v1.0.1

Simple EFI application to disable the dGPU on certain Intel MacBooks, useful for disabling defective dGPU on 2011 MacBook Pros.

Changelog

• Also set gpu-power-prefs=1, to fix some macOS incompatibilities.

Why?

If you remove dGPU power (via hardware modifications) without setting the NVRAM variable, you are unable to set the NVRAM variable since the internal display will be completely off. This simple EFI application makes it easier to disable the defective dGPU when you are unable to see the screen, there is no input or output from this EFI application, it just sets GfxMode=4 NVRAM variable as soon as you boot into this.

Why GfxMode?

GfxMode is actually more effective than the gpu-power-prefs at disabling the dGPU for those who haven't removed any dGPU power (via hardware modifications), as unlike gpu-power-prefs, GfxMode fully powers down the dGPU (without hardware modifications) and it cannot be re-enabled after the fact, unless you remove the NVRAM variable.

Usage

• Make a FAT32 formatted USB.
• On the newly formatted USB, make an EFI folder on the root of the USB.
• Inside the EFI folder, make a BOOT folder.
• Download SetGfxMode.efi from below.
• Copy SetGfxMode.efi to your BOOT folder on the USB.
• Inside the BOOT folder, rename SetGfxMode.efi to bootx64.efi.
• Plug the USB into your Mac, and turn it on. (You will need to hold down Option to boot into the USB if you have an OS installed.)
• Once you run the EFI application, your Mac will reboot and you should have working internal display output from the iGPU.

Do note that legacy/CSM booting is currently broken when forcing the usage of the iGPU, as Mac firmware tries to force the dGPU and disable the iGPU. You will not be able to use Windows under legacy/CSM boot, Linux is recommended under OpenCore EFI.

Initial release

Simple EFI application to disable the dGPU on certain Intel MacBooks, useful for disabling defective dGPU on 2011 MacBook Pros.

Why?

If you remove dGPU power (via hardware modifications) without setting the NVRAM variable, you are unable to set the NVRAM variable since the internal display will be completely off. This simple EFI application makes it easier to disable the defective dGPU when you are unable to see the screen, there is no input or output from this EFI application, it just sets GfxMode=4 NVRAM variable as soon as you boot into this.

Why GfxMode?

GfxMode is actually more effective than the gpu-power-prefs at disabling the dGPU for those who haven't removed any dGPU power (via hardware modifications), as unlike gpu-power-prefs, GfxMode fully powers down the dGPU (without hardware modifications) and it cannot be re-enabled after the fact, unless you remove the NVRAM variable.

Usage

• Make a FAT32 formatted USB.
• On the newly formatted USB, make an EFI folder on the root of the USB.
• Inside the EFI folder, make a BOOT folder.
• Download SetGfxMode.efi from below.
• Copy SetGfxMode.efi to your BOOT folder on the USB.
• Inside the BOOT folder, rename SetGfxMode.efi to bootx64.efi.
• Plug the USB into your Mac, and turn it on. (You will need to hold down Option to boot into the USB if you have an OS installed.)
• Once you run the EFI application, your Mac will reboot and you should have working internal display output from the iGPU.

Do note that legacy/CSM booting is currently broken when forcing the usage of the iGPU, as Mac firmware tries to force the dGPU and disable the iGPU. You will not be able to use Windows under legacy/CSM boot, Linux is recommended under OpenCore EFI.