Need help choosing parts for building a hackintosh from the ground up (help)

[theactioncombo]

I want to build to build a core i7-based hackintosh. I've never built a hackintosh before, and I USED to be under the assumption that if you picked out the right parts, installation was easy. HOWEVER, after reading these forums, it seems like a major pain in the ass to setup and maintain (please correct me if I'm wrong).

 

Anyway, here are my questions:

 

1) I want to use the OSX side of the hackintosh everyday for work (photoshop, windows virtualization through parallels, etc). I want to use Windows 7 for gaming. If I choose the correct parts, how stable and easy to maintain/update will these be for day to day use? In other words...is this a practical way to get a powerful mac and save money...or is it more for the hobbyist?

 

2) What hardware SHOULD I get? I'd imagine the most important choice here is the motherboard. Is there a list somewhere of hackintosh-friendly hardware?

 

3) If you have time, take a shot at this: My ballpark budget is ~$800-900. If you were building a gaming hackintosh from the ground up, what parts would you choose?

 

Thanks.

[Qianlong]

I would start reading some of the post on the Genius bar threads.

It took me more than 4 months of reading and comparing pc websites before I started my build.

 

 

 

http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

 

http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.ph...allation_Guides

 

Just follow some of the builds and you can't go wrong.

 

My core i7 920 set up

 

Antec P183 case

Gigabyte X58 UD5 MB

Core i7 920

Noctua 1366 cpu cooler

3 noctua 120mm fans

evaga gtx 260 core 216 vid card

WD caviar blue 640gb HDD

Samsung F1 1TB HDD

Corsair 620HX PSU

Apple alu keyboard

Logitech MX revolution mouse

 

 

 

Gigabyte X58 UD 3 is cheaper - only 4 rams slots

 

Scythe Flex fans are also very quiet and good

 

thermalright make good cpu coolers

 

if possible invest in a modular psu, the cable management will save you alot of time.

 

I used Digital Dreamer's instructions for my build.

 

Good luck