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Hackintosh-ing Dell Optiplex 990 (and 790)

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Oct 27, 2011
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Motherboard
Dell Precision T3600
CPU
Intel Xeon(R) CPU E5-1620 @3.6 GHz
Graphics
NVIDIA*GeForce*GT*710*2GB
Mac
  1. MacBook Air
  2. MacBook Pro
Mobile Phone
  1. iOS
This is in response to a PM, but I thought I'd make it public for anyone else with one of these Optiplexes.

I got my system up and running three or four months ago on 10.7.2 (with recent update through apple menu to 10.7.3). I had NO dsdt; I just installed easybeast along with hrac's intel Ethernet kext. This got everything working well, including Internet, although I lack the WoL option in the energy preferences, which is disappointing. I have it enabled in bios, but I imagine I need an updated Kext that will allow it on the Intel 82579LM Gigabit LAN.

Audio and video were no good OOB. Realtek ALC269q and AMD Radeon HD 6350, respectively.

I tried all the voodoo options for audio, but kept having KPs. Perhaps I was doing it wrong? maybe there was a conflicting Kext that should have been deleted first before installing voodoo? At any rate, I ended up buying an $8 USB audio stick (mic and speaker jacks) which was plug and play. Easy-peasy.

For the AMD card, I didn't try my hardest to find a kext that would make it work right, since I had another card anyway. I got my Asus GeForce 210 1GB working OOB, making sure that graphics enabler was set to 'yes', so no problems there.

I did some other tweaking to get the OS to boot on a RAID volume, but I'll spare you those details since after the second RAID failure (thanks CCC for saving my bacon!) I just put the OS on a non-RAID disk. As a side note, my data disk is still on a RAID volume and I haven't had a problem.

My remaining problems, at this point, other than the lack of WoL which i already mentioned, included getting the system to sleep and wake up properly. I installed this Kext for system sleep: http://www.osx86.net/downloads.php?do=file&id=1771. Honestly I can't remember just how much that kext helped. I just know it wasn't 100% because I ended up installing 3rd party software to help the lion sleep. This issue may have been an OS issue, not a Hackintosh issue. That super-helpful software was PleaseSleep, and it's free. http://www.dragonone.com/products/macosx/pleasesleep/

Then, I did something else to the system that I neglected to write down on my Evernote Hackintosh page. It had something to do with making the system stay awake once it's awakened?? That is, before I installed or made this tweak or whatever it was, when I woke it from sleep with a single keyboard press, it would waken for three seconds and then fall back asleep, unless I continued pressing keys. This tweak cured that problem by sending inputs in the background to keep it awake after I hit a single key or mouse click to wake it up. If anybody knows what this tweak was or where it can be found, please shout it out.

I think that's about it. I hope this is helpful to someone else with a 990 or 790. Let me know if you have any more specific questions.

LONG LIVE THE HACKINTOSH!
 
Hi,

could you please tell me what install method you used for dell 990?

Im :( failing to have at least install screen.

d.

*edit*

got it.

All I have to do is to put some supported gfx card (http://www.scan.co.uk/products/1gb-msi- ... ow-profile) have to remove usb 3.0 card couse its too close to gfx cooler , not sure is it good to be so close to gfx. but you can leave it if you need it.

and install with these steps:

1. Easy Beast, System Utilities/Repair Permissions
2. reboot from hd
3. ccc to clone hd
4. hrac's intel Ethernet, System Utilities/Repair Permissions *this is network*
5. reboot from hd
6. ccc to clone hd
7. instal these kext for audio download/file.php?id=11739
download/file.php?id=11738
8. reboot from hd
9. ccc to clone hd
10. instal this for sleep http://www.osx86.net/downloads.php?do=file&id=1771
11. reboot from hd
12. ccc to clone hd

Used thumb drive lion 10.7.3

used ccc so much to be safe than sorry :cool:


cheers!
d.
 
I'm a hackintosh newbie and I tried this setup and got Lion installed all the way up to the user registration stage (Unibeast key with Appstore purchase.). I even successfully create a user account but it continues to infinitely loop through user account creations. Any advice?
 
How can I setup my Dell Optiplex 990 (Core i7-2600) for install of MACOSX Retail DVD 10.7.4 without having a MAC? the downloads are all *.pkg files... iBoot method does not work for 10.7.x.

BIOS is set to AHCI. Radeon GFX: HD 6350

-- Update: Created a uniBeast install on removable storage now I get a error:

Code:
Boot0: done
Boot0: error

Thats is all.
 
Hi,

I've been trying to install Lion on a Dell 990 for a few days now with no result :(

The OS installs with no problems and I run Multibeast. I followed dexcox's instructions but as soon as I reboot the screen goes into Power Save Mode and that's the end of it.

Any suggestions?

Cheers
 
Did you install Mountain Lion or Lion? Did you use any boot option to get to the install?
 
I'm also having trouble installing on the same machine
I can instal using -x, but after I can only boot with the pen drive
and easybeast does not work for me
 
Anyone get this to work? Thanks.
 
I got Mavericks working with my 790 sff.

Installed using unibeast. Used multibeast to install easybeast and Intel Ethernet.

I have a low pro Asus nvidia gt520 and that worked OOB. The only thing I had to do separate was install the realtek ac269 sound through kextbeast.


No fiddling with flags. Install was very smooth!
 
did you manage to install os x without a graphics card?
I had previously done it but I don't know why it doesn't work anymore
the last time I had to delete the graphics files inside the extensions folder on the usb drive

but now I can't get into the installation dialog, even using -x
and I also tried with both mountain lion and mavericks and neither of them work
 
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