Time to upgrade. Need advice/input

[segwayne]

Hi,

I'm currently writing to you from the very Hackintosh that I built 3 or 4 years ago (i7/4790k level) which is running "fine" but is pretty much stuck in time running El Capitan. Meanwhile, software that I work with -- like the Drobo Desktop -- is quickly starting to move on and abandon El Capitan. So... Time to upgrade.

Since this machine has been running so well for so long, I haven't really haven't kept up with the changes. I can drone on forever with a million questions, but let me start wit these, and I could *really* use your input...

1) When did everything move from NVidia to AMD graphics cards? If I want to upgrade, is it mandatory, or is it just not really recommended to keep my old NVidia 970 card?

2) If I DO need to change video cards, can I just buy a new 580 or Vega, slap it in, then wipe and reinstall Catalina/Mojave, or do I need to also upgrade the hardware underneath it (since the buying guides don't say anything about the old stuff)??

3) I've been thinking about going ahead and biting off on upgrading (if I have to) to the i9-9900k level but one thing that concerns me is cooling. I don't think something like a Hyper 212 would cut it any more, but I've read a few horror stories about people trying to use water cooling but the OS doesn't really control the pump and everything correctly. What would your advice be on cooling if I didn't want the system to sound like a 90dB wind tunnel? I know "silent" isn't really possible, but quiet would be better for me.

Anyway, thanks, and I really look forward to your help,

Wayne

 

[scottkendall]

I can not tell you much about the old Nvida cards that work without web drivers, or even the ones that use web drivers. But I can tell you that the ones that require web drivers do not work past High Sierra.

If you keep your Nvida for now and then buy a 580 or Vega you should be able to just plug it in and go.

Controlling and AIO WC in the bios is sufficient you need not worry, or you can get a air cooler like

Noctua D-Type Premium CPU Cooler, x 2 PWM Fans - Newegg.com

Buy Noctua NH-D15, Premium CPU Cooler with 2x NF-A15 PWM 140mm Fans (Brown) with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.com

I hear the fans are the best fans on the market for both cooling and quietness.

 

[segwayne]

I can not tell you much about the old Nvida cards that work without web drivers, or even the ones that use web drivers. But I can tell you that the ones that require web drivers do not work past High Sierra.

If you keep your Nvida for now and then buy a 580 or Vega you should be able to just plug it in and go.

Hmm. So you think I can just buy a 580 or Vega card and maybe another SSD (to keep the current one as a fallback) then just

1) Make a backup
2) Install Video card and new SSD
3) Install using the Unibeast / Multibeast method described in the Install instructions

???

That would be great and may save me $1500+... Like I said, I don't "need" a powerhouse i9 when I've got a 4ghz i7 that is doing me just fine speed-wise.

Controlling and AIO WC in the bios is sufficient you need not worry, or you can get a air cooler like

Noctua D-Type Premium CPU Cooler, x 2 PWM Fans - Newegg.com

Buy Noctua NH-D15, Premium CPU Cooler with 2x NF-A15 PWM 140mm Fans (Brown) with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.com

I hear the fans are the best fans on the market for both cooling and quietness.

That's good to know. Thanks! That Noctua Air Cooler was the exact one in my Amazon cart but if I can get by replacing 1 or 2 parts and not the whole thing, that would be great for me. I watch the videos of people promoting "the ultimate 14-core killer" with $350+ memory and $500+ video cards and I'm just sitting here thinking "it's been a long time since I've had that kind of disposable income".

Maybe when the i9 comes down in price...

Wayne