Complete Dual Boot macOS Win10 Gaming System for $476 @ Newegg

[trs96]

Guide for the Sierra Install: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...-tower-macos-sierra-i5-3470-msi-gt640.224812/

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HP 6300 Pro Mini-Tower -- $318.99 + shipping
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883285735&cm_re=Refurbished_HP_6300_PRO_Tower_Intel_Core_i5_3470-_-83-285-735-_-Product

Includes: Intel I5-3470 - 8GB DDR3 1600 Ram - 240GB SSD - 2TB HDD - Win 10 Pro 64 Bit
(You can also get the 16GB Ram version for the same price. The SSD is only 120 GB in that version)

The case is solid steel, feels like the quality of a server case. It's only slightly larger than a standard mATX case.
You can install the graphics card without even a screw or screwdriver. Completely toolless design.

If you already have your own SSD you can get one of these HP 6300 Towers for 100 dollars less and use your own instead.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883284739&cm_re=HP_6300_PRO_Tower-_-83-284-739-_-Product

This is not the latest, greatest hardware, but it does the job quite well. Runs macOS Sierra perfectly stable and Win10 as well. It's just one way to get a capable dual boot system without spending over 900 USD. You could build a new Core I3 Skylake or Kaby Lake system for this price but you could only budget in 8GB of ram, a small SSD and no graphics card or maybe just a GT 710 that is not adequate for gaming.

With the following graphics card you can keep the total cost under $500 and still do pretty much anything you could want with it.

EVGA GTX 1050 Ti Gaming 4GB -- $149.99 + shipping
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487291&cm_re=evga_GTX_1050_Ti-_-14-487-291-_-Product

This is as they say "a console killer" under $500 and gives you much better gaming performance than any console can. You should be able to play any game on High/Ultra settings on a 1080p monitor. The other major bonus is that you can run macOS Sierra with no problems too. Gives you the option to use FCP X, Logic Pro and all the other Mac only apps.

Total cost = $475.96 shipped

1 Year Warranty on Labor and Parts ! You can't beat this deal even by building one yourself.

I put together a comparable new Kaby Lake I5 system on Newegg with the same graphics card 16 GB ram and a 120GB SSD, that could run macOS and Windows 10. Just the I5 CPU and Gigabyte motherboard cost over $300. I didn't pick a high end gaming motherboard either. It came to $900 total minus the cost of a Windows 10 Pro license which normally adds $120 to the cost. That makes the 6300 Pro Gaming/macOS system over $500 less and you don't even have to build it yourself !


Click these images to enlarge.

Next compare the HP 6300 Pro MT to a new Mac Mini with a 1 TB Fusion drive and 16 GB of ram. You only get a poor dual core I5 laptop CPU and dismal integrated graphics that you'd be lucky to play minecraft with. Cost is over $1,100 USD....

If you can afford the 900 dollars plus to build your own you should definitely do that. If not this HP 6300 Pro deal saves you a lot of time and money by buying a refurbished pre-built and a new graphics card that is ready for Windows gaming.

 

[awraynor]

So for a non-gamer integrated graphics would be just fine?

 

[trs96]

So for a non-gamer integrated graphics would be just fine?

If you look at the 6300 Desktop guide, you'll see this paragraph:

Using integrated graphics: The majority of these refurbished HP 6300 Pros come with an Intel CPU that has the HD2500 graphics chip integrated into the CPU. The I5-3470 is one example. There is no support in Sierra for HD2500. If you do buy one with an Intel CPU that has HD4000 (I7-3770) you could use the integrated graphics instead of a discrete card. A DP to HDMI adapter would be necessary if your monitor only supports HDMI.

You could buy the HP 6300 model in post #1 and add a less expensive GT710 for about 40 dollars.

 

[awraynor]

Thanks a lot for the help.

 

[MajorWedgy]

The GT710 1GB can be had for $33 at micro center. I told the tech weenie I needed a cheap video card so I can push a HD monitor and he recommended the GT710. I am using one in a Macpro 2010 I purchased on eBay for a render box and the video card was crap.

 

[trs96]

The GT710 1GB can be had for $33 at micro center. I told the tech weenie I needed a cheap video card so I can push a HD monitor and he recommended the GT710. I am using one in a Macpro 2010 I purchased on eBay for a render box and the video card was crap.

It's simply to replace HD2500 graphics that don't work at all with macOS. For video rendering yes, the GT710 is not a good choice. You need to spend a lot more than $33 to get good performance. That should be obvious.

 

[MajorWedgy]

It's simply to replace HD2500 graphics that don't work at all with macOS. For video rendering yes, the GT710 is not a good choice. You need to spend a lot more than $33 to get good performance. That should be obvious.

Yes. But the guy does not want to drop a $150 card in a $300 hackintosh either. I was just agreeing that for what he wants to do, the GT710 would be just fine.