CustoMac Budget Power Build 2 (a basic setup guide maybe?)

[Eliani]

I've learned from the past, buying the wrong processors for my motherboard, buying second hand processors that end up being dead on arrival, and learning the hard way how computers work. This time it would be different. I've sorted through all the information on the web, compatibility list on the wiki, and different builds of experienced people. So with a list of parts that should work, and a list of parts readily available to me, I've come up with a hardware list wich just happend to be exactly what Tonymacx86 describes in his Budget Power build 2.

These are the basic parts I needed, hooked them together on top of the motherboard cardboard box, plugged in some wires and started installing OSX

- Gigabyte GA-H55M-UD2H
- Intel Core i7 870 Boxed
- Gigabyte ATI Radeon HD 5770
- 8GB Corsair XMS3 1333MHz
- An old P4 Power-supply (350W)

Foto0228.jpg

I just bought a Intel X-25M SSD for my Tablet PC, but cancelled that project and used it for my build. Installing Snow Leopard 10.6.3 was easy, I'll try a short explanation but mainly I followed Tony's guide
http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2010/04/ ... -x-on.html

Before installing Snow Leopard, check you Bios-settings!!

- Boot Priority to CD/DVD
- Set Optimized Defaults
- Change SATA to AHCI mode
- Set HPET to 64-bit mode.

Booted with Tony's Iboot-cd, switched with the retail 10.6.3. Snow Leopard, installed with no options checked. Restarted with Iboot, downloaded and installed 10.6.6. update, don't reboot!! Ran multibeast with DSDT.aml on the desktop and these options checked.

- UserDSDT Install (downloaded for GA-H55M-UD2H)
- System Utilities (both, always!!)
- ALC8xxHDA (for onboard sound)
- IOAHCIBlockStorageInjector (so my disks would show up as internal)
- JMicron36xATA (for IDE support)
- lnx2Mac's RealtekRTL81xx Ethernet (For onboard Ethernet)
- Chameleon 2.0 RC5 - ATI Experimental Bootloader (Only for ATI VIDEO-CARDS!!!)
- 64-bit Apple Boot Screen (for 64-bit mode)

It took me a few tries to get this list right, and the experimental Bootloader was the most important one for me, I experienced the FullSpeedGPUFan!! The rest I figured out while using the machine, just yesterday I installed the JMicron36xATA, because somebody on the forum suggested it to me.

I've got 2 23" displays hooked up to the HD5770 and it works great, since the 10.6.7 I find that my GPU cooler is more active than before, although DPCIManager still doesn't find my GPU.

Foto0234.jpg

I've build this setup into a new case, a nice power-supply that can go for many years, and a sealed water-cooling device that doesn't really do it for me.

- Corsair Graphite Series 600T (one beautiful case!!)
- Corsair 650HX PSU
- Corsair Hydro Series H50 (wich I guess will be replaced soon!!)

Foto0231.jpg

 

[georgeba]

- IOAHCIBlockStorageInjector (so my disks would show up as internal)

Thanks for this, now my disks are "internal" as well

 

[Eliani]

recently I installed the 10.6.7 update, and ran multi-beast with the usual settings, except the ATI experimental Boot loader, because you would expect that with included HD 5770 drivers one would not need to do so? No such luck, the old "I'll spin your cooler like a maniac" popped back into gear. So back to the experimental boot loader, and so far I haven't found any improvements video-wise.

 

[Eliani]

I'm having my first problems with the setup, my onboard Firewire isn't performing right. I've hooked up a Motu 828mk2 to it, and it doesn't work. Although it shows up in my hardware list...


Schermafbeelding 2011-04-05 om 12.10.42.png

EDIT

Solved the problem...
Wrong driver for the motu!!