future proof hackintosh configuration?

[slimp]

could someone suggest a future proof hackintosh configuration from the ground up. When I say "future proof" i mean taking into consideration the next generation of intel mobos and processors. for example, the best case, PSU, ram, etc. that would allow me to purchase a new mobo and processor when they become available/affordable. After doing some limited research, it seems that xeon processors/mobos are too pricey at the moment, so perhaps using a quad core processor to keep the configuration somewhat affordable, in other words at least 1/2 the price of a mac pro.

[knewsom]

Well, I'll probably not be the first or last person to tell you that there's simply no such thing as "future-proof". I bought my PowerMac G4 with the supposition that I'd be upgrading it in the future - that simply wasn't the case; I bought a G5 due to the major advancements across the board. Now, I'm building a hacintosh because not even my current machine's base architecture is up to date.

 

The advice I'd give you is to get a nice big case with more than adequate cooling and room for expansion (like plenty of drive bays), a PSU that's reliable, cool, and supplies more than enough power for your needs (if you think you need a 500, get a 700). It seems like DDR3 is the next phase, but it also seems like DDR2 is either as fast or faster, so who knows what the next standard will be? The X38 and X48 chipsets are supposedly the "next gen" from Intel, but there's little to no difference between them, and even the difference between a P35 Chipset and an X38 is not incredibly large. I'm buying an X38 set because of the new 45nm process, and I know that the mobo will be compatable with the 45nm chips for some time to come, and it sports a hefty 1600 FSB. (I'm buying this board here)

 

Look on the bright side. After three years or so, you should be able to build another relatively high end machine without spending a fortune, and at the time, your current machine should still be plenty functional for a wide variety of tasks. "Future-Proof" is really not possible, but you can at least make an effort to anticipate necessary upgrades over the lifespan of your machine (like making sure you have enough PCIe slots, and SATA ports, and firewire, in addition to what I've already mentioned)

 

Best of luck

[dopeyo]

i'm running 10.5.2 on a D915GUX celeron w/ 2 Gb of ram. It's about 3 years old. I'll probably never be able to make this machine go "Vanilla" but it will obviously function well into the future. There are people out there still happy with their 10.3.9 G4s. Just don't upgrade from Apple's site.

 

If it works today, it will work tomorrow. Save your money, pore over the Hardware Compatability List, and remember, Apple can drop the EFI bomb and break any future version of OSX86 they want. You could be running a nice second-hand Xeon and upgrade to 10.5.4 and find out it's all over. But any machine you build will run 10.5.2 from now till the electricity goes out.

 

Once you give up on the future, the future can't bother you anymore. And save your money, today's real Mac Pros will start selling on Ebay in a year or two, those are the future-proof Macs. As Kalyway says, if you love Mac, buy a real one.

[BigPimpin]

There is no such thing. Who knows what changes Apple will make in the future, or what new mobos or chipsets they will support when they haven't even been announced yet?

 

Once you give up on the future, the future can't bother you anymore.

 

I like that, dopeyo. I'm gonna use that.

[lord_muad_dib]

8-core xeon+geforce 9xxx 2gb of vram+64gb of ram+2 terabyte of hd