Would LOVE some advice! Building my first Hackintosh for audio production and gaming.

[bladlus]

As the title says, I'm in the process of trying to build my first Hackintosh, which will primarily be used for audio production, mixing (mainly in-the-box with Pro Tools 11 & Logic Pro 9/10 as DAWs), gaming, and possibly some video editing eventually. I'm VERY interested in getting the most bang for my buck, while still getting a powerful and reasonably up to date PC, but I also know that paying more for something now might be a good investment in the long run.

I've been doing some research, and a number of questions have come up when trying to decide with parts to buy:

• Do I go for the somewhat latest in hardware (Ivy Bridge/Haswell), or older stuff (Sandy Bridge)? Where do I get the most bang for the buck? Is resale value something to consider at all?
• If the newer option, do I go for Ivy Bridge or Haswell? As far as I can see, the Haswell-equivalent processors and motherboards cost about exactly the same as the Ivy Bridge ones. I've also read that 10.8.5 is very close, which will bring native Haswell support. Wouldn't the logical choice be Haswell?
• Do I go for an Intel i5 or an i7? Is paying that much extra for the hyperthreading really worth it? I'm not sure how well PT11 or Logic 9/10 utilize hyperthreading. Maybe i7 is worth it in the long run, though?
• How important is it to buy the recommended brands? I know an intel processor is important in a Hackintosh, but is it for example that important to buy a Gigabyte motherboard or Corsair memory specifically? Maybe the price difference between the brands is negligible (ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, Corsair, Kingston, NVIDIA, Radeon, etc.), so it's just easier to buy the recommended parts? Basically, as said, I just want the most bang for the buck. Stability is important and I hate having to troubleshoot something for TOO long (i.e. spending a whole day and getting nowhere), but I'm reasonably comfortable with tech stuff so spending an hour more to fix something is fine.

I'd LOVE some advice on this - it would be REALLY appreciated if you could answer any of my questions!!


Kind regards,
Ben

 

[Tylerrouse]

Go for the latest stuff. If you're paying the same amount of money might as well not start off a generation behind. If you already had a sandy or ivy then it wouldn't be worth it, but if starting from scratch go haswell. The new 1150 motherboards have some neat features as well.

I myself had a hard time choosing between the i5 and i7. This isn't my work computer and I don't do a ton of video encoding, but it sounds like the i7 would help you with audio production. The price difference between them is 100 bucks and I didn't want to save $100 bucks and kick myself for it a year from now.

If this is your first hackintosh build then I'd say its very important to build with the recommended hardware. I was going to go off reservation on some parts and the performance difference was slim to none and in some cases negative when I looked at other parts. Stick to the recommended parts and you won't be disappointed. Just keep and eye on Newegg deals via the email deals tab and when something goes on sale grab it up. I did mine a piece at a time over the last couple months and I think I'm only $1500 bucks and I've got 2x 4gb gtx 760s in SLI. This thing is an absolute monster.

 

[bladlus]

Thanks a bunch for answering! Anyone else got any opinions on the matter?

 

[bladlus]

Bump. Anyone?

 

[ATB]

Go for the latest stuff. If you're paying the same amount of money might as well not start off a generation behind. If you already had a sandy or ivy then it wouldn't be worth it, but if starting from scratch go haswell. The new 1150 motherboards have some neat features as well.

I myself had a hard time choosing between the i5 and i7. This isn't my work computer and I don't do a ton of video encoding, but it sounds like the i7 would help you with audio production. The price difference between them is 100 bucks and I didn't want to save $100 bucks and kick myself for it a year from now.

If this is your first hackintosh build then I'd say its very important to build with the recommended hardware. I was going to go off reservation on some parts and the performance difference was slim to none and in some cases negative when I looked at other parts. Stick to the recommended parts and you won't be disappointed. Just keep and eye on Newegg deals via the email deals tab and when something goes on sale grab it up. I did mine a piece at a time over the last couple months and I think I'm only $1500 bucks and I've got 2x 4gb gtx 760s in SLI. This thing is an absolute monster.

Which Graphics Cards did you purchase (specifically)? If you wouldnt mind that is. -thank you

 

[Tylerrouse]

Which Graphics Cards did you purchase (specifically)? If you wouldnt mind that is. -thank you

They're the gigabyte rev 2.0. Saw a review that said it had the 2nd best cooling, but the best out of the other 4gb options. Since I'm running 5760 x 1080 the 4gb helps out. Only running 1 4gb is a waste since the 760 doesn't have the juice to use it all, but 2 helps justify. Here's the link and a pic comparing the old 760 to the new.



http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125470

 

[aaron97]

As the title says, I'm in the process of trying to build my first Hackintosh, which will primarily be used for audio production, mixing (mainly in-the-box with Pro Tools 11 & Logic Pro 9/10 as DAWs), gaming, and possibly some video editing eventually. I'm VERY interested in getting the most bang for my buck, while still getting a powerful and reasonably up to date PC, but I also know that paying more for something now might be a good investment in the long run.

I've been doing some research, and a number of questions have come up when trying to decide with parts to buy:

• Do I go for the somewhat latest in hardware (Ivy Bridge/Haswell), or older stuff (Sandy Bridge)? Where do I get the most bang for the buck? Is resale value something to consider at all?
• If the newer option, do I go for Ivy Bridge or Haswell? As far as I can see, the Haswell-equivalent processors and motherboards cost about exactly the same as the Ivy Bridge ones. I've also read that 10.8.5 is very close, which will bring native Haswell support. Wouldn't the logical choice be Haswell?
• Do I go for an Intel i5 or an i7? Is paying that much extra for the hyperthreading really worth it? I'm not sure how well PT11 or Logic 9/10 utilize hyperthreading. Maybe i7 is worth it in the long run, though?
• How important is it to buy the recommended brands? I know an intel processor is important in a Hackintosh, but is it for example that important to buy a Gigabyte motherboard or Corsair memory specifically? Maybe the price difference between the brands is negligible (ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, Corsair, Kingston, NVIDIA, Radeon, etc.), so it's just easier to buy the recommended parts? Basically, as said, I just want the most bang for the buck. Stability is important and I hate having to troubleshoot something for TOO long (i.e. spending a whole day and getting nowhere), but I'm reasonably comfortable with tech stuff so spending an hour more to fix something is fine.

I'd LOVE some advice on this - it would be REALLY appreciated if you could answer any of my questions!!


Kind regards,
Ben

Hi Ben,

Those are good questions, I'll do my best to answer them based on my experiences.

1. I'd wait for haswell, it shouldn't be to much longer until an official guide is posted after haswell support is released.

2. There really isn't a significant performance difference between ivy and haswell, but the haswell motherboard will also be compatible with the next generation of cpu's as well (5th generation). Which is good if you might upgrade your cpu in the future.

3. I wouldn't worry about getting an i7, unless you can get it pretty cheap (like at Microcenter). I'm not sure how much of a difference hyperthreading would make in Logic, but I would doubt it would be any more then 20% at certain times.

4. The Gigabyte motherboard and the intel cpu is very important for compatibility. Brand doesn't really matter for a gpu, but what does matter is the model. Certain cards are more compatible then others. A few other parts that need a specific brand/model are: bluetooth, Wifi card, optical drive, a boot drive thats not 4k, (4k will work to, but requires a workaround), other parts don't really matter, most of those parts are just recommendations. RAM is up to you. As long as it's compatible with your motherboard it should work fine with OSX.

 

[bladlus]

Hi Ben,

Those are good questions, I'll do my best to answer them based on my experiences.

1. I'd wait for haswell, it shouldn't be to much longer until an official guide is posted after haswell support is released.

2. There really isn't a significant performance difference between ivy and haswell, but the haswell motherboard will also be compatible with the next generation of cpu's as well (5th generation). Which is good if you might upgrade your cpu in the future.

3. I wouldn't worry about getting an i7, unless you can get it pretty cheap (like at Microcenter). I'm not sure how much of a difference hyperthreading would make in Logic, but I would doubt it would be any more then 20% at certain times.

4. The Gigabyte motherboard and the intel cpu is very important for compatibility. Brand doesn't really matter for a gpu, but what does matter is the model. Certain cards are more compatible then others. A few other parts that need a specific brand/model are: bluetooth, Wifi card, optical drive, a boot drive thats not 4k, (4k will work to, but requires a workaround), other parts don't really matter, most of those parts are just recommendations. RAM is up to you. As long as it's compatible with your motherboard it should work fine with OSX.

Thank you for the detailed answer! Really appreciated. Here is what I'm thinking of getting so far. Been reading up on silentpcreview.com, as low ambient noise levels are important when it comes to audio work. Their recommended CPU heatsink/fan list hasn't been updated recently, though. I will need a specific LGA1150-type heatsink, right? Is the fan for the extra CPU-heatsink usually included with the heatsink itself, or do I need to buy that separate as well? Probably won't be using the stock Intel-stuff. Not set on the graphics card yet - maybe a GTX670. RAM will either be 16GB or 32GB.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/Recommended_Heatsinks

Fractal Design DEFINE R4 BLACK

Intel Core i5-4670K Haswell - Box

Seasonic X-650 650W

GIGABYTE GA-Z87X-UD3H

Thanks!
-Ben

 

[Stork]

Well, Haswell support will first appear in Mountain Lion 10.8.5 and Mavericks 10.9 (so "they" say), which have yet to be released. However, the tonymacx86 HaswellHelper will get you up and running with Mountain Lion 10.8.4. So, check out the tonymacx86 Buyer's Guide for recommended builds and components (current guide link is at the top of this page).

With respect to Haswell CPU Air Coolers, I recommend you read this review at Tom's Hardware: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-heat-sink-haswell,3554.html If you don't want to overclock, then a good air processor cooler will do the job. Although I don't overclock, I use a Thermaltake Water2.0 Performer (now 3.0) in my Thunderball build. It was so easy to install compared to some of the air coolers. For my Haswell build (I haven't build one, yet), I plan to use a Thermaltake Water3.0 cooler again - so easy to install.

 

[aaron97]

Thank you for the detailed answer! Really appreciated. Here is what I'm thinking of getting so far. Been reading up on silentpcreview.com, as low ambient noise levels are important when it comes to audio work. Their recommended CPU heatsink/fan list hasn't been updated recently, though. I will need a specific LGA1150-type heatsink, right? Is the fan for the extra CPU-heatsink usually included with the heatsink itself, or do I need to buy that separate as well? Probably won't be using the stock Intel-stuff. Not set on the graphics card yet - maybe a GTX670. RAM will either be 16GB or 32GB.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/Recommended_Heatsinks

Fractal Design DEFINE R4 BLACK

Intel Core i5-4670K Haswell - Box

Seasonic X-650 650W

GIGABYTE GA-Z87X-UD3H

Thanks!
-Ben

No problem bro. Yeah the processors generally come with a stock heatsink, their far from amazing, but they get the job done and there really easy to put on and remove. Generally, a heat sink is compatible with multiple sockets, also any cooler thats compatible with 1155 will work in an 1150 as they have the same layout. Good choice on the graphics card, quite a good bang for the buck. 16GB is plenty, why not just buy 2 8GB sticks and if you ever need to upgrade you have 2 slots available.