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[GUIDE] Install Catalina/Mojave on Dell 7040 SFF

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I have just installed successful on my Dell 7040 SFF after 2 days. I read many post about this then have a solution to install. Here is the step that i do to install:
1) Setting BIOS for Hackintosh.
2) Make USB bootable for Catalina:
- Use "gibMacOS-master" to download Catalina setup file.
- Use "Unibeat" to make USB.
- Use "colver configurator" to mount EFI folder on USB. Just delete it and replace with my folder.
3) Install Catalina on your destop.
4) Use "colver configurator" to mount EFI folder on your hardisk. Just delete it and replace with the folder on USB.
 

Attachments

  • EFI.zip
    4.1 MB · Views: 1,576
Hi HungTD
Can you post the detailed giude?
 
I have just installed successful on my Dell 7040 SFF after 2 days. I read many post about this then have a solution to install. Here is the step that i do to install:
1) Setting BIOS for Hackintosh.
2) Make USB bootable for Catalina:
- Use "gibMacOS-master" to download Catalina setup file.
- Use "Unibeat" to make USB.
- Use "colver configurator" to mount EFI folder on USB. Just delete it and replace with my folder.
3) Install Catalina on your destop.
4) Use "colver configurator" to mount EFI folder on your hardisk. Just delete it and replace with the folder on USB.
Thanks for sharing your EFI folder, successfully installed Catalina before leaving for work.

263A0394-BCE4-4AC1-A1BA-16E376AE9EFD.jpeg
 
successfully installed Catalina before leaving for work.
If you'd like to get full graphics acceleration you can use the attached and see how it goes.

Screen_Shot_8.jpg
 

Attachments

  • EFI 7040.zip
    29.8 MB · Views: 1,004
If you'd like to get full graphics acceleration you can use the attached and see how it goes.

View attachment 479500

thank you Sir!. When I get home later I will try it out!. First impression, very fast, I want to Bench the HP EX920, I’ve not seen a progress bar fill up as quick as it did. I got the verbose messaging before the progress bar and everything seemed ok. I used the same BIOS settings as @pastrychef ‘clunker‘.
 
For anyone looking at the Optiplex 7040 MT model from Dell. I like some changes that Dell made to the "40 series" motherboards in contrast to the way the Ivy Bridge "10" and "20" Haswell boards were designed. i.e. the 9010 or 9020. The best match for SMBIOS is iMac 17,1 which is Skylake based. Will still be supported by macOS 11 and macOS 12 ? Not sure if it will be 11.1 in 2021 or macOS 12. I'm guessing it will be the latter.

The CPU prices for these are still more than double the equivalent Haswell chips but I think they'll start coming down later this year and next.

Dell Optiplex 7040 MT motherboard
Screen_Shot_2.jpg


If you want to buy one and install this board into a 3rd party case of your choice, note that this is not a standard mATX layout, it's custom from Dell, so it would require a little case modding of the standoff locations. The empty 7040 MT cases are available on ebay.com. Those will cost about 30-40 USD shipped.

Screen_Shot_3.jpg


It's great that Dell finally got rid of the 5 pin fan headers and moved the PCIe X1 slot to the right of the x16. Leaves room for your PCIe adapter and Wifi/BT card without having to use a riser. This scenario occurs when using a dual slot gfx card like the RX570 or 580.
 
Last edited:
Thanks @trs96. The EFI folder you attached worked a charm, I took out the GT710 and plugged in the HDMI cable for onboard graphics and full graphics acceleration. I didn't think HD 530 would work!, I've been reading about HD 530 on other threads and I was under the impression it couldn't be used. I'm planning on installing the RX 570 in this build but that may require more wattage!. What really surprised me was the speed of the HP EX920, almost 3GB read, from a 'budget' NVMe drive, that seems pretty good to me.



Screen Shot 2020-07-07 at 11.38.05 PM.png
Screen Shot 2020-07-07 at 11.37.54 PM.png
Screen Shot 2020-07-07 at 11.32.26 PM.png
 
I'm planning on installing the RX 570 in this build but that may require more wattage!
It is possible to use the RX 570 with the Dell MT 290W PSU. You'd still have to plug in the 6/8 pin power connector but it can handle a 570. A 580 would definitely need the ATX 450-500W PSU upgrade in this system. Are you using the smaller SFF Dell PSU ?
 
Are you using the smaller SFF Dell PSU ?

I’m currently using the Dell SFF 9020 PSU, it only has two cables though, an 8 pin and 4 pin and they plug into the motherboard. There isn’t an extra cable to plug in the RX570.
 
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