Contribute
Register

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

I tried this on an 9020SFF with a Nvidia quadro 510. Everything seems to work great except a couple of minor things.

The computer is connected to a Sharp 40 LCDTV via the DP adapter supplied with the video card. With the resolution set at 1080P there is underscan, and selecting in overscan results in too much with the menu bar at the top and bottom clipped off.

I tried a couple of things, this script here


The script says it can't find the parameter in the file (/var/db/.com.apple.iokit.graphics). The author gave some suggestions but they did not work.

This script here


Gives a similar error about not being able to find the parameter in the file (/var/db/.com.apple.iokit.graphics)

I also tried switchresx, but so far have been unable to find a correct resolution to set. In windows, I can set underscan and the display works correctly. I tried the resolution set from that in switchresx and it did not work.

The second thing is the audio seems to default to headphones each time the system is booted up. I have to switch the audio to sharp hdmi and it works fine from then until the next reboot.
 
The second thing is the audio seems to default to headphones each time the system is booted up. I have to switch the audio to sharp hdmi and it works fine from then until the next reboot.
I've no clue how to fix the display problem. I do know that adapting DP to HDMI will often cause issues like this. Especially when a TV is used as the monitor. As far as the audio jacks you can try other Layout IDs (than 13) to find one that works for you. You could try 15,16 or 17 and see if any of those are a better fit.
 
Last edited:
The computer is connected to a Sharp 40 LCDTV via the DP adapter supplied with the video card. With the resolution set at 1080P there is underscan, and selecting in overscan results in too much with the menu bar at the top and bottom clipped off.
depending on the TV you may have settings on the Monitor itself that will help - Have a look for for Aspect Ratios, Scan Settings or Mode settings using the monitors on screen settings display. If you can give the model number, a look at it's manual will tell you if there are any monitor settings that will help.
 
I've no clue how to fix the display problem. I do know that adapting DP to HDMI will often cause issues like this. Especially when a TV is used as the monitor. As far as the audio jacks you can try other Layout IDs (than 13) to find one that works for you. You could try 15,16 or 17 and see if any of those are a better fit.
I will try the other audio layouts.

depending on the TV you may have settings on the Monitor itself that will help - Have a look for for Aspect Ratios, Scan Settings or Mode settings using the monitors on screen settings display. If you can give the model number, a look at it's manual will tell you if there are any monitor settings that will help.
TV is old and does not have any settings. Manual has some supported resolutions, but I could not get those to work.
 
I've no clue how to fix the display problem. I do know that adapting DP to HDMI will often cause issues like this. Especially when a TV is used as the monitor. As far as the audio jacks you can try other Layout IDs (than 13) to find one that works for you. You could try 15,16 or 17 and see if any of those are a better fit.
I loaded config.plist and under devices found the layout was 0. I tried 13,15,16,17 and they did not make any changes. Do I need to clear the kext cache or am I missing something else?
 
I loaded config.plist and under devices found the layout was 0. I tried 13,15,16,17 and they did not make any changes. Do I need to clear the kext cache or am I missing something else?
Looking in the wrong place. It should be the default 13 in the guide's config.plist. If using Clover configurator look under Devices/Properties. Looks like this:

Screen_Shot_7.jpg


Make sure to set Audio -> Inject back to zero as it was before. Box is in upper right of the screenshot.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the help.

Yeah I put audio inject back to 0 when I saw no change.

For some reason, mine was set to 21. Setting it to 15 worked and now HDMI is the default device. Now I just need to fix the resolution problem.
 
#2 Best Selling Desktop at Amazon
Just noticed this today. The 9020 SFF is really selling well. The two new iMacs, 21.5 and 27" models are at #16 and #17 on the best sellers list. It really is amazing how well these can run macOS and they look great too when you connect a 4K display. When you upgrade to the i7-4790 it's even better. Those Haswell i7s have come down a lot in price in the used markets. Look for the 4770 or 4790 on Ebay.

Link to the 9020 SFF: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TB9G2R6/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

Screen Shot 1.jpg

This base model iMac 21.5" still comes with a dual core 7th gen i5. At least it's got an SSD system drive. Finally.
The 8GB of ram is soldered onto the motherboard so you can't upgrade it past that. Not what I would want.

I'd rather save the $839 and use some of that to buy a 27" 4K display and a much better AMD graphics card. Even when upgrading to a 4K display, i7-4790 and 32GB of ram the total cost is still less than the base 21.5" iMac. Still over $400 less !

The iMac shown below uses integrated Iris Plus graphics. Can't even come close to an RX 570 or 580 with those. You would need a MT version and not an SFF form factor to install either of those full height AMD cards. The Quadro NVS 510 works well in the SFF if you want to run 3 or more monitors. Even 4K/60Hz monitors. See the buying guide in post #1.

Screen Shot 2.jpg
 
Last edited:

Cooler Master MasterBox NR400 Micro-ATX Case with Front Mesh Ventilation

For anyone interested in a case transfer, these are on sale now at Amazon for 15% off retail. 55 USD currently. This would be my number 1 choice for a dual boot CustoMac when also using it to game in Windows 10. Should have excellent airflow with the right fan setup. Air cooling will be more than adequate. See it at Amazon

See some pics and a description by bjay77 in the following post:
At a cost of only 55 dollars this gives you most everything you could possibly want in features, yet you won't have to take out a loan to buy one. bjay77 used the S400 version from CM which is mostly the same case with sound dampening features added. He also shows how to install a CM tower CPU cooler. I like that it still has the 5.25" bay in front to make it possible to add a hot swap rack there for easy access. That lets you completely isolate Windows 10 from macOS, the 100% foolproof way to prevent dual boot issues that are common.

1603453649443.png

If you want to make the front panel ports (audio/mic) work and have the power button and LED light work too, have a look at these adapters from Harbin Repairs on Ebay. Make it super easy when moving to a new non-OEM case. Note that these only work with the Dell 7020/9020 MT motherboards and not the SFF versions.

Screen Shot 21.jpg

Review by Michael E. on Amazon.com
Enjoyed building in this case. It checked all my boxes. Plenty of room to build, good cable management, better than average ventilation for great air flow, great build quality and it had an optical drive bay that clears ram and mobo header connections. Oh, and plenty of storage mounting options, tempered glass and power supply shroud.

If you want a similarly priced case but no 5.25" optical bay, the P300A by Phanteks is an excellent choice.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083LYL7V5/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

Kingwin SSD/HDD Internal SATA Tray-Less Hot Swap Mobile Rack for Dual 2.5” SSD/HDD

Screen Shot 20.jpg


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00475DQ6Y/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

These cost more than other Hot Swap racks but the construction is primarily metal so it will hold up longer during heavy usage. What you'd do is insert just the macOS or Windows 10 drive before boot up. Then Windows can have no effect/write to, your macOS EFI partition. Happens quite frequently even when each OS is installed on a separate drive.
 
Last edited:
Here's a YT video that shows the NR400 mATX in great detail. Have a watch.


The OD bay free version he shows is not available in the USA but is in many other countries so check your online local retailers to see if they have this version. Next is a video of the NR400 with OD bay on the front.

 
Last edited:
Back
Top