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[Guide] HP 6300 Pro / HP 8300 Elite - A 100 percent Working and Easily Affordable CustoMac

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A Complete Ten Step macOS Sierra Guide for the HP 6300 Pro/8300 Elite

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z_ 8300 Elite Mini-Tower / 8300 Ultra Slim Desktop / 6300 and 8300 SFF / 6300 Pro Mini-Tower


Installing macOS Mojave

If you want to begin with a clean install of Mojave instead of Sierra or High Sierra you can use this guide with the Mojave versions of Unibeast and Multibeast. Also make sure to use the latest Apple ALC and Lilu kexts if not using VoodooHDA for your audio when applying the AppleALC method to enable ALC221 onboard audio.

There is also a new Mojave and Catalina guide for the HP 8300 by Sniki posted in the Mojave Desktop Guides and Catalina Desktop Guides forum. His guides are for more advanced users, not beginners. The guides by Sniki do not utilize Unibeast or Multibeast, everything has to be done manually and takes more time. Perform a Mojave or Catalina clean install and not an upgrade when you are applying the techniques outlined in those guides.
In the past few months community member Sniki has purchased an HP 8300 SFF PC and worked out all of the minor problems that still exist even after following the Sierra/High Sierra guides. The single PCI slot (SFF version) didn’t work and the front mic jack also did not work. Note that there are 3 available PCI slots in the 8300 Mini-Tower, 1 in the SFF.
He has used techniques from the laptop forums, mainly Clover UEFI Hot Patching to avoid the need to statically patch your DSDT for ALC221 audio, USB, the front mic jack and the PCI slot function.

If you must have the front mic and PCI working in your build or you haven’t installed macOS yet, I’d suggest a clean install of Mojave or High Sierra by following his guide. You should still refer to my Sierra and High Sierra guides for hardware selection and flashing and setting up the BIOS etc. You won’t want to use his techniques on your system if you have already used Multibeast during post installation as that will not work with his new Mojave guide.

He has stated that his techniques have greatly improved performance and made these HP 6300/8300 machines virtually immune to any problems with macOS updates. The Clover config.plist you need is already created for you as well as the 10 separate SSDTs that are required. So it may look more complicated at first, but it’s actually simpler to get a fully working system by following the new Mojave guide. As I stated previously, you can also use the new Mojave guide to clean install High Sierra if you need to stay with that for any reason.

If you have already installed Sierra or High Sierra and are content with how things are working now, then it’s not necessary to use the new guide by Sniki. If you need the front mic and the PCI slot to work then try his guide.

Link to Audio Kexts and CPU PM SSDTs
Download Kexts and SSDTs Here

Downloading Sierra or High Sierra from the Mac App Store
Both of these versions of macOS are still available via free download from Apple. Click below for the link to get either one.
macOS Sierra and High Sierra download links

Introduction
The four HP desktops pictured above were first sold or leased to corporations, hospitals and government institutions beginning in late 2012. They were quite expensive when they were new. Starting price for an 8300 Elite was around 1,200 US dollars. The average retail price of an I5-3470 model was around 1,400 USD.

They come with 3 year warranties when new and were built to be on 24/7. These are not consumer HP desktops with lower quality hardware and a brief 1 year warranty. You get a much better case, a reliable power supply and motherboard. When you buy one of these, look for a professionally refurbished PC that has some kind of warranty or return policy from the seller. If the seller missed anything, they will replace the part / fix the problem. This is a very affordable way to get a professional grade PC. When you follow this ten step guide, you'll to learn how to install macOS Sierra on it, to give it a new "lease" on life as a dual boot capable PC/Mac.

You'll need to decide which form factor case will best meet your space limitations and also become aware of what each version can or cannot do. For example: The Ultra-slim (USDT) version can only use a CPU with HD4000 onboard graphics. No dedicated graphics card will work. You will need to buy this adapter and use an HDMI cable to your monitor. In contrast, the Elite 8300 MT can use a full length, dual fan Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB of ram. Perfect for playing the latest triple A gaming titles. You can ask any questions you may have about hardware choices in this thread. See: Video Guide for HP hardware upgrades.

HP Desktops.jpg


Amazon Link to Purchase the HP 8300 SFF

If you are unfamiliar with any of the terminology used here, please consult the tonymacx86 CustoMac Glossary for a clear and concise definition of the various acronyms and hardware components mentioned in this guide. You may be asking, why purchase the larger Mini-Tower form factor HP 6300/8300 ? These have a more powerful 320W PSU that can handle a heavier workload and have room for full height graphics cards. They also have larger, quieter fans and better airflow than the SFF and USFF versions. The small form factor versions will work as well but require low profile (LP) graphics cards and have a smaller 240W PSU. Many have had success with the SFF versions so if your space is limited those are a good choice.

Software to use for a Sierra Install: UniBeast 7.1.1 - MultiBeast 9.2.1 - KextBeast 2.0.1 tonymacx86 Downloads section Sierra 10.12.6 from the Mac App Store (MAS) - Clover Configurator Clover Configurator Downloads

How to Choose your macOS Compatible Graphics: See the comments section in Post #2
Using discrete or integrated graphics

Dual Booting with Windows/Linux : These HP desktops make very good dual or even triple boot systems. Since you will be installing macOS for UEFI booting you will need to also install Windows UEFI to be able to select it and boot from the Clover Bootloader screen. See: Make a Windows 10 UEFI USB Installer then set up your system to dual boot on two drives: Multibooting UEFI on Separate Drives

Steps 4 and 5 can be completed ahead of time if you already have an eligible Mac or another CustoMac to make your Sierra Unibeast installer. If not, you'll need to borrow one from a friend to make the Sierra Install USB. The third option is to follow the Snow Leopard Guide and use iBoot Ivy Bridge 1.1.0 for the temporary Snow Leopard installation on your HP, after you've done the first 3 steps. Make sure not to run Multibeast post install of Snow Leopard. You'll not be able to boot from the hard drive anyway.

Plan on setting aside a few hours in this attempt at creating a CustoMac from your HP PC. First read through all 10 steps to get an idea of the complete process. Make sure to also read post #2 as it has some important information about hardware choices. Take your time and don't hurry to get done. If you go slow and read carefully, you'll get done sooner. Slow down and enjoy the process.

This guide will work for the HP desktops shown above, not the HP 6200/8200. Those can not boot macOS UEFI. Steps 5,6,7 will be different for the install of Sierra on the HP 6200/8200. See: HP 6200 SFF Guide.

Prepare your HP PC for the Sierra Installation

Step 1.
Hardware Configuration

If your refurbished HP came with Windows installed: Boot into Windows and test out the hardware. You can also stress test the CPU and see what kinds of temperatures you get. Make sure all the ram modules are recognized/working. Test your USB ports. Connect to the internet via Ethernet. If you have any problems you can correct them now. It's also a good idea to apply a new coat of thermal paste to the CPU as these were built 4-5 years ago and it may have dried out and become ineffective by this time. See pages 86-90 of the attached HP 6300 manual for how to properly remove the heatsink and apply thermal paste.

Graphics Cards
Install your graphics card into the PCI-e x16 slot on the motherboard. Connect a video cable to your monitor via HDMI, DVI or DisplayPort. If you have a 4K monitor then use DisplayPort as your first choice. Note: Some 4K monitors will not work for setting up the BIOS so it may be necessary to use an older monitor with a VGA connection or a lower resolution digital monitor first for the BIOS update and setup in steps two and three.
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The MSI RX560 Low Profile is the best graphics choice for your HP 6300/8300 SFF or Minitower. It's natively supported by macOS Sierra through Mojave and will make any 4K monitor or television look great when you are running macOS. Needs no supplemental power adapter as it gets all the power it needs from PCIe. Link to see the MSI RX560 on Newegg.com

All of the recommended graphics cards with DisplayPort will give you 4K @ 60Hz if you connect a DP cable directly to the DP input of your monitor. The HDMI 2.0 output only gives you a 60Hz monitor refresh rate if your TV or monitor has a 2.0 input. Use an HDMI cable that is certified to support HDMI 2.0 to get the 60Hz refresh rate. Older ones will not support enough bandwidth. If your CustoMac has any problems displaying a specific resolution of your monitor or TV try the ResXtreme app.

If you have a 1080p or 1440p monitor that only has HDMI input and not DP, you can use the Nvidia GT 710 Card as a low cost option. Whichever brand of GT 710 you buy make sure it has DDR3 ram and not GDDR5 ram which will not work.

VGA is not supported by macOS Sierra. VGAVideo Graphics Array is an analog graphics interface that uses a 15-pin D-sub connector. Support for VGA was dropped by Apple more than 9 years ago. Use a digital connection for the best results. Older 4:3 CRT monitors will not work with macOS Sierra or High Sierra. Use a 16:9 aspect ratio LCD monitor or television with HDMI.

If you have a CPU with HD4000 graphics you can use your HP's onboard DisplayPort output. If your LCD monitor only has VGA input then use a DP to VGA adapter. That is the best option until you can get a newer digital input monitor. Onboard Intel HD2500 graphics have limited support in macOS Sierra so don't plan on using an I3-3220, I5-3470 or other HD2500 CPU without a dedicated graphics card.
HP_8300_back_panel_.png

In Summary: 15 pin VGA is not macOS friendly. 20 pin DisplayPort is very macOS friendly. Use the DisplayPort output even if you have to buy a low cost adapter to make it work for you. VGA is an outdated analog video option that will yield poor results with macOS Sierra. Use it only temporarily, if you can't access the BIOS with your 4K monitor.

Hard Drives
If your HP came with Windows pre-installed and you won't be flashing the BIOS via Windows, disconnect the sata data cable from the Windows drive. If you will flash the BIOS via Windows, disconnect it after you have completed the BIOS update in step 2. Connect the drive on which Sierra will be installed to Sata power and Sata port 0 now. If you have an SSD to install macOS Sierra on make sure to connect it to Sata port 0. This will enable the full read and write speeds that your SSD is capable of. You should then connect any mechanical drives to Sata1 or Sata2. The white connectors are limited to Sata2 speeds, maximum of 3 Gb/s. If you will be dual booting with two SSDs then get the HP 8300 Elite. It has two Sata3, 6 Gb/s connectors on board.

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HP 6300 Pro Motherboard Sata Ports

Note: If you only want macOS and choose to install Sierra onto the Windows hard drive that came with your HP PC:

Erase and then partition the drive GPT before you attempt the macOS install. I attempted to erase and partition a Windows 10 MBR drive via macOS Disk Utility and was not successful. If you have a Windows USB or DVD install disk you can open a command prompt and use DISKPART to erase and partition the drive GPT. You can also use a linux based live USB or CD Parted Magic 2013 Lastly, you can connect the Windows drive to another PC and then use Disk Management to wipe and format the drive FAT32.


Step 2. Update your HP BIOS
Determine which BIOS revision is installed on your HP PC. Tap on F10 repeatedly after powering on to enter the BIOS. Then go to File → System Information → System BIOS. Many of these will come with v02.05 installed. If it is older than v02.83, you’ll want to flash it to the v02.99 Rev. A version. This step is mandatory for the install of Sierra or High Sierra to work properly.

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After you've flashed the 02.99 BIOS you can update from 02.99 to the newest 2018 version (03.07) but that is not mandatory. 3.07 has fixes for the Spectre vulnerability that was announced in January of 2018. See the HP website for instructions showing you how to perform the update.

I used the HPQFlash method within Windows. You can also install the HPQFlash software to a USB drive. Here's what you would select if you are using Windows 7 64 bit and HP Qflash to update. You must set Internet Explorer as the default browser to update via Qflash when you are updating the BIOS from within the Windows OS. Link to 02.99 BIOS and 03.07 BIOS

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Double click on the v02.99 BIOS file on your desktop. The Internet Explorer browser will open and take you to the HP BIOS update site. Make sure to have your Ethernet cable connected before you open the BIOS file. Click on the Launch HPQFlash link and then follow the prompts from the HP update Wizard. Use a UPS power backup when performing the flash if you have one.
Windows 10 will also work. Just select the Windows 8 64 bit version BIOS if you will be using that to update your HP BIOS within the Windows 10 OS. The newer MS Edge browser will also work for the update. Chrome will not.

If you don't have access to Windows to perform the BIOS flash you can use a Mac or CustoMac to download the BIOS BIN file and create a USB to use for the BIOS flashing. See : Flash your HP BIOS via the HP Utilities Menu

Here's a brief 2 minute video guide on how to use the HP Flash System ROM Utility. Get the K01_0299.BIN file from the link in the paragraph directly above this one. The following video was made with an HP 8200 so some images are slightly different.


If you want to also install K01_0307.BIN file do that immediately after v02.99 BIOS has been updated. Then restore factory defaults and finish with the configuration changes as shown in the video. The text version of this part of the guide is next:

Step 3. Restore Factory Defaults and Configure the BIOS
You have a few choices when it comes to setting up the BIOS to prepare for the install. Since you have probably already flashed the BIOS to a newer version, the best approach is to reset to factory defaults. On your HP desktop this will give you nearly all the optimal settings for installing and running Sierra. After you reset to the factory defaults you'll then make one or two necessary changes before the macOS install. If you are using the integrated graphics for this step and would like to add a dedicated graphics card later on, you will have to shut down, install the card and let the PC auto switch to dedicated graphics.

Note that you do not select "Save changes and Exit" until all the BIOS changes are finalized by step #7 of this section.

The BIOS hot key is F10 tap on it intermittently after pressing the power button to enter the BIOS
1. Check to make sure the date and time are correct.​
2. Restore Factory Settings as Default (same as loading optimized defaults)​
a. Highlight Default Setup and then press enter/return
b. Select “Restore Factory Settings as Default” and press the enter/return key, then OK​
c. Select "Apply Defaults and Exit" then press enter. Choose yes at the screen prompt​
d. Once you select yes, the optical drive will spin up and make noise. This is normal​
e. Wait at least 15 seconds or more till the factory defaults are reset, it's not instantaneous​

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3. Your HP will auto restart. When it does, tap on F10 to re-enter the BIOS​
4. Change the Advanced settings Serial Port A option to disabled.​
5. Disable Legacy support (under the Security tab) if you have an Nvidia Pascal graphics card installed.​
Settings to check: Under Storage Options → Sata Emulation make sure that it is set to AHCI and not IDE.​
Check the security tab, Secure Boot should be disabled. See the BIOS image below.​
If you have an Nvidia UEFI capable graphics card, GT 710, GTX 1030 or 1050 (Ti) or an AMD RX560 you can disable legacy support too under the Secure Boot Configuration section. This is good to change if you will boot UEFI exclusively. Makes your screen look clearer and sharper for the install and post install. If you multi-boot another OS legacy, this will not be recommended.

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Note: With legacy support disabled, Video Option Rom is automatically set to UEFI only.
Don't disable AMT, it is necessary to be ON as it is by default, otherwise you will have no Intel integrated graphics hardware acceleration. You'll also have system freezes due to no IMEI device being present.
Do not perform the next BIOS change (6.) if you need to install Snow Leopard first in Step 4 or if you will be using a multi-monitor setup with your CustoMac. Causes black screen at boot up problems.

6. For Nvidia graphics cards that have UEFI boot capability: The GT 710, GTX 1050 and 1050 Ti are three examples. Use with single monitor setups only. May cause boot up issues with dual or triple monitors connected to your graphics card.

Advanced → Option Rom → Video Option Rom → UEFI Only - Press the F10 key to accept the change. Save and Exit.
Makes your Clover Bootloader screen look normal, not stretched and distorted. If your monitor is 1080p the Clover Bootloader will be displayed at 1080p also. Will cause a black screen at boot up with a GT210 630/640 etc.

7. Click on: Save Changes and Exit once you are done changing all your BIOS settings.

Step 4. Download Sierra from the Mac App Store

IMPORTANT: Use only genuine OS X /macOS from the Mac App Store if you get it anywhere else it's a site rules violation.

Download Sierra on a 2010 or newer Mac or a CustoMac Computer. Direct link to macOS Sierra in the Mac App Store
The Mac Pro 3,1 system definition is too old to be eligible and will not work for the download. Apple requirements page

If you don't have access to a Mac or CustoMac, you can install Snow Leopard from the retail DVD. Use iBoot Ivy Bridge for the install. This will require the temporary use of an older Snow Leopard compatible graphics card GeForce 8400 GS or the HD2500 integrated graphics if you don't have a CPU with HD4000 graphics. Click Here for the Snow Leopard installation guide.

Once you have MAS access with 10.6.8 you can get El Capitan via free download. Install that by making an El Capitan Unibeast installer and then download macOS Sierra for free from the Mac App Store.

It's also a good idea at this time to download Unibeast, Multibeast and Kextbeast. You can also get Clover Configurator and then add them all to your 16GB Unibeast USB in the next step, number 5.

Step 5. Create your Unibeast Installer for UEFI booting
See the Guide: Install macOS Sierra on your Intel based PC for complete instructions.

If you are using a Mac running Mojave see the screenshots below for the extra steps in Disk Utility. Also do this if you are installing Mojave first. During the step that involves formatting your hard drive, make sure you also "Show All Devices."
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Your selections for making the Unibeast USB Installer should look like this. Do not inject Nvidia when using a GT 710, GT 1030 or GT 1050 (Ti) graphics card.
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Install and Configure macOS Sierra on your HP 6300/8300 PC

Step 6. Boot from the Unibeast Installer

Insert your USB installer into a USB 2.0 port. Tap on F9 at boot up and then select your UEFI USB drive and install macOS Sierra.

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Boot Menu Screen when Legacy Support is Disabled
tonymacx86 Sierra install instructions Whether your graphics card requires the Nvidia Web drivers or not, you won't have graphics acceleration and your screen resolution may be lower than native. That is perfectly alright. You can still complete the initial install even without QE/CI working yet. Be patient as it takes a minute or two to reach the installer. After you've completed the setup and reached the macOS desktop leave your Unibeast drive in the USB port, reboot and select your Sierra Hard Drive (HFS) and finish the setup. Do not sign in to iCloud at this time as it may cause problems when you change the SMBIOS (system definition) later on.

High Sierra Installation Video Guide: You can find the High Sierra guide here: Clean install macOS High Sierra
Link to Multibeast for Mojave: Multibeast 11.0.1

Step 7. Multibeast Selections
This is where you will need to be very patient. With only 7-8 MB of Vram available, you'll get spinning beachballs, graphics glitches etc. You have to wait them out and proceed. Occasionally you will need to reboot completely and try again. If you are using HD4000 graphics and not an Nvidia GPU then you probably won't experience these problems. Until your Nvidia GPU is using the web drivers or built in macOS drivers, you need to avoid trying to get this step done too quickly.

Open the Multibeast application that you placed on your USB drive. Make the following choices and click install.

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Do not select fakesmc plugins and HW Monitor initially as they may cause a kernel panic. You'll be able to add them later on by opening Multibeast again and selecting just those two options. Install them later after everything else is working properly.

Make sure to have your Ethernet cable plugged into your HP-Mac. This will set it as en0 builtin which is required for MAS access. You can plug in your USB Wifi or Wifi/BT PCI-e card later on if you want to use either of those for internet access.

7a. If your Nvidia card needs the Nvidia web drivers you can install those now. (Do not install with Mojave)
To find out your build number and then get the right driver.
Open up About This Mac:
  1. Click where it says 10.12.6 or whichever version of macOS you have installed
  2. This will display your build number
  3. Download the right driver for your build number
https://www.tonymacx86.com/nvidia-drivers/
After the driver install completes, eject the Sierra Unibeast installer and then click on restart under the Apple menu. Your Nvidia graphics drivers should be loading and fully working. When you've reached the desktop, take a quick look at  → About This Mac. You should see the full amount of Video Ram showing for your particular graphics card.

If you still only see 7 or 8MB of Vram here or your dock is still opaque, either you haven't installed the web drivers correctly or you may still have integrated graphics enabled in the BIOS. Go to Advanced → Device Options → Integrated Video and check to see.

7b. For those with a macOS native drivers supported (GT 710 or GT 630/640 etc.) graphics card or Intel HD4000 graphics.
Eject the Unibeast USB drive and select restart from the Apple menu. Then reboot from the hard drive (HFS) at the Clover bootloader screen. Your HP CustoMac should be booting without any added boot flags and with full acceleration if your graphics card is fully supported and using the macOS drivers.

Step 8. Edit your Clover Config.plist with Clover Configurator (CC)
Download Clover Configurator here: Clover Configurator Website Go to Finder → Preferences then checkmark the box next to Hard disks to show them on the desktop. This will help you to see when your EFI partition is properly mounted for editing.

If you are completely new to editing your config.plist watch the following video for an overview:


In Clover Configurator, go to Tools → Mount EFI and then mount the EFI partition of your installation hard disk.
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Then open your /EFI/EFI/CLOVER/config.plist. This is how the path should look when you've opened the config.plist correctly for editing with Clover Configurator. See a demonstration of this in the video above.

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Required DSDT Patch: Change EHC1 to EH01 and EHC2 to EH02. This edit helps your USB ports and headers to work correctly.

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In the Graphics section of CC untick the check box that says Inject Intel. This is not needed if you are using a dedicated graphics card. If you are using HD4000 graphics from your CPU then leave this check marked. If you want to use AirPlay Mirroring with your Apple TV then see this post: Enable Airplay Mirroring. This should work even with HD2500 integrated graphics.

In the Rt Variables section of CC disable SIP by setting CsrActiveConfig to 0x67 which equals SIP (System Integrity Protection) disabled completely. This helps prevent issues when you are installing additional kexts or applications. If you need to install the Nvidia web drivers for a GTX 1050 (Ti) or other Nvidia card, in System Parameters, checkmark the box to set NvidiaWeb to True.

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If you want to implement CPU PM keep your EFI partition mounted and CC open. If not, close CC and proceed to 9.

8a. Optional:
Implement CPU Power Mangement

Select Mount EFI on the left side of the CC panel, then Open Partition. Navigate to /CLOVER/ACPI/patched/ and place your ssdt.aml into that folder. This will help your CPU to reach more p-states and also use less energy. I've attached the ssdt.aml for the I5-3470 and the I7-3770 below. Do not use these if your CPU is different, it will not work. You can create your own ssdt for your own CPU with Piker Alpha's script. https://github.com/Piker-Alpha/ssdtPRGen.sh and Guide to generate an SSDT
Next make the following entries in CC/ACPI/DropTables (in the rectangular blue box) :

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Close the Clover Configurator window to save all the changes you've just made.

Now you can restart your HP. Reboot from the Sierra hard drive at the Clover bootloader screen. Your Nvidia graphics drivers should be loading and fully working. Here's a screenshot of what mine looked like using the web drivers.

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8b. If you are using a PCI-e Wifi card then disable wake for Ethernet network access in the Energy Saver preferences panel. While you're there also uncheck the box for Put hard disks to sleep when possible.
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Step 9. Enable Audio on your HP Desktop
The easiest choice for enabling analog and digital audio is the VoodooHDA method. It doesn't provide the highest quality audio but it takes the least amount of work get audio enabled. If you have a GT 710 or 1030, GTX 1050 or 1050 Ti you could install the VoodooHDA 2.9.0 kext and the AppleHDADisabler kext. If you are using onboard HD4000 graphics, do likewise. Find both attached below at the bottom of this post. Unzip each file and place the kexts on your desktop and install them to /Library/Extensions with Kextbeast. If you don't install the HDA Disabler kext the analog audio will not work after the next reboot. So make sure to include that too.
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Reboot and test out your HDMI audio. Choose one of your analog audio options to test the sound. The front right headphone jack should work. The left one doesn't. You need to plug in your headphones first to see the option. The rear panel (green) line out and the line in jack should also be working. You can also download and install the VoodooHDA.prefPane app below to give you options for adjusting your sound via the macOS Sierra System Preferences.
The HDMI audio may not work with some older Nvidia GeForce graphics cards. You have the option of installing the VoodooHDA 2.9.0 kext to /L/E with kextbeast if the 2.8.8 kext will not work with your card. Try either one and test it after a few reboots to find out. Find both attached below. Remember to install the AppleHDADisabler kext along with it to get working analog audio.

If your analog audio jacks won't work with any of the above options then purchase a Syba USB adapter for analog audio. Find them for sale on Amazon.com. It requires no drivers and works 100 % of the time on these HP CustoMacs.

If the quality of VoodooHDA audio is not good enough you can try one of the following two methods.

SSDT-ALC221 Method Click this link to go to the guide

AppleALC Method / Native ALC221 Onboard Audio - Requires use of the Terminal and MaciASL to patch your DSDT

If you'd like to use the built in Realtek audio by patching your DSDT there is a way to accomplish that. Thanks to Nitrouze and pastrychef, you can follow a detailed guide an get full functionality. The overall audio quality will be better but this approach takes much more time and patience. If you just want working audio quickly and easily use the VoodooHDA method in Step 9.

Onboard Realtek ALC221 Audio Guide

Step 10. Enable iMessage and Facetime
If you would like to use iMessage and Facetime you can implement the steps in the Idiots Guide to iMessage to get both of these features working. If you won't be using either, you should still implement this guide. Generate an accurate and unique Serial number for your system that will be associated with your iCloud account.

P1LGRIM's iMessage Guide

Post in the following thread to report problems and get assistance: How to fix iMessage

Conclusion: macOS Sierra should now be 100% working on your HP 6300/8300 CustoMac. Enjoy Using Sierra !

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Download Kexts and SSDTs Here
 

Attachments

  • HP.6300 Manual.pdf
    9.4 MB · Views: 20,820
  • VoodooHDA.kext-2.9.0d10.zip
    158.6 KB · Views: 3,818
  • VoodooHDA.prefPane.zip
    471.6 KB · Views: 2,653
  • VoodooHDA.kext-2.8.8.zip
    163.5 KB · Views: 2,465
  • AppleHDADisabler.kext.zip
    7.3 KB · Views: 3,835
  • I5-3470 ssdt.aml.zip
    1.6 KB · Views: 2,749
  • I7-3770 ssdt.aml.zip
    1.5 KB · Views: 2,124
  • HP 8300 document.pdf
    14.1 MB · Views: 1,895
Last edited:
Installing macOS Sierra on the HP 6300/8300 Desktop PC
Q. These are boxy, matte black, business desktops. No unibody brushed aluminum case or extremely thin form factor. Unlike any current Mac desktop, they have 4 USB ports and a power button on the front, where you can reach them. How can they be a great choice to run a beautiful modern OS like macOS Sierra ?

A. It's the internal components that make these work so well as a CustoMac. They use the same Intel chips that were used in Ivy Bridge based iMacs. The Q75/77 chipsets of these are fully compatible as well as the AMI UEFI BIOS. They act much like a "real" Mac when macOS Sierra is installed properly.
There are many reasons to choose the HP 6300 / 8300 CustoMac - Here are the five primary ones

1. Anyone can install macOS on this PC -> Follow the guide and it’s quite easy, even with no previous experience

2. Anyone can afford this HP desktop -> You can buy one for under 200 USD

3. Any Mac program can be run on this Sierra CustoMac -> FCP X, Logic Pro X, GarageBand, iMovie, Xcode etc.

4. You can run any operating system on this PC -> Windows, Linux, Chrome OS etc.

5. You have the option of running many versions of macOS -> 10.8 through 10.13. It could even run Snow Leopard but I would suggest using the HP 6200/8200 and an older graphics card in that scenario. The Asus Nvidia GT210 works well there.

These are also environmentally friendly
  • ENERGY STAR qualified
  • EPEAT Gold registered
  • BFR/PVC free materials
What Works
  • HDMI audio
  • Analog audio - With recommended graphics (Integrated HD4000, GT 710 or 1030, GTX 1050/Ti)
  • USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports
  • Sleep and Wake
  • Intel 1 GigE wired Ethernet
  • Continuity and Handoff *
  • Messages
  • Airplay Mirroring
  • Graphics Acceleration - QE/CI - Nvidia or HD4000
  • Night Shift
  • macOS updates via the Mac App Store
* Requires a macOS native PCI-E wifi/BT card like the BCM94360CD

What Doesn't Work
  • iTunes DRM protected content will not play
Here is a fix you can try: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/itunes-protected-video-black-screen-solution-hdcp.195083/

Comments: This is probably one of the easiest to hackintosh pre-built computers that you can buy. It's very low cost, under 300 USD, even if you add a GT 1030 2GB graphics card. It's already assembled for you (other than installing a graphics card) and you can achieve success in a few hours rather than days or weeks of searching the forums to find solutions. So if you are just curious about how well a hackintosh works or simply need a secondary, low cost CustoMac, this is an ideal choice to begin with. The foundation for this guide was the December 2015 EZ 8000 User Build that I posted on the HP Elite 8000. That model works great with the Chimera boot loader and versions of macOS Yosemite and older. This 6300/8300 build is perfect for Sierra and the upcoming High Sierra version of macOS. The macOS friendly UEFI from AMI makes all the difference in the world. All you need is a macOS Sierra UEFI Unibeast installer and the latest version of Multibeast for Sierra. Install a VoodooHDA kext and the AppleHDA Disabler kext and you're done. Incredibly simple. If you have an older Z77 motherboard that has failed, it's nearly impossible to find a replacement at a reasonable price. You may then have a very valuable I7-3770 CPU that you can't use anymore. All you have to do is buy an HP 6300/8300 desktop, install your I7 and you can put your Ivy Bridge CPU back to work in this HP CustoMac.

Storage and Graphics Options

Choosing an SSD boot drive:
If you can fit an SSD drive into your build budget it will greatly increase the speed of your HP. I used a Crucial MX200 250 GB SSD as my Sierra boot drive. If your HP PC came with Windows installed on a mechanical HDD you should leave that disconnected during the Sierra install. Reinstall Windows UEFI if you want to dual boot with macOS.

Using a discrete graphics card: I used an HP 6300 Pro mini-tower with a GT 640 and later on, a GTX 1050 to test a Sierra install. The GT 640 is no longer for sale new on either Amazon or Newegg. The GT 710 is an alternative. The GTX 1050 2GB and the 1050 Ti 4GB are more powerful, Pascal based cards. A good choice if you want to game at 1080p.

Nvidia Pascal Graphics: Although these had support through High Sierra, they are no longer supported in Mojave or Catalina. If you have one stay on High Sierra. If you want to go with Mojave or Catalina then use an older Kepler card or one of the newer AMD Polaris 20/21 cards.

See the post on Mojave/Catalina supported graphics: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...-of-desktop-cards-with-native-support.283700/
This is the preferred method of obtaining macOS compatible graphics instead of relying on Nvidia Web drivers. No additional drivers need to be installed with Nvidia Kepler cards. They'll work with Sierra/High Sierra/Mojave/Catalina.

The small form factor HP 6300 and 8300 will work as well with compatible low profile (LP) graphics cards. Find the links to two examples, the MSI and EVGA low profile models above in the first section of post #1.
Note: on the GTX 1050 (Ti) (For HP 6300 Pro Mini-Tower versions only)
To ensure the GPU fits properly, buy one that is under 7.0 inches (178mm) in length. Some single fan versions and most dual fan models are not. If your card is longer, you will have to re-position the CPU heatsink to make it fit, i.e. turn it 90 degrees and re-install. See: GTX 1050 Clearance Issues The EVGA single fan version of the 1050 or 1050 Ti will fit without moving the CPU heatsink. This issue does not apply to the HP Elite 8300 Mini-Tower. The motherboard layout is completely different.
Using integrated graphics: The majority of these refurbished HP 6300 Pros / 8300 Elites, come with an Intel CPU that has the HD2500 graphics chip integrated into the CPU. The I5-3470 is one example. There is no support in Sierra for HD2500. If you do buy one with an Intel CPU that has HD4000 (I7-3770) you could use the integrated graphics instead of a discrete card. A DP to HDMI adapter would be necessary if your monitor only supports HDMI. See the following post for all of the desktop HD4000 CPUs that are still available. Ivy Bridge HD4000 CPU List

Fenvi FV-T919 Wireless Card: It is now available from the Ebay seller cityeliter. It will only fit in the Mini-Tower versions of the 6300/8300, there is no low profile bracket included. If you want to buy the separate adapter and card you can do that and install it into either of the Mini-Tower versions to get working BT and Wifi.

Enabling Trim Support - If you have macOS installed on an SSD you may want to enable trim support. This can help decrease the wear and tear on your drive over its lifetime. To do this open Terminal and type sudo trimforce enable. Enter your password (you won't see it) and hit return. You'll see the important notice below. Type y for yes and hit return.

Note: If you will be installing High Sierra First, do not enable Trim support as it will likely cause problems.
Trimforce CMD.png
Check your CustoMac's System Report - Select SATA/SATA Express and then highlight your SSD. You should see Yes after the Trim Support: entry as shown below. That's it, you've enabled trim for your SSD.
Trim Support.jpg


Installing the Fenvi FV-T919 Wifi / BT Adapter
1. This card must be installed in one of the PCI-e x1 slots to work properly. 2. The USB 2.0 cable must be attached for BT to work. This photo shows the correct 9 pin headers to use. The official HP document doesn't label the USB 2.0 headers correctly. You can see the Media 1 and Media 2 USB 2.0 headers in the lower right corner of the following picture. Click to enlarge it.

6300_Mobo copy.jpg

Guide Updates
6/16/17 UPDATE - As noted in post #8 the analog audio jacks, headphones and rear green line out are not working after the 2nd reboot after the VoodooHDA kext is installed. The HDMI audio still works fine. Use of the Sabrent USB audio adapter is an easy fix for this problem. Edit: Solution to this has been found. If you install the AppleHDAdisabler kext along with the 2.9.0 kext the analog audio will work with no problems. See Step #9 of the guide for details.
6/21/17 - Sleep and Wake This works just as on a Mac. Tested it by sleeping the PC for 48 hours. Stayed in sleep mode and woke up immediately when pressing a key on the keyboard. Start up and shutdown are also working great. Having macOS installed to the Crucial SSD really speeds up both.
6/24/17 There is a new LP graphics card option from MSI that works well in the SFF versions of the 6300/8300.
See: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...-i5-3470-msi-gt640.224812/page-2#post-1532273

7/8/17 Found a working TP-Link USB wifi option see:
https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...gigabyte-gtx-1050.224812/page-11#post-1540986
I'm going to try one of these. It does not provide Bluetooth. You'll need to get the Fenvi adapter for that or use a USB Bluetooth dongle from the Buyer's Guide. This wifi adapter will require you to install the 10.12 driver TP-Link. Find it in the thread linked above.

8/2/17 Good choice for an 8 GB ram kit by G.Skill Link to the post on this

8/11/17 If you have a wifi card without Bluetooth you can use this BT 4.0 dongle in one of your USB 2.0 ports.
GMYLE BT V4.0 adapter dongle Broadcom BCM20702

9/30/17 Do you need extra Sata power connectors for another SSD or HDD ? Buy one of these from Ebay.com
HP Sata Dual Power Cable HP Triple Sata Power Cable

10/5/17 The UGreen USB audio adapter is another option for audio. Provides higher volumes and clear sound from your HP.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N905VOY/?tag=tonymacx86com-20 Requires no drivers to work.

Here's why iMac 13,2 is the best SMBIOS for this system
When you look at the specs for the 27" iMac from late 2012 it used the exact same CPU that I have, an I5-3470. Has a dedicated Nvidia card and 4 ram slots. It uses EFI. The HP 6300/8300 has an AMI UEFI BIOS. AMI also creates the UEFI for Gigabyte motherboards. So it matches up as good as you could hope for. The I7-3770(s) was also used in these Late 2012 iMacs. If you look at used I7-3770 iMacs on Ebay you'll see that they start at about 700 USD and go up to 1000.

Following information is from www.everymac.com

Screen Shot 3.jpg Screen Shot 2.jpg


How to Create a Windows 10 UEFI USB Installer
Whether you'll set up a dual boot system on a single drive or two separate hard drives, you'll want to install Windows for UEFI booting. Then it's easy to select and boot either Windows or MacOS from the Clover bootloader screen. You won't have to hit the F9 key every time you boot your PC. If your HP came with Windows pre-installed check to see if it was installed UEFI or legacy. Go to Disk Management and check the 100 MB System Reserved Partition. If it says only Healthy (System, Active) and not Healthy (EFI System) then Windows has been installed legacy. You'll want to then download a fresh copy of Windows 10 and make a UEFI bootable install drive. Use a 4 or 8GB USB flash drive.

System_reserved.jpg

If you already have a Windows 10 DVD here are the official instructions from Microsoft on how to install UEFI.
Installing Windows using the MBR or GPT partition style

Also see the Multi-Booting guides here on the tonymacx86 forum.

To create your own GPT UEFI USB installer follow the directions below:

On your Windows PC, go to the Windows 10 ISO download page at microsoft.com. Then select: Download Tool Now

Win10 iso.JPG Download Tool.JPG

Select the Create Installation media radio button and then the ISO file option.

Capture.JPG choose ISO file.jpg

When finished the ISO will be saved in your documents folder unless you choose somewhere else. Now you want to go to the Rufus website https://rufus.akeo.ie/ and download the app you need to make your UEFI/GPT USB installer for Windows 10. Once Rufus is opened, go to the tiny CD icon just to the right of the ISO image selection. Locate your Windows ISO you downloaded and then select and open it. Select exactly all the same settings as in the screenshot from Rufus below. Click Start.


Rufus_Choices.jpg

Now you can clean install Windows 10 UEFI on your HDD and be ready for dual booting with macOS via the Clover Bootloader. Choose Clean Install and remember to delete all existing partitions on the drive that you are installing to. Choose the unallocated space you've created and then click on New to partition the drive GPT. Proceed with the install and Windows will then handle everything from there on out for the Windows 10 install. When the Windows install is complete, shut down, connect the macOS drive and boot to the UEFI/BIOS. Make the macOS drive the first in the boot order. Now when you boot up you've got the option to choose either OS from the Clover splash screen and successfully boot your chosen OS UEFI.

If your HP came with Windows 10 pre-installed you've already got a Windows 10 license. Make sure to install the Home edition if it came with 10 Home or the Pro version, if that was pre-installed. You won't have to enter any product key for it to activate when you go online.

Q. What are the differences between the HP 6300 and the HP 8300 models ?

A.
There aren't any significant differences that will affect the installation or performance of macOS Sierra. If you do want to run dual Sata SSDs at their full speeds, it's better to go with the 8300. That has two Sata3 6 Gb/s ports on the motherboard, the 6300 only has one that will give you the full 500 MB/s + read and write speeds from your new SSD.

The HP 6300 motherboard uses the Q75 Express Chipset. The HP 8300 uses the Q77 Express Chipset. You can see the key differences below in the comparison chart from Intel.
Screen Shot 4.jpg

Some of the advanced features that the 8300 offers like VT-d are of no use in a hackintosh. In fact, you should disable it in the BIOS if you have an 8300 Elite. The VT-x of the 8300 Elite is useful if you use a program such as Paralells to run Windows in a VM on your CustoMac. If you will dual boot with Windows and need features like Intel RST and vPro then purchase the 8300 model.

Q. What is the UEFI that I hear so much about

A.
It's short for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface. It's what you want to be using when you boot macOS with the Clover bootloader. This is why I chose the 6300/8300 over the 6200/8200 by HP for this Sierra Desktop Guide. The 6200/8200 only has Intel EFI and not the newer spec UEFI. You can read up on all the details through the links below.

See:https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface

and also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensibility
https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-firmware-2625881

Benefits of UEFI boot mode over Legacy BIOS boot mode include:

1) Support for hard drive partitions larger than 2 Terabytes

2) Support for more than four partitions on a drive

3) Fast booting and efficient power and system management

4) Robust reliability and fault management

UEFI.jpg
 
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Just ordered a HP 6300 Pro SFF off Ebay. The tut is much appreciated and I will report back post install. Couple of questions, I have an Asus GT630 and i3-2100. Do you foresee any problems with these? A previous attempt at using GT630 on different machine using Nvidia inject had screen 1920x1080 but mac reported VRAm @ 1GB instead of 2.
 
Just ordered a HP 6300 Pro SFF off Ebay. The tut is much appreciated and I will report back post install. Couple of questions, I have an Asus GT630 and i3-2100. Do you foresee any problems with these? A previous attempt at using GT630 on different machine using Nvidia inject had screen 1920x1080 but mac reported VRAm @ 1GB instead of 2.
The I3-2100 is Sandy Bridge but I think it will still work. pastrychef has used the GT630 in his Elite 8300 User Build so I would expect that to work too. You can always ask him about it in his "8300 Testing Machine" User Build to learn of his experience with it.
 
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Okay, I got a mostly successful install, 1 issue I am seeing. After I installed the Nvidia web drivers and rebooted, my desktop was black and there is mass amounts of artifacting. Any ideas? This was not occurring during the installer.
 
Okay, I got a mostly successful install, 1 issue I am seeing. After I installed the Nvidia web drivers and rebooted, my desktop was black and there is mass amounts of artifacting. Any ideas? This was not occurring during the installer.

Try it without the Nvidia web drivers and see if that black screen goes away. The GT 630 should work fine without them.
nv_disable=1 is the boot flag to use. Then uninstall the web drivers.

To uninstall the NVIDIA Web Driver and the NVIDIA Driver Manager, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Open the NVIDIA Driver Manager from the System Preferences or through the menu bar item.

Step 2: Click on the padlock icon and enter an Administrator password.

Step 3: Click the Open Uninstaller button.

Step 4: Click Uninstall and then Continue Uninstallation on the Warning screen: The Warning screen lets you know that you will need to restart your system once the installation process is complete.

Step 5: Re-enter an Administrator password and click OK. Once the NVIDIA Web Driver and NVIDIA Driver Manager have been removed from the system, click Restart.
 
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Very last question and I will stop bugging you:thumbup:, I install your audio kext per the guide. Upon restart everything is there, I use the audio line out jack. If I restart again line jack is no longer available.
 
Very last question and I will stop bugging you:thumbup:, I install your audio kext per the guide. Upon restart everything is there, I use the audio line out jack. If I restart again line jack is no longer available.
Thanks for pointing that out. I've been using only HDMI audio so I hadn't retested the analog. Try unplugging and replugging in the device, either headphones or speakers, and see if it reappears. This is a brand new VoodooHDA kext so it's still in testing stages. The main benefit is that you get working HDMI audio without any additional kexts required. First time I've ever seen that with any VodooHDA kext. This is also why I always keep the Sabrent USB audio adapter around if I ever need to use the analog audio output. Post back here if you find a solution that works on your rig.

Here's a link to the AL version of the Sabrent USB adapter
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XM883BK/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

I do hope that we can find a working analog audio output solution that also enables HDMI audio. It's the last piece of the puzzle to get to that elusive 100 % working Hackintosh.

7-22-17
SOLUTION FOUND
: See this post Analog audio is now working Adding the AppleHDA Disabler kext fixed this issue.
 
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I'm having an issue with my USB ports dying every few minutes. My Sabrent USB audio adapter and IO Gear Bluetooth 4.0 adapter both go undetected, so I manually have to unplug and replug the bluetooth adapter to get my magic mouse and wireless keyboard to get recognized. I heard something about USB changes in El Capitan and Sierra that may cause USB issues, since this does not happen on my Yosemite ssd.

Can you help point me in the right direction please?
 
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