32 replies to this topic

[PookyMacMan]

Most of us know that the latest MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, and iMac units are equipped with the high-speed Thunderbolt protocol, but no PC motherboards (both for purchase and in prebuilt machines) contain it. Now, ASUS has release not one, but two Intel-certified motherboards with Thunderbolt, the P8Z77-V Premium and the P8Z77-V/Thunderbolt. MSI has also released a Thunderbolt ready motherboard, the Z77A-GD80, but it has not been certified by Intel at this time of writing. So far there have been no reports on whether Thunderbolt works in OS X on these motherboards.

Image courtesy of Engadget.com

Click here to view the article

[XLR]

I think of ordering Intel DZ77RE-75K, but i also need to get some Thunderbolt device to test it.

[TH3L4UGH1NGM4N]

@ XLR Don't forget the $50 cable that's needed as well.

[joshhh]

I think thunderbolt is more important for laptop usage, i'm waiting now any new lenovo laptops with thunderbolt port, for me eGPU with thunderbolt more useful than any disk storage solutions

[XLR]

TH3L4UGH1NGM4N, on 30 May 2012 - 12:40 AM, said:

@ XLR Don't forget the $50 cable that's needed as well.

[TH3L4UGH1NGM4N]

XLR, on 30 May 2012 - 09:13 PM, said:

[p.H]

Isn't it designed for hackintosh users ?
: )

[cili0]

i'm eagerly waiting for the moment in which I'll be able to purchase a thunderbolt motherboard, a thunderbolt-compliant graphic card, an apple thunderbolt display and install OSX on my brand new hackintosh!

[buoo]

I only hope we'll not find troubles to get it working.
A TB-monitor should be fantastic!

[David087]

sounds good

[alfa147x]

and.... Hackintoshed!

Kinda.

Here is my semi-ready guide:
http://hacksbyalfa.t...290/thunderbolt

[cili0]

The main point is about how to convey the graphic card signal through the thunderbolt connection. Given such a procedure, I would buy a brand new hackintosh and a Thunderbolt ACD 27'' in minutes

ciao!

[buoo]

Since we started to talk about it, I've been looking for more about it.
I've found a nice video, enjoy the show

[cili0]

So it seems that a combination of hardware and software is required to correctly drive the video signal from the graphic card to the thunderbolt connection. IMHO the only possibility is to wait for a thunderbolt-enable Mac Pro (hopefully tomorrow) and try to mimic the way mac-only graphic cards work in the Apple tower computer, which indeed should be quite similar to what is shown in the video.

[PookyMacMan]

cili0, on 10 June 2012 - 02:21 PM, said:

IMHO the only possibility is to wait for a thunderbolt-enable Mac Pro (hopefully tomorrow) and try to mimic the way mac-only graphic cards work in the Apple tower computer, which indeed should be quite similar to what is shown in the video.

The nice thing is, unless something goes drastically wrong, we will see the new MBAs and MBPs (and/or iMacs) with Ivy Bridge, and if they include the integrated GPU (likely on the MBAs in particular) it will probably be possible to enable Thunderbolt on the integrated Intel GPU on a hackintosh like with the i7 3770K. Regardless of a Mac Pro update we will most likely see this, so at least partial support (partial = no discrete but integrated is possible) will hopefully be possible.

And, I think regardless of GPU updates we will at the very least be able to obtain data transport support, but like I said before I think that we will eventually be able to get integrated GPU support working and, if that Mac Pro rumor is true, discrete support.

[Gringo Vermelho]

All that expensive tech and they use a shitty microphone

If your sound card software has EQ, cut the 500Khz band completely to get listenable audio on that video.

[cili0]

PookyMacMan, on 10 June 2012 - 08:18 PM, said:

The nice thing is, unless something goes drastically wrong, we will see the new MBAs and MBPs (and/or iMacs) with Ivy Bridge, and if they include the integrated GPU (likely on the MBAs in particular) it will probably be possible to enable Thunderbolt on the integrated Intel GPU on a hackintosh like with the i7 3770K. Regardless of a Mac Pro update we will most likely see this, so at least partial support (partial = no discrete but integrated is possible) will hopefully be possible.

And, I think regardless of GPU updates we will at the very least be able to obtain data transport support, but like I said before I think that we will eventually be able to get integrated GPU support working and, if that Mac Pro rumor is true, discrete support.

Following your line of reasoning, it should already be possible to use thunderbolt connection with the Intel HD 3000 currently used in all MBP/A.  We DO need to find a way to do that Imagine the possibility to plug a Thunderbolt display to your hackintosh and use all the dock capability (USB, FW, Ethernet, Facetime HD) of the monitor. It would be the ultimate hackintosh!

Gringo Vermelho, on 10 June 2012 - 08:31 PM, said:

All that expensive tech and they use a shitty microphone

If your sound card software has EQ, cut the 500Khz band completely to get listenable audio on that video.

LOL!

ciao.

[PookyMacMan]

cili0, on 10 June 2012 - 09:24 PM, said:

Following your line of reasoning, it should already be possible to use thunderbolt connection with the Intel HD 3000 currently used in all MBP/A.  We DO need to find a way to do that

From what I know, these motherboards that have Thunderbolt for the first time are using different controllers than what Apple uses, and are mainly for the Ivy Bridge release (insiders please correct me if I'm wrong). Therefore, I'm thinking that unless there is a hack to get other Thunderbolt controllers working currently, it's probably not possible to (at this time) use Thunderbolt on Sandy Bridge.

OTOH, if Apple supports these controllers, I suppose there is nothing preventing us from using the (newly supported) controller with a Sandy Bridge CPU with the HD Graphics 3000...

[cili0]

Thanks for stressing that Apple is using its own controller. Let's wait a couple of hours and see what Apple has in mind
Talking about the thunderbolt display, if USB3.0 will find its place in the macintosh line-up, likely there's no reason not to update the display with USB 3.0 capabilities.

[cili0]

Even if 9to5mac showcased the new Mac Pro specifications, no update from Apple. Really disappointing (and strange, 9to5mac's failability is quite low)!

I hope this will not affect the possibility to use generic thunderbolt-equipped motherboards in our hackintoshes.

EDIT: According to macrumors' users the Mac Pro line has been silently updated.
EDIT2: No thunderbolt connection on the new mac pros

ciao!