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[SUCCESS] Gabedamien's first build: Maximus V Gene - 3770K - 16GB RAM - GTX 670 - FT03 - OS X 10.8

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Joined
Jun 14, 2012
Messages
108
Motherboard
Asus Maximus V Gene
CPU
Intel 3770K @ 4.2 GHz
Graphics
Asus GTX 670 DCII 2GB
Mac
  1. MacBook Pro
Classic Mac
  1. 0
Mobile Phone
  1. iOS
[SUCCESS] Gabedamien's first build: Maximus V Gene - 3770K - GTX 670 - FT03T - OS X 10.8

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Gabedamien's first build: Maximus V Gene - Core i7 3770K - GTX 670 - FT03 Titanium - OS X 10.8.2 ML
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LAST UPDATED 3/29/13
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EDIT: I highly recommend checking out PJALM's build guide here. He has a more in-depth knowledge and his build is theoretically more future-proof and fully functional than mine, if you can get it working. I also cannot spend the time to keep this build up to date. So go check it out! :thumbup:
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Naegling%20Exterior.jpg


Components

Apple OS X Mountain Lion @ Mac Apps Store
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/os-x-mountain-lion/id537386512?mt=12

Primary Internals

Intel Core i7 3770K Ivy Bridge quad core / eight thread CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116501&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Thermalright Venomous-X Black CPU Heatsink Cooler Nickeled Black 1366/1156/1155/775 AM2/AM2+/AM3/FM1
http://www.a-power.com/product-17922

ASUS Maximus V Gene mATX Z77 socket 1155 Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131830&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

CORSAIR Professional Series Gold AX650 650W ATX12V v2.31 / EPSV12 v2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139035&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

CORSAIR Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 MHz model CML16GX3M2A1600C10
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233280&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

ASUS GTX670-DC2-2GD5 GeForce GTX 670 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121637&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Atheros AR5BHB92 300MB/s half-size mPCIe wifi card
http://www.ebay.com/itm/350553868136?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

Two 2dBi dual band RP-SMA antennas with u.fl cables
http://www.ebay.com/itm/140731892954?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

Internal, Optical, and Removable Drives + Related

SanDisk Extreme SDSSDX-240G-G25 2.5" 240GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820171568&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Crucial M4 128GB mSATA SSD model CT128M4SSD3
http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-128GB-mSATA-Solid-CT128M4SSD3/dp/B0085J17KA

Two x Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EZRX 1TB IntelliPower SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236070&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Sony Optiarc AD-7800H-01 Black SATA 8X Slim DVDRW Slot Load Bare
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Optiarc-AD-7800H-01-Black-DVDRW/dp/B008Z1MR8O

AKASA 40cm SATA cable for slimline opticals drives - AK-CB050-40
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/ak40sacafors.html

ADATA 16GB USB 3.0 Thumb Drive model AS102P-16G-RGY
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211572

Case and Related Components

SILVERSTONE Fortress Series FT03T Aluminum / Steel MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case, Titanium Color
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163184&Tpk=silverstone%20titanium

1 x Noiseblocker NB-Multiframe M12-PS 120mmx25mm Super Ultra Silent PWM Fan - 600-1500 RPM - 7-23 dBA
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...Silent_PWM_Fan_-_600-1500_RPM_-_7-23_dBA.html

1 x Noiseblocker NB-Multiframe M8-P 80mm x 25mm Ultra Silent PWM Fan - 500-2000 RPM - 1-17 dBA
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...Silent_PWM_Fan_-_500-2000_RPM_-_1-17_dBA.html

3 x Noiseblocker NB-eLoop B12-PS 120mmx25mm Ultra Silent Bionic Blade PWM Fan - 400 - 1500 RPM
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/1...c_Blade_Fan_-_400_-_1500_RPM_Coming_Soon.html

White & red pre-tailed 5mm replacement LEDs for power / activity lights
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=21660
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1845

AcoustiPack ULTIMATE Soundproofing Foam model APU
http://www.quietpcusa.com/AcoustiPack-ULTIMATE-PC-Soundproofing-Kit-P439.aspx

User Interface

Dell UltraSharp U2412M Black IPS Panel 24" 8ms Pivot, Swivel & Height Adjustable LED Backlight Widescreen LCD Monitor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824260047&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Logitech HD Portable 1080p Webcam C615 with Autofocus (960-000733)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YW7WCY


Already Owned

Logitech Performance Mouse MX wireless unifying receiver mouse
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104321&Tpk=logitech%20performance%20mx

Logitech K750 Black USB RF Wireless Slim solar-powered Keyboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126199

Naegling%20Interior.jpg


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Build Comments
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This was my first build of any kind. My goals were fivefold:
  • Nearly-native OS X
  • Powerful
  • Quiet
  • Small footprint
  • Unique aesthetics
The Silverstone FT03 Titanium helped with the last two points. This is a "love it or hate it" case; obviously I like it despite its various foibles and quirks. The color and finish of the aluminum side panels are great, but the plastic pieces are slightly less awesome, and the dust filter is a bit of joke (weak magnets, too flexible, doesn't quite cover perfectly). mATX is a bit cramped; I was very close to choosing a Silverstone PSU for the short cable kit, but expenses and a desire for ultimate silence made me choose the Corsair AX650 instead (fan doesn't turn on until high load). As it is, if I could go back in time and change one thing, it would be to reverse that decision and go with the short cables; I'm sure the Silverstone Gold Evo PSU is more than quiet enough and the case got VERY cramped with full-length cables.

Ivy Bridge Core i7 3770K OC'd to 4.2 GHz, 16GB 1600 RAM, and a GTX 670 2GB all attached to the very nice ASUS Maximus V Gene mobo give all the power I need and then some. Running on a 240 GB primary SSD and a 128 GB secondary SSD (on a 3 GB/s mSATA slot) gives tons of speed, with two 1.0 TB HDDs for backup / content (plus a hot swap bay for expandability). Cooler is the limited ed. Venomous X Black, which gives me idle temps of ~31°C (∆T ~10°C) and load at ~70°C (∆T ~50°C).

For quiet, I attacked the problem on several fronts:
  • SSDs are obviously silent
  • Two Western Digital WD10EZRX HDDs are the quietest 3.5" HDD model I could find (the low running temp was nice too); even quieter than other WD "green" drive models, in fact.
  • The Corsair AX650 PSU's fan doesn't even turn on until high load
  • All Noiseblocker PWM fans (more on this in a bit)
  • The ASUS GTX 670 DirectCU II is the quietest manufacturer's version of this card. It was possible that some aftermarket VGA coolers could have been quieter, but this one is already more than quiet enough for my purposes.
  • Acoustic damping foam for inside panels

The end noise result is quite satisfactory, but there is an issue with the PWM fans. I chose PWM because the Max V Gene mobo is *SUPPOSED* to be able to dial PWM fans down as much as you want, but due to a known bug/oversight I discovered too late, it is artificially limited to 60% min "duty cycle" (on the NB fans this translates to about 850 RPM). 850 RPM is very quiet, but not silent by any means. Still, from 1m I barely notice the sound of the exhaust fan. I am hoping that a BIOS revision by ASUS will fix this problem. This problem doesn't exist on Windows thanks to ASUS Fan Xpert 2 software, but I'm not (yet) running Windows; I need BIOS control.

To save on a PCI slot and take advantage of the MVG's unique mPCIe combo card, I went with a Wifi chip and eBay antennas that connect through the mobo's IO plate. It turns out that U.fl connections are INCREDIBLY ANNOYING. Plus the soft padded IO plate means that the antennas are slightly loose. It was cool getting it set up this way and I saved $20 over the TDLink, but I'd recommend anyone else simply get that Wifi card, it'd be faster / easier / more secure to install.

The FT03 uses a slimline DVD drive slot. Slim slot Blu Ray drives are rare and expensive, and BR isn't great on OS X anyway, so I went with the (still hard to find and expensive) Sony AD-7800H-01 drive with Akasa 40cm slimline SATA / power adapter cable. This integrated adapter+cable is much better for cramped builds than the StarTech adapter, which simply provides passthrough, but it requires a Molex connection to the PSU (not SATA). That worked for me because I was already connecting Molex power to some other components.

EDIT: to get the DVD drive working, I had to attach it to an Intel SATA port (in this case one of the 3GB/s ports), NOT the ASMedia SATA port. The rest of my SATA config is as follows: 240GB SSD on Intel 6GBs, 1TB HDD on Intel 6GBs, 1TB HDD on ASMedia 6GBs, Hot Swap Bay on Intel 3GBs, 128GB SSD on mPCIe (3GBs) combo card (on mobo).

I replaced the stock (blue) FT03 indicator lights with white and red, to match my build. I kind of had to break the LED clips inside the top panel to do this. Oh well, aesthetics are important enough to me. ;)

For a monitor, I wanted IPS, good calibration results, a USB hub, full range of height/swivel/tilt, etc., and to be at least the same as my MBP's 1920 x 1200 res. I originally toyed with a Korean / Nixeus / Auria / Overlord 2560 x 1440, but in the end I decided to stick with the Dell U2412M 1920 x 1200 for now and get a Dell U2713HM next year.

I already owned the Logitech K750 wireless solar keyboard for mac, which I can definitely recommend (note: see this thread), and the Logitech Performance Mouse MX, which is pretty good although I liked my old MX518 better (this one is a bit heavy, buttons are less convenient). Sticking with the new mouse though because it uses the same wireless receiver as the keyboard.

EDIT: Using SteerMouse to provide full mouse functionality and better motion (if there is one thing Windows does better, it is mouse movement, haha).

Naegling%20running.jpg


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Getting it Up and Running OS X 10.8
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In getting this ready, I was indebted primarily to the pioneering efforts of Samisnake and KoalaMan. The thread on the Maximus V Gene was also a tremendous help. Many thanks to those contributors and others who helped me and provided valuable information along the way. :clap:

Here is the short version:

  1. Download OS X 10.8 from the App Store.
  2. Format a USB key as described here and download Unibeast. Run Unibeast to create an installation USB drive.
  3. Using a separate FAT16 or FAT32 USB key, flash the ASUS Maximus V Gene BIOS using Samisnake's patched Maximus V Gene BIOS: http://biosrepo.wordpress.com/asus/z77/ (use the USB flashback feature, hold down the ROG button for a while until it blinks, then wait until it stops blinking).
  4. Do basic BIOS config. Only necessary change to get it up to spec was one click to enable XMP memory profile, to get the RAM to run at its spec'd 1600 MHz (instead of 1333 default), but I eventually did a CPU OC of 4.2 GHz as well.
  5. Boot into OS X and run Multibeast 5.2.1 (see settings below). Key settings include Realtek 898, Chimera, and FakeSMC (note: Kozlek's FakeSMC is now included in MB, as opposed to before when I recommended downloading separately).
  6. Replace System/Library/Frameworks/DVDPlayback.framework to enable DVDs to play. Thanks to Marioesantana. (attached) Update: moderator PJALM recommends that instead of using this framework, you install this kext to ensure proper DVD playback. I have not yet tested this.
  7. Until MB is updated to include Chimera 2, you should update it manually to fix iMessage login problems.
  8. DSDT-free in MB installed "darkwake=0" flag by default in Extra/org.chameleon.Boot.plist. This may or may not affect anything (to be honest I forget), but in my own org.chameleon.Boot.plist, I do not have any darkwake flag set.

Special additional steps if your MB fails to install or you have other problems:

  1. You may have to install Unibeast without the graphics card connected, then connect the card afterwards, to boot properly.
  2. Special note: because my MB originally failed to install, I also needed to download Kext Wizard and use it to rebuild cache and permissions. This step allowed it to boot properly. This may not be necessary for you if your MB works correctly.
  3. Special note: again, because my MB originally failed, I also needed to manually place org.chameleon.Boot.plist in my /Extra/ folder. Thanks again to Samisnake. Mine is attached, if you have the same problem.
  4. EDIT: I have not tested it, but the MB AppleACPIPlatform.kext 10.8.1 rollback (as shown in the MB options) should work. Back when I updated to 10.8.2, I manually installed it as explained by Micr0Shaft here. I am attaching this file as well. Again, this shouldn't be necessary as long as the MB rollback works, but just in case I am not deleting the file from this post.

Final step: reboot, hope, and if all goes well... enjoy! :thumbup:

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MultiBeast 5.2.1 Configuration for Mountain Lion 10.8.3
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MB.5.2.1.jpg


NOTE: After running MB with FakeSMC selected, my computer used to say "failed to install." However, it placed kexts correctly, so after running MB, I would run Kext Wizard and rebuild permissions and cache.

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Naegling%20B12-PS.jpg


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Benchmarks and System Info
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Benches.jpg

Lux.jpg


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What Works and What Doesn't + Edit Log
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Okay, almost done with this epic post! :D

Front panel audio works. Back panel black jack works. Green jack gives popping sounds on Mac Pro 3,1 definition. Green port seems to work in iMac 12,2 definition, but that causes problems with the temp sensors and limited p-states.

Sleep/wake works perfectly, including auto-sleep. Am not using the DSDT in Koalaman's guide, as it prevented proper wake.

Generating multiple p-states as expected; I've seen 16, 18, 20 I think, something more in between, and 42.

Graphics are totally native. OpenCL works with no additional effort. GraphicsEnabler = No.

USB 2.0 mass storage devices only work with USB 2.0 ports. Mice/keyboards work in both USB 2 and USB 3 ports. USB 3.0 devices of all kinds work in both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports. EDIT: ASMedia USB 3 ports do not work at all, with or without DSDT. I am now experimenting with this issue.

I couldn't get GPU temps originally, so I messed with Kozlek's HWSensors build. That gave me iStat GPU temps, but it broke my HWMonitor completely except for HDD labels (not even temps), which means I can no longer view my multiplier. :thumbdown: EDIT: downloaded most recent Kozlek build of HWSensors: https://github.com/kozlek/HWSensors . This gave me GPU fan speed in iStat. HWMonitor still seemed broken, but I discovered I could manually drag the included HWMonitor.app to the applications folder, which rewrote it so it works 100% now! :D Looks like the app fails to install over itself using the built-in installer package.

EDITS: Went back and added information about which SATA ports I used to get the drives working, and added the AppleACPIPlatform.kext info that was necessary after I updated to 10.8.2.

EDIT 9/29/12: fixed HWMonitor (see note above).

EDIT 10/2/12: Revised FakeSMC installation to use Kozlek's build ONLY. This is a much better branch than MB's. If you install Kozlek's branch, make sure to delete ALL the pre-existing plugins in FakeSMC.kext. The only plugins you need after installation are the three I've checked off in the image above.

EDIT 10/15/12: found that the DSDT was causing my wake issues, and made no discernible difference in USB 3 functionality or performance. Removing it as a result.

EDIT 3/1/13: Updated to Chimera 2.0.1 to fix iMessage login issue. Adjusted build guide as per recommendations. Kozlek's FakeSMC is now included in Multibeast, so adjusting graphics and directions to reflect that. Updated Multibeast selections. Deleted separate Kozlek selections. Added Chimera 2 note to fix iMessage errors. Edited AppleACPIPlaform.kext note to reflect that MB has a 10.8.1 rollback built-in for this kext, so it *shouldn't* be necessary to install manually (keeping the file just in case, however). Added PJALM's link to AHCI3rdPartySATA fix for DVD player (I have not tested it). Added note about darkwake flag being installed by default (I run without any darkwake flag at all).

EDIT 3/29/13: Oddly enough, updating OS X to 10.8.3 (from 10.8.2) fixed my slow bootup! The apple logo now displays for all of 1-2 seconds instead of ~30 like before. No idea why, but I'm happy. Had to reinstall TRIM and 898 audio from Multibeast, that's the only change. For some reason though, at least one app (Moody) is now very slow to launch. Will report back with any news.
 

Attachments

  • org.chameleon.Boot.plist.zip
    835 bytes · Views: 592
  • DVDPlayback.framework.zip
    1.4 MB · Views: 434
  • AppleACPIPlatform.kext.zip
    232 KB · Views: 520
First build? Very nice... Enjoy
 
Like kduvernay, I, too, enjoyed reading your build description. Have fun. Glad you were able to hook up with Samisnake as he's good.

Congratulations on your build description being selected as a Golden Build!
 
Like kduvernay, I, too, enjoyed reading your build description. Have fun. Glad you were able to hook up with Samisnake as he's good.

Congratulations on your build description being selected as a Golden Build!

WOW! Thanks so much, you just made my day! :D
 
Nice build ! And great pictures.

It's really full in your FT03.
Can you keep correct temperatures, even with the OC and GPU ? (and all the cables :D)
 
Nice build ! And great pictures.

It's really full in your FT03.
Can you keep correct temperatures, even with the OC and GPU ? (and all the cables :D)

Thanks! Yes, it is indeed quite cramped, but it wasn't too bad until the very end, when putting the graphics card in... many curses were muttered at that point. :banghead: But it all came together at last.

I am very happy with the temps, even though I am using a non-reference graphics card which exhausts air into the case. In a room at about 21-23°C, my idle temps are about 29-35°C for the CPU cores, and 31°C for the GPU. When gaming, the temps vary around 50-65°C for both the CPU and GPU cores, usually about 55°C. In stress testing (Prime95), the CPUs reach 68-73°C. I haven't seen the GPU go above 65°C yet, and usually it never even gets that high.

Even at full load, the noise level remains quite low. I absolutely cannot hear it over game volume, but muting the game it is still very quiet. :headbang:
 
Good to see that there's another MVG build out there that looks sick. I love my Lian Li silver aluminum. ;)
 
congrats.
its a great build
 
Awesome! My build is very similar!
 
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