Mini-ITX Advice

[dr_modean]

Hey guys,

I've been loving the hackintosh world and am looking to make a media center mac for my living room out of an ITX board (I could buy a mac mini but I honestly would like to build one as long as it doesn't cost more than a mac mini).

Has anyone had any luck with getting a hackintosh going with a mini-itx board? I saw one made by GIGABYTE and it even has a DSDT in the database. I'd like one with build in Wi-Fi and saw this one from ZOTAC.

Would this make a better board over the GIGABYTE one? Or would a USB wireless adapter be a better idea?

Also, is there a way of getting the Intel Atom processor going with OS 10.6.4?

 

[toleda]

I have the GA H55N-USB3 with the GT 240 running Plex and it performs perfectly as a media center. Tonymac has recommended a H55N configuration in the User Build forum. I tried the Zotac and concluded it wasn't the best choice. I use a Linksys WUSB600 for my wireless. Other wireless adapters are discussed in the Network forum. I wouldn't consider the Atom platform.

 

[Am Yisrael Chai]

Over on insanelymac there is a thread that has been discussing the Zotac H55-ITX wifi motherboard install using iBoot and Multibeast. They have reported very good results. There is even a guide posted. The wifi card is even recognized as native airport by OS X. Zotac recently released a version that has USB3. That may be something you want for the future when it becomes available. That should be soon. Keep in mind that when you get a mini-ITX motherboard that any future expansion is very limited, so in my opinion the more feature rich the board is the better. I like that the Zotac board has a mini PCI express slot. I wish more motherboard manufacturers would do that.

 

[Am Yisrael Chai]

Hey guys,

I've been loving the hackintosh world and am looking to make a media center mac for my living room out of an ITX board (I could buy a mac mini but I honestly would like to build one as long as it doesn't cost more than a mac mini).

Has anyone had any luck with getting a hackintosh going with a mini-itx board? I saw one made by GIGABYTE and it even has a DSDT in the database. I'd like one with build in Wi-Fi and saw this one from ZOTAC.

Would this make a better board over the GIGABYTE one? Or would a USB wireless adapter be a better idea?

Also, is there a way of getting the Intel Atom processor going with OS 10.6.4?

Recently I learned that the ECS H55H-I Mini-itx motherboard is a solid hackintosh board. It doesn't have wifi on the PCB, but it is only $80! You could buy two of those for the price of one Zotac board. Give it a try.

 

[Nichod]

Recently I learned that the ECS H55H-I Mini-itx motherboard is a solid hackintosh board. It doesn't have wifi on the PCB, but it is only $80! You could buy two of those for the price of one Zotac board. Give it a try.

Is it fully functional? If it is I'll add it to my ITXMac thread. I read somewhere that some issues still existed.

 

[Nichod]

I have the GA H55N-USB3 with the GT 240 running Plex and it performs perfectly as a media center. Tonymac has recommended a H55N configuration in the User Build forum. I tried the Zotac and concluded it wasn't the best choice. I use a Linksys WUSB600 for my wireless. Other wireless adapters are discussed in the Network forum. I wouldn't consider the Atom platform.

What problems did you have with the Zotac? I found it a very easy install. The Gigabyte board is extremely good though as a hackintosh. I do prefer the OOB wireless without any used USB ports on the Zotac.

 

[toleda]

I purchased the Zotac soon after it was released. At that time, it need a bios update that became available at the same time. Unfortunately, several owners bricked their boards with the update and Zotac wasn't very responsive. There were problems with DSDT that I couldn't fix, though I was successful with HDMI audio and a GT 240. Regarding the wireless, I was not able to get the my system to recognize the wifi card as airport. I ended up returning the board for a GA-H55N.

 

[Nichod]

I purchased the Zotac soon after it was released. At that time, it need a bios update that became available at the same time. Unfortunately, several owners bricked their boards with the update and Zotac wasn't very responsive. There were problems with DSDT that I couldn't fix, though I was successful with HDMI audio and a GT 240. Regarding the wireless, I was not able to get the my system to recognize the wifi card as airport. I ended up returning the board for a GA-H55N.

Are you in Europe or America? I know the Europe boards had a different wireless.

 

[toleda]

I'm in the US. The board I tried had the US wireless card.

 

[Nichod]

I'm in the US. The board I tried had the US wireless card.

Odd. Did you check the board to see what wireless you had?