pastrychef's Asus ROG Strix Z370-G Gaming (WI-FI AC) build w/ i9-9900K + AMD 6600 XT

[Lollopus]

Yes. MultiBeast just puts everything together and helps you install all the required stuff from one package. It still installs Clover. You still have an EFI folder. The end result is the same.
(*Note: MultiBeast installs hackintosh kexts to /Library/Extensions/. I keep mine in /EFI/CLOVER/kexts/Other/.)

• The Z370 chipset provide 26 USB ports.
• Most motherboards do not use all 26, but macOS will see all 26 with the use of USBInjectAll and 15 port limit patches.
• However, macOS only utilizes and expects 15 ports.
• Therefore, we have to bring the total port count from 26 down to 15 and tell macOS which 15 of the 26 are active.
• There are multiple methods to achieve this. The method I use is to first define all the ports, then use a "flag" in config.plist to exclude 11 ports to bring the total down to 15.
• A USB 3 port counts as two ports because it has (1) a USB 3 port and (2) a USB 2 port.
• The USB 3.1 gen 2 ports are not counted towards the 15 ports on Z370 because they are not from the Z370 chipset.

Even though you have the non-Wi-Fi version of this motherboard, you still could have used my EFI folder. You can also use my USB SSDT file.

Now it begins to make much more sense, thanks a lot for all this info! So essentially I could just pick from your EFI folder and move things to /Library/Estensions/ ?

 

[pastrychef]

Now it begins to make much more sense, thanks a lot for all this info! So essentially I could just pick from your EFI folder and move things to /Library/Estensions/ ?

If you want to use my EFI folder, (1) delete all the hackintosh kexts from /Library/Extensions/. Leave the kexts installed by the macOS installer and (2) replace the EFI folder in your EFI partition with my EFI folder.

 

[Lollopus]

If you want to use my EFI folder, (1) delete all the hackintosh kexts from /Library/Extensions/. Leave the kexts installed by the macOS installer and (2) replace the EFI folder in your EFI partition with my EFI folder.

Excellent Maestro!!! I did as you recommended and ALL front (2) and back (8) usb sockets are now working. Also ethernet is working!

Is it possible that bluetooth is not working yet because I plugged the PCIe card's bt cable into a deactivated usb port on the motherboard?

 

[pastrychef]

Excellent Maestro!!! I did as you recommended and ALL front (2) and back (8) usb sockets are now working. Also ethernet is working!

Is it possible that bluetooth is not working yet because I plugged the PCIe card's bt cable into a deactivated usb port on the motherboard?

By default, my EFI folders do not disable any of the USB ports. To use the USB SSDT file do the following:

1. Install the SSDT to /EFI/CLOVER/ACPI/patched/.
2. Add the "uia_exclude=" argument with the ports you want disabled to your config.plist. A total of 11 ports should be disabled.

If you post your config.plist and tell me which ports you want disabled, I can help you add the argument.

 

[aussiepilot]

Excellent Maestro!!! I did as you recommended and ALL front (2) and back (8) usb sockets are now working. Also ethernet is working!

Is it possible that bluetooth is not working yet because I plugged the PCIe card's bt cable into a deactivated usb port on the motherboard?

If you used @pastrychef's uia_exclude string, you will have disabled the USB header you need for bluetooth with your build. HS07 will need to be disabled (added to the list) and one of HS11-14 will need to be enabled (removed from the list) instead.

As a guess, it will be HS11 you need. Failing that, almost certainly HS13.

 

[Lollopus]

If you used @pastrychef's uia_exclude string, you will have disabled the USB header you need for bluetooth with your build. HS07 will need to be disabled (added to the list) and one of HS11-14 will need to be enabled (removed from the list) instead.

As a guess, it will be HS11 you need. Failing that, almost certainly HS13.

OK thanks, I'll dig into the USB ports map and try to figure out which one is that I want to keep for Bluetooth. Then I'll post my plist file.

 

[Scott1204]

Hey @pastrychef, thinking about updating my build and have been watching this thread. Curious your thoughts (or others) on a few things:

The ASUS ROG Strix Z370-G is getting harder to come by and I see a few newer versions...Amazon is suggesting a ASUS TUF Z390M-Pro. Would you recommend this or any others that might be 'mostly-compatible' with your EFI? Or are they too different?

Any updates on compatibility with iTunes? Improvements with DRM or any crashing you've noticed?

Any Final Cut Pro problems?

My current build has both an AMD RX560 and a 1080TI (used for Windows VR). Wondering if the Asus MB will be okay with a similar design...

Thanks for any feedback.

 

[pastrychef]

Hey @pastrychef, thinking about updating my build and have been watching this thread. Curious your thoughts (or others) on a few things:

The ASUS ROG Strix Z370-G is getting harder to come by and I see a few newer versions...Amazon is suggesting a ASUS TUF Z390M-Pro. Would you recommend this or any others that might be 'mostly-compatible' with your EFI? Or are they too different?

Any updates on compatibility with iTunes? Improvements with DRM or any crashing you've noticed?

Any Final Cut Pro problems?

My current build has both an AMD RX560 and a 1080TI (used for Windows VR). Wondering if the Asus MB will be okay with a similar design...

Thanks for any feedback.

Personally, if I were to upgrade to Z390, I would look at the offerings from Gigabyte because they seem to have really done well with VRM with this generation.

As far as I've been able to gather from reading others' experiences, Z390 lost native NVRAM and therefore would require EmuVariableUEFI-64 and the RC scripts. The EFI folder I posted on my Z370-G build thread does not use this, so you would have to add them. The kexts should be the same with the exception that Z390 seems to do better with the AppleALC 1.3.4 (which isn't on its Github release page yet). There may also be some changes needed for config.plist. Nothing really major. All of this can be done pretty easily.

I don't really play DRM content on my hack. Disabling IGPU and using iMacPro1,1 should still work. iTunes itself works fine otherwise.

I'm not a FCPX user but I haven't gotten complaints from users on this thread so I'm assuming it's all working well. I believe the key is to configure IGPU properly (if you are using iMac18,x system definition). If you are using High Sierra, spoof Kaby Lake IGPU. If you are using Mojave and a 9th gen CPU, spoof Coffee Lake IGPU. Be sure to use correct headless ig-platform-id if you have a dGPU.

I know it's possible to disable one GPU with Clover, but I haven't read up on it. It might be possible to just not connect a monitor to the Nvidia card. I haven't tested... I only have one Nvidia card left and it's in use on another system (my emulation gaming box).

If your purpose for upgrading to Z390 is just for 9th gen CPU compatibility, I feel that sticking with Z370 makes more sense because, as of today, Z370 just works a lot better with macOS. I know the Asus Z370-G Gaming is very difficult to find now (I tried to find one for a friend recently), but there are still a decent supply of other Z370 motherboards out there. If you find one with the features you like, grab it quick before they are gone.

If your purpose for upgrading to Z390 is for better overclocking, yes, it seems like all the motherboard manufacturers have improved VRM and/or power delivery for Z390 and should help provide better overclocking.

 

[corint1]

As far as I've been able to gather from reading others' experiences, Z390 lost native NVRAM and therefore would require EmuVariableUEFI-64 and the RC scripts.

do not forget the M2.NGFF slot incompatibility ... that can not be replaced with old apple cards

 

[pastrychef]

do not forget the M2.NGFF slot incompatibility ... that can not be replaced with old apple cards

I think some people had success with Apple Wi-Fi/Bluetooth cards in M.2 slots on Gigabyte motherboards. I don't know if it's a just a that particular motherboard or if it's consistent across all Gigabyte motherboards. But, yes, it's a potential problem.