mrogers Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 I'd appreciate some advice on this potential hardware set for a hackintosh to replace my iMac (I hate the glossy screen, and I might want to do a 30" monitor with this too). I think I'm pretty set on everything but the video card and DVD drive. Here's what I've got: Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L ($90) 2.2 GHz Core 2 Duo ($125) 4GB G.Skill DDR2-800 ($85) 250GB Seagate Barracuda SATA-II hard drive ($67) For the video card I'm torn between: MSI Radeon HD2600 Pro 256MB ($77) Gigabyte Radeon HD2600 XT 256MB ($93) Gigabyte GeForce 8600GT 512MB ($100) My requirements are that it is fanless and has two DVI ports, and those are some of the least expensive cards I could find that meet those specs. I do not play games, so I don't care about game performance. I just am concerned about compatibility in a hackintosh, particularly if I want to run a 30" monitor off it one day (at the beginning I'll have a 24" and a 20"). I can't find a whole lot of definitive information about these cards in the wiki's HCL. Any input would be appreciated. Also, does anyone know if I should get a SATA or PATA DVD-RW drive? Does it matter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_cope Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Take a look at nvidia cards, I had a heck of a lot easier time getting my 8800gt working with QE/CI than I did with my HD2600pro. In fact I never did get it to work, so I returned it and canibalized my gaming rig for the 8800, which worked perfectly after one driver install. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814125083 That's silent, and looks pretty decent. And here's a link to some drivers that should work: http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?sho...0&hl=8600gt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legendariske_harehjort Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 I have just built one with a 8600GT-Silent. But it runs so incredibly hot, that it will need a chassis fan close by ? cheers, walther Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuietOC Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Also, does anyone know if I should get a SATA or PATA DVD-RW drive? Does it matter? Definitely SATA. The driver for the PATA causes issues with 4GB or more. The HD 2600s are slightly cooler running the 8600GT. Other alternatives : X1050 $35 X1300 $36 2600 Pro $61 30" LCDs require dual-link DVI which rules out the X1050. The X1300 has one dual-link and one single-link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrogers Posted February 20, 2008 Author Share Posted February 20, 2008 Thanks for the suggestions, I'll probably go with an Nvidia since they seem to cause less trouble for most people. I guess I should also ask...I shouldn't have any trouble running dual monitors off of an 8600GT on my Hackintosh, should I? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legendariske_harehjort Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Just checked the 8600-Silent, it runs fine with two DVI's Does not seem to work in mirror-mode though? One of screens is black and only shows cursor, no windows or bckground,.... (at the moment I am runing one VGA through a 30m cable) /walther Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts