The 4K Dell OptiMac - 9020 MT - Core i7-4790 - Radeon RX 570 - LG 4K IPS Monitor

[nicksoph]

@nicksoph
Thanks for reply. I already checked "Enable Legacy Option ROMs" of the BIOS setting.

Your config.plist is missing -
<key>ig-platform-id</key>
<string>0x0d220003</string>

It is not in this threads config.plist - I have amended the alternative thread to include this as a difference

The only other difference I can see is the sysdef which will require new serials if that's the cause.

 

[andey21]

Your config.plist is missing -
<key>ig-platform-id</key>
<string>0x0d220003</string>

It is not in this threads config.plist - I have amended the alternative thread to include this as a difference

The only other difference I can see is the sysdef which will require new serials if that's the cause.

Changed! Fixed the monitor turn off/on issue. Thanks a lot!

 

[Anazlu]

Catalina 10.15.2 Mini Guide
​

I took about a half hour to test out an install of Catalina on my 9020 MT system with RX 570. If you've followed this guide for Mojave your BIOS should already be set up properly for UEFI booting. You can leave Legacy Option ROMs enabled if you want to. It doesn't prevent AMD graphics cards from working the way it did in Mojave.

If you haven't flashed your BIOS yet, follow the instructions found in the first post under Step 2:

Step 2. Update your BIOS and Change the Settings

This is a "barebones" guide for those that need to have Catalina installed right now for whatever reason. Could be to use the latest Xcode, or the newest version of Final Cut Pro X. Have a look at the glorious sunny shores of Catalina island because that's what will soon be on your macOS Catalina desktop.

View attachment 446350
​

Note that this is for a clean install of Catalina only. Try out this install on a clean SSD or HDD.

The primary difference between this guide and the main Mojave guide is that you don't install any kexts to /L/E. They will all go into the Clover/kexts/other folder on the EFI partition instead. This guide also uses VirtualSMC.kext, not FakeSMC.

1. Make your USB installer using Unibeast 10.0.0 from tonymacx86 downloads. Directions: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...alina-on-any-supported-intel-based-pc.285366/

If you have never used Unibeast before you can watch the following video for a step by step guide.

Video Guide to making a UniBeast USB Installer

Your Mac must have at least an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and be able to run older versions of Mac OS X and use Unibeast to create your installer. If you would like to buy, borrow or rent a used Mac mini to create your installer, the 2010 models are the best choice. They all have a Core 2 Duo...

www.tonymacx86.com

2. Next, mount the EFI partition and replace the existing config.plist with the custom one from post #1 of this guide. You can simply delete the existing one then drag and drop the new one into the Clover folder. Download USBinjectall kext, HFS Plus.efi and AppleALC kext. These can be found attached at the end of post #1 as well.

3. Delete VboxHFS.efi from drivers/UEFI folder, add HFSPlus.efi in it's place. Delete the two non-Intel ethernet kexts from Clover/kexts/other and add the AppleALC kext and USBinjectAll kext to the kexts/other folder. Here's how the final kexts/other folder looks:

View attachment 446344
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4. Download the custom SSDTs zip file from the end of post #1 and add all of those files to Clover/ACPI/patched folder.

Now you should be ready to boot UEFI from your USB installer and complete the Catalina install

https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...-any-supported-intel-based-pc.285366/#install

Do not run any version of Multibeast (especially 11.3.0) during the post install phase. It's not needed and may cause problems.

1. After the install is complete, reboot and download the latest Clover Configurator app. Mount the EFI partition of your USB drive and copy the whole EFI folder to the desktop. Now unmount that EFI and mount the hard drive's EFI partition with CC.

2. Copy and paste the EFI folder on your desktop to the EFI partition of your hard drive that is mounted.

3. Eject your Unibeast USB, pull it out of the USB port. Reboot and your should now be booting from your hard drive that has 10.15.2 installed to it.

4. Follow Step #5 of the guide in post number one:

Step 5. Enable iMessage and Generate a Unique Serial Number


Everything went perfectly smooth for my install, no hiccups to report. Let me know how it works out for you.

View attachment 446338​

Thank you so much for the mini guide!

I ordered a pair of Dell 9020 refurbs direct from Dell last weekend @ 40% off - an Ultra Small Form Factor and a Mini Tower. I just followed your guides and now have the USFF 9020 running 10.15.2. All went completely smooth. The USFF is currently sporting an i7-4790S, 8GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD. I did bump up the 128GB Hynix SSD it came with to the 256 ADATA. USB, sound, sleep are all working. I didn't try HDMI yet.

My plan for the MT is to leave it aside for now until 10.15.3 is released. My total cost for both 9020s, one with the i7 and the other with an i5-4590, was under $320 with tax. They both arrived in excellent condition even though the MT was listed as "B" condition. The USFF is a nice compact size. If you centered it on top of a Mac mini, there would only be about 3/4" overhang all around. I got the MT for expansion and easy upgrades. Having two hacks with the same motherboard is a luxury I had with a couple I built years ago using the H77N-Wifi from Gigabyte. They had an i7-3770 and an i3-3225 and also cost a lot more.

Dell Refurbished

Laptops Starting at $199 & Desktops $99. Buy Dell Refurbished Computers, Laptops, Desktops and more - Includes Dell Warranty.

www.dellrefurbished.com

Thanks again!

 

[trs96]

I just followed your guides and now have the USFF 9020 running 10.15.2. All went completely smooth.

Great to hear. I really like my 9020 MT with i7-4790. Great for video editing. Really quiet. I moved it to a new case just recently so I've got some more work to do there. All around good choice for those on a budget.

 

[XmasGiftWIP]

Unless you like headaches and frustration I'd suggest keeping windows on its own separate PC.

Appreciate the feedback as always, @trs96. I felt like that might be the case based on some threads I had read through, just seemed a bit of a waste since the 9020 I bought came with it included.

Good news is, that means I have a spare 256GB SSD to find a use for now!

As great as this thing is running, I'm considering building another one, but I don't really have a reason.

Side note: I believe you had mentioned the MetallicGear and I saw this article showing a case they're expecting to release in March of this year (referencing the Neopro and its ::ahem:: distinctive front panel).

MetallicGear Neo Pro Front Panel is Similar to the Apple Mac Pro Cheese Grater Design

MetallicGear has shown off the Neo Pro & the Neo Matrix PC case whose design is inspired by the Apple Mac Pro.

www.google.com

Wondering if anybody else saw some potential. I especially like the expected ~$60 price point.

 

[BillyGoatGruff]

So I am still pulling together the components of my OptiMac build. I have a 7020 i5 4690 with 16 GB (4x4GB), a 1 GB Crucial SSD, a Seasonic 650FX. I haven't purchased a GPU, and I'm wondering if I get a AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB, will it run okay, or would I MUST upgrade the cpu to an i7 4790? I mean, can I get by without huge stutter, or other penalty until I can afford to buy the i7 cpu?

My goal / use case is casual 4K video editing from vacation GoPro captures, to put together a trip video to share with the extended family.

 

[trs96]

will it run okay, or would I MUST upgrade the cpu to an i7 4790? I mean, can I get by without huge stutter, or other penalty until I can afford to buy the i7 cpu?

The 4690 is the 4790 without the 4 extra threads so it can get the job done, just not as quickly. I don't foresee you having any problems. As they say the proof is in the pudding. Try it and see how it does first. You could start out with Catalina and FCP X, latest updates have made the software utitlize the AMD GPU much more so the CPU isn't working as hard.

 

[trs96]

As great as this thing is running, I'm considering building another one, but I don't really have a reason.

You mentioned that your wife is the primary user of this. Can she tell any difference between using this and a Mac ?
Is she able to get all of her Graphics Design work done with it ?

 

[trs96]

I felt like that might be the case based on some threads I had read through, just seemed a bit of a waste since the 9020 I bought came with it included.

In my opinion the best way to run Windows on a hack is in a VM. You can install Parallels for Mac and then install Windows. The product key you got with your Dell should work. If you have 32 GB of RAM and the i7, it will be no problem. It wouldn't be great for gaming in Windows though. That's where having a separate PC with Win10 installed is good idea.

 

[triplec76]

Thank you so much for the mini guide!

I ordered a pair of Dell 9020 refurbs direct from Dell last weekend @ 40% off - an Ultra Small Form Factor and a Mini Tower. I just followed your guides and now have the USFF 9020 running 10.15.2. All went completely smooth. The USFF is currently sporting an i7-4790S, 8GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD. I did bump up the 128GB Hynix SSD it came with to the 256 ADATA. USB, sound, sleep are all working. I didn't try HDMI yet.

My plan for the MT is to leave it aside for now until 10.15.3 is released. My total cost for both 9020s, one with the i7 and the other with an i5-4590, was under $320 with tax. They both arrived in excellent condition even though the MT was listed as "B" condition. The USFF is a nice compact size. If you centered it on top of a Mac mini, there would only be about 3/4" overhang all around. I got the MT for expansion and easy upgrades. Having two hacks with the same motherboard is a luxury I had with a couple I built years ago using the H77N-Wifi from Gigabyte. They had an i7-3770 and an i3-3225 and also cost a lot more.

Dell Refurbished

Laptops Starting at $199 & Desktops $99. Buy Dell Refurbished Computers, Laptops, Desktops and more - Includes Dell Warranty.

www.dellrefurbished.com

Thanks again!

How did you get that deal? I tried to use the code that @trs96 posted a week or two ago, but could never get a 9020MT below 260+tax+shipping. I bought an old Mac Pro G5 case a few months ago and it's just waiting for it's new transplanted parts. I think a 9020MT would be perfect along with an upgraded PSU and video card.