Building a cheap Hackintosh to upgrade from an Emac

[riker1384]

I'm a total newbie at this.

 

I have a G4 eMac 1ghz (133 mhz bus) that's getting to be slow. I do browsing with lots of tabs, Itunes, and various normal applications. I'd like to upgrade to a cheap Hackintosh and sell the eMac while I still might get something for it. The new one should cost less than a Mini. I was looking at the Atom plans, but then I read that it's not really faster than a G4. Is there something I can get that's cheap and also has been tested by others, that's a good step up from my G4 and will last me a few years (and be upgradeable to some extent)?

 

I'd like to have 2GB RAM, with an option to upgrade to 4 or more in the future. I have a 320GB PATA hard drive, so I'd prefer something that will accept that as well as the new SATA drives. (I want to be able to use at least 2 drives, so I can back up.) I have a 1680x1050 monitor. I'd like to be able to watch the common online video these days, like Hulu or maybe streaming Netflix if I were to run Windows since Netflix doesn't support Macs. I'd also like to be able to burn DVDs, and to either have wireless networking or be able to add it later without too much cost.

 

I use Tiger now. I don't know if I want Tiger or Leopard, but I might want to go with Leopard so it will remain useful and I can use new software. I also may need to run Windows on it at some point. (Would that require another hard drive?)

 

Are there any plans that someone has come up with, that would work well for me? I wouldn't know how to pick out individual parts myself. I'm not a computer expert, so I only want to do this if I can get something reliable that I'm not going to have to mess around with once it's built. I'd also be open to buying a pre-built PC if that would be the best deal.

[Zaap]

There are a million builds around here if you browse the forum a bit. Based on what I've built myself, here's what I would recommend that would suit your needs pretty nicely:

 

Motherboard: Intel BOXDG31PR $65

 

Processor: Core 2 Duo E4600 $120

 

RAM: G.SKILL 4GB DDR2 800 $65

 

Video: EVGA 8600GT 512MB $70

 

Optical: Samsung 22x DVD $26

 

Hard drive: SAMSUNG 500GB SATA $70

 

Case+PSU: Apevia X Q-PACK + 420W PSU $60 (after $15 rebate).

 

TOTAL: $476

 

 

 

OPTIONAL:

 

USB 2.0 front panel card reader $14 (Great to have in an otherwise mostly useless 2.5 external bay)

 

SYBA Firewire PCI card $12 (If you need Firewire 400)

 

SYBA USB Audio $8 (Just a nice piece of hardware to have for effortless digital audio I/O on any system)

 

 

 

I know you said you already have a hard drive, but I'd highly recommend to bite the bullet and get a SATA hard drive to install your system for maximum performance, and compatiblity. I don't know about the above motherboard, but some boards have issues with IDE booting OSXX. I've found that I haven't had any problems with IDE drives used for storage, but I question relying on them for the boot drive.

 

The above system isn't by any means the bleeding edge, but what is, is tried and true, and I known to work reliably. For a first Hackintosh, I'd recommend sticking with tried and true. It'll breeze through any of the tasks you list.

 

You can install Leopard on the system- I'd recommend downloading Leo4Allv3, or Kalyway 10.5.1. and following guides posted around here. You could probably also do a retail install with some of the boot methods outlined on this site. (I've only installed this system using Leo4allv3, which worked perfectly).

 

Upgrade path: with the above system, you could move up to a Quad Core Core 2 Duo. This board can use newer 45nm processors, but there's a catch. The BIOS must be upgraded, and that can only be done using a 65nm processor. Assuming you're using 2 SATA ports, you can add 2 more SATA hard drives. The board has 2 PCI slots, so you could add wireless at a later time. You could switch to a better graphic card, IE: an 8800GT. RAM is maxed out at 4GB DDR2800, however- I would recommend just getting 4GB of RAM to begin with.

 

Case and PSU:

 

Substitute whatever case suits your needs. I really like the unique cube look of the Apivea case. Makes for a nice compact Hackintosh. It is also really easy to build a system with since the motherboard tray is removeable and you can add all components to it, including PCI cards at your leisure. A couple images of a hackintosh I built with it HERE and HERE and HERE.

 

The included 420W CPU is more than enough power for the above system, even a Core2Quad based system.

 

If you use a tower case enstead, then you aren't limited to a motherboard with the MicroATX form factor- you can use any full sized ATX board that's supported for Hackintosh. Again, stick with what's known to work.

[riker1384]

Thanks. That's at the top of the range I can afford, especially since shipping takes it to about $520. ($505 w/ rebate.) I would also be open to any suggestions that are a little bit cheaper but also "tried and true.". Right now I have 768MB RAM, so 2 would be a big upgrade, but it seems 4 isn't so much more expensive anymore. I don't know what I need in terms of video; I don't play games now. I wouldn't mind playing some games, but I wouldn't want to put extra money in just for gaming.

 

The 4GB RAM max concerns me a little bit, if things change and 8GB is standard/minimum a few years down the line and I can't upgrade. (Edit: I see that the Mini and Imac can't take more than 4GB though, so maybe I shouldn't worry about that.)

 

I don't care too much what it looks like, just whatever works and is cheap. I would also be open to a regular tower, although the carrying handle and portability of that one might be worth it. Maybe it could save me in some situations from having to buy a laptop. I think I could go for the case you recommend as long as I wound be able to use it in the future if I wanted to upgrade from this setup.

 

The only firewire I have is my drive enclosure, so if I can put my one PATA drive in the computer then I could probably live without FW.

 

I would also be open to a prebuilt computer if any of those are cost-effective.

[Zaap]

Keep in mind, this is just a baseline. You can subtract or pare down things (processor, RAM, HD, video card) to get the price down. The main thing is to choose a super-compatible motherboard and build from there.

 

For example: the 500GB SATA hard drive, you can try doing without it and installing to your IDE drive. I don't know first hand if you'd have a problem using that configuration or not, but chances are you wouldn't. Also, I suggested a 500GB drive because the larger capacity drives are better bang for buck, but you could of course shave off some $ by choosing a smaller capacity drive.

 

The RAM thing is tricky. If you really feel you'll need 8GB of RAM, you should move up to a full sized ATX board that can take 8GB. But chances are, if you really did find you need more than 4GB of RAM only after several years, it'd probably be more cost/performance effective at that point just to upgrade the motherboard/processor and RAM- all of which will be significantly faster in a few years than just 4 more GB of RAM. I find that for most basic tasks, even video editing that I do with my machines, 4GB so far suits me just fine.

 

The Gigabyte EP35-DS3L $85 is a good board for 8GB of RAM. From my experience with this board, it needs the right BIOS to work best with OSX, but when everything is right, it works great.

 

I like the Apevia case for its size and shape, and the fact that it's a good price with the PSU included. You can of course shave off some dough by going with a really cheap case and hand pick the PSU.

 

For example:

 

Cheap Rosewill ATX case $20

 

This Silverstone 400W PSU is decent for $30

 

Consider this is about as cheap as it gets without delving into the questionable quality zone, and the combo is only $10 below the Apevia case.

 

Consider a lesser graphic card, IE: EGA 8400GS for $30 (after rebates)

 

You could go with a E2200 Dual Core Pentium for $90 rather than the Core 2 Duo.

 

Check the HCL 10.5.2 Wiki for the full list of compatible components.

 

 

 

So a similar machine with the lower specs:

 

Motherboard: Intel BOXDG31PR $65

 

Processor: E2200 Dual Core Pentium $90

 

RAM: G.SKILL 4GB DDR2 800 $65

 

Video: EGA 8400GS $30

 

Optical: Samsung 22x DVD $26

 

Case:Rosewill ATX case $20

 

PSU:Silverstone 400W PSU $30

 

Total: $326

 

If you switch to the Gigabyte EP35-DS3L that allows 8GB of RAM rather than the Intel board, then the total is: $346

 

The good news: this cheaper spec should make for a nice entry-level Intel Mac. The bad: with some components chopped to the most basic + using IDE hard drive, it will be notably slower than the original posted spec. (But still not bad.) The biggest 'upgrade' would be to go back to a Core 2 Duo processor. Obviously, all this is a trade off between price/performance. Coming from a G4 though, even at the most basic this machine will be light-years faster than what you're probably used to.

[riker1384]

Hmm, I think I would tend to go for the first setup you mentioned, except with the cheaper video card, unless there's a reason to get the better one other than games.

 

Although, someone is asking $40 locally for an NVidia GeForce 9600 GS. They say it's pulled from a new computer they just bought, that they replaced it with a high-end one. I don't want to risk any 2nd-hand mechanical parts though.

 

If I wanted to try the IDE drive, would I have to wipe it clean? It has plenty of empty space. I'd probably make sure I can get the machine working, then buy the 500GB before I sell my eMac.

 

I'm a reasonably intelligent & handy guy, but not really a computer guy. I know just a few UNIX commands. Can I be reasonably confident that I can get this done?

 

Thanks for the help.

[Zaap]

Although, someone is asking $40 locally for an NVidia GeForce 9600 GS. They say it's pulled from a new computer they just bought, that they replaced it with a high-end one. I don't want to risk any 2nd-hand mechanical parts though.

Religiously check the HCL 10.5.2 (linked to above) for parts like mobo, video card, and CPU. (Even though it's now the trendy thing *NOT* to update the HCL so everyone can complain about how outdated it is, it's still a fairly good source of information.) The 9600 GS, to my knowledge, isn't supported, so if you bought that card you'd probably find that it has no QE/CI and no way to switch the resolution from 1024 x 768. These are things you can't live without to have any sort of decent OSX user experience. Check any card type you want to use with the Wiki and make sure it has QE/CI. (The recommended cards above are listed, and should work perfectly).

 

 

 

If I wanted to try the IDE drive, would I have to wipe it clean? It has plenty of empty space. I'd probably make sure I can get the machine working, then buy the 500GB before I sell my eMac.

If it's Mac formatted already I think you can install on it without reformatting.

 

I'm a reasonably intelligent & handy guy, but not really a computer guy. I know just a few UNIX commands. Can I be reasonably confident that I can get this done?

Yes, just stick with known working hardware and there's always information available on exactly what to do to get it working. Again, look at the HCL. Find the exact board type that you want to get, and generally people will have posted exactly what they used to get things working- what patch to use for audio, LAN, etc. and what just works without doing anything, or OOB. Ditto for video cards. Sometimes, people even post links to specific guides. If you download a 'distro' like say, Leo4Allv3, and for example, the HCL for your board type says: "Audio: used ALC 888" then you have a good idea to check that item on the installer.

 

 

Being intelligent and handy, you'll find that 'building' a computer isn't hard at all, nor is getting OSX to run on known-compatible hardware. I recommend building a machine for Hackintosh over buying something pre-made, because it's the only way to ensure 100% that you're getting entirely OSx86-compatible parts.

[riker1384]

I picked up an Antec NSK 4480 case new in box for $45. (unfortunately I got the black one, as opposed to the silver that looked nice on Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...82E16811129031) The Apevia looks like a neat case, but I saved a few bucks and the NSK is more robust from what I've read. The only problem is it doesn't have audio jacks on the front, but I can get an extension cable at some point. The NSK can fit micro or standard ATX boards.

 

I want to go with the Core Duo setup you listed, but I'm not sure about the graphics, what the difference between the two cards would be. I was thinking maybe I could use the onboard graphics for a while, but apparently there are GMA 3100 which doesn't work and X3100 which does, and it looks like that board has 3100. Is there any mobo that has onboard graphics I could live with for a while, before getting a good video card later?

 

(I'm just trying to save a few bucks if I can. I got a good deal on a monitor from Craigslist, but I got a ticket on the way there! Cost me more than the monitor.)

[PeterHaas]

I have a G4 eMac 1ghz (133 mhz bus) that's getting to be slow. I do browsing with lots of tabs, Itunes, and various normal applications. I'd like to upgrade to a cheap Hackintosh and sell the eMac while I still might get something for it. The new one should cost less than a Mini. I was looking at the Atom plans, but then I read that it's not really faster than a G4. Is there something I can get that's cheap and also has been tested by others, that's a good step up from my G4 and will last me a few years (and be upgradeable to some extent)?

 

With a G31/ICH7-based Shuttle (possibly obtained as a refurbished unit from ShuttleStore) you will have a wide choice of processors and RAM sizes.

 

Alas the Shuttles require a PCI-E video card to be Mac-compatible, but nVidia 7200s are available pretty cheaply.

 

The Shuttle SG31xxx includes Firewire, which is nice. The on-board gigabit E-net requires a simple hack to the kext to be fully Mac-compatible.

 

Shuttles are generally not too overclockable, so don't spend lots on a high-end processor. An E2200 is more than enough.

 

I'm still using a 133 MHz bus Quicksilver 2002 dual 1.0 GHz in my day-to-day operations, and an Intel-based Hack can be 5 to 7 times as fast ... wall-clock time, which is what really matters ... than my PPC-based Mack (sic).

 

When available, Shuttle refurbs of the G31/ICH7 type, which are among the best of the Mac-compatibles, cost about $130.

 

FWIW, a Psystar OpenComputer is G31/ICH7-based.

[Zaap]

I want to go with the Core Duo setup you listed, but I'm not sure about the graphics, what the difference between the two cards would be. I was thinking maybe I could use the onboard graphics for a while, but apparently there are GMA 3100 which doesn't work and X3100 which does, and it looks like that board has 3100. Is there any mobo that has onboard graphics I could live with for a while, before getting a good video card later?

 

Onboard graphics on the Intel board sucks- there's no QE/CI supported.

 

Dif between the cards, is basically just incrementally better performance, but you can certainly get away with a cheap card to start with if you're not doing heavy graphics-intensive tasks.

 

 

Here's the cheapest nVidia Mac-compatible video card I can find on newegg. $21 for a 7300LE.

 

If you're willing to go open box, the 7300GT is an even better performer, and it's $19. (I've used a bunch of these 7300 GT cards- they used to be $10- and they're great for Hackintosh). By the way, I don't know jack about ATI cards for Hackintosh, which is why I can't recommend any.

 

Check the HCL wiki, and then check craigslist for people selling compatible cards. (For nVidia, I really like anything ending with a GT for Hackintosh, starting with the 7300) In the PC world, these cards are pretty old, and you might find someone selling them off for practically nothing. I once bought someone's crappy old rig off craigslist for $25 just to harvest the 7600GT graphics card and AMD processor out of it.

 

The cheaper cards aren't generally very good for 3D, anything but light gaming, or heavy video editing type tasks, but you shouldn't have any problem with the basic tasks. Any of them should certainly suit you until you upgrade.

[riker1384]

The Shuttle SG31G2 looks really nice, although it's expensive, and I'd have to try to sell the NSK case I just bought. It seems to be their cheapest model that will take 4GB of RAM.

 

It seems that the Shuttle doesn't take any standard motherboards. I saw something about them selling motherboards, but I can't find any info on it. I can't justify the cost if I'm going to have to throw the case away when I upgrade or or if the board fails.

[riker1384]

You can install Leopard on the system- I'd recommend downloading Leo4Allv3, or Kalyway 10.5.1. and following guides posted around here. You could probably also do a retail install with some of the boot methods outlined on this site. (I've only installed this system using Leo4allv3, which worked perfectly).

 

Upgrade path: with the above system, you could move up to a Quad Core Core 2 Duo. This board can use newer 45nm processors, but there's a catch. The BIOS must be upgraded, and that can only be done using a 65nm processor. Assuming you're using 2 SATA ports, you can add 2 more SATA hard drives. The board has 2 PCI slots, so you could add wireless at a later time. You could switch to a better graphic card, IE: an 8800GT. RAM is maxed out at 4GB DDR2800, however- I would recommend just getting 4GB of RAM to begin with.

I may be getting a free Antec Aria, which is a mini case similar to the Apevia you suggested. It has some sound insulation in its panels. In any case I already have the NSK.

 

I'm not sure if I want to download one of those patched copies of the OS, or use the methods they have for installing a retail version. Is one easier than the other? I'd prefer to be able to use the software updates. Maybe I should download a version, and then buy retail later once I know I've got the hardware working.

 

The E7200 2.53 Ghz is the same price as the one you recommended, but it's a 45nm chip. I don't undestand what you said about upgrading the BIOS, does that mean I can't do it and use the E7200? Would it be worth getting the E7200 which has a 1066Mhz FSB, and paying the extra $25 for 1066 Ghz RAM?

 

I found a silent fanless version if the 7300GT for $46 shipped (ASUS Silent 7300GT) , which also comes with a free video game. It's not EXACTLY on the HCL because it lists a silent 256MB version, but all the 7300GT's seem to be supported well. I'd like to get a computer that's no louder than my eMac, and hopefully quieter.

[Zaap]

I'm not sure if I want to download one of those patched copies of the OS, or use the methods they have for installing a retail version. Is one easier than the other? I'd prefer to be able to use the software updates. Maybe I should download a version, and then buy retail later once I know I've got the hardware working.

The download-disk installs are very easy- generally you can do an install in 20 minutes or thereabouts, clicking a few boxes for the proper device drivers needed for the motherboard, and first-booting to a mostly working system.

 

Retail installs generally have a few more steps involved, but yield great results.

 

Here's a retail install guide for the DG31PR. It requires a boot-132 CD and a retail copy of Leopard, of course.

 

Retail installs tend to have the benefit of being that much more truly 'vanilla' than a download-disk install. In some cases, system Software Updates work without hassles.

 

 

The E7200 2.53 Ghz is the same price as the one you recommended, but it's a 45nm chip. I don't undestand what you said about upgrading the BIOS, does that mean I can't do it and use the E7200?

Here's what will happen if you get the DG31RP and an E7200. You'll put the machine together, press start, and hear nothing but a few system beeps- no post. Why? The BIOS can't support the 45nm chip Out Of Box.

 

You'd have to first power up the system, install the BIOS upgrade that allows 45nm support, then pop in the E7200. How can you do that if you can't power up the system with the E7200? With any 65nm LGA 775 processor used just long enough to upgrade. So unless you just happen to have a 65nm CPU laying around....

 

Catch 22.

 

If you can temporarily borrow a CPU out of another system, or take the board to a local computer place and have them do the BIOS upgrade for you, then sure, go for the E7200. Or: use a Gigabyte board rather than the Intel board.

 

If you do use a 45nm chip- I highly recommend sticking with a boot-132 retail install. It eliminates a nasty CPU clock sync issue that many have experienced with 45nm processors and the vanilla kernel using other install methods.

 

Would it be worth getting the E7200 which has a 1066Mhz FSB, and paying the extra $25 for 1066 Ghz RAM?

For 1066 RAM, then go with the Gigabyte board- the Intel maxes at 800.

 

EFIstudio lists the 7300GT with 512MB, so it's a pretty safe bet that card will work fine.

[MaaseyRacer]

Check out the ASUS V3-P5G33 barebones kit I has what is essentially a P5K-VM board in it. Supports 8GB of RAM, has Great support on this forum. Plus the machine is almost built for you.

Just add:

Processor

RAM

Video Card

Hard Drive

DVD Drive

 

You could build a killer set up by just adding (from newegg)

Core2Duo E7200 - $118

4GB (2x2GB) G.Skill DDR2 800 - $45

EVGA 8400GS - $37

Seagate 640GB SATA Hard Drive - $80

Pioneer DVD-RW drive -$31

Grand total would be ~480 + shipping.

If you went with a smaller 250GB HD your total would be ~ $460