Hackintosh Building Questions

[Ryu-ka]

I've been considering building a Hackintosh, and I have all the parts together, but I have one thing bothering me. Does anyone know the best way to get a Mac Pro or PowerMac case? There are some pretty cheap PowerMacs on Craigslist in my area (around $300 or less), but I want to try to avoid getting the full computer and gutting it. Ebay is kinda questionable, seeing as the prices are pretty high.

 

Another concern that I have is how the stuff will fit together inside the case. The parts I have in mind (based off of the Lifehacker guide):

-GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard

-Intel Core 2 Quad 3.0GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor

-Cooler Master RR-910-HTX3-G1 130-Watt 92mm Hyper TX3 CPU Cooler (Or is a CPU fan going overboard?)

-GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16

-Patriot Extreme Performance 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory (x1, 4GB is enough)

-Kingston 128 GB SSDNow V-Series SATA II 2.5 Inch Solid State Drive (SSD) (Would it be a better idea to get a larger SATA? I don't need to store too much data)

-Pioneer CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model

-10/ 100/ 1000/ 2000Mbps PCI Copper Gigabit Network Adapter

[LogicalUser]

Choosing your parts based on the Lifehacker guide at this time really seems like a bad idea.

 

Yeah, it was a good guide, but many things have changed since then, and even at the time the hardware was hardly modern or the best bang for the buck.

 

Honestly, nearly everything on that list is obsolete?

 

Tonymacx86 has a great P55 guide you should check out

swap that EP45-UD3P for a P55-UD3R or similar, swap that Q9650 for an i5-750 ($200) or i7-860 ($280), get a 2x2GB pair of DDR3 instead, and a 1GB GTS 250 instead of that 9800GTX (that link goes to a GTX, not a GTX+)

also, the coolermaster hyper 212+ is a better CPU cooler at a similar price, and includes a quality backplate-style mounting system instead of the cheezy plastic pushpins

 

less money, much better performance, just as compatible and and a platform that can be upgraded down the line without relying on discontinued parts.

 

Hell, at that price you could even go for an X58, i7-920 & 3x2GB DDR3 combo.

 

It seems a faster 64GB SSD for boot paired with a 640GB/1TB Caviar Black for the same price would be more practical overall, but I'm unsure what you'lll be using it for

 

as for a Mac tower case, I'd suggest looking around at places that do repairs on or sell old macs. That, or try whatever's popular for a local online classifieds in your area, plenty of G5s are dying right around now, should be carcasses everywhere. (I know of a good 4-5 that've died in the past year)

 

*edit* you might want to consider one of the Gigabyte P55M boards instead, the smaller mATX board form factor might prove useful in fitting it into an Apple case

[Ryu-ka]

To be clear, going with a i5 or i7 won't hurt the hardware recognition in OS X, yes? I took a quick glance at the reviews for the P55-UD3R on Newegg, but it's a mixed bag. I don't think that a slightly outdated BIOS revision would be a problem, as long as I can boot my system and flash it. When I looked at the CPU fan, it got fairly positive reviews, one only saying that installing it was a pain. If I go with all these revisions, what type of power supply would I have to look for?

 

Edit: The computer will primarily be used for gaming, with a bit of web browsing and word processing on the side. I don't think it'll need too much hard drive space.

[tutor365]

I am in a similar situation as you. Thinking of building a hackintosh real soon.

Proposed build is:

 

board: Gigabyte P55m-ud2

CPU: Intel i5 750

Ram: G.SKILL DDR3 1600 (2x2GB)

Video Card: MSI GTS250 1GB

Hard Drive: Existing WD 640aaks

Case: Antec Sonata III with 500W PSU

 

However, my question is whether there is a cheaper option for the graphics card. A lot of members recommended a 9800GT 1GB. However my main use for the hackintosh is photoshop, and won't be playing any games on it. In my case, will a 9400GT do the job? What is the installation process like with the 9400GT in general?

Will I see any differences in the general use of SL?

 

thanks for your suggestions.

[Ryu-ka]

My MacBook has a 9400 GT, which is able to run some games plus Photoshop rather smoothly. If you're not doing any gaming, then it would be ideal.

[Ryu-ka]

Also, would it be ideal to get EFi-X to go with my Hackintosh? Does anyone know if their site is reliable, or if this isn't a good idea?

[LogicalUser]

To be clear, going with a i5 or i7 won't hurt the hardware recognition in OS X, yes? I took a quick glance at the reviews for the P55-UD3R on Newegg, but it's a mixed bag. I don't think that a slightly outdated BIOS revision would be a problem, as long as I can boot my system and flash it.

Modern Macs use i7 and i5 processors, and there are tons of people here who've been running i7 builds for nearly a year, and i5 builds since Sept. Assuming installation/setup/config are done correctly there should be no issues.

 

From an OSX standpoint, all of the Gigabyte P55 boards are the same other than the board-specific DSDT files needed. It all depends on what features you feel you need. (I just picked UD3R since its the same pricerange as the UD3P you had listed, any will do)

 

I happen to have a P55-UD3R upstairs, and yes, there were plenty of issues with the original BIOS, however updating it is not difficult, and should be done via USB stick before you attempt to install an OS anyways.

 

When I looked at the CPU fan, it got fairly positive reviews, one only saying that installing it was a pain. If I go with all these revisions, what type of power supply would I have to look for?

Edit: The computer will primarily be used for gaming, with a bit of web browsing and word processing on the side. I don't think it'll need too much hard drive space.

Installation of the hyper 212+ does take a good five minutes the first time, and requires mounting a backplate to the underside of the motherboard. It certainly is more complicated than Intel's pushpins, but "it only takes 35 second to install" is hardly the best selling point for something that is supposed to last years anyways

 

The biggest source of complaint will be the backplate, as anyone whose trying to install this onto an existing build has to remove the mobo (unless case has a removable underside panel for EZ access)

 

I've installed many of em, and its no more difficult than any other heatpipe-style cooler with a backplate (and much cheaper too, most companies want an extra $10-15 for the backplate kit, and I got the 212+ for $24 each)

 

a fast 60GB SSD can be had for $130-$180 on sale these days, and a 640GB or 1TB Caviar Black for $70-$105

 

You'll need a brand name PSU in the 400-700w range, preferably one with 80 Plus certification (high efficiency)

After sales/rebate, a good one can be had in the $35-70 range:

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList....ue=4097%3A43844

 

The OCZ ones & the Corsair 450w seem the best bargains atm

However, my question is whether there is a cheaper option for the graphics card. A lot of members recommended a 9800GT 1GB. However my main use for the hackintosh is photoshop, and won't be playing any games on it. In my case, will a 9400GT do the job? What is the installation process like with the 9400GT in general?

Will I see any differences in the general use of SL?

 

thanks for your suggestions.

Yes, there are cheaper options. the 9800GT & GTS 250 are common choices as they're based around a tried & true GPU core that nvidia's been re-releasing with tweaks for years now, and has great support. Plus, people like buying what used to be a $200-250+ card last year for $110-ish.

 

The installation with any Nvidia 9000 or 200 series card is very similar. (all the cards work with the same retail drivers)

the only difference between them is how you get them running, with some working easily with just graphicsenabler=yes and others requiring EFI strings.

 

It's a bit of a crapshoot as to how much setup a card will require, but the best advice is to stay away from DVI/VGA/Svideo cards, you want something with a pair of real digital outputs (dual DVI or DVI&HDMI)

 

The GT 220 & 240 can be had rather cheaply, as can 9400/9500GTs. With that said, while GPU acceleration on OSX is still new, it will become a bigger deal as time passes, so it may be worth paying the extra $50 for a card that has +70% more processing power.

 

Also, would it be ideal to get EFi-X to go with my Hackintosh? Does anyone know if their site is reliable, or if this isn't a good idea?

EFI-X is a scam.

Its a glorified USB stick that attaches to internal USB headers, with encryption designed to prevent us from seeing what it contains. Once someone broke the encryption we found out its pretty much just opensource code from the OSx86 community at large packaged into an easily used hardware device and sold for hundreds of dollars.

 

You can achieve a better result by rolling your own config in a couple hours, and throw it onto a $5 USB flash drive to save yourself the cash.

[Ryu-ka]

So what kind of case would I have to go with for these parts? Could I cram it all into a G5 or G3 case with relative ease, or would it be better to go with one of those rather expensive $100 cases off Amazon?

[tutor365]

Yes, there are cheaper options. the 9800GT & GTS 250 are common choices as they're based around a tried & true GPU core that nvidia's been re-releasing with tweaks for years now, and has great support. Plus, people like buying what used to be a $200-250+ card last year for $110-ish.

 

The installation with any Nvidia 9000 or 200 series card is very similar. (all the cards work with the same retail drivers)

the only difference between them is how you get them running, with some working easily with just graphicsenabler=yes and others requiring EFI strings.

 

It's a bit of a crapshoot as to how much setup a card will require, but the best advice is to stay away from DVI/VGA/Svideo cards, you want something with a pair of real digital outputs (dual DVI or DVI&HDMI)

 

The GT 220 & 240 can be had rather cheaply, as can 9400/9500GTs. With that said, while GPU acceleration on OSX is still new, it will become a bigger deal as time passes, so it may be worth paying the extra $50 for a card that has +70% more processing power.

 

Thanks for your detailed and informative reply logicalUser. I will see how much my money will stretch and get the best possible card possible.

Gonna be buying this week, so wish me luck

[Ryu-ka]

Right now, I'm looking at the varieties of i5 and i7 cores. I was wondering if I should go with on of the higher-end i5s, or with one of the mid-range i7s.

[flyingturtle]

I was like you, already to make a Hackintosh based off the Lifehacker guide, but as I did some researching, the motherboard and CPU that the Lifehacker guide is using is old tech and it's really better to go with an i5 or i7 build. However I did not see that many people doing it, until I found TonyMacx86 site.

 

I built a i5 750 Hackintosh and used TonyMacs BootCD method with my Retail DVD of Snow Leopard and it was very easy. I used TonyMac boot cd guide for P55 motherboards here:

http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2009/12/ins...ectly-from.html

 

My recommendation is to make an i5 build, preferably the older i5 750 as it's supported by Mac. The newer i5s like the 650 don't have native MacOS support yet. You can go with a i7 build, but know that the i7 motherboards costs a lot more than i5 motherboards so there are more associated costs with i7. And again, you'll have to use an older i7 that is supported by MacOS, like the i7 920. This article explains this. i3 CPUs are a not supported either.

 

If you want the safest most compatible way, then build a computer similar to TonyMac's specs, although really it's the CPU and Motherboard that you have to closely match, and I'd recommend a 9400GT or 9600GT for videocard.

 

Tony Mac's specs (i think this is correct but double check on Tony site to make sure):

a Gigabyte P55M-UD2 motherboard with an Intel Core i5 750 processor, 4gb of G.Skill Ripjaws 1600 RAM and a Sparkle nVidia GeForce 9400 GT 1GB graphics card.

 

Link to newegg for the Gigabyte GA-P55-UD2 board:

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx...N82E16813128405

 

I used a different motherboard and different graphics card, than Tony's, as I used a Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3 motherboard and a EVGA 9600GT videocard.

 

Nice thing is that TonyMac has a DSDT database so his installation method supports a wide variety of motherboards. I found my motherboard there, so I was good to go. If you want motherboard options, check first if it's listed here:

http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2009/12/dsd...therboards.html

 

During your install, you'll have to use the DSDT based on your motherboard. Tony's instructions explain all that.

 

One note about audio, after installation, after you got your hackintosh running, you may need to enable audio based on the audio chip on your board. If you are using TonyMac's motherboard, (Gigabyte P55M-UD2) then you don't have to worry as Tony boot method installs the proper audio kexts for his motherboard. My Gigabyte motherboard used the ALC888 for audio and not the ALC889 which is used in Tony's Gigabyte P55M-UD2 board. I had to refer to Tony's article on enabling HDEF audio on P55 here. I followed the instructions and downloaded the ALC888 kext files he provided (AppleHDA.kext and HDAEnabler.kext) and installed them via kext helper and kext utility.

 

TonyMac also has a forum here so you can ask questions there too:

http://www.tonymacx86.com/

 

Be sure to check the front page of his blog for latest info:

http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/

 

And again here's the link to his BootCD hackintosh method (only for p55 motherboards, which are the i5 and i7 cpus)

http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2009/12/ins...ectly-from.html

 

In short, go with i5 750, or if you have a large budget then i7 920. Go with specs similar to TonyMac's build, if not, check the DSDT database to make sure the motherboard you pick has a DSDT file for it. For videocard, stick with 9xxx series videocards if you use TonyMac bootcd method. Even though Tony used a Sparkle 9400, I did not have to change a thing in order to get my 9600GT working. (Although Tony is working on a new bootcd that will support Radeon 48XX videocards too, as he is testing it now: see this thread on his forums)

 

Oh yeah, make sure you use SATA DVD drive for installation, as older IDE DVD drives don't work well with Tony's bootCD. That might be a Mac thing though as maybe they only use SATA drives? And, this may be obvious, but if going with i5 or i7, you'll have to buy DDR3 RAM, not DDR2 RAM. I bought my 4gigs of DDR3 ram (1600) for around $100-110. I forget exactly.

 

Hope that helps. I started my research 10 days ago, built my i5 hackintosh on Thursday, and have it all running now.

 

Oh yeah, you asked about sleep. I know sleep works with Tony's build with his motherboard. Again if you have his motherboard, then his bootcd will enable it by default. I haven't test my build with sleep yet but I should be able to get it working. He has a blog article about enabling sleep on various P55 boards on his site.

[TomCom]

Right now, I'm looking at the varieties of i5 and i7 cores. I was wondering if I should go with on of the higher-end i5s, or with one of the mid-range i7s.

 

Very simple: If you're a gamer, buy a i5. If you use pro apps, buy an i7, since hyperthreading may prove itself as useful as it's useless for games.

[EricM]

Or instead or buying an lga 1366 board and the 920, why don't you buy this:

 

 

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...5-214-_-Product

 

You can use the Gigabyte p55m-ud2 board with it... I would HIGHLY recommend this processor. Its basically an i5 but with HT. You will be more than pleased with it, especially only for $80 more.

[TomCom]

I totally agree: P55 Core i7 are better: cheaper, much more efficient. People who don't intend to buy upcoming hexa-core CPUs should take the mainstream road. Plus, Intel has not updated its entry-level Core i920 in more than a year. The gain of tri-channel architecture ain't worth it, IMO.