- Joined
- Jan 9, 2013
- Messages
- 10
- Motherboard
- GA-Z77X-UD5H
- CPU
- I7 @ 4.2GHZ
- Graphics
- NVIDIA 660Ti 2GB
- Mac
- Classic Mac
- Mobile Phone
BrazilMac's G5 Hackintosh GA-Z77X-UD5H / i7-3770k @ 4.2GHZ / 32GB RAM / MSI N660Ti 2GBD5 OC
Components
Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H Motherboard
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007R21JK4/
Intel Core i7-3770K Quad-Core Processor 3.5 GHz 6 MB Cache LGA 1155 - BX80637I73770K
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007SZ0EOW/
MSI N660Ti PE 2GD5/OC Graphics Card
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008SBX6GI
Corsair CMPSU-750AX Power Supply
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/BB003PJ6QWE/
2 X Samsung 840 Pro series 2,5" 256 GB
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009NB8WRU
Western Digital WD20EZRX 2 TB
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008YAHW6I
Corsair DIMM 32 GB DDR3-1600 Quad-Kit
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0068ZWZY0
Sony Optiarc AD-7283S-01
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057FRTPW
Corsair Hydro Series H60 Cooler
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MYFOE2
TP-LINK TL-WDN4800 WIFI Card
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007GMPZ0A
BELKIN F8T017ng Bluetooth Adapter
G5 Modded Case by David Chugg @ The Laser Hive
http://www.thelaserhive.com
Already Owned
Apple OS X Mountain Lion @ Mac Apps Store
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/os-x-mountain-lion/id537386512?ls=1&mt=12
Apple Cinema 30-inch HD Flat-Panel Display
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002ILKWM
Apple Cinema 23-inch HD Flat-Panel Display
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002ILKNQ
Apple Magic Mouse
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002TLTGM6
Apple USB Keyboard
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DLDTAE
Comments
Well, this is BrazilMac, if you have been around the community since its roots, you will have heard of me. I am a bit old school when it comes to hackintoshes. My first hack was around 2006 when the hack community was at its beginning, managed to install OSX on a laptop and from there went on to create the first patch to install leopard on intel systems.
Back then, for the kind of work I was into, I needed a reliable system so I went and started working with real macs, and abandoned the hobby. Now forward to 2012/13, I took an interest again and noticed that things now are so much more easy, and I decided to build one for my audio/web dev work, and here I am, with my first build since 2007!
I want to give full credit to Slugnet as I followed his guide word by word, which gave me a 100% working system (with the exception of Sleep, no clue why it wont wake up!). However the system runs really smooth, and I decided to write this guide to help out others on their search for the perfect hack.
The basic items I picked for this build were the motherboard and the CPU. The other components I picked in order to get the best performance I could, like the Samsung 840 Drives, they are fast! So let’s start:
The Case
I wanted to have a system similar to a Mac including the appearance. So what I decided to buy a G5 case and work it to fit an ATX motherboard. However I am not that skilled when it comes to cutting things, so I found David’s The Laser Hive website and contacted him to buy a backplate and motherboard tray to install on my G5. I decided to just pay him for the work to cut/install the backplate and tray for me. I sent my G5 case and unfortunately it got damaged on the way there! So David kindly offered to fix or to just throw a G5 case he had laying around and installed all the modifications to it. The final result was a beauty!
The OS X Install
First thing was to update my BIOS. Used the latest version of my mobo’s Bios, the F14:
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4139#bios
Then to configure the BIOS, I followed the exact settings described here:
http://www.tonymacx86.com/99-quick-guide-configuring-uefi-gigabyte-s-7-series-lga-1155-boards.html
I disabled the Onboard Graphics port too.
UniBeast
For Unibeast, I created my USB stick exactly as described here:
http://www.tonymacx86.com/61-unibeast-install-os-x-mountain-lion-any-supported-intel-based-pc.html
When installing, I used my Apple display connected to Input 1 of my 660Ti. No problems at all during installation.
MultiBeast
Here is my settings for MultiBeast. As Slugnet did, after each step, reboot, run MultiBeast, apply settings and save.
DVD Drive Configuration
Unlike Slugnet, my DVD drive was working just fine after running the steps with MultiBeast. But to be sure, I still replaced AHCI_3rdParty_SATA.kext using KextBeast. I used the one found here: http://www.tonymacx86.com/mountain-lion-desktop-support/60793-eject-button-ml-3.html
Updating to 10.8.2
I downloaded the Combo Update from Apple, installed it and rebooted. I just had to run MultiBeast again and reinstall the ALC898 Kext and audio was 100% again. I am connecting my Stereo speakers using the green connector. I plan to test a M-Audio Firewire 410 for recording Vocals and Instruments using the firewire interface. I have not done that yet and will update here to let everybody know if it is working.
Network Issues
For some weird reason, my TP-LINK TL-WDN4800 card was giving me a really crappy download/upload speeds when my G5 case was under my desk. I started reading about this card since I was worried if something was wrong with OSX or the card. However, by simply moving the case 20cm from its original location, wifi now works great. I have a 60MB Line here in the UK and with speedtest.net I get around 30MB download via Wifi when testing. Upload is fine too. Ethernet is working, but I do not use it as my Cable modem is located downstairs.
Bluetooth Issues
My original plan was to extract the Bluetooth module from my MacPro 1,1 and mod it to be used with the USB port. But I decided against it and a quick search around the forum was enough to pick the Belkin F8T017ng as my Bluetooth choice. It works out of the box with the Apple Magic Mouse. But I had some mouse lag issues if an external hard drive was connected to the same USB bus. I moved the adaptor to the USB2 port and so far no mouse lag issues.
Graphics Card
Works 100%. I just had to install the CUDA Drivers from Nvidia’s web site and enabling it on Adobe Premiere Pro/After Effects using the trick found on SlugNet’s thread. Here it is:
For After Effects CS6: Contents > raytracer_supported_cards.txt
Add this line to raytracer_supported_cards.txt and save:
GeForce GTX 660 Ti
For After Premiere CS6: Contents > cuda_supported_cards.txt
Add this line to cuda_supported_cards.txt and save:
GeForce GTX 660 Ti
I tried using Final Cut Pro X only once and it froze the system by just scrubbing through a video on the timeline. I am not sure if this has anything to do with the Video Card/App or what. Perhaps someone can advise on this issue.
USB
USB works fine for me. I tested every single port, including a USB3 External Hard Drive and all works just fine. Just the weird Apple Magic mouse lag issue when an external USB drive is connected to the same Bus as the bluetooth card.
Random Weird Freezes
I have experienced a couple of freezes with this system. One when I used the Coverflow feature to see a set of pictures on a folder.That gave me a spinning beach ball and I could only recover if restarting the system. It happened once when I opened a picture with Preview and by trying to resize the image, after entering the new size and hitting ok, I got the spinning beach ball. Also it happened once when dragging an image to Photoshop CS6 icon on the dock and I got the spinning beach ball that could only be recovered if restarting the system. I still need to investigate this, I am not sure what is causing it.
Benchmarks
Booting takes less than 6 seconds, no joke! I managed to get really great scores by Overclocking my CPU to 4.2GHZ. Only thing I did was to increase the Multiplier to 42. I had also to make some adjustments so that memory would run at 1600. I tried upping it to 4.5GHZ since I am using the H60 Cooler, but I got a Kernel Panix on boot. Maybe I had to mess around with Voltage settings and all so I just let it at 4.2GHZ.
For those planning to build a setup like mine, I would highly recommend the Samsung 840 Pro SSDs. They are very fast. I have a 48GB Aperture Library and it loads in less than 2 seconds!
Here are some benchmarks:
GeekBench: 16862
LuxMark GPU: 1032
LuxMark CPU + GPU:1138
Disk Speed Test:
Conclusion
Very satisfied with this build. If I were to buy a Mac Pro with similar performance, I would pay a lot more than I spent with this setup. The G5 Case is also a plus, anyone coming into my office thinks it is a real Mac!!
Components
Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H Motherboard
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007R21JK4/
Intel Core i7-3770K Quad-Core Processor 3.5 GHz 6 MB Cache LGA 1155 - BX80637I73770K
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007SZ0EOW/
MSI N660Ti PE 2GD5/OC Graphics Card
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008SBX6GI
Corsair CMPSU-750AX Power Supply
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/BB003PJ6QWE/
2 X Samsung 840 Pro series 2,5" 256 GB
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009NB8WRU
Western Digital WD20EZRX 2 TB
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008YAHW6I
Corsair DIMM 32 GB DDR3-1600 Quad-Kit
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0068ZWZY0
Sony Optiarc AD-7283S-01
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057FRTPW
Corsair Hydro Series H60 Cooler
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MYFOE2
TP-LINK TL-WDN4800 WIFI Card
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007GMPZ0A
BELKIN F8T017ng Bluetooth Adapter
G5 Modded Case by David Chugg @ The Laser Hive
http://www.thelaserhive.com
Already Owned
Apple OS X Mountain Lion @ Mac Apps Store
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/os-x-mountain-lion/id537386512?ls=1&mt=12
Apple Cinema 30-inch HD Flat-Panel Display
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002ILKWM
Apple Cinema 23-inch HD Flat-Panel Display
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002ILKNQ
Apple Magic Mouse
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002TLTGM6
Apple USB Keyboard
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DLDTAE
Comments
Well, this is BrazilMac, if you have been around the community since its roots, you will have heard of me. I am a bit old school when it comes to hackintoshes. My first hack was around 2006 when the hack community was at its beginning, managed to install OSX on a laptop and from there went on to create the first patch to install leopard on intel systems.
Back then, for the kind of work I was into, I needed a reliable system so I went and started working with real macs, and abandoned the hobby. Now forward to 2012/13, I took an interest again and noticed that things now are so much more easy, and I decided to build one for my audio/web dev work, and here I am, with my first build since 2007!
I want to give full credit to Slugnet as I followed his guide word by word, which gave me a 100% working system (with the exception of Sleep, no clue why it wont wake up!). However the system runs really smooth, and I decided to write this guide to help out others on their search for the perfect hack.
The basic items I picked for this build were the motherboard and the CPU. The other components I picked in order to get the best performance I could, like the Samsung 840 Drives, they are fast! So let’s start:
The Case
I wanted to have a system similar to a Mac including the appearance. So what I decided to buy a G5 case and work it to fit an ATX motherboard. However I am not that skilled when it comes to cutting things, so I found David’s The Laser Hive website and contacted him to buy a backplate and motherboard tray to install on my G5. I decided to just pay him for the work to cut/install the backplate and tray for me. I sent my G5 case and unfortunately it got damaged on the way there! So David kindly offered to fix or to just throw a G5 case he had laying around and installed all the modifications to it. The final result was a beauty!
The OS X Install
First thing was to update my BIOS. Used the latest version of my mobo’s Bios, the F14:
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4139#bios
Then to configure the BIOS, I followed the exact settings described here:
http://www.tonymacx86.com/99-quick-guide-configuring-uefi-gigabyte-s-7-series-lga-1155-boards.html
I disabled the Onboard Graphics port too.
UniBeast
For Unibeast, I created my USB stick exactly as described here:
http://www.tonymacx86.com/61-unibeast-install-os-x-mountain-lion-any-supported-intel-based-pc.html
When installing, I used my Apple display connected to Input 1 of my 660Ti. No problems at all during installation.
MultiBeast
Here is my settings for MultiBeast. As Slugnet did, after each step, reboot, run MultiBeast, apply settings and save.
DVD Drive Configuration
Unlike Slugnet, my DVD drive was working just fine after running the steps with MultiBeast. But to be sure, I still replaced AHCI_3rdParty_SATA.kext using KextBeast. I used the one found here: http://www.tonymacx86.com/mountain-lion-desktop-support/60793-eject-button-ml-3.html
Updating to 10.8.2
I downloaded the Combo Update from Apple, installed it and rebooted. I just had to run MultiBeast again and reinstall the ALC898 Kext and audio was 100% again. I am connecting my Stereo speakers using the green connector. I plan to test a M-Audio Firewire 410 for recording Vocals and Instruments using the firewire interface. I have not done that yet and will update here to let everybody know if it is working.
Network Issues
For some weird reason, my TP-LINK TL-WDN4800 card was giving me a really crappy download/upload speeds when my G5 case was under my desk. I started reading about this card since I was worried if something was wrong with OSX or the card. However, by simply moving the case 20cm from its original location, wifi now works great. I have a 60MB Line here in the UK and with speedtest.net I get around 30MB download via Wifi when testing. Upload is fine too. Ethernet is working, but I do not use it as my Cable modem is located downstairs.
Bluetooth Issues
My original plan was to extract the Bluetooth module from my MacPro 1,1 and mod it to be used with the USB port. But I decided against it and a quick search around the forum was enough to pick the Belkin F8T017ng as my Bluetooth choice. It works out of the box with the Apple Magic Mouse. But I had some mouse lag issues if an external hard drive was connected to the same USB bus. I moved the adaptor to the USB2 port and so far no mouse lag issues.
Graphics Card
Works 100%. I just had to install the CUDA Drivers from Nvidia’s web site and enabling it on Adobe Premiere Pro/After Effects using the trick found on SlugNet’s thread. Here it is:
For After Effects CS6: Contents > raytracer_supported_cards.txt
Add this line to raytracer_supported_cards.txt and save:
GeForce GTX 660 Ti
For After Premiere CS6: Contents > cuda_supported_cards.txt
Add this line to cuda_supported_cards.txt and save:
GeForce GTX 660 Ti
I tried using Final Cut Pro X only once and it froze the system by just scrubbing through a video on the timeline. I am not sure if this has anything to do with the Video Card/App or what. Perhaps someone can advise on this issue.
USB
USB works fine for me. I tested every single port, including a USB3 External Hard Drive and all works just fine. Just the weird Apple Magic mouse lag issue when an external USB drive is connected to the same Bus as the bluetooth card.
Random Weird Freezes
I have experienced a couple of freezes with this system. One when I used the Coverflow feature to see a set of pictures on a folder.That gave me a spinning beach ball and I could only recover if restarting the system. It happened once when I opened a picture with Preview and by trying to resize the image, after entering the new size and hitting ok, I got the spinning beach ball. Also it happened once when dragging an image to Photoshop CS6 icon on the dock and I got the spinning beach ball that could only be recovered if restarting the system. I still need to investigate this, I am not sure what is causing it.
Benchmarks
Booting takes less than 6 seconds, no joke! I managed to get really great scores by Overclocking my CPU to 4.2GHZ. Only thing I did was to increase the Multiplier to 42. I had also to make some adjustments so that memory would run at 1600. I tried upping it to 4.5GHZ since I am using the H60 Cooler, but I got a Kernel Panix on boot. Maybe I had to mess around with Voltage settings and all so I just let it at 4.2GHZ.
For those planning to build a setup like mine, I would highly recommend the Samsung 840 Pro SSDs. They are very fast. I have a 48GB Aperture Library and it loads in less than 2 seconds!
Here are some benchmarks:
GeekBench: 16862
LuxMark GPU: 1032
LuxMark CPU + GPU:1138
Disk Speed Test:
Conclusion
Very satisfied with this build. If I were to buy a Mac Pro with similar performance, I would pay a lot more than I spent with this setup. The G5 Case is also a plus, anyone coming into my office thinks it is a real Mac!!