GTX 280 - single card, dual card, triple card combinations

[focher]

I am starting a new thread because it doesn't make sense to continue in the original place I posted (http://forum.voodooprojects.org/index.php/topic,608.0.html)

This thread should be to diagnose and resolve installing a 3 card GTX 280 configuration in an ASUS P5N-T Deluxe (nForce 780i based) motherboard.

A summary of the other thread is that the GraphicsEnabler option detects the cards - but you must use PC_EFI 10.3 because the PciRoot is on 1 and Chameleon RC3 only detects on PciRoot 0. However, the detection does not inject the proper EFI strings, as acceleration is not enabled and the desktop boots using the Apple software renderer for the GUI.

I have managed to get acceleration when having a single or dual card installed using a generated EFI string. Adding a third card and attempting to use the generated EFI string does not get me to the desktop.

See the original thread for my plists and EFI strings.

[focher]

After following Kabyl's advice to add a new <key>, I still have not been able to progress from dual GTX 280s in the system (working) to a triple GTX 280 configuration (not working).

Attached is the plist along with two different EFI strings that were generated. One was generated in Leopard and one in Snow Leopard. The difference is that the Snow Leopard EFI string never switches into graphics mode and just hangs (with a -v during boot) at the text-based boot screen. The Leopard generated EFI string does switch to graphics mode but immediately the monitor switches off and I never get to a GUI.

The command is:

./gfxutil -i xml -o hex in-all-3.plist efi-gtx280x3-leopard.hex

and

./gfxutil -i xml -o hex in-all-3.plist efi-gtx280x3-snowleopard.hex

[ChriX]

Can you go through how you went from one card working upto two? I can get two detected correctly but not able to change resolution and no acceleration.

I have had success with 2.0-RC4, turning GraphicsEnabler on with one card inserted works perfectly, but as I move to two cards I just get a kernel panic and no startup.

I had a look at your posts in the other thread too but couldn't work out how to extract the plist generated by the GraphicsEnabler? I figure that I can put a card in one slot and save the plist, then move it to the other slot and save the plist, then combine them both with the @0,AAPL,boot-display key added to the appropriate card. Is that along the right lines? Any assistance appreciated.

[AppleIIGuy]

Graphics enabler only works with 1 card sadly...