Hackintosh for Photo Editing around €600

[driek]

Hi,

First off, I tried using the Search function but couldn't find the specific advice I'm looking for.

I'm a photographer, currently using a 2011 Macbook Air (11") with a 60GB SSD, which is getting slower and just doesn't quite do the job the way I wish it would.

That's why I'm looking to build a Hackintosh. I don't have a huge budget, I think I can spend around €600. I have no idea which parts of a computer are important, what to look for, etcetera. What are the essentials? Should I invest more in a good processor or is a graphics card more important? What about RAM? I'd also like to be able to connect a second monitor in the future.

Can anyone help me get started on a shopping list for a Hackintosh that I can use for photo editing (Photoshop and Lightroom, mostly)?

Thanks a lot in advance!

 

[Adrian B]

Hi,

First off, I tried using the Search function but couldn't find the specific advice I'm looking for.

I'm a photographer, currently using a 2011 Macbook Air (11") with a 60GB SSD, which is getting slower and just doesn't quite do the job the way I wish it would.

That's why I'm looking to build a Hackintosh. I don't have a huge budget, I think I can spend around €600. I have no idea which parts of a computer are important, what to look for, etcetera. What are the essentials? Should I invest more in a good processor or is a graphics card more important? What about RAM? I'd also like to be able to connect a second monitor in the future.

Can anyone help me get started on a shopping list for a Hackintosh that I can use for photo editing (Photoshop and Lightroom, mostly)?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Your requirements are quite simple and its easy to build even a simple desktop with more power than a 2011 MacBook Air .

8GB RAM and one of the recommended Intel i3 CPUs will be a good starting point. Some of the budget 4 core i5 processors may be better longer term consideration as they offer more power. An i7 is only probably worthy of consideration for full on professional use. Motherboard choice is mainly down to the required features like no. of USB ports, physical size of motherboard. A Mini ITX or mATX are the smaller board sizes but normally only have 2 RAM slots for a maximum of 16GB RAM (plenty)

The processors in the buyers guide all have Intel HD4600 graphics and this will be sufficient to get you started using a single monitor with a digital connection. Two monitors will run at 1920 x 1080P resolution without issue. A nVidia GPU could be added later if required or for better power for the apps that you will use (a GT 740 with DDR5 RAM would be perfect).

Lots of hardware and some build ideas are covered in the buyers guide:
http://www.tonymacx86.com/building-customac-buyers-guide-may-2015.html

Some further photography information is available here:
http://www.tonymacx86.com/system-usage/

 

[driek]

Your requirements are quite simple and its easy to build even a simple desktop with more power than a 2011 MacBook Air .

8GB RAM and one of the recommended Intel i3 CPUs will be a good starting point. Some of the budget 4 core i5 processors may be better longer term consideration as they offer more power. An i7 is only probably worthy of consideration for full on professional use. Motherboard choice is mainly down to the required features like no. of USB ports, physical size of motherboard. A Mini ITX or mATX are the smaller board sizes but normally only have 2 RAM slots for a maximum of 16GB RAM (plenty)

The processors in the buyers guide all have Intel HD4600 graphics and this will be sufficient to get you started using a single monitor with a digital connection. Two monitors will run at 1920 x 1080P resolution without issue. A nVidia GPU could be added later if required or for better power for the apps that you will use (a GT 740 with DDR5 RAM would be perfect).

Lots of hardware and some build ideas are covered in the buyers guide:
http://www.tonymacx86.com/building-customac-buyers-guide-may-2015.html

Some further photography information is available here:
http://www.tonymacx86.com/system-usage/

So if I get a mATX motherboard, an i5 processor, 8GB ram, 128GB SSD, a power supply, case and a monitor, I should be set?

Are graphics embedded in the processor or is an additional graphics card required?

 

[Adrian B]

So if I get a mATX motherboard, an i5 processor, 8GB ram, 128GB SSD, a power supply, case and a monitor, I should be set?

Yes, might be better with a ~250GB SSD to give you some more space - not a big difference in price from a 128GB SSD

Are graphics embedded in the processor or is an additional graphics card required?

Yes the Intel HD4600 graphics are built into the processor. Use a DVI-D connection between the motherboard/monitor. Recommend using a USB keyboard for setup.

 

[driek]

So I found this motherboard, which should be alright except it feels like it's more than I need. For example, it can handle 32GB of RAM and I'm only going to be using 8GB of RAM.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K2RQDOI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tonymacx86com-20

Is this the cheapest one or can I get an even cheaper one?

 

[driek]

Also, which processor would be a best buy? I would probably want to go for an i5 since I don't want to find out that I don't have enough power to do the tasks I want to do, but I have no idea what kind of i5 to use.

 

[Adrian B]

So I found this motherboard, which should be alright except it feels like it's more than I need. For example, it can handle 32GB of RAM and I'm only going to be using 8GB of RAM.

most motherboards can handle a maximum of 32GB RAM. You might decide to update to 16GB RAM in the future. I doubt that you would go to 32GB but the board is at least capable of handling more. Plenty expansion options. It is a full size ATX board though - look at the H97 versions too.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K2RQDOI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tonymacx86com-20

Is this the cheapest one or can I get an even cheaper one?[/QUOTE]

That depends - if you are in Europe then you can look at the UK, France, Germany etc to compare prices in Euros within the same market. The H97 board is a lower spec but may or may not cost less to purchase. You will need to weigh up a number of options and see what looks best for you.

 

[Adrian B]

Also, which processor would be a best buy? I would probably want to go for an i5 since I don't want to find out that I don't have enough power to do the tasks I want to do, but I have no idea what kind of i5 to use.

Even the basic i5-4430 will work very well. The models with the 'S' suffix have lower power consumption so generate less heat and are a little bit slower in processor speed than other models. The top line models like i5-4670K and i5-4690K can be over clocked using a Z97 board for higher performance, but this is not not needed for your use.

Considering that you have been using a MacBook Air even a basic i5 will fly in comparison. I would go for the i5-4690, but check the 4690K as here may not be any difference in cost. If this is a bit much for your budget then drop down the range a little. If you are likely to be doing a lot of photography work then the difference in Euros from the entry level to top models in unlikely to be much - especially looking at the cost over a few years.