Discrete Graphics cards in Mac Mini?

[QueenFan66]

GMA 950 will still use RAM

Sorry for bumping but,
When you have integrated graphics and you want to replace them with discrete graphics you want to shut off the integrated graphics so they don't suck RAM. Since the Mac Mini was never intended to have discrete graphics apple would not have the option to shut it off, so it will still be using RAM.
Also, Many of you want to put in this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161079 graphics card. This will not work, Apple does not have drivers for such a card. You can use it under windows, but it won't work under osx. You can as someone said put in a 7300 in the mac mini though because it was supported. A 8600gt might work too and so would a x1600 since they all have drivers from Apple.
There might be another problem too, the Pci x1 slot might not operate at full speed, I bet it does but because all it is used for is the Airport card Apple might not see the need for a full speed x1 slot.
And another problem would be the power. If you were to plug in anything into the x1 slot you would need power, PCI does not provide power, even if it does it would not be enough to power a graphics card, you could buy a power supply and have it sitting out side the case though sending power only to the card.
There is no way you could place a graphics card in the mac mini. You cant even fit that x1 to x16 adapter in the mini. You will need the case open if you want a graphics card.

 

[toru173]

All of these topics have been addressed throughout this thread and the one at 123macmini.

The case would need to be open, there would need to be an external psu. You would probably need an adapter and to use an Apple-branded card (but no-one really knows until someone tries it - I for one have run a non-Apple approved n-vidia card with a little flash work). The mini allocates vram dynamically, so by not using the GMA it will allocate the minimum amount of ram to it (which may be zero, may be 64 as apple states in their site. Either way, it's a hell of a lot better then the worst case scenario. the PCIe x1 slot operates at full speed (250MB/s), otherwise it wouldn't be a PCIe slot - and you'll find that people have been able to use it to run RAID cards. Since we're operating at x1 anyway, a little less bandwidth won't hurt us any more.

Unless you've got new, helpful information it's probably best to let sleeping threads lie

 

[QueenFan66]

I got it!

Sorry for bumping (again) but I found the part that we were looking for http://www.getcatalyst.com/buynow/index.phtml (press control+f and search for PCI Express x16 to x1 Adapter.) And for the person who said that the macbook mobo is simular, you were right, there is a pci x1 slot in the mobo. This means you can place an express card in the macbook also. Again I am sorry for bumping.

 

[toru173]

That's only half of the necessary adapter - the slot on the Mac Mini logic board is a MiniCard slot. It has PCIe x1 electrically, but not mechanically. You need another adapter to convert the MiniCard slot to PCIe x1. Both adapters are mentioned in the OP.

It's good to know people are still interested in this. Are you going to chase up the other adapter? You could be the first person in history to add a graphics card to a mini!

EDIT: We have a confirmed successful attempt at using external PCIe cards via the adapters mentioned in this thread! Check out the PowerMacMini project, blogged here http://powermacmini.wordpress.com/ (Originally French, translated via Google). If you dig into the blog a little, he goes through most of the details anyone will need to repeat this mod.

The mini can have PCIe expansion cards! Woooooooooooo!

 

[Tiglath]

Hi everyone!

Are there any news about this thread??

that's really interesting!

 

[wootdawg]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I had an adapter made and I will be attempting to use my 7800gt with a pci express mini to pci-e x1 adapter. More info is on my website. (and yes, I know, I suck at making websites)

 

[Fred57]

Kernel Panic after all

Hi all,

Reopening the topic after a few years !
I went for a try on the solution proposed:
- PEMINI2X1-F
- one adaptor 16x to 1x for PCIe
- 1 external Corsair 430W PS (modular)
- 1 Nvidia Quadro 4000 linked directly to the PS to supply the 100+ necessary Watts.

It boots, which a good news but after 10 secs I have a Kernel Panic as below:

0x2ff53fc8 : 0x2bdd5c (0x865c18 0x0 0x10 0x5fb54d0)
Kernel Extensions in backtrace:
com.apple.NVDAResman(7.3.2)[49E78BF7-E77C-4ED0-975D-255AB8A65F34]@0x3837f000->0x386a5fff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.7)[8E36FF3C-9339-3DA4-9CB6-78561C658B03]@0x2fd31000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONDRVSupport(2.3.4)[63B18CEE-4961-3374-8C8C-32E17BD8DFE4]@0x37737000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOGraphicsFamily(2.3.4)[2C226447-0D2F-3492-A46E-769A27DB6810]@0x37809000
com.apple.nvidia.nvGF100hal(7.3.2)[AA48DCFF-361C-45F0-A4AE-54EAECF84ED3]@0x38a50000->0x38daafff
dependency: com.apple.NVDAResman(7.3.2)[49E78BF7-E77C-4ED0-975D-255AB8A65F34]@0x3837f000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.7)[8E36FF3C-9339-3DA4-9CB6-78561C658B03]@0x2fd31000

BSD process name corresponding to current thread: kernel_task

Mac OS version:
MLPostFactor V0.3


Note that I installed Mountain Lion on the MacMini using PostFactor method.

As I am not an expert, I would appreciate any idea on the reason of the Kernel Panic. Seems to me that the Nvidia card is identified but not liked...

Solutions ?

Thanks

 

[giggles]

Try doing the same software hacks people using nvidia eGPUs over thunderbolt do.

http://forum.techinferno.com/implementation-guides/

 

[Darby67]

Hi all,

Reopening the topic after a few years !

Aug 24, 2008 01:19 PM ---> Today 06:42 AM

Wow, necromancy! What mini? How are you connected?

 

[Fred57]

Hi Darby,

My Mac Mini is a 1,1 (2006) upgraded to EFI 2,1 and with an SSD instead of that initial crap HDD.

I replaced the initial mini card by this stuff (1st picture)
http://www.hwtools.net/ExtenderBoard/P24S-P24F.html
which allows me to plug a 1x PCI card. I added this nice extender to be able to plug a 16x inside
http://www.amazon.com/Converter-Extender-Flexible-Extension-Connector/dp/B00HB1T54S

On top of what I tried yesterday, I installed Snow Leopard on a USB stick & switched on the card with Snow Leopard.

And incredibly, the card is seen in the Video card list as an Nvidia. Unfortunately, there are no drivers for Quadro 4000 PC on Snow Leopard. But the extra good news is that the PCI to Mini Card adaptor works & Mac OS sees the card.

My next step is to try to install another Graphic Card (the cheapest I can find) to see if the issue is the Quadro 4000 & its drivers or something else.

Funny anyway.

Any advise ?

 

[MacVidCards]

Nvidia has drivers for 10.6.8 for that card, but you have to ad them in, Sticky on the top of the Mac Pro forum has the link. (I think)

You will also need "ATY_init" which we used to use to self initialize Nvidia cards before Nvidia added the feature in 10.7.3 or so.

It may be that the card doesn't care for being run through a x1 slot.

Good luck !

 

[Fred57]

Hi MacVidCards,

Actually, SL has drivers for Nvidia Quadro Mac edition, not the PC edition.
Only ML and beyond could support this card.
But as my Mini is not officially supported by Apple or Nvidia for the drivers, it causes me Kernel Panic.

Unless I can find some modded drivers that bypass the HW check on the web drivers, it would maybe work. I will try 1st with another card before proceeding.

Thanks anyway & if you have links to modified drivers or hints, please help.

----------

Giggles,

I looked at the link you provided. Thanks for that.
The tweaks there are for HW that can "officially" support the most recent OS from Apple. Which is not my case.
So I have a double penalty. 1) ML works through MLPostfactor 2) I have to use the Mini Card substitute.

Maybe I may have understood your hint, but I could not find any tweaks in the guides posted there which could be helpful to me.

 

[giggles]

As far as the eGPU (over thunderbolt) world is concerned, it is my understanding that as long as the whole nvidia architechture (example: Maxwell) is supported, you can make any GPU from that generation work, even if not natively supported by OSX. (the trick here is nvidia releasing drivers meant for tower mac pros). This is the kind of hack I meant:

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/20331931/

(second link)

Not sure if this is of any help for your situation, though. (even by analogy)

It goes without saying, if I may, that you're kinda trying to squeeze blood out of beetroot, and you'd be far better off shopping for a used 2011 (to keep it cheap) mini with thunderbolt, install Yosemite and follow the guides from the eGPU scene. You'd also go from a measly pcie1.0 1x (2Gbps) to pcie2.0 4x (16Gbps, although capped at 10Gbps by thunderbolt1 if you buy a 2011 or 2012 mini). But I understand you might be doing it just for the sake of it and using only the equipment you already have.

 

[MacVidCards]

Hi MacVidCards,

Actually, SL has drivers for Nvidia Quadro Mac edition, not the PC edition.
Only ML and beyond could support this card.
But as my Mini is not officially supported by Apple or Nvidia for the drivers, it causes me Kernel Panic.

Unless I can find some modded drivers that bypass the HW check on the web drivers, it would maybe work. I will try 1st with another card before proceeding.

Thanks anyway & if you have links to modified drivers or hints, please help.

----------

I have already told you what you need to know.

You need ATY_Init and it will work with Nvidia's 10.6.8 drivers. (does in a MP anyway)

The whole point of ATY_Init was to "self init" card.

Nvidia copied this exact function into their drivers after 10.7.3

 

[Fred57]

Hi MacVidCards,

I switched cards for a GTX 560 TI. I followed all your instructions and I believe we are half way there

The card is well recognized, the quadro 4000 must have had an issue.

Now, while I boot with all system on, SL still displays through GMA 950 & not the GTX 560. The picture shows no Display connector there. Trust me when I say that I did put the DVI plug there...

Would you know how to bypass that to get the 560 as the 1st card & 'disable' the GMA 950 ?

Finally (& thanks again), I tried the same on Mountain Lion (without ATY_INI), & I still have a Kernel Panic due to 'WindowsServer' apparently. It seems a common factor among ML users but I could not find any solution. As I removed the Wifi MiniCard to plug the PCIe extension, could it be caused by Kexts that should not be there anymore ?

Thanks !!

 

[MacVidCards]

No drivers in SL for 560, only for gtx4xx and Q4000 with added in NVIDIA driver

 

[Fred57]

Done with a Radeon 4850, using ATY_INI, new Kexts & Mavericks.

Hurray
Does not stand the heavy benchmarks though, freezing the mac in middle of duty.

 

[Fred57]

No Chance in Yosemite

The previous post does not work in Yosemite though even with ATY_INI & Kext Utility. Same ATI HD 4850.

Any help appreciated ! The flickering screen is killing my eyes

Many thanks

 

[Fred57]

The previous post does not work in Yosemite though even with ATY_INI & Kext Utility. Same ATI HD 4850.

Any help appreciated ! The flickering screen is killing my eyes

Many thanks

Update: I edited the 4800.kext, and Yosemite recognises the GPU. But still unable to boot on it. Black screen all along. Ideas ?

Thanks

 

[paulrbeers]

Update: I edited the 4800.kext, and Yosemite recognises the GPU. But still unable to boot on it. Black screen all along. Ideas ?

Thanks

Good luck I guess? I mean this is an OSX unsupported 9 year old computer trying to run a fairly modern graphics card thru a Mini PCIE 1X port. My guess is the first part about not being supported by Yosemite is probably your biggest issue.....

 

[Fred57]

Good luck I guess? I mean this is an OSX unsupported 9 year old computer trying to run a fairly modern graphics card thru a Mini PCIE 1X port. My guess is the first part about not being supported by Yosemite is probably your biggest issue.....

Hi,

Well take it as a bit of nostalgia, poetry & mainly lack of funds ?
I did though find a way to get the display working.

1) I plugged my old DVI to VGA connector in the GMA 950 port & linked it to my monitor VGA entry port
2) I plugged my DVI cable from the Radeon 4850 to the DVI Port of the monitor (I have only one monitor) but I leave it not plugged while booting
3) The Mac boots on the GMA 950, and when done, I just plug the DVI cable into the Radeon "et voilà". I have a full working QE/CI Mac Mini 2006 with Yosemite. Yosemite recognizes the card and the monitor (playing with entry on the monitor)

Ok, it is very manual, so still looking to either:
- Manage to boot fully on the Radeon
- Or stay on Boot on the GMA 950 & consider the Radeon as a secondary Graphic Card but without any connecting / disconnecting cables

Today I am stuck on booting on the Radeon (if connected at boot) with only back screen displayed even if the boot is actually successful

Ideas welcome Paul & others. Nearly there I am sure

Fred

 

[opeter]

Does it work, when you use Bootcamp/Windows?

 

[Fred57]

Does it work, when you use Bootcamp/Windows?

Hello,

Honestly, I have not tried yet as the HDD must be a single partition for installing Bootcamp & I am sticking for a while more to previous versions on other partitions until I am sure all is stable.

I will follow the advice & test asap. Thanks for the idea.

 

[opeter]

Your welcome. I am just interested to read, what results you will get.

 

[Fred57]

Your welcome. I am just interested to read, what results you will get.

No pb, I will keep you up to date.
BTW, all works now. I just had to remove ATY_INIT from the Extensions folder (useless actually).
All boots fine, except that I have a ghost display attached to the GMA 950 even if no cable plugged into it. I tried "Detect Displays" but it did not change anything. No big deal, just illogical.

And finally, 10.10.1 does not want to install, but I have been told to boot on recovery and repair permissions. So still some work to do !

BR