How to Enable AMD Integrated Graphics (APU) on macOS [Clover/OpenCore]
An EliteMacx86 Exclusive Guide - This guide describes how to enable AMD APU Graphics on macOS and is applicable to both, Clover and Opencore. By following this guide, you'll be able to achieve full QE/CI on your AMD CPU with AMD Integrated Graphics.
Overview
AMD CPUs have been supported on macOS for a while since High Sierra using the third-party
vanilla-style Kernel patches developed by notable developers in the community. However, it has always required the use of dGPU to make it work, regardless of the macOS version. This becomes a problem for users who want to have a limited experience i.e. a basic system with not much Graphics capability due to their use case.
Before this, it was not possible to use any AMD Integrated Graphics (APU) on macOS. This included Laptops and Desktop based Graphics and it was recommended to disable the IGPU either from the BIOS or using one of the approaches under macOS and the AMD GPU support was limited to Desktops only and certain discrete models which were compatible with macOS/OS X on Laptops.
However, with the efforts of developers in the community and with the recent development, there is a new driver
NootedRed (formerly known as WhateverRed) and it is now possible to use APU on macOS, and that too with full Graphics Acceleration.
Nonetheless, this has involved a great amount of time in bringing AMD APU support for macOS, approximately more than 2yrs but fast forward to two years of development, and yet continuing there's eventually support for AMD APUs on macOS and hopefully, there is more to see.
Please note that this is an early stage of development for AMD APUs on macOS and as of now, this could be a limited experience. Certain features may not be available and bugs are present and there can be issues across different systems, but an official version has to be released yet.
Requirements
Following are the requirements for enabling AMD APU on macOS. Please ensure you meet the requirements before proceeding with this guide.
| Motherboard |
- macOS Compatible UEFI Motherboard.
|
| CPU |
- macOS Compatible AMD CPU. See CPU Compatibility for more information.
|
| GPU | |
| VRAM |
- 512MiB VRAM minimum, 1GiB or more for proper functionality
|
| Boot Mode | UEFI. Legacy Boot Mode isn't supported yet. CSM must remain disabled. |
| macOS |
- Pre-installed macOS Big Sur 11.x
|
| SMBIOS |
- MacBookAir, MacBookPro, iMac, iMacPro, Mac mini, MacPro
- The SMBIOS requirement remains the same as previous.
|
| Monitor |
- Any monitor/TV with DP/HDMI/DVI display connection.
- DVI users can use DVI to HDMI adapter/cable.
- DP users can use DP to HDMI adapter/cable.
|
| Bootloader | |
| Kexts |
- Vanilla Graphics Kexts in S/L/E
- Lilu 1.6.4 or newer
- NootedRed (formerly WhateverRed)
|
Compatibility
For more information on APU compatibility, refer to the thread linked below.
AMD APU Compatibility List for macOS Limitations Only supports Metal 2 and Metal 3 compatible APUs. Supports macOS Big Sur 11.x to macOS Sonoma. Only supports UEFI Motherboards. DP/HDMI Audio isn't supported at the moment. VGA isn't supported at the moment. Sleep/Wake is broken at the moment...
elitemacx86.com
Assumptions
STEP 1: Setup BIOS
The very first step is to set up BIOS to have the AMD APU Enabled on your System. If you have followed the
NVIDIA Graphics Guide, you will not require this step. However, If you haven't, follow the steps below to set up your BIOS for AMD APU.
1. On your target computer, boot to BIOS. Refer to your user manual for the BIOS Key
2. Set the following parameters as shown.
| Settings | Value | Notes |
|---|
| SVM Mode | Enabled | This is usually found in Advanced>CPU Configuration. |
| Above 4G Decoding | Auto/Disabled | This is usually found under Advanced>PCI Configuration. |
| Resizable BAR/Clever Memory Access (C.A.M) | Disabled | This is usually found under Advanced>PCI Configuration. |
| UMA Frame buffer Size | Auto | This is usually found under Advanced>Onboard Devices Configuration. |
| Integrated Graphics Controller | Auto | This is usually found under Advanced>AMD CBS>NBIO Common Options>GFX Configuration. |
| UMA Above 4G | Auto | This is usually found under Advanced>AMD CBS>NBIO Common Options>GFX Configuration. |
| IOMMU | Enabled | This is usually found under Advanced>AMD CBS>NBIO Common Options |
| Primary Video Adaptor (IGD) | Int Graphics (IGD) | This is usually found under Advanced>AMD PBS. |
| CSM (Compatibility Support Module) | Disabled | This is usually found under Boot |
3. Save & Exit Setup
STEP 2: Add Required Kexts
The next step is to add the required kexts to enable APU Graphics. NootedRed doesn't work standalone. Lilu and NootedRed is needed together to work in conjunction. To install the kexts, follow the steps below.
1. Download Lilu and NootedRed.
2.
Mount your ESP.
3. Depending on your bootloader,
For Clover:
If you're using Clover, copy all the kexts to
EFI/Clover/Kext/Others directory.
For OpenCore:
If you're using OpenCore, copy all the required kexts to
EFI/OC/Kexts directory. You'll also need to add the kext entries in the Kernel section of your config.plist
4. Save config.plist
STEP 4: Restart your System
After performing all the above steps, restart your system for the applied changes to take effect. It is recommended to
reset NVRAM twice at least.
Verifying Graphics Acceleration
The next step is to verify whether the graphics acceleration is working or not. Follow the steps below to verify the Graphics acceleration.
About This Mac
- Verify the GPU Model Name and VRAM in About This Mac
View attachment 5677
- Verify the monitor size and resolution in About This Mac>Displays
View attachment 5678
System Report
- Verify the GPU information in About This Mac>System Report>Graphics/Displays
View attachment 5679
System
- Verify the transparency in Dock
View attachment 5680
