Project PowerMac i5 [Complete]

Project PowerMac i5


After many years of wanting to create 'my perfect computer' i finally took up the challenge of creating it. My aim was to create a Hackintosh that could run both OS's (primarily OS X), that had the feel of a Mac whilst having the essence of a gaming rig. It had to be visually pleasing both inside and out with water cooling and braided cabling. I seen many other mods on TonyMac Forums that gave me inspiration, One being minihack's and the other being brammee's.

This was the final result



Specifications

Intel Core i5 3570K 3.40GHz
Gigabyte Z77-UD5H
ASUS GTX 760 2GB OC
Avexir Core Blue 2666 8GB
2 OCZ Vertex 4 256GB
LG Blu-Ray Player
Corsair TX750M PSU

The Build

So, here is the Power Mac G5 Dual 1.86GHz 2004 Model, that i picked up in fully working order and in pretty much perfect condition (the reason i bought it). It came in its battered box and i picked it up from York, UK for £90.



I had a little bit of a mess on with it before dismantling it ready for modification, but then got right to work stripping it out.



Now it sat there for a few months as i was waiting to finish my university term, but whilst i was waiting i ordered the Mountain Mods motherboard tray as i had heard it was very well made.




So my plan was to utilize the original PSU and modify the cables, but having been there before (An iMac G3 Project), modding PSUs is not the easiest thing to do. I decided that it would be best to take the easier route and build a new PSU into it. So i removed and prepped it ready for a Corsair CX750M.





It was rotten inside that PSU! but anyways... I had planned to replace the PSU cover with a new bit of Aluminum as it will get rid of all the notches that were used for holding bits in its original state, but, unfortunately, as you will see later on it wasn't possible due to space constraints.



I ordered a large bag of goodies, 2 Arctic F8 fans, 2 Arctic F12 Fans, White cable braiding and some metal adhesive.



So i got straight onto carrying out the modification to the case...








After lots and lots of measuring, then checking again just before i got my Dremel to hand, i started to cut the case.





The cut turned out even better than i had hoped, so i started fitting the modified parts such as the modified optical drive mount i did earlier.

OK, well when it came to fitting the mountain mods motherboard tray, it was the real test of my cutting! and i was truly amazed at how close i managed to get the cut!







PLEASE NOTE THE LITTLE CURVE IS FROM THE FAN, NOT MY BAD CUTTING ;-)





So i went ahead and fitted the tray etc together, and i was extremely happy with its results







Those edges make the inside of the case look much much better as its butt to butt. I used the original motherboard standoffs after they have been adhered to the case in the correct location.


Just after i had finished this work, the courier dropped off my new PSU and window perspex!





So i then got straight to work on it!


As you will see on one of the photos, i had to bend the top as it was hitting the heat sink inside.


First i had to modify the fans so that they were wired together. This allowed them to clip into the standard connector. i also had to extend the cable.





Then i had to measure, drill and glue some standoffs into place. I then had to wait overnight for them to set.





Whilst i was bored, i thought i would 'reutilise' the stickers from the Corsair PSU





Anyway i fitted the PSU in place and did a minor cut to allow the extra cables to come through.






So the motherboard tray standoffs are busy being glued down, so i then went ahead and got the window ready.


here is a picture of the perspex covering where i would like it to be. i needed to cut out a section whilst rounding off the edges





i realised the back was removable, and that it would make a great template!





After measuring, cutting and polishing the edges. i had my window! unfortunately i chipped an edge but it wont be visible as that will be where it is stuck down.





Quite impressed with the tint and what it looks like, at this point i was a bit undecided on what window design to have so i left it for the time being.

I started my first trial braiding on the exhaust fans, and it got me quite exited thinking about the final product.





Finally for this section i decided what watercooling parts i wanted and how they would be fitted

EK-D5 X-RES 140 CSQ - Acetal
XSPC D5 Vario (Body + Screwring)
Hardware Labs Black ICE Radiator SR1 240
XSPC HighFlex Hose 1/2" ID, 3/4" OD, 19/12.7mm, 2m, Clear
NZXT Sleeved 30cm black HSG SATA cable - White (CBW-SATA-11D)
EK PSC Compression Fitting 13mm 3/8" - G1/4 - Nickel x 2
EK-PSC Adapter Rotary 90 G1/4 Nickel x4
Mayhems Pastel - Raspberry Purple Coolant

So the watercooling parts arrived, so i measured up to make aluminium brackets to mount the radiator and got straight to work braiding the cables. I also changed the connectors to have black connectors like the rest of the case connectors.






I also needed to make an aluminium mounting block that it could be adhered to the rear of the case, which would allow the reservoir to mount to it. This way is better as it will be easier to remove in the future.

So i got to work making the brackets and a small hard drive caddy that i later decided i didn't like so didn't use it.

Here are the mounts beside the radiator in their approximate mounting locations





Here are the mounts fitted between the fans and the radiator. I also fitted a foam gasket and cut the pieces out where the brackets are located, this is useful for relocating the screws when removing and refitting the radiator.





I taped round the bracket points so I knew where I needed to rough up and apply the adhesive






Then went ahead and roughed it up





Now i applied the adhesive and placed the radiator in its location onto the adhesive. I then removed the masking tape which removed excess adhesive. This is what it looks like





After 24 hours this is what i had





Quite impressed with how it looked and confident that i can now start ordering components, i went and spent the small fortune and started trial fitting them the next morning. Here is the motherboard in its correct mounting position, i adore the matt black PCB!





Now... heres the flagship modification, and i must say i am proud of how good it looks...


First of all i measured and sketched where i wanted the window to be.





I then painfully cut out the window... seriously when i say painfully it really was! i expected it to be soft but no way was it soft! it was a nightmare!!!





Then after another hour of filing, sanding and checking i removed the mass of masking tape, cleaned it and fitted it (without the window).





Very impressed with how it looked, i wanted to get the window fitted, so i had it gluing on the floor ^.^





Nicely using the old G5 heat sinks as weights ^.^

and the following morning...






EPIC! :-D​

Component installation time...

First of all, the Blu-Ray drive turned up so i quickly swapped the parts off the CD drive to make it fit.






After that quick job, i spent a good few hours on the braiding of the cables on my PSU!







Once the PSU was complete i fitted it to the case, but had to make a minor adjustment to the motherboard tray to allow the cables to fit under it. I cut out a 25mm section of the reinforcement (no picture to see) of that though would you believe it





Now i was anxious to get the parts in and fire it up. so i went right ahead ^.^






Now of course this is not the final product. There are a few issues that need solving and of course the watercooling isnt fitted as i was still waiting for the parts, but i wasn't waiting long...

I decided that i didnt like the noise from the original PSU fans so i ordered some new ones and also extended the PSU cable as it was a bit tight.






The morning after, my front panel connector turned up from spain! I would advise anyone doing a project like this to purchase one as the guy is great! find him at http://g5atxcables.weebly.com/g5-atx-adapter-cables.html





Now because i buggered up with the fans, i purchased some new PMW fans. But i wanted them exactly the same as the original ones i put, but that meant more braiding lol






Now the block i mentioned earlier to mount the reservoir... i purchased a block from eBay for 99p and simply cut, tapped and adhered it into place. and it does a fantastic job!








Whilst i was waiting for the adhesive to dry, i decided to wire LEDs into the rear of the reservoir and the side of the water block.









SO obviously at this point everything came apart and went back together again, but after pushing the power button BANG!!!


A nice big spark and a puff of smoke came from the PSU. At this point i feared the worst as i began the thankless job of dismantling the computer again. What i had found was the heatsinks within the PSU had shorted against the frame. This tripped the RCD and blew the fuse on the plug.






What i had discovered was that when fitting the new extension and fans, i forgot to fit the plastic shield back in place -.-


But after testing the PSU and putting it all back together, thankfully it was still fully operational!


It started looking fantastic, up until i started putting the liquid in... The nice spout mayhems supply does not have a very good seal around it so when squeezing, it was dripping into the case without me realising. A bit of tape to seal it soon fixed that though and i continued filling. By this time i was busy filling and starting and stopping the pump to help it push liquid through the system. Just as it was about full i noticed what i thought was a small drip.


But then i realised it was more than a drip...





I was mortified at the fact the PSU is on the bottom and all that was either in it or under it! On its side i let it stand for an hour draining as much as i could out. Now that the watercooling is in, it is even harder to get to pieces again. Never the less i fixed the leak and dried everything up and continued filling the system after having the hair dryer out on it for 15 mins or so.


This time i thought it would be a good idea to run it tilted in the bath to check for leaks





Thankfully there were no more leaks but i continued to run it for a few hours in the bath.


Here is a better view of the cooling loop, i think its very nice!

Now we all know Ivy bridge had heat issues, but i found that when over clocking i might as well not had watercooling at all. So as I'm adventurous i decided to have a do deliding... the results are staggering!


here were my initial temps at 4.6GHz





and here is my de-lidding process...










Same test, same voltage, same cooling... massive drop in load temps!


I used Coollaboratory Liquid Ultra TIM

And to rap up the project... I decided to get another SSD and use one for Windows and one for OS X. Initially the idea was to RAID0 them and have 300 and 200 but it's too much hassle and didn't warrant the effort. So I decided to finally come up with a mounting solution for both SSDs.


I nabbed another Vertex 4 256GB new for £136, a dual 2.5" to 3.5" adapter and a 3.5" to 5.25" adapter. My idea was to put them together and mount them above the Blu-Ray drive, but this needed an extra power socket so it needed modifying. I also got some Mayhems blue dye as i wasnt too fond of the purple, and now it looks fantastic!


So here is pictures of how it went.


Here's the two SSDs and the adapters





This is the position I want it mounting to make plugging in cables easier





This is my modified power cable before and after braiding






Here are the plugs in there rough positions





I then made a single bracket that will mount the SSDs to the Blu-Ray drive





Here it is fitted





And here is the finished cable management





It's much better having a drive for each system, it's easier for updates and less risky of loosing the entire system at once. Also the internals look much tidier now the drives are mounted instead of them hanging.​

Finally, installation was a piece of cake!

Everything works apart from Video playing on iTunes and Sleep.

First i used OS X installer to format both SSDs, but one as FAT for installation of Windows. I then went ahead and installed windows on the 2nd SSD. After Windows was fully functional i started the OS X installer and installed that straight away without any problems what so ever.

Once booted i used Multibeast to gain full functionality using these options;

UserDSDT or DSDT-Free Installation
Without DSDT ALC898 Audio Drivers
FakeSMC v5.1.61 Plugins
USB 3.0 - Universal
Intel - hnak's AppleIntelE1000e v2.1.7
GraphicsEnabler=No

And that was it basically, everything had ran no problems and i get a Geekbench 3 of 32-bit of 13000

Hope you guys have enjoyed reading. I really enjoyed it and would love to do it all again!​