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Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide April 2013

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tonymacx86

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Motherboard
Z370N WIFI
CPU
i7 8700K
Graphics
HD 630
Mac
  1. MacBook Air
Classic Mac
  1. Apple
  2. PowerBook
Mobile Phone
  1. iOS

When running OS X as your main operating system, supported and compatible components are extremely important. That is why we have created a large selection of pre-configured systems along with a list of options. For this month's guide we've maintained our basic recommendations, while adding with the new NVIDIA GeForce 650 Ti Boost graphics card. We've also added our top pick for a natively supported USB webcam.

These might not be the only components that work, but based on our research they're the easiest and best supported options. Use this as a shopping list or as a jumping off point. Either way you'll be supporting the site by purchasing through these links, so thanks in advance!



Table of Contents

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CustoMac Mini (mini-ITX)
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CustoMac Mini Deluxe (mini-ITX)
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CustoMac Budget (mATX)
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CustoMac Budget (ATX)
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CustoMac Pro (ATX)
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CustoMac Socket 2011 (E-ATX)
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Operating Systems
attachment.php
Graphics Cards
attachment.php
CPUs
attachment.php
Motherboards
attachment.php
Drives
attachment.php
CPU Coolers
attachment.php
Power Supplies
attachment.php
Cases
attachment.php
Accessories



CustoMac Mini

The CustoMac Mini is a bare-bones CustoMac in a shoebox sized case featuring a H77 mini-iTX motherboard and a dual-core Ivy Bridge processor. The graphics are integrated, so there's no need for a power-hungry discrete graphics card. The case also includes a power-efficient power supply unit. Less parts, less power, less heat, less cost. Please note that the motherboard's Intel mini-PCIe card includes both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth but only the bluetooth features are available under OS X. If you don't use the PCIe slot, we recommend the TP-Link PCIe card below for native Wi-Fi support. Also, there are a few native wifi-only Atheros mini-PCIe replacement card suggestions if you don't need bluetooth.​

attachment.php
CPU Intel Core i3-3225 Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Motherboard GA-H77N-WIFI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
RAM 8GB 1600Mhz DDR3
16GB 1600Mhz DDR3
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
Case + Power
Supply
Apex MI-008
(w/ 250W Power Supply)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
attachment.php
Storage SATA 6Gb/s 120GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 240GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
Wifi Card TP-Link PCI Express
Wifi Adapter
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



CustoMac Mini Deluxe

The CustoMac Mini "Deluxe" is a no-compromise build featuring a Z77 mini-ITX motherboard and a quad-core Ivy Bridge CPU. The BitFenix Prodigy case is a unique way of thinking about a mini-ITX system, as it's not exactly small. It's about the size of a mATX case, making room for multiple hard drives, and a full sized graphics card. The Z77 motherboard is also capable of overclocking if you use a "K" CPU, and there is even room for a water cooler for the CPU. Please note that the motherboard's Intel mini-PCIe card includes both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth but only the bluetooth features are available under OS X. If you don't use the PCIe slot, we recommend the TP-Link PCIe card below for native Wi-Fi support. Also, there are a few native wifi-only Atheros mini-PCIe replacement card suggestions if you don't need bluetooth. If the BitFenix Prodigy is unavailable, we've listed some alternate cases below.​

attachment.php
CPU Intel Core i5-3570K
Intel Core i7-3770
Intel Core i7-3770K
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
Motherboard GA-Z77N-WIFI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
RAM 8GB 1600Mhz DDR3
16GB 1600Mhz DDR3
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
Case BitFenix Prodigy
(No Power Supply)
White Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Black Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Orange Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Red Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
Power Supply Corsair 650 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
attachment.php
attachment.php
graphics-650tiboost.jpg
attachment.php
attachment.php
attachment.php
attachment.php
Graphics Card GT 640
GTX 650
GTX 650 Ti
GTX 650 Ti Boost
GTX 660
GTX 660 Ti
GTX 670
GTX 680
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
attachment.php
Storage SATA 6Gb/s 120GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 240GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg



CustoMac Budget mATX

A powerful desktop build with budget-minded parts and no graphics card. This build contains a mATX sized motherboard, a dual or quad core CPU and Intel HD 4000 onboard graphics.​

attachment.php
CPU Intel Core i3-3225
Intel Core i7-3770
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
Motherboard GA-B75M-D3P
GA-Q77M-D2H
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
RAM 8GB 1600Mhz DDR3
16GB 1600Mhz DDR3
32GB 1600Mhz DDR3
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
Case Fractal Design
Core 1000
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Power
Supply
Corsair 500 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
attachment.php
Storage SATA 6Gb/s 120GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 240GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
Wifi Card TP-Link PCI Express
Wifi Adapter
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



CustoMac Budget ATX

A powerful desktop build with budget-minded parts and no graphics card. This build contains a ATX sized motherboard, a dual or quad core CPU and Intel HD 4000 onboard graphics.​

attachment.php
CPU Intel Core i3-3225
Intel Core i5-3570K
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
Motherboard GA-Z77-DS3H Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
RAM 8GB 1600Mhz DDR3
16GB 1600Mhz DDR3
32GB 1600Mhz DDR3
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
Case Corsair Carbide 300R Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Power
Supply
Corsair 600 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
attachment.php
Storage SATA 6Gb/s 120GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 240GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
Wifi Card TP-Link PCI Express
Wifi Adapter
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



CustoMac Pro

These full sized ATX builds have quad-core CPUs, maxed out RAM, and lots of expandability. Well suited for any demanding uses. Each has few high-end graphics card options that work in OS X Mountain Lion.

attachment.php
CPU Intel Core i5-3570K
Intel Core i7-3770
Intel Core i7-3770K
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
Motherboard GA-Z77X-UP5-TH
GA-Z77X-UD5H
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
RAM 8GB 1600Mhz DDR3
16GB 1600Mhz DDR3
32GB 1600Mhz DDR3
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
Case Corsair Carbide 500R Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Power
Supply
Corsair 650 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
attachment.php
attachment.php
graphics-650tiboost.jpg
attachment.php
attachment.php
attachment.php
attachment.php
Graphics Card GT 640
GTX 650
GTX 650 Ti
GTX 650 Ti Boost
GTX 660
GTX 660 Ti
GTX 670
GTX 680
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
attachment.php
Storage SATA 6Gb/s 120GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 240GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
Wifi Card TP-Link PCI Express
Wifi Adapter
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



CustoMac Pro Socket 2011

These rigs are the most powerful single CPU systems you can build. Warning: Power Management is NOT working, and may not ever work. This means no speedstep, sleep, etc... Socket 2011 CPUs do not come with a CPU cooler- they require a separately purchased CPU cooler.

attachment.php
CPU Intel Xeon E5 2609
(4 core)
Intel Xeon E5 2630
(6 core)
Intel Xeon E5 2640
(6 core)
Intel Xeon E5 2650
(8 core)
Intel Xeon E5 2690
(8 core)
Intel Core i7-3820
(4 core)
Intel Core i7-3930K
(6 core)
Intel Core i7-3960X
(6 core)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon.com
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon.com
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon.com
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon.com
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon.com
(CAN UK DE ES IT)
Amazon.com
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon.com
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
Motherboard GA-X79S-UP5 Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
RAM 16GB 1600Mhz DDR3
32GB 1600Mhz DDR3
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
Case Corsair Graphite 600T Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Power
Supply
Corsair 750 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
attachment.php
attachment.php
graphics-650tiboost.jpg
attachment.php
attachment.php
attachment.php
attachment.php
Graphics Card GT 640
GTX 650
GTX 650 Ti
GTX 650 Ti Boost
GTX 660
GTX 660 Ti
GTX 670
GTX 680
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
attachment.php
Storage SATA 6Gb/s 120GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 240GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
CPU Cooler Corsair H60 (Water) Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



Operating Systems

attachment.php
OS X 10.8
Mountain Lion
Mac App Store
attachment.php
Mac OS X 10.6
Snow Leopard
Apple
attachment.php
Microsoft Windows 8 Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
attachment.php
Microsoft Windows 8
Professional
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)



Graphics Cards

One of the most important components in a custom build is the graphics card. If you're building a CustoMac, it's an especially tricky decision. Not only do you have to worry about what will be a good performer for the cost, but you also have to be informed about what is fully supported, and what is not. The following graphics card examples are all natively compatible without modifying drivers. Each gives a range of port options, install compatibility, and is known to work with minimal configuration. Furthermore, it's now possible to use multiple NVIDIA cards in tandem- dual and triple cards are enabled by default. For a general comparison, check out this performance benchmarks table for recommended NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards.

attachment.php
GeForce GT 640 ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
PNY Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Zotac Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
GeForce GTX 650 ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
PNY Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Zotac Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
GeForce GTX 650 Ti ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
PNY Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Zotac Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
graphics-650tiboost.jpg
GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
GeForce GTX 660 ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
PNY Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Zotac Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
GeForce GTX 660 Ti ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
PNY Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Zotac Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
GeForce GTX 670 ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
PNY Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Zotac Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
GeForce GTX 670
Upgraded with
higher clock speed.
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Zotac Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
GeForce GTX 680 ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
PNY Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Zotac Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
GeForce GTX 680
Upgraded with
higher clock speed.
ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Zotac Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg



CPUs

We recommend these specific Ivy Bridge CPUs for Socket 1155 motherboards because they feature fully working HD 4000 integrated graphics. Each CPU comes with a basic Intel CPU cooler.

attachment.php
Intel Core i7-3770K
3.5Ghz
4 Cores / 8 Threads, Turbo
Unlocked for Overclocking
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Intel Core i7-3770
3.4Ghz
4 Cores / 8 Threads, Turbo Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Intel Core i5-3570K
3.4Ghz
4 Cores / 4 Threads, Turbo
Unlocked for Overclocking
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Intel Core i3-3225
3.3Ghz
2 Cores / 4 Threads, Turbo Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



Motherboards

We recommend these specific Gigabyte 7-series motherboards because of native power management support, network, and audio. They are the most compatible with OS X and are the easiest motherboards to get up and running for first time builders.

attachment.php
Gigabyte
GA-Z77X-UP5-TH
ATX, VGA, DVI, HDMI
Dual Thunderbolt,
Bluetooth/Wifi*
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Gigabyte
GA-Z77X-UD5H
ATX, VGA, DVI
HDMI, DP
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Gigabyte
GA-Z77-DS3H
ATX, VGA, DVI, HDMI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Gigabyte
GA-Q77M-D2H
mATX, VGA, DVI
HDMI, DP
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Gigabyte
GA-B75M-D3P
mATX, VGA, DVI
HDMI, DP
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Gigabyte
GA-Z77N-WIFI
mini-ITX, DVI, HDMI
Bluetooth/Wifi*
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Gigabyte
GA-H77N-WIFI
mini-ITX, DVI, HDMI
Bluetooth/Wifi*
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg

*Wifi not working in OS X. Native wifi PCIe adapter listed below.


System Drives

We recommend using a solid state drive (SSD) for your system or boot drive for maximum performance and a traditional hard drive for your data. For these drives, we recommend the Sandisk Extreme as they use toggle NAND flash and Sandforce controllers. This combination provides the highest performance and doesn't require TRIM being enabled. If you don't go with a SSD system drive, choose a 1TB or less hard drive for Chimera/Chameleon to boot from. Also, look for for a boot drive that that uses 512 byte blocks as the Advanced Format 4K drives require workarounds.. The following drive examples have been hand picked to work without issues.

attachment.php
SATA 6Gb/s 500GB HDD Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
SanDisk SATA
6Gb/s 120GB SSD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
SanDisk SATA
6Gb/s 240GB SSD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
SanDisk SATA
6Gb/s 480GB SSD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Mushkin mSATA
6Gb/s 120GB SSD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



Storage Drives

The data or storage drives listed here were chosen for their large capacity and speed. However, we don't advise using them as your boot drive.

attachment.php
SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
SATA 6Gb/s 2TB HDD Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
SATA 6Gb/s 3TB HDD Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



CPU Coolers

attachment.php
Corsair H60 (Water) Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Thermaltake Performer (Water) Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Thermaltake Slim X3
Low Profile (Air)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Thermaltake Frio (Air) Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
ARCTIC Freezer i30
Extreme (Air)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



Power Supplies

attachment.php
Corsair 500 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Corsair 600 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Corsair 650 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Corsair 750 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



Cases

The case is one of the most universal parts, although you need to make sure that your motherboard and chosen parts will fit. Each link refers to the details of the product, where you can see what sizes are recommended.

attachment.php
mini-ITX Apex MI-008
(w/ 250W Power Supply)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
mini-ITX Thermaltake Element Q
(w/ 200W Power Supply)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
mini-ITX Silverstone Sugo SG07B
(w/ 600W Power Supply)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
mini-ITX CoolerMaster Elite 120 Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
mini-ITX BitFenix Prodigy White Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Black Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Orange Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Red Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
attachment.php
mATX Fractal Design Core 1000 Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
mATX Silverstone PS07 Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
mATX/ATX Cooler Master HAF XB Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
mATX/ATX Corsair Carbide 200R Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
mATX/ATX Corsair Carbide 300R Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
mATX/ATX Corsair Carbide 400R Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
mATX/ATX Corsair Carbide 500R Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
ATX/E-ATX Corsair Graphite 600T Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
ATX/E-ATX Cooler Master HAF XM Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



Accessories

These parts are known to work well with CustoMac desktops. If planning to use Bluetooth exclusively, access to a USB keyboard is also helpful to get into the UEFI and to access the bootloader menus.

attachment.php
USB Flash Drive (8GB) Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
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USB Flash Drive (16GB) Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Sony DVD Optical Drive Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
LG BluRay Optical Drive Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Apple Wired Keyboard Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
attachment.php
Apple Wireless
Keyboard (Bluetooth)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
attachment.php
Logitech Wireless
Keyboard K750
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
attachment.php
Logitech Wireless Mini
Keyboard K760
(Bluetooth)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
attachment.php
Apple Magic Trackpad Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
attachment.php
Apple Magic Mouse Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
attachment.php
IOGear Bluetooth 4.0 Adapter
(10.8 Mountain Lion
Only - Wakes from Sleep)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
IOGear Bluetooth 2.1 Adapter
(10.6+ - No Wake from Sleep)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
TP-Link PCI Express
Wifi Adapter
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Rosewill PCI Express
Wifi Adapter (US only)
Amazon US Newegg
accessories-webcam-1080p.png
Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920
(1080p, Native Microphone)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
attachment.php
Apple Thunderbolt to
Ethernet Adapter
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
attachment.php
Apple Thunderbolt to
Firewire Adapter
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
attachment.php
Seagate GoFlex FreeAgent
Thunderbolt to SATA Adapter
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
attachment.php
Apple Thunderbolt Cable (2.0m) Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
attachment.php
Apple Thunderbolt Cable (0.5m) Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)


Remember, when building and configuring your own computer, it's easy to get frustrated- don't give up! There are users with similar specs here at tonymacx86.com to help you out if you get stuck.

Oh, and don't forget, if you end up buying anything, click through one of the links here. That way, you'll be supporting the site, as well as getting the best prices. Thanks in advance! Good luck, and let us know how it goes!​

 

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Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks, for keeping us current.
 
Thanks for the updates but what is the difference between this update and the previous one, "Buyer's Guide March 2013" ?
 
Article: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide April 2013

Thanks for the updates but what is the difference between this update and the previous one, "Buyer's Guide March 2013" ?

As stated:

For this month's guide we've maintained our basic recommendations, while adding with the new NVIDIA GeForce 650 Ti Boost graphics card. We've also added our top pick for a natively supported USB webcam.
 
Wondering what is the difference between a regular 650 Ti and the Boost version ??
Is it just over clocked ?
 
What with AMD?which motherboard for amd processor are supported,and how fx-83500 recognized from mac?
 
Article: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide April 2013

What with AMD?which motherboard for amd processor are supported,and how fx-83500 recognized from mac?
From Forum Rules:


  • AMD nor Atom CPUs and NVIDIA, ATI, VIA or SIS desktop chipsets are not supported by the methods and software on this site and will not work.
 
Article: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide April 2013

Wondering what is the difference between a regular 650 Ti and the Boost version ??
Is it just over clocked ?

It's really completely different. It's more like a 660. Bottom line the 650ti wasn't the best. The 650ti boost is a huge upgrade in performance. Several reviews have called it the new best budget gpu. I almost bought it earlier this week but I found the 660 on sale at amazon. The 650ti boost is a great choice for a mid range card.
 
Hello. Looks great!

I'm looking at the motherboard provided in the list: GA-Z77X-UD5H. If it is in the list, does it mean that all components works by help of currently available Multibeasts for each available version 10.6, 10.7, 10.8 ?

As for mostly suggested NVIDIA video cards, are the working out of the box (native support) ?

And the last thing, suggested motherboard, mostly 77 series usually equipped with Atheros GbE and Intel GbE. Previously Gigabyte equipped all 61/67 motherboards with Realtek GbE (8111) which was always becoming unusable where Realtek kext unload and load needed to fix if router or cable disconnected. What can you say about new 77 series with new NET chips, any known bug like described for Realtek ?
 
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