Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide 2012

[HacKDo]

Article: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide 2012

I just built my mITX with a 2500K, 16GB RAM, 120GB Intel SSD and GT 640. Can use CUDA driver for Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro. If you aren't doing heavy gaming I'd say save the $$$ from the GPU and spend it on RAM and a SSD - will provide a good speed boost right from boot.

BTW I used integrated video to load SL and then used Unibeast to create a bootable ML install hard drive. I then added the video card and set GraphicsEnabler=no when installing ML and also added it to the boot list through Multibeast. The GT 640 is not a speed demon by any means but it's around 3-4x faster than the integrated HD 3000.

That's good to know that you have been successful installing SL using integrated HD-3000. My intended build is Ivy bridge . Hope in that case that SL 10.6.3 install would be ok with HD4000. (Any one succeeded doing this?)

 

[jopopo]

I am thinking about CustoMac Budget Build. May I put some Intel i3 CPU instead recommended i5-3570K and additional compatible VGA card?

 

[Java_Lava]

Awesome works, but the motherboard Gigabyte Z77-DSH3 with video onboard Intel HD2000 is not compatible, you needs add a graphic card for reach installer if you want install Lion. Even using the kernel flag GraphicsEnabler=No is impossible reach the installer using the video onboard

 

[thelostswede]

Article: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide 2012

I am thinking about CustoMac Budget Build. May I put some Intel i3 CPU instead recommended i5-3570K and additional compatible VGA card?

Sure, it works, I'd suggest getting a GeForce GT 640, as it's completely OOB.

 

[thelostswede]

Article: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide 2012

Awesome works, but the motherboard Gigabyte Z77-DSH3 with video onboard Intel HD2000 is not compatible, you needs add a graphic card for reach installer if you want install Lion. Even using the kernel flag GraphicsEnabler=No is impossible reach the installer using the video onboard

I think that's because OS X is expecting an Ivy Bridge, not a Sandy Bridge CPU/GPU with that chipset. If you want to use a SB CPU with a 7-series motherboard you have to manually edit the drivers to make them work, even for the HD 3000.

 

[Nodarkthings]

Article: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide 2012

Can Snow Leopard run on a Z77+Ivy Bridge HD4000 processor?
I mean, not about glitches using internal graphics, i'll use a graphic card if needed, but are there any potential incompatibilities that could prevent the build to work properly or even to install at all?
As I need to stay for a while on Snow Leopard, I wonder if buying a Sandy Bridge or going Ivy... What do you think?
Thanks for the great work!

Well, I suppose that not having a single answer to my question after one week means my question was stupid or the answer was obvious for non-noobs...
From what I've read since, it looks like ML would use the integrated graphics without problem, but I'm still not sure if SL would recognize it or not? Does it have the drivers for it?
I will never play a game in my life, so if I don't absolutely need a graphic card to make my build work, I won't buy one.
My plan is to wait till the ivy i3 3225 comes out...
Thanks if someone can clear my mind from any doubt!

 

[Tea-Bone]

I ordered the recommended optical drive (Sony 24X SATA Internal DVD+/-RW Drive AD-7260S-0B - Bulk (Black)) using the Amazon link and received an AD-7280S instead. The AD-7280S had 1MB of cache rather than the 2MB of the AD-7260S. The drive functions but it is priced at $24.99USD (+ shipping) while it is listed elsewhere on Amazon at $17.99USD. I am returning it for a refund and picking up either a better or cheaper one.

Anyone have a favorite?

 

[thelostswede]

Article: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide 2012

Well, I suppose that not having a single answer to my question after one week means my question was stupid or the answer was obvious for non-noobs...
From what I've read since, it looks like ML would use the integrated graphics without problem, but I'm still not sure if SL would recognize it or not? Does it have the drivers for it?
I will never play a game in my life, so if I don't absolutely need a graphic card to make my build work, I won't buy one.
My plan is to wait till the ivy i3 3225 comes out...
Thanks if someone can clear my mind from any doubt!

SL does not support HD 4000 graphics

 

[Girva]

Article: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide 2012

I'll test my 550 Ti- but I haven't had any issues. Thanks for the heads up.

Just wondering how you managed to get your 550 Ti working? What kext or enablers did you use?... Seemed to work alright on Lion when I tried that. For the life of me I can not figure out how to get it to function properly on Mountain Lion.

Any help would be great!

 

[mac_nibblet]

Article: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide 2012

I don't see anyone asking ths question so..... would it be possible to use a sandy bridge processor (2700k) in one of these builds ? my computer got destroyed in a transport. And the only part left alive was the processor.