Not doing this, can result in an installation "polluted" with custom drivers (in the best case), or to a combination which just can't run OS X...
So, wondering which components I used ?
After a long research (way too long, if you ask Mrs. Lnx2Mac), I hand-picked the following components...
Motherboard:
CPU:
CPU Cooler:
RAM:
Graphics Card:
Hard Disk Drive:
Optical Disk:
Case:
Display:
Keyboard:
Bluetooth Dongle (Already owned):
OS:
Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard - Family Pack
(Yes, I bought the Family Pack, as I'll be installing this on multiple machines)
(Yes, I bought the Family Pack, as I'll be installing this on multiple machines)
This is it for my main build...
Oh, and in case you wonder, Mrs. Lnx2Mac's got a computer similar to the above...
Just with an Intel Core i5-750, only 4GB RAM, and a Samsung P240 Display...
After all, Daddy's toys are supposed to be more expensive ;-)
This is exactly what I've been looking for -- a PC with silent components. I'll definitely take advantage of your research and experience to build my own. Thanks for sharing your info.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: Thanks ! I'm glad it helped...
ReplyDeleteStay tuned, as I'll be posting lots of tips from this "journey" (I'm transcribing them from my paper notes).
I want your build but I'm thinking of subbing in the gtx 285. I noticed there are pc and mac versions. Any thoughts on which one I should use?
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: You should be OK with a PC version. Note, however, that it won't be as silent as mine.
ReplyDeleteThat model motherboard is no longer available at Newegg. What do you think of the P55M-UD2 or the P55A-UD3? The audio chipsets are Realtek ALC888B and ALC888 respectively.
ReplyDelete@Christopher: While it's not available in NewEgg, you can still source the UD4 from Amazon.
ReplyDeleteAs for the UD2 and UD3, it depends on your needs.
Don't worry about the Audio, both will work (with a special kext, though).
I like the P55M-UD2 (had one and exchanged it by the P55M-UD4) !
It's mATX and has Firewire, but might not be that good for OverClocking (lack of VRM cooling).
The P55A-UD3 is ATX, has no Firewire, and its IDE controller (should you need it) is still not working 100% on OSX.
My order of preference would be the P55M-UD4, P55M-UD2, P55A-UD3...
Good Luck !
Just wondering if you use a USB keyboard to get to the boot options everytime or if there's anyway to get the bluetooth keyboard to work before the OS starts up
ReplyDeleteI'm dual booting my computer with Windows 7 and it works in both OS's, but of course not in Chameleon.
If not, I may see if I can trade this in or sell it on Craigslist. I switch over between OSs quite a lot :[
Thanks for the great guides!
@Chelsea Otakan: Unfortunately, I can't use my Bluetooth keyboard in Chameleon or in the BIOS (I keep a USB keyboard around for this).
ReplyDeleteHowever, I found I can use a laptop USB keypad (see my post in tonymacx86 forum).
Not perfect for the BIOS, but good enough for Chameleon (using the GUI pull-down menu, via Down-Arrow).
Nevertheless, I love that familiar feeling of the Apple Wireless Keyboard (feels just like my MacBook Pro's).
Glad you liked the guides ;)
Would a 450W power supply case be enough with this set up?
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: If it's a "quality" PSU, providing true 450W, then it should be enough.
ReplyDeleteI always recommend not to skimp on the PSU.
thanks Lnx2Mac for this list. i plan to replicate yer build (first timer... a bit scared tbh!).
ReplyDeletequestion, would i be able to substitute:
the Antec Sonata Designer 500 case
for something less costly, similarly quiet, & in a black color?
perhaps the Antex Sonata III 500 case? - http://bit.ly/dvpsUk
thnx much.
@Alex Aesthetics: Worry not. Nothing to be scared...
ReplyDeleteRegarding your question, yes, the Antec Sonata III 500 is another fine choice for a silent case.
Personally, I prefer the white... Less PCish ;)
@lnx2mac
ReplyDeletethanks :)
oi, another question. would the
Centon 2GB Kit PC3-10600 (1333MT/S) DDR3 DIMM
(http://bit.ly/d6GJRB)
be compatible w/yer build i am am attempting to replicate. i plan on only purchasing 1 2gb now and buying more later when i need it.
thnx!
@Alex Aesthetics: Never heard of "Centon" RAM...
ReplyDeleteI normally stick to quality components, as it usually saves lots of headache, or worse, wasted money.
Anyway, I'd recommend you to buy RAM in pairs so you can take advantage of dual-channel RAM.
@Lnx2Mac advice noted! i'll go with the one u linked to. :)
ReplyDeleteIt looks like the Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD4 motherboard has completely been discontinued, and I can't find it available anywhere. What do you recommend in it's place that gives the ease of assembly as your current build?
ReplyDelete@Matthew: Yeah, it's unfortunate that sourcing it is becoming an issue...
ReplyDeleteIf you want an mATX, the GA-P55M-UD2 is a nice one.
Although it doesn't have the ALC889a, it's well supported by TonyMacx86's MultiBeast (as most Gigabyte P55 boards).
One last note about it, don't try extreme overclocking on this one, as I've read many stories of fried overclocked UD2s, probably, due to lack of MOSFET cooling.
Good Luck !
Can you also use the CPU Cooling Fan Which included in the Original Box?
ReplyDeleteI don't want to overclock the CPU...
@World_emp: Sure... Just it won't be as quiet, nor run as cool.
ReplyDeleteI'm not overclocking either, just got it for maximum silence.
But the Mugen 2 is an Socket LGA1366 Cooler: that's what I read online. Is it fully compatible with the 830 CPU and with the 870 (which I'm going to buy)?
ReplyDelete*Sockel LGA 1156
ReplyDelete@World_emp: Note that this is the Rev.B, which suits also an LGA1156.
ReplyDeletegreat guide and a big thanks also for your support over at tonymacx86 forum. One question about Bluetooth in your build: are you able to wake up your machine from sleep via BT-mouse and/or keyboard? Do you have any resource for this topic that might help?
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: Thanks !
ReplyDeleteRegarding BT, no I'm not able to wake from BT-keyboard (don't have BT mouse yet).
But it wakes just fine, by hitting the power button.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteAny idea abut the GA-P55A-UD4 compatibility or problems? Experience or link are welcome :)
Thank you!
@Adrián Cuervo:
ReplyDeleteNote that there's no support for the Marvell 9128 SATA chip, nor the iTE IT8213 IDE controller.
This means no IDE support, and just 6 SATA+2 eSATA ports.
Also, the Rev.2 of this board uses the Realtek 8111E NICs, which currently need the Official Realtek drivers that runs on 32bit only.
But this is about to change as I'm porting the Linux driver to OSX.
Regarding other confirmed desktops, you might want to check the tonymacx86 wiki.
Many thanks, that link was really helpful. I'll try a GA-P55-USB3.
ReplyDeleteI have a question about the graphic card that you used. Does everything works fine? DUal display, x64, CI, QE, etc.
It's important because I need a full working card.
Thank you again, and contratulations for this blog.
Just thought I let you all know: I wanted to add bluetooth to the configuration and noticed that there is actually a bluetooth adapter sold in the Apple Store, so it should do fine, shouldn't it? :-)
ReplyDeleteYou might not have noticed, as it seems it does not appear in the US store, but it is in the German one:
http://store.apple.com/de/product/TW622ZM/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY
So I got me that Belkin Mini Bluetooth-Adapter (Bluetooth 2.1, Class 2, Range: 10m), though I did not order it from the Apple Store :-). It works OOB with an Apple Wireless Keyboard and the Magic Trackpad!
I can also enter the boot menu (F12) and have keyboard support in chameleon. It seems the bluetooth connection is established too late (about the time the ACPI bios discovers the devices), so I cannot enter the bios.
I have both keyboard and trackpad at login screen.
I did NOT disconnect the USB keyboard and mouse for all these tests though, but I don't think that matters?
Altogether I am quite pleased at the moment with this adapter.
@Anonymous: I didn't think it would be possible to use a Bluetooth keyboard in BIOS and Chameleon...
ReplyDeleteOr I misunderstood you ?
Thanks for sharing !
I disconnected mouse and keyboard, just to be sure, and tested again:
ReplyDeleteThe Apple bluetooth keyboard is still "too late" to get into the bios, but I can get into the boot menu (F12) and select items there! I can then also operate chameleon with that keyboard! (Tested arrow keys, typing in -v boot option, etc.)
So it seems that pairing a device somehow works on hardware level? I don't really know how, but it works :-)
But there are some drawbacks I encountered only after I wrote the other entry:
1) You cannot wake your computer with that bluetooth dongle, at least not OOB. I don't really care for that, but you should be aware of it.
2) More important: Sleeping the computer and waking it again breaks the driver or something :-/ So you have to disconnect and reconnect the dongle.
There is a long thread about all this stuff here:
http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=193272
It seems that there are dongles which just don't have problem 2. It might help to install some kext with the proper device and vendor ids, but I am not really into this stuff (yet). Problem 1) is a hard thing to get working and there seems no perfect solution at all.
I am about to get two more dongles and I will report back when I tested them.
Hi, I am interested in replicating a similar configuration. To be sincere, I was thinking a cheaper video card such as Asus ENGT240/DI/512MD3 512MB,PCI-E,DVI,HDMI.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think about it?
Thank you
@Anonymous: Yes, the GT240 is a solid choice too.
ReplyDeleteThe fan on this one will probably become noisy in a relatively short period. You might want to consider a passively-cooled GT240.
Thanks for the advice 'bout the passive GT240.
ReplyDeleteI have other 2 doubts:
a) better using Gigabyte GA-H55N-USB3 or GA-P55M-UD2 ? On one side I am really excited about having a small desktop (i.e. an ITX) on the other side it seems to me that mATX board are better supported.
b) about the dvd recorder. You wrote that pioneer and sony are better for Hackintosh. Do you know a suitable slim model (I saw a nice mini desktop case but it supports only slim recorder and not a regular 3.5" size)?
Thanks again.
@Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteThere were some discussions on the tonymacx86 forum about the MiniITX boards...
You might want to check there.
About the DVD recorder, I too was looking for slim models (ideally, with slot-loading) but couldn't find any.
You also wrote "not a regular 3.5" size", I guess you meant 5.25"...
Finally I can come back to you and report about my tests :-)
ReplyDeleteI think I already wrote enough about the Belkin adapter, so I will just add what I found out about the ASUS USB-BT21 and the Trust BT-2400p:
I got the Trust first and was happy to see that I can pair both devices and sleep is also working. Pairing wasn't completely flawless, but eventually it worked. I cannot wake the machine with either device, but that wasn't to be expected. Unfortunately I can neither control the bios with the Trust, nor chameleon. To make matters even worse, it lost the pairing with the keyboard on reboot, sometimes even in other constellations! So altogether the Trust was more annoying than the Belkin...
Today I got the ASUS and I am quite happy with it. Pairing was successful right away with no problems whatsoever. Sleep is working like a charm, both devices work after waking up. No wakeup here too, but as said, that's not to be expected without tinkering with drivers, extensions, device IDs etc.
Unfortunately I could also neither control bios nor chameleon with the ASUS, too, but the pairings were fine after reboot and I could log in using the Apple bluetooth keyboard (trackpad was also already there).
So the Belkin still would have the advantage for boot menu and boot loader, yet it also did not reach the bios anyways.
For me its enough if I can connect both devices, they stay connected and work after sleep. I am really content with that :-)
I will see if anything changes with more tests or longer usage.
@Anonymous: Thanks for the updates on BT testing !
ReplyDelete@Lnx2Mac: I have followed you on the Tonymac site and you do a wonderful job answering questions.
ReplyDeleteAt one point I was going to build a hackintosh based on your build but then shortly after my consideration the board became discontinued. Lately it seems the GA-X58A-UD3R is being talked about more, especially now that the P55M-UD4 can't be found.
Do you have any thoughts on this motherboard? Have you ever considered this type of build or would this be a build you would consider in the future? If you had to start over would X58 be a consideration?
I've checked out Tony's blog for the X58A-UD3R build but there are several items I'm not sure about such as the case, graphics card, and ram. Do you have any recommendations other than what they show? I find the case to be ugly. I like the more clean look of the one you use. Also, they show OCZ RAM and I know you like the G.Skill Eco. Does G.Skill have something similar the the X58? I would also like to have a quiet build as my current PC system (Dell Dimension) is loud.
Thanks for your help.
The Fighting Saint
@The Fighting Saint: Thanks for your feedback !
ReplyDeleteThe reason the GA-X58A-UD3R is being discussed in the tonymacx86 forum is because of the Building a CustoMac: CustoMac Pro 2010 article, which attempts to "mimic" the components of a MacPro.
However, I would only consider an X58 based board if I needed an i7-970/975/980X CPU, or more than 16GB RAM (Triple-channel doesn't provide a significant performance boost).
Otherwise, the P55 line provides better value for the cost.
Most Gigabyte P55 boards will do, depending on whether you need Firewire and/or PATA (IDE).
The GA-P55M-UD2 is still a great mATX option.
First, thanks for a wonderful guide, which brings the nice tools of Tony together with nice and silent hardware. Most things are just working right from the start, all the screenshots, bios settings, etc. are a hugh help!
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I am concerned about is the graphics card. The 9800GT really has its issues with HDMI and it doesn't look like this will be fixed anytime soon, especially not without breaking sleep or anything else :-)
Do you have any thoughts on which card to use for much higher performance and HDMI, preferably even hotplugging and switching monitors, using dual screen etc? I guess it will sacrifice silence under load, but for some the performance and HDMI might be worth it.
Are the high end ATI cards an option, like 58xx? Or do 57xx work better? Should one stay with NVidia for native support at the moment? What about all this 32/64bit talk? Do you need 64bit for the 8GB RAM to be useable and would a card driver running in 32bit be "compatible" or causing any other problems?
I am reading the different forums a lot, but you mostly hear about problems with specific cards or models and even if success is reported, it doesn't mean that e.g. HDMI is working and hotpluggable :-) To make things even worse, some limitations that were true only some weeks ago might not even hold today with the OSX graphics update.
Thanks in advance!
@Anonymous: I'm glad your find my guides useful !
ReplyDeleteActually, the HDMI issues seem to happen only with some monitors (it works with mine)...
It seems to be an HDCP interoperability issue.
A card worth watching is Gigabyte's GV-R577SL-1GD, a Silent-Cell Radeon HD5770 Graphics Card.
OS X can use more than 4GB RAM even on 32-bit, however "each application" is limited to 4GB RAM.
This limitation is relieved when using the 64-bit kernel.
As far as I know, the ATY_Init (the ATI graphics cards enabler) currently runs only in 32-bit.
Almost the same build I just ordered. Used an Antec 183 case and a GTX 260. I am using the Sonata for an XP build that has been running for 5 years. The black "rubber bands" for the HDD suspension eventually broke after about 4 years. I was running a WD Raptor at that point and the suspension made a big difference. Surprisingly the HDD did not fail when the bands broke because I had another HDD underneath to "catch" it
ReplyDeleteIn your components list you have 2 x 2gb ram but one of the photos shows 4 sticks. Did you purchase two 2 x 2gb kits of the G. Skill? If so are they playing nicely with each other?
@Anonymous: Nice... I think the bands are different in the newer models, and are more like a textile elastic band...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I keep the HDD drawers in the case, so if (or when) a band breaks, the HDD should be landing on the soft silicon grommets.
Yes, as I wrote above (see the 2 * prefix), I have installed 2 kits of G.Skill Eco 4GB (2 x 2GB), meaning 4 sticks of 2GB each. Working together without any issues.
Is there any reason to thing that i7 870 or the new i7 880 will not work with this motherboard and OSX? (the 880 is not listed on the Gigabyte Website which seems a little suspicious)
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: The i7-870 already appears in the CPU support list.
ReplyDeleteNot sure about the 880, though.
question of compatibility re: i7 870 was more aimed at OSX... Is there any reason to suspect Snow Leopard to not work with those two CPUs at a later stage? (I read somewhere that Atom processor support was removed in a recent Snow Leopard update - to kill the netbook OSXs)
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: Hard to tell regarding future compatibility. There are, however, alternative kernels for unsupported CPUs (e.g. the Atom)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for publishing this info - I have followed your motherboard and GFX card choices, have gone for a passive cooled case/psu & cpu cooler, have the drives, and am just about to pull the trigger on my order of CPU and RAM, and am looking at getting the i7 870S (energy saving version), rather than the 860 that you have (I am also going for a different case/cooling system). This one is clocked at 2.66GHz, with Max Turbo Freq. at 3.6GHz. The advantage is that the 870S is rated at 82W thermal power, rather than 95W for the non-S versions, which I am keen to go for to keep the heat down as much as possible.
ReplyDeletehere is the link:
http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=48498
Would there be any reason to suspect that this will not install with the same ease as your processor?
As to RAM, I am still trying to find the best option, but basically any motherboard-compatible RAM will work - right? I am trying to find the best value-for-money 2x4gig kit available in Germany at the moment.
@Anonymous: First I'm glad you are still able to find the GA-P55M-UD4... It has disappeared almost from every place.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in which passive cooler you picked.
Initially I planned going passive, but found the Mugen-2 to be virtually inaudible.
The 870S should be OK, it's listed in the CPU support list since BIOS F9 (currently the most stable one, IMO).
For RAM, yes, any compatible one will work, but I strongly recommend you the G.Skill Eco...
While these are 4x2gig, they are fast and will help keeping the heat down.
Good Luck and please report back !
Lnx2Mac
Hello,
ReplyDeleteDead Lnx2Mac, congratulations on a wonderful guide!
I'm going to build a machine pretty close to your spec.
I just have two questions, which I hope you can help me with, thanks to your experience with building hackintoshes.
Your config looks pretty good, but I would like to change the graphics card for two reasons.
I'm building the computer mainly for photography work, so I would like a acrd with dual DVI, to be able to run dual monitors and a bit more powerful. I was thinking on something like a GTX 260 or 285. Which card would you recommend to be able to keep the hackintosh a perfect choice, simple to install and maintain?
Also, does your machine run 64bit kernel with no problems?
Also, in regard to the motherboard, is the p55m-ud4 a good overclocker?
Hope you can help me out.
Thank you very much!
Best regards!
Gonçalo Dourado
@Gonçalo Dourado: Thanks for your kind words.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, note that the GV-N98TSL-1GI supports 2 DVI outputs using the included HDMI to DVI adapter.
In any case, both the 260 and 285 should work out-of-the-box equally well.
Yes, I'm running the 64bit kernel without any issues.
Based on reports from other users (I don't overclock), the GA-P55M-UD4 is a good overclocker.
The main advantages of this over the P55M-UD2 are the VRM heat spreaders, and the ALC889a Audio.
Unfortunately, Gigabyte discontinued production of the GA-P55M-UD4, so it's become almost impossible to find them.
Good Luck!
Lnx2Mac
@Anonymous: Very nice build !
ReplyDeleteOnly thing that worries me is the PSU... It's a 400W, not a 560W !
See this SilentPCReview
Lately added a Magic Trackpad to my build... I'm completely in love !
Good Luck with your build !
Lnx2Mac
re silentmaxx PSU 400w rather than 560w... That's an interesting link! I am running the whole silentmaxx package though: psu, cooler and case, so hopefully it will not overheat. Also: how many watts will I need for this build? Is 400w not enough?
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: Check out the eXtreme Power Supply Calculator Lite.
ReplyDeleteI think that 400W is too tight for this build.
re: PSU: I used the Newegg one in the meantime, and if I stick with one 7200rpm hard drive, 400w is fine. Time will tell!
ReplyDeleteHi Lnx2Mac
ReplyDeleteGreat selection of hardware. I am trying to get the P55M-UD4; in some spanish online shops it still appears un cataloge as in stock, but I am not shure if that is real…
In relation to the video card, I am thinking that a silent HD5750 might be an alternative (for example Powercolor Radeon HD 5750 SCS3; there are versions of Gigabyte and Club3D, too), as recent iMacs have the same combination of chip and video card. These cards seem to have a small power consumption (75-85W on full load), and a similar o a little superior prestation as the 9800 (I am not a gamer; it is for Aperture with a big raw library, office applications an big databases).
Cheers - Klaus
@Klaus: Thanks !
ReplyDeleteGood Luck finding a P55M-UD4... It's become almost impossible to find one...
As for the HD5750, not sure it's supported...
But even if it is, you won't get any advantage on Aperture... And definitely not on Office/Databases...
So you might want to reconsider the video card.
Good Luck !
Lnx2Mac
Thanks so much for sharing...
ReplyDeleteI need to build a system so I can develop a app for the iPad and Touch. I suffer from a rare neuro disease and we need to gather info from all the people that have this disease so researchers have some help with new treatment plans.
Will these components work?
GA-P55M-UD2 Motherboard
i7 930 CPU
4GB memory
SCMG-2100 CPU Cooler
EVGA-GF-9500 Video Card
750w Power Supply
Western Digital 1TB Hard Drive (SATA)
SATA DVD Reader/Writer
Antec Mid-Tower Case
Again, thanks for all your hard work. I've been working on this for quite some time and till I found your site I was about ready to give up.
LBR
@LBR: I'm sorry to hear about your neuro disease...
ReplyDeleteHope that through your app and research, a treatment will soon be found.
As for the build, the P55M-UD2 is an LGA1156 board, so you should pick a compatible CPU (like the i7-8xx).
A 750W Power Supply is overkill for this build.
As long as you don't add many disks to this one, 450W-500W should be more than enough (as long as you use a quality one, like the Corsair VX450W, or the Antec EA-500W).
Just make sure you pick a Sony-Optiarc or Pioneer DVD Reader/Writer, as other brands cause problems (the machine is unable to auto-sleep, and the drive spins randomly every 30 seconds or so).
I'm glad my writings strengthened your confidence on building a Hackintosh !
Good Luck !
Lnx2Mac
Thank's a lot, Lnx2Mac for your recommendation not to go with the ATI-card. I should have looked in the hardware compatibility list (thougt if on a real Mac it is used, it should work…). I will stick with your option, the Gigabyte Nvidia 9800 silent cell. It's quite large, but I you use it, it must fit.
ReplyDeleteI just ordered the last Gigabyte P55M UD4 they had at www.alternate.es. And I ordered an Antec Sonata Designer 500 www.informaticabocanegra.com (confirmed). It was not easy. Some online shop's "in stock" was just not true.
I am thinking about changing the box-ventilator in the Sonata. Are there posibilities that PWM control from the mainboard will work? Or better one controlled by a temperature sensor? (ArcticCooling F12pro TC)
Cheers - Klaus
@Klaus: Cool, you probably found the last P55M-UD4 on earth ;)
ReplyDeleteYou will have no issues fitting the Gigabyte GV-N98TSL-1GI in the Antec Sonata Designer 500.
Don't think you'll have to replace the TriCool fan. It's really silent at low speed.
You can take the speed switch out of the case through the "panel lock" square hole.
I only used higher speeds on a very hot summer day, while doing a long transcoding.
A better option than replacing the fan would be adding one or two front 92mm fans (just pick silent ones like Nexus, Scythe, etc.)
And I don't think the SYS_FAN header supports PWM, so you could just plug these directly to the PSU and use a speed control (either manual or temp driven).
Cheers,
Lnx2Mac
Thank's a lot, again, for your advice, Lnx2Mac! I will first try with the fan that comes with the box, and if things are getting too hot, I will add a front fan, maybe with temperature control. First I will see if I get it working 8-).
ReplyDeleteCheers - Klaus
Thanks for such great site and all the suggestions and nice comments.
ReplyDeleteI had an old G5 Dual 2.5Ghz and was so frustrated and not being able to run the new version of OS X, let alone the upgraded software, seems everything being released has to have Leopard.
So after reading your site, tonymacx86, and finally watching the video on Lifehacker, I took the plunge and built my Hackintosh!
I have used ASUS boards and like them so I went with the P7P55D-E Pro with an intel i7-860 running at 2.8Ghz. no overclocking. For video I decided to keep it safe and went with the EVGA 01G-P3-N959TR GeForce 9500 GT 1GB DDR2 PCI-Express 2.0 Graphics Card. For memory G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL. An inexpensive Hitachi HD and a huge Rosewill Server Case.
It was a lot of fun putting everything together and it works awesome!
Thanks again for all the help, the good reading, excellent advise, and providing such good assistance!
Finally an update on the "SilentMac" build (see above):
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is: everything is working, and I am super-happy with it. Many thanks, LNX2MAC for providing this wealth of non-geek-friendly info! Another success story!
I uploaded the Xbench stats here:
http://db.xbench.com/merge.xhtml?doc2=482168
OK, now the full story:
Re: Hardware install esp. passive-cooling of CPU etc: The only real issues I had were in the hardware install phase. Firstly the "Twinblock" CPU passive cooler appeared not to fit, on contacting Silentmaxx I was told to bend the heatpipes manually, which did the trick (they are copper). Other than that, it is TIGHT in there! It is a full tower case, but the twinblock leaves so little room that one really has to feed the cables around with extreme care. Because it is possible to "pop" the front panel, I have actually reverse-mounted the HDDs (ports facing forward) to declutter the inside near the cooler. This also aids the swapping of HDDs as I have been doing recently.
Installing Snow Leopard using your guide was a total breeze. I had 2 issues:
1) Snow Leopard defaults to NOT show the HDD on the desktop - once I worked that out I was able to see the HDDs, which WERE NOT ORANGE!
2) My Wireless Trackpad was showing up as a wireless mouse. No amount of unpairing and running software update was helping it. After a few hours googling I found this:
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1066?viewlocale=en_US
which manually forced it into Magic Trackpad mode. Not sure if this is a Hackint0sh-specific thing (it worked fine with my MBP).
Re: PSU being "400watt": This has not been an issue - everything is holding out fine for my spec, even with 3 HDD (which I am currently running).
Re: Passive cooling the Core i7 870s: I initially tested with the supplied 12cm fan on. It took some guts, but I eventually switched off the fan and ran the rig fully passively. When running passively, temps on-chip (via "Temperature Monitor" application) are always mid 40C when running normally. When running Starcraft 2 on "Ultra" graphics settings (1680x1050) it tends to go between 50-60 C, I think I got towards 70 C once. Halflife 2 on "High" settings (1680x1050) goes to around 60 C. These are all well within the safe tolerances of this chip.
I also have Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit on another drive. My current phase of experimentation is trying to get these things booting the best way. At the moment I just hit F12 and select the windows 7 disk if I want Windows 7. The Mac drive is on SATA "0", so boots first if I don't hit F12 on the BIOS screen.
Finally a note about noise:
Apart from the normal HDD noise it really is silent! If the hard drives spin down, there is zero noise from the rig. I have a Mini-ITX computer that is passively cooled, so I am accustomed to the elation one feels when a computer runs silently, but this Core i7 rig is on another planet to the Mini-ITX performance-wise.
My HDD selection is still not finalised - I am using a 40 gig SATA for Win7, a 200 gig SATA for OSX and a 120 gig ATA as a data drive (wanted to use it for Win7 but can't get Win7 to install onto it). I might leave it for a year or so until SSD come down in price to get a totally-no-noise solution ;)
I'll post again when I have updates, or if anyone has any questions. Once again, many thanks!
SilentMac
@SilenMac: Kudos on this...
ReplyDeleteAFAIK, you always need the Apple update for Magic Trackpad (It's stated in the included manual).
Mini update on SilentMac: I spoke a little quickly: the first time I installed, everything was recognized, but I now see on this latest install that the Processor is recognized as 2.13 GHz (not 2.67) and the RAM is clocked at 1065, not 2 GHz... Any ideas how to fix this? Another reinstall?
ReplyDeleteSilentMac
@SilentMac: If you followed my guide (specifically part 3), Chameleon should have recognized your CPU and RAM...
ReplyDeleteIn any case, I believe that what you see is just cosmetic, and shouldn't affect your system's performance.
Re: Silentmac specs in Apple System Profiler:
ReplyDeleteThe BIOS had reset itself, after reconfiguring it everything appears correctly.
Bizarrely the benchmarks appear lower now, but I am not sure I trust XBench:
http://db.xbench.com/merge.xhtml?doc2=482932
Maybe a benchmark using Win7 might be more trustworthy...
@SilentMac: The BIOS shouldn't have reset...
ReplyDeleteTonymacx86's forum member "NotShy" has posted a great guide to Memory & CPU testing here. I recommend you running it.
Consider also using iStat Pro to monitor your temps.
I enjoyed reading this thread. I have big hands so I recommend the Cooler Master Haf 932. It weighs 29 pounds so a side benefit is that you get a workout lifting it. I chose the GA-X58A-UD5 and an i7-950 because that's where the price gulf widened It has 6 slots and I put 6x2GB sticks of of DDR3 ram into them. It reads 1066 now. I can XMS change it to 1600 ok, but I worry a little about the wear and tear of the higher voltages? I also thought a game graphics card took more power than a hard drive? A great job on that 81xx RealTex network driver!
ReplyDelete@TechTonics: As long as your RAM is spec'ed to run at 1600 and you don't have to raise voltages, that's OK.
ReplyDeleteIt is spec'ed to run at 1600 but the voltages automatically go up to 1.2 and 1.65 using Profile 1. It didn't appear that I had the option of experimenting with lower optimum voltages as shown in your bios captures, which were nicely detailed and Coherent.
ReplyDelete@TechTonics: The lower DRAM voltages are only for G.Skill Eco RAM...
ReplyDeletethanks for this article...Im wondering - why the UD2/4 and i7 860? I see most Hack builds as UD3/5 and i7 930...which is the better performance - wise? I'll be using it for audio production using Firewire 400...
ReplyDelete@Steve: For most practical purposes, there's no performance difference between a P55 and an X58-based system.
ReplyDeleteAs I don't need many add-on cards, an mATX is a good option.
Among these, the Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD4 has all the functionality I need, and thanks to its components, it's makes for a very Vanilla system.
Hey great blog, Ok so I know I'm 6 months late, but I've been off 'air' since June! This was when I bought my components almost identical to yours except I'm only running 4GB for now! Keep up the great work!
ReplyDelete@Malvado: Thanks for your comment !
ReplyDeleteHi, I am from Argentina and I am working on my first hackintosh, for video editing ( I use currently a Mac G5)
ReplyDeleteI would like to know what do you think in the set up I am going to buy, and if you think it will be ok for the hackintosh.
Processor: Intel i7 870 S1156
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-P55-US3L
RAM: Kingston 4GB DDR3-1333 X 2
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GT220 1GB DDR3
HDD: 3 WD 1TB 64MB
DVD: DVD Samsung SATA
Case: ANTEC Three hundred with a 600W PSU
LG LED 23" 2340 monitor
I am looking forward for your input in my idea.
THANKS and Merry Christmas!
Alex
@Alex: Hola !
ReplyDeleteYour build is OK, except for the DVD.
Samsung and other brands have issues with auto-sleep and randomly spins.
The ones known to work well are Sony-Optiarc and Pioneer Drives.
You can safely use RAM @ 1600.
Also take in mind that the GT220 is a relatively slow card.
Suerte !
Feliz Navidad y Feliz Año Nuevo !
Lnx2Mac
Gracias!
ReplyDeleteI will get a Pioneer then, because all of sony's I am able to get aren't Optiarc.
What Card would you recomend with that set up instead of the slow GT220?
And Feliz Navidad y Feliz año nuevo para vos tambien!!
Alex
@Alex: I like the 9800GT... It's a nice balance of price and performance and works out-of-the-box.
ReplyDeleteFelices fiestas !
Thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteI will research a little here on the market, but I think the 9800 GT 1GB will be a little expensive for the budget. What about a GT240 DDR5?
And what do you think about a lightscribe DVDburner?
And just the last question, I have a MacOSX 10,5 Leopard, I am going to be able to install it? I would like to see if everything goes smooth before committing to buy a Snow leopard, I just bought a Windows 7 for one of the HDD ( for triple booting) and I don't want to expend unnecessary money.
Many thanks
Hi
ReplyDeleteWould any Sony Dvd burner work?
I am able to get a SOny AD7240S.
It's that OK?
What Mother would you get? Gigabyte GA P55 US3L or the more expensive GA P55 UD3P?
Thanks!
@Alex: That Sony burner should be OK.
ReplyDeleteThe US3L should be fine, unless you need Serial and Parallel ports, and more USB ports.
Thanks, I already build it and installed the OSX, but I have some problems
ReplyDeletehere is the thread at tony´s
http://www.tonymacx86.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9918
Can you help me?
Hello Lnx2Mac,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, wish you a very Happy New Year :)
I'm happy to see a Linux Developer doing a great job with MacOS. Great job.
Well, I do run many systems with multiple OSes (PC/Workstations/Laptops) under Multiboot/Virtualization mode but from a long time I wanted to build a Hackintosh on a dedicated Intel hardware PC. Now I thought that time has come. Here's my sytem configuration:
a) Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P & GA-P55A-UD6 (which is best for Hackintosh?).
b Intel Core i7-870 Processor
c) Corsair 8 GB DDR3-1600 (CMP8GX3M2A1600C9) - 2 sticks
d) Sapphire HD5850 Toxic Edition with 2 GB DDR5
e) Corsair 650HX PSU
f) WD 2 TB Black Sata 3 Gb/s with 64MB cache (WD2001FASS).
f) Asus VW246H is 24" LCD (got this one) but I wish Asus VW266H or Viewsonic VX2739WM LCD (prefer this one) - What do you say?
g) Sony Sata Optical Drive with DVD RW only (no Bluray)
h) Speakers: Creative 5.1 system
i) Case: Antec 1200
j) Keyboard Wireless Combo: Microsoft 3000 USB Bluetrack (any other?)
k) CPU Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper212 Plus (Megahelems Rev.B better?)
l) Webcam: Logitech HD C510 (does it work?)
m) Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1900 USB TV Tuner (no idea if this works?)
n) APC BackUPS 1100VA (any problem with this?)
o) Wireless Router (maybe D-link but what you recommended?)
Please give your inputs about this config.
Thank you.
@FC14: Thanks for you comment ! And Happy New Year to you too !
ReplyDeleteRegarding your questions:
Motherboard: Both are equally good for Hackintosh.
RAM: I wouldn't take sticks with such high heat-spreaders. Consider the G.Skill Eco 2x4GB (F3-12800CL8D-8GBECO).
LCD: Quality aside, this is a personal preference (what's better on your eyes), I recommend you to see it before ordering.
Keyboard/mouse: I love the feel of Apple Wireless Keyboard & Magic Trackpad,
CPU Cooler: Both are OK (though the 212 is a bit loud). I prefer the Scythe Mugen-2 Rev.B.
WebCam: It seems most Logitech WebCams work. I use a Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 for Business.
TV Tuner: I don't know if the HVR-1900 will work with OSX. I have an old Hauppauge WinTV PVR-150 on a Linux box running MythTV-backend (with Frontends running on Linux and Mac boxes).
If you want a Mac solution, check: http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/site/products/prods_mac.html or http://www.elgato.com/.
UPS: I have no recent experience with these, but it should be OK... It seems it works with Energy Saver in System Preferences. No need to use PowerChute (as it supports OSX until 10.4.8).
WiFi: Have used several units (Access Points) from different vendors. Currently have both Edimax and TP-Link units.
Good Luck !
Lnx2Mac
Thanks for the prompt response, Lnx2Mac.
ReplyDeleteHere's my almost final config:
a) MOBO & CPU: GA-P55A-UD6 & i7-870
b) I never used G.Skill so how about another Corsair model but without heat spreads? - CMX8GX3M2A1600C9 - Please comment.
c) Sapphire HD5850 Toxic Edition - 1 GB (scaled down the memory because I won't be playing too many Games on it). Hope this works. (2nd priority)
d) LCD: No, it wasn't about what I love. I asked w.r.t what Hackintosh takes it without any issues. Anyway, it would be Asus VW266H mostly because I never used Viewsonic earlier. I would love to keep a large/good display for Hackintish. (1st priority)
e) Keyboard/Mouse Combo: Yes, I do use couple of Apple combos (2009 made). I think I should stick to the same but do you recommend any particular model?
f) CPU Cooler: All my PC/Workstations either have Thermalright 120-MUX or Megahelams Rev.B. They are doing a great job but am unable to find them now. So, I thought Hyper212plus would be the best alternative. I know it's louder from many Cooler reviews. Sure, shall refer more about Mugen-2 Rev.B
g) Webcam: It's not mandatory. I can drop it too since I've couple of them for my personal usage. But still I would love to keep a fully loaded Hardware with my Hackintosh.
h) TV Tuner: Same as above but I shall refer more about it for sure. I wish to make this Hackintosh as an Encoding machine to churn out files such as MotoGP, F1 races so that I could upload them to the pvt. torrents :) Have you tried any encoding stuff on Hackintosh? If yes, how's the performance of Xvid & x264 files?
i) I need Wifi router/Access point for sure on Hackintosh. I would be very useless for many reasons. I'm thinking of D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Router but I would refer about it before I buy one. Any idea about this?
j) UPS: APC BackUPS 1100VA - I would buy this because we have power outages here so it's not quite good for the PC. How does Hackintosh behave in such a scenario? (outage).
Last but not least, how long it takes to install Hackintosh? Is it (almost) same time like what Snow Leopard install takes on MacBook Pro?
Awaiting for the response. I regret for asking to many questions, please bear with me. Big Thanks again.
@FC14: These Corsairs are good too and won't get in the way of your cooler.
ReplyDeleteAs you won't be playing too much, do you really need that 5850 ? For a non-gaming hackintosh, a 9800GT seems to provide a very good performance without the high-price.
Regarding LCD, as long as you don't use HDMI (there are HDCP interoperability issues with some displays, mainly TV sets), any DVI/VGA monitor should be OK.
Having a MacBookPro 17, I'm too used to the Apple keyboard and touchpad feel, that's why I picked the bluetooth versions for my hackintosh. Feels at home (actually the Magic Trackpad feels better than on the MBP) ;)
Try the Mugen-2 Rev.B and you won't be disappointed !
Some of my friends that used the 212, picked the Mugen-2 and love it.
As for performance, in two words: It screams !
You can configure in the Energy Saver pane of SysPrefs how it should behave on an outage (shutdown after x minutes, or when battery is at x%, etc.)
Regarding the time it takes to install...
Using the retail DVD and tonymacx86's iBoot+MultiBeast, I have a fully working hackintosh (updated to 10.6.5 and with all software updates) in about 35~40 minutes.
Good Luck !
Lnx2Mac
Hi Lnx2Mac,
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the quick response.
Final changes to my config:
a) CPU+MOBO+RAM are final as mentioned in my earlier post.
b) I would like to go for Sapphire 5770 FleX 1 GB card (supports 3 DVIs + support some OC!). Your pointer makes sense to me but is this good or should I go with the Vapor-X edition? (I prefer a cool card that's why am confused)
c) CPU Cooler: I've studied about Mugen-2 Rev.B here:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/lga-1156-heatsink,2535-16.html
Even though Thermalright 120-MUX is doing a wonderful job on my machines (which Overclock in the most stable way) but it looks like what you suggested is quite solid too. So, I would go with that company for the first time. Thanks :)
d) LCD: 27"/26"/24" as mentioned above (I'll buy a white monitor only)
e) HDD scaled down to WD Black 1 TB which should be more than enough.
f) Case: Do you know any good Tower case which is White color?
g) Alright, am going with Apple's Wireless combo then. This Hackintosh PC would be in all whites :)
h) Router, Webcam & TV Tuner: I'll more more research before buying them (w.r.t Hackintosh)
i) UPS: Final as mentioned above.
j) Speakers: This is the only problem as of now. Have to look at Creative's website for white color models.
h) Snow Leopard: Apple ships this product once we buy either a single or pack version. But do you know if Apple allows us to download the same once I pay for it? Please share about this.
k) Any good website for Games performance w.r.t Hackintosh.
That's all for now. I take the inspiration from you to start my own Blog so that I could post my build there with lot of details, config, experience etc. I wanna do many things in my free time with this planned machine such as Virtualization, massive Encoding etc (that's why 8 GB RAM). So the blog.
[OT] What area do you specialize in Linux? Myself is a Kernel hacker from 2.4.x days. Unlike many guys I know/interact at LKML, you are quite friendly towards Mac. I like that and keep it up my friend.
Looking forward for your final words. Thanks again :)
@FC14: I don't have much experience with ATI cards... So can't comment on that... You might want to post in the tonymacx86 forum...
ReplyDeleteYou can read more on the Mugen-2 here: http://www.silentpcreview.com/scythe-mugen2
As for white cases, aside from the Antec Designer 500 that I use, I also like the Antec Mini P180.
To the best of my knowledge, you can't download Snow Leopard from Apple...
Don't know about gaming sites, sorry.
Let me know when you start your blog ;)
And feel free to email me...
[OT] I've been hacking the Linux kernel since the 1.0 days (1994) ;)
Nowadays, I mainly work on Embedded Linux systems.
Good to see your response again.
ReplyDeleteUpdates:
a) MOBO changed to GA-P55A-UD4P (rev.2) - Final (UD6 has 6 RAM slots, costs more and some othee features which I feel is an overkill for this requirement).
b) Graphics card: FleX model - Final
c) I saw this case, please have a look:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146067
What do you think? I think I should be buying that for my Hackintosh. It deserves the best possible case. Thanks for those suggestions.
Yes, we can't download it but I thought I may not be knowing everything about Mac downloads. Anyway, I shall get in touch with my Apple sources.
Remaining components I shall buy soon once I do enough research w.r.t Hackintosh.
[OT] I used work on Embedded Systems too (Power and ARM) but now am an Employer in a different industry (Pharmaceutical and BioTech manufacturing). I still have so many boards; one I got is Technologic TS-7300 which is brand new because there's hardly any time left for me to fiddle with FPGA etc lol. Anyway, am glad to know about you (1.0 days thing was indeed a great milestone in our History!).
Regards,
Dr. Sunil
@FC14: That case looks interesting, but "too unique" for my taste :-D
ReplyDeleteAlso, with all those grilles and meshes, it's probably good for cooling an extremely overclocked gaming station, but not sure how well it will block/dampen noise.
See a nice review here.
Good Luck !
Lnx2Mac
Hello, and thanks for all your help to the community. I'm trying to spec hardware for a Hackintosh build and am having tons of trouble finding compatible motherboards that aren't discontinued, and graphics cards that work out of the box and don't have a fan.
ReplyDeleteThe only P55 boards from Gigabyte currently on Newegg are the GA-P55A-UD3 and the GA-P55-USB3... any thoughts? I am planning to buy a Firewire 800 card so I don't care about Firewire. Curious if some of the broken IDE support had been resolved on the one Gigabyte board, since I was hoping to be able to use my PATA optical drive.
As for graphics cards, I'm kind of at a loss. I have a fanless 7600GT which is sufficient for the light gaming I did on my now-deceased Windows box, but I've read that one can't boot Snow Leopard into 64-bit mode with this card. I'm willing to upgrade, but I want something that's passively cooled. Do you have any suggestions?
Other components I have specced include a Core i7 870 Lynnfield CPU, 2x4GB Corsair DDR3 1600, a 1.5TB hard drive w/64MB cache and the aforementioned firewire card.
Thanks for answering questions for folks here.
@Gordon: Thanks for your comment !
ReplyDeleteMost Gigabyte P55/P55A/H55 motherboards will work without trouble, except for IDE support on some.
Upgrading from a 7600GT you'll find many passively cooled cards...
As the 9800 Silent Cell seems to be impossible or extremely hard to find, a good alternative is using a regular 9800GT with an aftermarket GPU cooler.
Hi Lnx2Mac, I would appreciate your advice.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the tech news site Anandtech http://www.anandtech.com/show/4155/puge ... cr-edition (also another independent review in Mashable), the following configuration gives you the World's Most Silent PC.
I need your help to check which parts we would need to replace to make it compatible to install MACOS.
System Core
- Motherboard Asus P8P67-M Pro
- CPU Intel Core i7 2600K QUAD CORE 3.4GHz 95W
- Ram Kingston 8GB DDR3-1333 (2x4GB)
- GPU Gigabyte Radeon HD 5750 1gb Silent
Storage
- Intel X25-M 34nm Gen2 120gb Solid State Drive
- Hard Drive Western Digital Caviar Green 2.0 tb
- Lite-On 8x Blu-ray Player (black)
Case / Cooling
- Case Antec P183 V3 Black Aluminum 159 Newegg
- Power Supply Antec CP-850 850W
- CPU Cooling Gelid Tranquillo w/ Scythe SlipStream 120 fan
- Cooling Case Fans Upgrade Kit (quiet) 3 Scythe Slipstreams SY1225SL12M (ll chassis fans to Scythe Slipstream 800rpm, at 5V)
- Case Mods AcoustiPack Acoustic Composite Sheet Package
- 120mm Fan Mount Cover (Black) to cover top air vent in case from http://www.pugetsystems.com/store/item. ... m=d41d8cd9
My main doubts are about the System core components. A must for me is a powerful silent card (passive and working OOB) - other alternatives are Gigabyte GV-N98TSL-1GI (9800 GT) or ASUS ENGT240 Silent.
Thank you in advance
@Anonymous: I still have no experience with SandyBridge boards and processors.
ReplyDeleteHowever I've seen a lot of activity in the tonymacx86 SandyBridge Forum, though.
You might want to check there...
Good Luck !
Lnx2Mac
Hi Lnx2Mac,
ReplyDeleteI thought you might be able to help me out, I am interested in building a MacMini similar to the builds that are found on TonyMac's site. Unfortunately the Zotac GT240 1GB that he has listed is not available at this time. I am trying to figure out a reasonable substitute but I get a little confused when it comes to video cards since there are so many different brands of Nvidia GeForce's and so on. So I guess my question is if one Nvidia GeForce GT240 is compatible in one brand is it also compatible in another brand? Do you have any replacement suggestions specifically for the Zotac that will find into a mini case? Also I was concerned that there are no CPU coolers listed in his mini builds. Any suggestions on that situation as well? Thanks a bunch!
Josh
@Joshua: You can check compatibility of specific cards in the tonymacx86 Graphics Card Database Wiki.
ReplyDeleteAs for CPU coolers, I'm using a Scythe Big Shuriken in one of my builds, and I love it.
Hi Lnx2Mac,
ReplyDeleteI would like to comment you on your great work.
I need your expert advise as I'm also planning to build a new pc running windows 7 ultimate & hackintosh, primarily used for general usage (office work, internet, etc.) plus photoshop & video editing (as a hobby).
Here are my specs:
Processor: Intel Core i7 950 3.06Ghz LGA 1366
MOBO: Gigabyte GA-X58A -UD3R
Memory: Kingston 4GB DDR1333 x 2
Hard Disk: WD 1TB Green
Graphic Card: Inno GTX 550Ti 1G
PSU: Coolmaster 750W SLI
DVD Writer: Samsung 24x S243N SATA Lightscribe
Monitor: Viewsonic VX2250wm 22" W LED monitor
Chassis: Thermaltake V4
Anything I need to replace or add?
Your advise will greatly be appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
WOS
@WOS:
ReplyDeleteOn an X58, you might want to run RAM in triple-channel configuration.
I'm not sure the GTX550Ti is supported. You can ask in the
tonymacx86 Graphics Subforum
Samsung DVD writers (among others) are know for causing random spins and auto-sleep problems. Better stick to Sony-Optiarc or Pioneer.
Also, you probably want to add a CPU cooler.
Good Luck !
Lnx2Mac
Hi Lnx2Mac,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your swift reply.
Sorry to ask, but what do you mean by running RAM in triple-channel configuration.
Also, if not GTX 550ti, what other video card would you recommend (not too high end, as I'm not much of a gamer) that can be maximize for photoshop, video editing & is compatible for hackintosh?
Thanks for the advise on Samsung DVD writers. Problem is what is normally sold here are Asus, Samsung, Liteon & HP. What would you suggest? Or do I go for a blue ray combo?
What type of CPU cooler would you also suggest?
Thanks in advance.
WOS
Hey Lnx2Mac, Love your guide, been coming back to it often. This summer I am going to try to build my own computer. I recently stumbled on this idea of a clear case. Do you think this case would be able to support a similar build to yours and would it get over heated?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811148001
there is the link to the one i would prefer, there is a second option which is here
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811166033
would either of these work for the build, and which would you recommend?
thanks in advance
-Alex
@WOS: By triple-channel configuration, I mean picking a kit of 3 RAM sticks (instead of 2).
ReplyDeleteRegarding other video cards, I'd go with an ATI Radeon 57x0. You can find specific models that work out-of-the-box in the tonymacx86 Graphics card database wiki.
Regarding the DVD writer, I've read success reports using Liteon.
As for CPU coolers, I'm a big fan of the Scythe Mugen-2 for its cooling performance and silence.
Good Luck !
Lnx2Mac
@Alex: Thanks for your comment !
ReplyDeleteIn principle, there's no reason why a clear case won't support a build similar to mine...
But I prefer sturdy steel cases...
Acrylic cases tend to dampen less noise and dissipate less heat than the heavy steel ones.
These also require you to do a better cabling routing and demand more frequent dust cleanup for them to look tidy.
Also, reading the buyers' comments, it seems there are some quality issues with these - can't hold relatively heavy PSUs and the fans seem to be noisy.
Hey Lnx2Mac, Alex again. I have decided to ditch my clear case idea. And I have completed my research. Here is my final build. I would love to hear what you have to say about it.
ReplyDeleteI have decided to go with an 1155 motherboard, and the new Sandy Bridge i7 Processor.
The CPU cooler, RAM, and HD are the same as on your build.
500W power supply, enough?
Thanks in advance.
-Alex
Motherboard:
GIGABYTE P67A-UD4-B3 LGA 1155
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128478
CPU:
i7 3.4 GHz Quad Core CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115071
CPU Cooler:
Scythe Mugen 2 Rev. B (Model SCMG-2100)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185142
RAM:
2* G.SKILL ECO 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3
(Model F3-12800CL7D-4GBECO)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231321
Graphics Card:
GIGABYTE GeForce GTS 450 (Fermi)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125344
Hard Disk Drive:
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185
Optical Disk:
Sony DVD-ROM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118031
Case:
SMILODON RAIDMAX 500W Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156062
Display:
SAMSUNG 23" Widescreen
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001386
Correction, Added in an ANTEC 650W Power supply and getting the computer case without the 500W power supply (same price but shipping is free)
ReplyDeleteAntec 650W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371015
Thanks! :)
@Alex: All looks good, except for the GeForce GTS 450.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, current nVidia drivers for "Fermi" cards lead to Kernel panics/system freezes.
I'd suggest you to switch to an ATI 5xxx, or settle for a non-Fermi nVidia.
Nice case, BTW ;)
Just an update, I decided to not go with the sandy bridge because of the recall. I went with the last ud4 motherboard I could find on Amazon. Lynnfield i7-870 cpu and 8 gig 2*4 gb gskill rip jaw for my Memory.
ReplyDeleteOrdered all the parts and picked up an acer 23 inch LED monitor from my local best buy.
Parts should be in by friday and then I will prolly update you from my new computer :)
-allex
Just a quick one to say how nice it is to have a hack that is actually fully functional.
ReplyDeleteFollowed your basic build Motherboard + GT240 + i7 870 into a G5 case and can't believe how EVERYTHING works!
Am used to sleep/speedstep or HDMI video/Audio not being fully functional in hacks so to have such an easy build experience is fantastic.
One pitfall I ran into by taking a shortcut was assuming that my p55M UD4 had a recent BIOS and so I just went ahead with the F11 DSDT. Finally realised that I actually was on an F3 BIOS so doing an update got my audio working. Just goes to show you should always follow the instructions......
@Minihack: Glad it helped !
ReplyDeleteAnd if you encounter USB issues with F11 (I did), you might consider using F9.
hi lnx2mac
ReplyDeleteusing 32 inch tv as main monitor having problems with getting hdmi sound with asus 5770 and voodoo hda 0.2.1 worked with 10.6.4 but not with 10.6.5 or later
stupid here bought a gts 450 to solve problem it does alright but then system freezes
could you recommend a graphics card to suit in the league of a 5770 or better for a hdmi video and audio set up
thanks nige
@nige: You might want to ask in tonymacx86 Audio Subforum
ReplyDeleteGood Luck !
Lnx2Mac