Hi,
I am willing to start a new chapter in mac-usage as this will be the first own build since starting with apple in 2001.
I have read tons of advices here and now want to be
aware of any concerns relating to my choosen set:
... it will be used for CAD, 3DConstruction and some Photo editing on a professional basis.(architect/design)
Mobo:
Gigabyte Z97 UD5H (as I found it could be the one with the most "success" threads and specs are matching for me)
CPU:
Core i7-4790K 4,0 GHz (as to app specs my CAD/Render needs more Speed than Cores)
GPU:
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Gaming G1 (there will be 2x 4K ??" at the end, not finally choosen + an wacom cintiq 12wx)
Ethernet is important and audio for pleasure while working
Any confimations that a wacom cintiq is working at all @ a hackintosh?
Advice for cooling?
I am considering using this case:
Thermaltake Core P5 ATX Maker
Many Thanks for advice!
adnarel
Great! I was looking into upgrading and came up with the same hardware except being lost about a few things. So many MOBO's to choose from and like you I would like one that works pretty much OOTB.
With my current built I only have to use a kext for Ethernet, everything else works, well...
The reason I am upgrading is because I wanted to boost my 2500k a bit. These CPU's are known for overclocking but my MOBO is not. The GA-Z77-DS3H BIOS lacks vcore setting!
So now it's running on auto voltage at 3,9 Ghz but I don't trust it since I've read numbers going above v1.3. A variable vcore can't be good either in the long run so I might get back to stock speeds.
Second reason is the 760GTX. Without a doubt a very good card and I have no issues, even with a bit of gaming except for the latest updates from Lightroom which do not support my GPU anymore. I had to roll back to Lightroom 2015 base version to get GPU support back. I know the 970 GTX works but I wonder if there are R9 alternatives. 380/390 with 8GB would be great for 4K no? I have recently bought the P2715Q (also working OOTB with osx drivers or NVidia drivers) and love it. Best buy for my hack so far.
Also in doubt about the CPU cooler. My rig is very silent now (Fractal Design R4 case and big fans on low volts) and I would like to keep it that way. This is actually one of the reasons I'm holding back on buying an iMac, heat and noise, not to mention non-upgrade-friendly
A Mac Pro would be a better choice for many of us but it's just too bloody expensive.
Coolers I am looking at are Thermalright Silver Arrow, Noctua NH-D15 and Phanteks PH-TC14PE. These were recommended somewhere but again, so many choices. I just want to keep my rig silent so hopefully any of the above will suffice. Any input on this appreciated.
I use this rig for work (LR & PS) so I think an i7 (4790K) with more threads will come in handy for a few tasks.
As a guitarist I also do a bit of audio but I've had ground loop issues since day one. Even bought a Texas Instruments PCI interface way back but that didn't solve anything. Problem is with my Inspire 1394 which lacks balanced outputs. I got used to it but with the upgrade I might as well get rid of this issue as well. I do hope USB2.0 throughput will be as good as FW400 for audio.
So yeah I might be going for the same hardware as you my friend. Hopefully these mobo's work without too much hassle, only requiring a kext for Ethernet. USB 3.0 is required though.
Good luck!