the nv one has to be done after driver is updated.

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Yes, I checked and all the kexts were modified properly. OSX even recognizes the GPU properly (proper name shows up in system profiler etc) and istat menus even shows memory usage and processor usage stats for the GPU. It's working beautifully... except for display output.

I'm not sure yet what the issue is. Still investigating. Anyone else having the same problem?

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The only Macbook I have with the 750 is a 2014 and it never showed display output without some EFI magic, so I can't confirm or deny this.

Pretty sure my 2012 with 650 hasn't had this issue but if I think of it I will plug in and see.

If you look in System Profiler under "Extensions" can you see all 3 of the modded extensions listed as "Loaded" being "Yes" but "Loadable" being "No"? (Yes, I know that is confusing but they are the terms used)

I buggered one of my installs last night where 1 of the 3 wasn't modded right and it caused Mini to not enable display output.

There have now been 3 or 4 versions of 10.10.3. Most of the kexts remained the same but the NVSTartup kext has been different each time. Using the one for Build 14D131 on 14D136 caused a similar issue for me.

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Odd, got it working now. Re-did the kext modifications but I could have sworn they were correct before. Setting the boot flags to boot with the NVIDIA driver and to turn kext dev mode on seems to have helped too.

Under system profiler, I see NVDAStartup listed as "Loaded: No" and "Loadable: No." And yet, display output is working.

So confused.

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