Hey all

Newbie here. I've played around with some of the earlier Jas builds (10.4.7) in VM Ware with *some* success (got it working, sort of) and now I want to make the leap into a fully fledged native build of OSX. I'm going to dump my AMD Sempron 3000+ and mobo and move towards Intel. I'm also planning on getting a Core 2 Duo E6300 with complementary mobo - but the question remains which mobo is the *best* out there for a combination between Windows XP (or Vista) and OSX. The plan is to install OSX and Windows in dual boot. I'm not looking at having a super-duper, lightning fast boot OSx86 system but some that works reasonably well, with the option of booting back into windows when I need to do some serious work. I have a few choices in mind and I would appreciate any good recommendations out of this list. This is by no means the only ones I would like, but these mobo's seem to fit the right balance between cost, function (overclocking) and compatibility with OSx86 - right out of the box.

ASROCK CONROE 945G-DVI
ASUS P5W DH Deluxe
ASUS P5LD2-VM DH
GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3

I'm tending to lean towards either the GA-965P-DS3 or the CONROE 945G-DVI mainly because of cost & simplicity. Any suggestions? Thanks.

noone of this
definitely INTEL BAD AXE 2.

it's the completely compatible osx mobo, also it's the Intel manufactured mobo (intel+intel = stability)

I will be changing my system for the next 18 months to an E6600 with either Gigabyte or Asus mainboard either the DS3(or4) or the P5W deluxe. While the compatibility issuses with OSX do arise when not using an Intel mainboard the systems that do have other m/b will run with a little bit of work.

Good luck

I would have to say go with the ASUS P5LD2-VM

ive been makin hackintosh after hackintosh about 9 so far....
and the ASUS P5LD2-VM has to be by far the most compatible 945g chipset mobo. (out of the box i mean, its my fav. OSX86 Mobo By far)
the only thing you will have to add is Taruga's AppleHDA for ALC882 in the Drivers subforum of the hardware section of out forum.

I have to choose between this and the Asrock.
Don't you have problems with the LAN? Cause as i read, people having the P5LD2-VM, have network problems, using the latest JAS 10.4.8.
If it's not a problem anymore, perhaps i will chose this over the Asrock, only because i have read that it works good with Final Cut Pro.

Regards

onboard gb nic works fine.
i use jas semthex/rufus build dvd's custom tailored to my own machines.
so, i dont have much problems other than finding the right half-height firewire card that works correctly.
i may switch over to the Asus P5L-VM 1394 cause it has onboard firewire and DamonES is working on an Attansic L1 Gb nic driver, which seems to be going well.

I really appreciate your reply.
Have you any experience with the Asrock one?
I can get a firewire card for 12 euros.

Regards

Thanks ppl for the input.

Yeah, I have already thought about the ASUS P5LD2-VM DH but the thing is, I want a MOBO with *good* overclocking features. Which means the board GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 offers the most. I've heard you can take a e6300 on stock cooler to 2.8 Ghz - not bad for an Intel chip 1.8 Ghz out of the box. I'm seeing these Gigabyte boards going for around £80 (including p&p) so I pretty much decided to go down that route. I know there is probably more *issues* with this board in comparison with the ASUS (especially that SATA & IDE thing!!) but for me the deciding factor was the overclocking potential (I want to make my windows more meaty).

Well I for one have problems with the onbord nic on the P5LD2-VM not responding until the cable has been unplugged and put back. OK for a machine left on 24h/day I guess. I stuck an old realtek card so I don't have to srcew with it. Haven't figured out SATA either. Won't install to it. This is all with the JaS Intel/AMD 10.4.8 and the two pf's.

A writeup on a complete install, including bios settings, would be great.

HI Blackturtkeneck,

I have the same problem with the network after installiung 10.4.8

Did you get sound running ok after install or you fixed it. If so, could you provide a link to a solution?

thanks

Ric

I haven't spent much time working on the sound. I built this box for work, which is mainly network admin and some financial apps. I checked the box for AppleAzalia during the install and I know I've got stereo sound out of one of the six jacks. AppleHDA sounds like the way to go if I can get some time to try it.

SATA is more important to me right now. I'm had to use an old 40gb parallel for the install and I need some more space. I have a few big SATA's on the shelf but if I add one I get the "restart" screen.

I also need to find an IONetworkingFamily.kext from 10.4.7. I just got into OSX86 and the only disk I have is 10.4.8.

alright kids. ive got a new machine ive got to build tonight heres the specs:

ASUS P5LD2-VM (not the DH version)
C2D 2.13 ghz
2gb PQI ddr2 pc-667 Ram
2x seagate 7200.1 320gb harddrives (sata II)
XFX geforce 7300GS

i will write up a how to on how to get everything stuff working from a fresh install of 10.4.8 semthex kernel.
i dunno how you all are having troubles with this board. its my favorite so far.

stay tuned for my How To on the ASUS P5LD2-VM....

That would be more than great.
I can't wait !

Looking forward for the guide. Thank you

guys , anyone of you see the TOPIC ????

Best MOBO for OSx86 and XP/Vista
what mean BEST ??
best compatible for OSX i think and good stability and for some of u - great OC'ing potencial ..
yeah ??
i right ??

so you have no choice !!!
THE BEST MOBO IS THE INTEL BAD AXE 2
it's a lot more compatible for OSX - for example i have 3.0 Ghz Dual-Core Intel Xeon in "about this Mac" (mine xeon 3050 is OC'd to 3.0 ghz (fsb=375 * 8 = 3000) and "1.86 ghz Core 2 SOLO". with my previous ASrock and e6300 (but 2 cores working - i can see it in CPU monitor)
but there is no xeon 3000 series processors in macs, but mine is recognised and shown correctly !

also memory speed read correctly.
also i can monitor CPU temperature.
i just turn on my hackintosh first time, go to system pref - networking - and my onboard lan recognised.
also i hace pci usb 2.0 card on via chipset, which i just plugged and it WORKS !! just simply WORKS, before with Asrock 945G-DVI i can't get it working in no way...
etc. etc... .
it's a lot of little benefits, which makes this mobo the BEST for OSX.

also i don't know better mobo for OC'ing (so i can say for windows) - read xtremesystems forum, and you'll make sure what Asus, even P5W Deluxe is always behind BAD AXE !!!

@boo50:
your proc being seen correctly is becouse of our modified smbios and not many people are willing to shell out close to 300 for a mobo.
Xeon processors other than the woodcrest family have no difference to the current core2duo's other than the name.
Research and have fun. all i got to say.

*now that ive done and installed xp on my above noted system above, time to get crackin on osx86*
->Stay Tuned<-

I totally agree with Diabolik.
Not many people (including me), are willing to spend so much money for a motherboard.
But if i would make a system from scratch, i would sure considering the BadAxe.
But in many cases, a lot of people doesn't need a super duper overclockable M/B + spending another amount of money on some Nvidia card.
It that case, all there is to choose, depends on the processor being used.

If it's for Celeron or Pentium D, i would go with some Intel 945G boards
If it's for C2D, i think the most compatible and cheap boards are the P5LD2-VM and the Asrock CONROE945G-DVI.

In my case, i will only change my 965 Intel M/B, so in that case i already have a proc.

P.S. I just bought the P5LD2-VM (it was the last piece) and waiting for the tutorial.
Although i think the installation it is straight forward, i wouldn't say no for a good Guide.

For example, i have seen a good installation guide in .doc for the CONROE945G-DVI, which explains exactly what you have to do, for a completely working machine.

This kind of procedure i would like to see for the ASUS board too.

P.S.2 This board (P5LD2-VM), should have been in a topic of it's own with guides, like some other boards have.

Regards

Looking forward for any tutorials

sure i know, what mine xeon 3050 is the same e6400, but xeons are just a little better quality processors, just better select on manufacturing state, so they must be cooler, whicn i need for OC'ing.
also for BAD AXE you don't need tutorials =)) it just WORKS !

I am glad that you are happy with the BadAxe, and i am sure that i would prefer the BadAxe2 if i was building from scratch (i love INTEL boards, they are true Rock Solid for Work).
I read your comments about the Asrock, that's why i didn't choose that.
I think many people with P5LD2-VM are looking forward for a tutorial (guide), to start with.

Regards


Please don't forget to mention the exact Jas image you use on the ASUS board.
Looking forward

My How-To is Found in the Genius Bar Aptly Named Asus P5LD2-VM How-To

Thank you very much
Although i haven't open my New M/B from the BOX, i think this would help a lot.

Regards

@DiaboliK

you not completely right.
because smbois from paulicat help only show correct amount of GHZ !! with it i have now 3.0 Dual-core Intel Xeon.
But with "unmodofied", mostly original Smbios by Mifki - i have 4 Ghz Dual-core Intel Xeon
so this mobo and this proc. are identify correctly w/o editing!

@boo50

Im not gonna argue over something stupid like this. seems some people are too hard headed.
im just helping out and trying not to make a big fuss about it.
and im not trying to push one thing on masses of people when theres thousands of other options around.
Ive just helped a whole bunch of people on the board with just these post in this thread, and what has yours done other than push an overpriced mobo/proc combo around?

ok, i understand you.
i'm just wanna a REAL hackintosh, what just works, w/o a lot of headache.

so i recomment exactly Intel mobos for everyone.
don't wanna "overpriced" config (i suppose what you think what macs are overpriced too, i'm not - they just expensive, but price is reasonable IMHO) so good choice here is C2D e6300 + Intel D945GCL mobo - you'll get an iMac clone technically.


also i TRUST in MACEFI project ....... .. .... one more reason to get Intel mobo .

asus p5ld2-vm

ok..i would like to buy this mobo..but will it support ddr2 533mhz ram?because i already have this ram...just want to upgrade to core 2 mb..

yes it does support ddr2-533, that what i run just because its a bit faster than the ddr2-667

thanks..

@boo50

you are from russia right?
how much is the price for bad axe in roubles?
i am currently in russia now..

ASRock 4CoreDual-VSTA

just want to ask you guys..

this mb has pci-express but in x4 mode..if i put my graphic card here will there be any performance loss in term of graphic?

@hazwan you right
the price is over 7000 rubles (260 USD)

It seems like ddr2-533 are more expensive than 667 lately.
On building a Hacintosh with the P5LD2-VM, shall i go with Value Ram modules?
I am about to put 2x1g modules, but i see a big big difference in prices when it comes to memory speeds and timings.
Notice that i am not interested in O/C at all.

Shall i go with some cheapo Twinmos 667 modules? I have found them in Greece for 59 euros each!
Also, do you recommend a C2D 6300 in favor of a Pentium 915 ?
My main concern on S/W are DVDSP FCP and some photoshop.

I am a bit stuck, as to what Case to choose ( i would like an ANTEC P150, but it's unavailable in my country).

Regards

How about Thermaltake cases?

http://www.thermaltake.com/

See also this thread:

http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?sho...45&hl=cases

I'm a total newbe to this (not buildin' PC's, but Hackintosh's). Would this be a good startng point? I've chosen these items 'cause of their OC capabilities.
Thanks.

MSI 975X Platinum PowerUp Edition

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600

Corsair XMS2 Dominator Xtreme Performance TwinX Matched

You know I was think.... maybe we should have a mobo of the month rated by its owners. Or even a mobo top ten? Seriously.

I second that. Or something similar. I have an Intel D945GNTLKR, which is 100% compatible with no hassle whatsoever, but I can't upgrade to a core 2 duo.

+1

Hi Guys,
I just wanted to say a few words.

First of all, thank you to Diabolik for his efforts. He's impressing my socks off with what he's put together.

I also wanted to say thanks for the bad axe 2 mobo recommendation. I've also been a fan of Intel stability over the years and always wondered when they'd come out with an overclockers board. Seems like they finally have.

I'm trying to decide on a MB right now that will meet two needs:
1. 100% compatible install of OSX 10.4.8 with NO TWEAKING AT ALL. And I mean none...
2. And hopefully still be a great overclocking motherboard and have a great feature set w/stability.

So I guess you could say I am also looking for the perfect motherboard.

Some thoughts:
1. I'm on the verge of buying Diabolik's recommended board becase he is so entheuastic about it, and he's written a great guide. Also because the board is half the price of the top of the line overclocking boards. $100 is better than $200 as far as this goes.
2. I've got a buddy who is pushing me to get an ASUS P5B Deluxe wifi. Great board, quality, stable, overclocks easy. But it's $200+ and .... it's a b*tch to set up OSX as far as I can tell by reading a few other threads here on the p5b.

So, I'm still left wanting to know a few things.
1. Is the BadAxe2 REALLY 100% compatible during install as claimed?

2. Diabolik's recommended board requires tweaks. So that doesn't really meet my criteria for an easy 100% no tweak install. But I'm still thinking about it. But are the tweaks not really that bad and I should still go this route? Realize I've never tweaked OSX yet (100% noob with OSX), and need something that'll boot right onto a working QE/CI enabled desktop with working SATA, Lan, sound, and all the rest.

3. I don't want to go with the original developers board since it doesn't support the core 2 duo chips. Otherwise I would for 100% compatibility.

So I'm still looking for that perfect board...

E.g.

1. No tweak install

2. Around $100 price tag

3. Supports core 2 duo CPUs

4. Supports overclocking

Anyone know what this mythical board is then as of today?

Thanks guys!

Rational

From my little to no experience with boards which support core 2 duo CPUs, that seems to me like an impossible task, and the weak link is the $100 price tag. From what I have read the Bad Axe 2 and the Asus P5W DH Deluxe should be the best, but they cost around $200

I strongly recommend that you don't save money on the Mother Board.
That doesn't mean to say that you can't find a good deal somewhere or even buy a second hand one, if you trust the seller.

Well if you want a core2duo this board won't help you, but I used the hotiso 10.4.6 with an intel 915 gevl board and everything is supported out of the box except audio in, which is probably easily fixable. I'm currently using a 3.07 ghz celeron d processor and it's tooting along perfectly with no hiccups at all.

I would like to upgrade to a core2duo system and am strongly considering an intel badaxe 2 mobo, they are currently running at about 282.00 cdn at www.ncix.com. Which really doesn't seem so bad being that it is the flagship model from intel for desktop boards currently.

I definately say we should have a mainboard of the month. I'm considering the asus board as well because it is not only cheaper, but seems fairly compatible. Besides, there are much better choices when it comes to case designs when you go from ATX to MATX. especially in the htpc markets.

Can anyone say whether or not both cores are fully supported on the intel bx2 and asus boards?

Thanks,
One

Hi @Alessandro17, @OneTrack,
Thanks for the input. I'm not stuck on the $100 price tag of the Mobo over compatibility. I'm just 'hoping' for a cheap alternative that is still 100% working after install with no tweaks. That's #1.

So I'd like to ask you both again along with anyone else who knows and can quickly answer. ..

"Is the Intel BadAxe II (bad axe 2) motherboard TRULY 100% working without ANY tweaks after install?

I REALLY hope someone knows for sure. If not, I'm not going to buy it.

@Diabolik, what do you think. You still sticking with your recommendation of the Asus P5LD2-VM? Are the tweaks not so bad once you know how to do them? Or is there a better board on the market by now that you're eyeing?

Newegg is outta stock right now on the P5LD2-VM, so I have some time to decide.

Here are my contenders:
1. Intel Bad Axe II ... Truly zero tweaks required? (someone please confirm this when installing Jas 10.4.8 or better) Great stability, no tweaking, and can overclock!

2. Asus P5LD2-VM ... tweaking hard? Diabolic and BikeDude880 both love it and are hardcore OSX86 guys. So this kinda leads me strongly for it since it's both their main mainboards right now.

3. Asus P5B Deluxe WIFI ... great, great board right now. Fast, stable, feature rich for Windows. Kinda hard to get working for OSX??? Opinions?

4. Gigabyte DS3 or DQ6 ??? I like the all capacitor design on the Gigabyte DQ6, but maybe not the tweaking required for OSX... Any opinions?

5. Asus P5W DH .. Not sure about this one either. Is it getting kinda old now? Why the popularity? The tweaking also seemed extensive. Opinions?

I'm probably going to make my decision this week among the 5 above. So would love to hear from the whole community if only with a quick answer and logical reasons why I should chose the board your recommending.

Thanks guys!
Rational

PS what's the fastest GPU I can install that'll work without tweaking? Gotta research that next... I'm leaning toward the 7300GS 256MB right now.

you got it ASUS P5LD2-VM in stock the 26th @ newegg (you just gotta beat me to them first )
and i recommend the XFX 7300GS: the only one at newegg (dual screen works using my dual screen installer for 7300 series, VGA is port 1 )
also the other XFX 7600 found on my helpful files page works outta the box (with dual screen support) using my installers.

hope that helps.
-DiaboliK

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=130081993447

best one according to 10.4.8 HCL

and the price is right

@CyberdogX86
but now for conroe !


i answer this question a hundred times and ready to repeat again
ONLY INTEL D975XBX2 AKA BAD AXE 2 - IS THE BEST MOBO FOR ANY NEEDS - STABILITY, OSX COMPATIBILITY, OC'ING
even asus p5w/p5b sucks in comprassion to bad axe in usual needs - for any OS.
don't trust me - read here all 80 pages =))
but forgot about mobo under $100 for OC'ing !! it's unreality, or your OC'ing will be like jump from 266 fsb too 320 fsb - not more (like Asrock 945G- DVI)
also Intel D945GCL cover all u need, except OC'ing - take it ! good mobo for osx conroe system - iMac equivalent!


p.s.
sorry for caps, but i tired to repeat this ...

Well I think I've set my sights on an Intel D945GNTLKR coupled with an Intel P-D/945, that seems like the best price / performance system at the moment without any tweeking. For a conroe box though I think I'd spend the extra as Boo says and pick up the Bad Axe 2 ( I asked my retailer the other day about availability of that board and he said ' the intel wtf ?' heh..

Anyways.. Anyone out there have this combination of Intel D945GNTLKR and PD 945 ? its 3.4 ghz dual processor with hyper threading.. I don't really need a super gaming machine, so the onboard should do just fine with the gma950, i'm using the gma 900 now on my celeron-d 346 @3.07ghz now and its perfectly fine for my htpc rig, I have it plugged into a lumenlab projector which gives me a 1280 x 800 screen @ 108" 10' away from my lazyboy.. its currently running the hotiso 10.4.6 upgraded to jas 10.4.7 without any problems (cept that dang audio in.. ) Full QE/CI supported.

This new rig I'm intending on building is going to be my daily use computer, so I think the specs should be fine.. but do I spend the extra couple hundred and get the bad axe and conroe, or stick with the 945 and maybe get a couple extra gigs of ram.

Also I'm considering the asus silent 7600 gs/256 meg.. hows the support with the latest jas that was posted on the 6th of feb?

I know.. lots of questions..

Cheers
One

don't get Pentium D945 processor
it havn't VT technology !!
better get 920/930/940 versions
every veer. with 5 on the end doesn't have VT tech.
(see specs on Intel site)

@Diabolik
Thanks so much for your reply again.

Slightly off topic to the thread, but which XFX 7300GS are you recommending. I'm confused by Newegg's description of their 5 different versions of this card as they say 512MB (256 onboard). I'm assuming this means it is really a 256MB card and the other is designated by driver to utilize 256MB from system RAM within Windows, right? But this doesn't apply to OSX right? SO I should order the 512MB (256 on board) card right? What's the model you've used from them and have experience knowing it works perfect? Is it this one? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16814150128

How loud have you found the fan to be on this one? I HATE noise. I'm a real www.endpcnoise.com kinda guy.

Also, they sell a fanless one which I LOVE, but it's 512MB and I've read that the 512's are hard to get to work on OSX. Can you confirm I should bother with a 512MB card?

Also, they seem to all be low profile cards... I have a full tower case, so will have to swap out the mount I think. Are you loading your Micro ATX P5LD2-VM into a small Apple cube case or something? I'm curious if this would work. If it does that would be cool! I'd order a broken one on ebay and load it up. That'd be worth getting this board just for that feature!

But at the moment I'm leaning away from the P5LD2 because of a couple of reasons unfortunately:
1. It's got mixed/poor reviews by users on newegg for reliability and overclocking.
2. It's a micro-atx board with limited PCI and expandability.
3. It's ICH7 and not 8. I'm not sure but I think I want 8. I'll have to check into the benefits before I decide if this still matters. Although I just looked at the BX2's specs and they also list ICH7. I hope that's a misprint. I woulda thought the badaxe2 would have ICH8 by now like the other current boards. This is strange I think. Anyone know?

Also, @boo50, I have to give you some credit for your recommendation of the Bad Axe 2. I did read quite a bit over at Overclockers Extreme and it does really seem to be an INCREDIBLE board. I've always wanted an Intel board anyway, and this REALLY seems like Intel has stepped up to the plate finally. I'm still not liking the price though. But it's got a future more so than many other boards.

Still debating. Lotsa questions. Hope you don't mind answering for me as my purchase will be based on your answers.

PS, does the onboard video on the VM do dual monitor? I's a single port right? So it doesn't right?
Thanks again.
Rational




@boo50
Good catch! Good answer.
Insightful of you to notice that and take the time to point it out. Yes, I believe VT to be very important to get if possible. How do the Pentium D's compare to the Core 2 Duo's do you think? I've not been keeping up these past two years, so skipped the Pentium D era.

I've heard the Core2's are the ONLY way to go right now and they blow the doors off other older chips, but this may be hype. It might make great sense to get a Pentium D and a very compatible 945 chipset board for OSX and it'll run great.

Oh yeah, the VM was also a 945 chipset board, which was another reason why I was thinking of not getting it at this point. I have to check the benefits lost when going with a 945 vs. the 965 chipsets. Anyone notice if you're missing something by having a 945 based board vs. a 965?

Thanks again boo50, props to you. Keep helping with your insights. It helps.
Rational

Edit: Just found this about the chipsets in anyone is interested:
"It’s the 8th version of the ICH that has been chosen. The main differences compared to the ICH7 is on the network level, with the integration of a 10/100/1000 Mbits /s controller and in terms of SATA. The R version that supports RAID now has 6 ports. However, this is at the expense of the Parallel ATA that is simply abandoned"
Found here: http://www.behardware.com/articles/633-1/e...5-vs-i975x.html
I'm researching at Google now on "ich7 vs. ich8" and will post what I discover later for everyone's benefit.
Rational

QUOTE(boo50 @ Feb 22 2007, 06:34 PM) *
don't get Pentium D945 processor
it havn't VT technology !!
better get 920/930/940 versions
every veer. with 5 on the end doesn't have VT tech.
(see specs on Intel site)

-----------------

Ahh I didn't even know about that, thanks for the heads up.. I went and had a look at the VT tech and it seems pretty interesting as far as speed goes, I'd assume that most pro-apps would take advantage of this as it is a standard feature in the conroe chips right ?

Depending on whether or not I get the Intel D945GNTLKR decides whether or not I go conroe, as the pd945 was ~40.00 away from the 2.13 ghz conroe and nearly on par with the 1.86.

Argh decisions.. I'm like rational, I just want to install it without too much tinkering.

I guess it comes down to how much time I want to spend, the other thing too is Diabolik's board doesn't seem to be too much trouble, is 1/2 the price of the bad axe, and seems like the tweaking is pretty minor (great guide btw Diabolik, you make it look pretty simple.)

decisions..

cheers,
One

@boo50
Thank you for your strong opinion. It is helping to convince me more.
But can you confirm that you didn't have to tweak ANY .kext files during install?

Or do you have to tweak one or two during install?

Thanks,
Rational

If you want to spend $300+ on a fully compatible osx86 mobo with minor tweaking:
ill reccommend the Commell LV-677 Mini-ITX mobo. (current base for my G4 Cube mod )

only thing that dosent work right out of the box is the GMA950, unless you have an LVDS compatible panel laying around.
you may be able to get it to work using GMA950 if you use _np's laptop cisplay to trick the board into doing the opposite for laptops.

i solved my video problem with this board replacing it with an Xfx 7600GS fanless.

that just me recommending an overpriced board.......(cough boo50 cough)

OK, I think I've finally decided on what to buy after studiyng this board for hours and days...

- Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4GHz Socket775

- Intel D975XBX2KR Bad Axe 2 Socket 775

- OCZ DDR2 2048MB Platinum XTC Dual Ch. PC2-6400 2x1024MB 800MHz. (4.4.4.16)

- Club3D Radeon X1950XT 256MB PCIe 16x

Does this look like a relative hazzelfree combo?
I know it's not cheap, but I'm building for the future...next year, maybe a Quad...