Build Own Intel "Mac Mini"

[TheMetsAreBad]

I am interested in building an intel x86 mac computer from scratch, and would be highly interested in one similar to an intel mac mini, where it had a very small (smaller then a desktop computer, but not necessarily as small as a real mac mini) form factor for a case, yet was still decently powerful (enough to go on the internet, use iPhoto, and stream video to and from computers on my local network). I'm wondering if anyone could give me suggestions of what parts I should use (especially a case, as I don't know of any that come with a compatible motherboard, are small, and look good).

 

Any help that people are willing to offer would be great!

 

P.S. I'd be looking to spend less then $1000 on this, but closer to $600-700 would be great if it could be pulled off with decent quality parts.

[Technobob]

Have a look at this manufacture they have many models in the small form factor

http://sys.us.shuttle.com

 

Just check the hardware to the wiki for compatibility

http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/HCL_10.4.3

[crazymonkeypants]

P.S. I'd be looking to spend less then $1000 on this, but closer to $600-700 would be great if it could be pulled off with decent quality parts.

 

"I'd like to build a machine like a Mac Mini to run a stolen copy of MacOS on. I don't care if it's bigger, uglier or even more expensive."

 

That doesn't seem quite right to me... 8)

[zedzed]

This Shuttle XPC looks very interesting.

Iwonder if it would work

 

http://global.shuttle.com/Product/Barebone/SD36G5M.asp

 

SD36G5M motherboard :

 

Intel® LGA 775 CPUs

Intel 945G + ICH7-DH Chipset

PCI Express x16 Interface

Intel® Matrix Storage Technology

Intel® Flex Memory Architecture

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950

Advanced I/O

Viiv Technology Ready

[wesley]

Probably the only reason I can see for doing this would be better graphics card.

Otherwise, just buying Mac mini is the smart thing to do.

[mifki]

"I'd like to build a machine like a Mac Mini to run a stolen copy of MacOS on. I don't care if it's bigger, uglier or even more expensive."

 

That doesn't seem quite right to me... 8)

 

Lol i agree, you wont even get better graphics casue of the samll form factor. Buy a mac

[Moop]

I am interested in building an intel x86 mac computer from scratch, and would be highly interested in one similar to an intel mac mini, where it had a very small (smaller then a desktop computer, but not necessarily as small as a real mac mini) form factor for a case, yet was still decently powerful (enough to go on the internet, use iPhoto, and stream video to and from computers on my local network). I'm wondering if anyone could give me suggestions of what parts I should use (especially a case, as I don't know of any that come with a compatible motherboard, are small, and look good).

 

Any help that people are willing to offer would be great!

 

P.S. I'd be looking to spend less then $1000 on this, but closer to $600-700 would be great if it could be pulled off with decent quality parts.

 

Celeron D 336

Intel D915GAGL

200 GB Serial ATA 150 Hard Drive

NEC Dual Layer DVD-/+RW drive

MicroATX case

 

I'm gonna add more to mine, but that was essentially what I got and it ran me about $480. Granted, I don't have Front Row, WiFi, Bluetooth, nor FireWire but my machine can probably contend with a Core Solo Mac mini, which retails for over that $100 more. She runs well.

[wesley]

I would not consider a mATX platform 'small', as in 'Mac mini' small. I've built a mATX system in a small slim case and that thing's volume is 13 times the Mac mini. The thing is, you can have it cheap or have it small, but not both. Just going 'Shuttle SFF' small jacks up the price already and yet the volume is 8 times the Mac mini (yes, this is a correct calculation). The sub-$1000 target IS reasonable if you're going this route, but except for possibly better graphics, there's not much advantage.

 

You can get really close to the Mac mini size in terms of volume if you use a miniITX mobo and the accompanying infrastructure, but this solution lacks an external graphics display option, killing any advantage about graphics performance, Core Duo solution is hard to come by (Pentium M is usually the highest you can find), so CPU performance is already slow, and considering that most of them just use a VIA CPU it really sucks. All the meanwhile the mobo alone cost you like $300 or more and you haven't even started.

 

So... it doesn't sound so great now, does it?

[wesley]

To summarize:

 

1. microATX: slightly smaller than normal desktops using midtower cases. Probably the most flexible and least expensive, but hardly anywhere near Mac mini size. If you can forget about the size constraints, this will fit the bill.

 

2. Shuttle SFF: even smaller than microATX, and much more perceivably so because it's stacked sideways. Good trade-offs between size and expandability, but gets expensive. This is about as small as you can go if you want powerful discrete graphics. Prepare some more cash.

 

3. miniITX: The only widely available consumer solution that'll nearly match Mac mini's form factor. But the mobos are expensive, CPU choices are limited to expensive laptop parts or slow, slow VIA parts, and worst of all, discrete graphics is out of the window. Unless you have a lot of cash to burn just to duplicate a Mac mini on your own, don't touch this.

[Moop]

To summarize:

 

1. microATX: slightly smaller than normal desktops using midtower cases. Probably the most flexible and least expensive, but hardly anywhere near Mac mini size. If you can forget about the size constraints, this will fit the bill.

 

2. Shuttle SFF: even smaller than microATX, and much more perceivably so because it's stacked sideways. Good trade-offs between size and expandability, but gets expensive. This is about as small as you can go if you want powerful discrete graphics. Prepare some more cash.

 

3. miniITX: The only widely available consumer solution that'll nearly match Mac mini's form factor. But the mobos are expensive, CPU choices are limited to expensive laptop parts or slow, slow VIA parts, and worst of all, discrete graphics is out of the window. Unless you have a lot of cash to burn just to duplicate a Mac mini on your own, don't touch this.

 

I won't at all disagree with what you're saying as I couldn't agree more. However, I would say that form-factor-wise, it's stupid to try to make your own mini...even if you can get a comparable form factor, you sacrifice many of the advantages to having a microATX Hackintosh, you pay way more than Apple will charge for the mini and you probably don't get as good performance. My Hackintosh with the above specs, will allow me to install PCI and PCIe cards later on if I wish. Granted one could probably fit six or seven Mac minis into the volume that my one microATX box is taking up, but that having been said, the microATX box isn't THAT big. Mine can definitely be carried from one place to the other easily just as a Mac mini would.