How to build your own iMac Pro [Successful Build/Extended Guide]

[ppffffpp]

It seems people have different experiences with Logic on x299. I built this machine for use with Logic.
How's performance? I monitor CPU using Intel(R) Power Gadget. Idle the CPU runs around 1.2 GHz
a) When I run Cinebench the frequency ramps up to 4.5 GHz
b) When I run heavy audio projects in Logic the CPU frequency remains around 1.2

I have no idea why this happens, and would greatly appreciate if someone would share their knowledge on the topic

This happens because the power gadget is looking at a single core (or perhaps an average of all the cores?). So until you provide enough of a load to load each core (like CineBench) you will see a low clock speed, but my experience after being concerned with that for a while is that it is functioning fine as I get the same behaviour in windows if for example I run a single thread cinebench load. My single threaded CineBench scores under bother Windows and Mac are the same so I have come to believe that everything is functioning fine on a power management perspective.

 

[PedroJSkywalker]

I continue with the problem of Logic, all the tests I have done show a correct performance of High Sierra and apparently everything is fine but when starting Logic and load 4 or 5 tracks in unison the cpu reaches the maximum and the problems begin, I am not I know how many hours trying to find out what may be due without results, it has me desperate.

Another thing that I have noticed is that Logic seems not to use HyperThreading, only activity shows the physical cores.

 

[flymovies]

@warphead Interesting. I'm planing on buying this hardware for a Logic Pro machine myself, but if the current Power managment-implementation is causing issues with Logic Pro's speedstepping, that does not sound good at all!

Can you see if you can measure the performance with this tool and supply your findings?
http://www.evan.se/logicprobenchmark/Logic_Multicore_Benchmark_Test.html
(As a reference, my dual-core MacBook Pro 13-inch, 2016 with TouchBar, manages 37 tracks of this benchmark in Logic Pro X)
(In this thread you can see a lot of results from different machines, including hackintoshes, 5960x does 468 tracks!)

Do we have anyone else here that can try Logic on their x299 system and verify if there is a general issue here?

Working power-managment is one of my biggest concerns about this build. you really can't run without it on x299 and I belive Logic is one of the most frequent use-cases for Hackintoshes in general.

I am running 193 tracks at about 60% of processor load with a 7900x. Then I got sick of copying tracks. Running with latest 10.3.2.

 

[kgp]

I continue with the problem of Logic, all the tests I have done show a correct performance of High Sierra and apparently everything is fine but when starting Logic and load 4 or 5 tracks in unison the cpu reaches the maximum and the problems begin, I am not I know how many hours trying to find out what may be due without results, it has me desperate.

Another thing that I have noticed is that Logic seems not to use HyperThreading, only activity shows the physical cores.

see post #2313 .....

 

[olofd]

Hi!

I Installed my system today. It looks like this:
Mainboard: Asus x299 Prime Deluxe
CPU: 7900x
Memory: 32 (2x16gb) G.Skill 3200
GPU: MSI ATI 560 4gb
NVME Samsung Evo 960 (Installed under the coverplate)

Now I'm up and running, but I have some issues.
running 10.13.2 (17C88)


1. The DSDT-patches does not seem to be recognized perfectly.
When I enabled all of them and put SSDT-X299.aml and SSDT-XOSI.aml in /EFI/CLOVER/ACPI/patched (Just dropped them in there), my graphics where no longer being accelerated, but all pretty names for PCI-controllers showed up under System Report.
I then removed SL05 -> GFX0 under patches (It had to to with graphics), and my acceleration for the gpu came back, but the pretty names under System Report was removed again, making me think that they are not at all applied now...
And sleep does not work. (Black screen, but no fans tuning off)

2. My ThunderboltEX 3-card does not show up at all. All I'm getting under System Report is
"Thunderbolt: No drivers are loaded." Have tried everything to make it show up (Different port, different bios, different settings and so on..), but with no luck.
(It seems to work under Windows, and windows see's my device).

3. A bit uncertain about my score and my Power management as well.Could you take a look at my graps and results @kgp?

I've done everything in the guide



EDIT: I removed the nvidia-specific blocks in SSDT-X299.aml and now my PCI-panel under System Report shows all named devices from SSDT-X299.aml. BUT, the damn Thunderbolt-controller still won't get recognized.
See attached imaged. It still says No drivers loaded if I click Thunderbolt in System Report. Does yours say Port 1, Port 2 etc?

 

[braindeadmac]

Hi!

I Installed my system today. It looks like this:
Mainboard: Asus x299 Prime Deluxe
CPU: 7900x
Memory: 32 (2x16gb) G.Skill 3200
GPU: MSI ATI 560 4gb
NVME Samsung Evo 960 (Installed under the coverplate)

Now I'm up and running, but I have some issues.
running 10.13.2 (17C88)


1. The DSDT-patches does not seem to be recognized perfectly.
When I enabled all of them and put SSDT-X299.aml and SSDT-XOSI.aml in /EFI/CLOVER/ACPI/patched (Just dropped them in there), my graphics where no longer being accelerated, but all pretty names for PCI-controllers showed up under System Report.
I then removed SL05 -> GFX0 under patches (It had to to with graphics), and my acceleration for the gpu came back, but the pretty names under System Report was removed again, making me think that they are not at all applied now...
And sleep does not work. (Black screen, but no fans tuning off)

2. My ThunderboltEX 3-card does not show up at all. All I'm getting under System Report is
"Thunderbolt: No drivers are loaded." Have tried everything to make it show up (Different port, different bios, different settings and so on..), but with no luck.
(It seems to work under Windows, and windows see's my device).

3. A bit uncertain about my score and my Power management as well.Could you take a look at my graps and results @kgp?

I've done everything in the guide



EDIT: I removed the nvidia-specific blocks in SSDT-X299.aml and now my PCI-panel under System Report shows all named devices from SSDT-X299.aml. BUT, the damn Thunderbolt-controller still won't get recognized.
See attached imaged. It still says No drivers loaded if I click Thunderbolt in System Report. Does yours say Port 1, Port 2 etc?

Thunderbolt won't show up unless devices are actually plugged in and powered up. It should work independently from the DSDT patches and SSDT files.

 

[ImaPirate]

Hi KGP, I wanted to find out how Section C: 13.) Lilu and Lilu Plugin distribution remarks: applies to me? I'm trying to install 10.13.2 update and never did that part of the install process. My system starts fine, so I'm trying to find out if I really need to do this process?

 

[ImaPirate]

Hi KGP, I'm on Section D2: 4.) a.). Since I reformatted the USB stick and followed your instructions to use Terminal to install: Install macOS High Sierra (10.13.2), am I to copy the new EFI folder into that USB stick or am I supposed to do it another way? Let me know what you can, thank you.

 

[ImaPirate]

I'm replacing some of the config.plist file that you created with some of my original "BoardSerialNumber," "SerialNumber" and "SmUUID." What I want to find out is that I see that your config.plist has:

<key>BoardVersion</key>
<string>1.0</string>

but mine has:

<key>BoardVersion</key>
<string>Hacked</string>

Also your config.plist has:

<key>PlatformFeature</key>
<string>0x00</string>

I don't have that on my list. Am I to change "BoardVersion" name to match "1.0" and put in "PlatformFeature" "0x00"? Let me know what you can, thanks.

 

[ImaPirate]

Okay... It looks like I was able to successfully update to 10.13.2. I don't know how I did it (as I thought it wasn't going to work), but it works. The only issue that I have is that I don't have internet connection. Is there some file that I have to reinstall? Please let me know, thank you.