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How to build your own iMac Pro [Successful Build/Extended Guide]

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Question KGP, just came out the new iMac pro, mounts processors intel xeon W Family Skylike-SP with socket 2066, very similar to the skylake-X that we have, would there be possibility of change in the smbios for our platform? is this platform native now?

when we know how to change the smbios everything will be more easy... truth?
 
Question KGP, just came out the new iMac pro, mounts processors intel xeon W Family Skylike-SP with socket 2066, very similar to the skylake-X that we have, would there be possibility of change in the smbios for our platform? is this platform native now?

when we know how to change the smbios everything will be more easy... truth?

Did you see the date of delivery? 2nd January 2018! No native Skylake-X or XEON implementation yet under 10.13.2!

Let's see the further 10.13.3 beta development.

Cheers,

KGP
 
Hi, guys.

I have been watching this thread from time to time since this Step. Now in order to do Clang syntax tagging of a large code base, it is time for me to build a Hackintosh according to this very detailed guide.

Since the computation is mostly CPU-bound, an advanced GPU is a waste for my current requirement. A GPU-board that supports two 4k Display with 60fps is enough.

Any recommendations based on backbone setup: Mainboard: Asus Prime X299 Deluxe + CPU: i9-7980XE

Since I'd never build a Hackintosh before, my top concern if a GPU board is the compatability of the above mentioned backone and ease of driver installation/configuration.

Thanks

SharedSky
 
ImaPirate,

I am deeply impressed by your efforts to understand and handle your system configuration by yourself. This is indeed an important and deeply appreciated endeavour! Please count on my full support! It is my personal pleasure! Don't hesitate to ask me whatever necessary, even if some of your questions might appear stupid to others. Simply don't care!

You are on the right way and others should follow your tremendous courage and admirable example :thumbup:

I know how hard it is to follow my extensive guidelines for the first time.

Respect, man :headbang:

Thanks for the Big-Ups! It's hard for me as I have (like you) a very busy schedule (wife, kids, owner of an online tactical business, designing and marketing knives and flashlights, etc.), so that is why it was easier to have someone do it for me and contributing funds to whoever would help. That's why when I mentioned all those files (that I didn't know that I had), is because someone else helped me install this setup (that you provided) so I could have 10.13.1 work.

Now that I'm updating to 10.13.2, this is where I'm having to do it myself (but not by myself, because of men like you). But I think you know this already. When I have time tonight, I will check my original EFI folder and your EFI folder and make sure I apply the correct files (when I look at your past replies from last night), so I can get things up and running properly.

The great thing is, I have 10.13.2 installed and most everything is working, so at least I did understand most of what you were instructing. Thanks again. :thumbup:
 
Thanks for the Big-Ups! It's hard for me as I have (like you) a very busy schedule (wife, kids, owner of an online tactical business, designing and marketing knives and flashlights, etc.), so that is why it was easier to have someone do it for me and contributing funds to whoever would help. That's why when I mentioned all those files (that I didn't know that I had), is because someone else helped me install this setup (that you provided) so I could have 10.13.1 work.

Now that I'm updating to 10.13.2, this is where I'm having to do it myself (but not by myself, because of men like you). But I think you know this already. When I have time tonight, I will check my original EFI folder and your EFI folder and make sure I apply the correct files (when I look at your past replies from last night), so I can get things up and running properly.

The great thing is, I have 10.13.2 installed and most everything is working, so at least I did understand most of what you were instructing. Thanks again. :thumbup:

Gorgeous :thumbup:
 
Hi, guys.

I have been watching this thread from time to time since this Step. Now in order to do Clang syntax tagging of a large code base, it is time for me to build a Hackintosh according to this very detailed guide. Since the computation is mostly CPU-bound, an advanced GPU is a waste for my current requirement.

Here is my expected backbone setup: Mainboard: Asus Prime X299 Deluxe + CPU: i9-7980XE

A GPU-board that supports two 4k Display with 60fps is enough. Any recommendations?

Thanks

SharedSky

If you want to make things easy where Mac OS X runs native to your GPU, getting the AMD Vega Frontier 16GB GPU would be your best bet. It works with 2 x 28" 4K monitors easily.

Now for me I had to purchase 2 x Vega cards because I run 3 x 28" 4K monitors and that 2nd card is hooked up to the third monitor. But that's how I have my system set up. Again, you'll be just fine with one AMD Vega Frontier 16GB GPU for 2 x 4K monitors. Hope this helps. Later...;)
 
If you want to make things easy where Mac OS X runs native to your GPU, getting the AMD Vega Frontier 16GB GPU would be your best bet. It works with 2 x 28" 4K monitors easily.

Now for me I had to purchase 2 x Vega cards because I run 3 x 28" 4K monitors and that 2nd card is hooked up to the third monitor. But that's how I have my system set up. Again, you'll be just fine with one AMD Vega Frontier 16GB GPU for 2 x 4K monitors. Hope this helps. Later...;)

@sharedsky , I guess even one Vega 64 might be more than sufficient. I don't know if a RX580 8GB would also make it as long you don't want to use it for gaming under windows?
 
@sharedsky , I guess even one Vega 64 might be more than sufficient. I don't know if a RX580 8GB would also make it as long you don't want to use it for gaming under windows?

Well I can tell you from first-hand experience using one card with two monitors is more than sufficient. Again though, if you wanting to use three monitors then you’re definitely going to need to get two cards, because using this Hackintosh set up, that is what you are subjected too, if you wanted to run more than two monitors. Obviously though, that is not the case for you since you only want to use two monitors. Plus the card is now $700 as opposed to the $1,000 that it cost before.

I fully agree with KGP, that if you want to play video games then you’re definitely going to want to do with KGP has done and go with the 1080 TI card so you can have it both for Mac OS X use and gaming use. The only thing is you’ll have to install a few certain files that KGP already set up and you’ll be good to go with that as well.
 
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1.) You have to adopt both DSDT-patches and SSDT-X299.aml to your build and system configuration by means of IROEG. You cannot just simply enable the DSDT-patches in the config.plist. Therefore, they are disabled by default. Before enabling the DSDT-patches you have to verify them by means of IOREG! The same states for the SSDT-X299 implementation!

Some of your PCI devices are not yet properly recognised, see e.g, GPU, Audio, USB and some unknown device! Your GPU is currently assigned to thunderbolt, this will never work.

2.) The Thunderbolt EX 3 will show up under PCI after it's proper implementation in the SSDT-X299.aml!

Please check and adopt all device path entries by means of IOREG and where applicable also the PCIe Slot entries in the SSDT-X299.aml!

If you just use one ATI GPU in slot one, the DSDT patch SL05 -> GFX0 still should be valid! But you have to use the ATI device definition of @apfelnico instead of my NVIDIA device definition in the SSDT-X299.aml!

Your IPG graphs reflect what? IDLE CPU frequencies? If so, your XCPM configuration does not work yet properly. Did you enable Intel SpeedShift in your mobo bios?

Yes, I enabled Speedshift. I will look into the SL05 -> GFX0 tonight and get that working with my graphics card.
Ok, but question: Does the changes in the SSDT-X299-aml also provide functionality or are they only there for the cosmetics? Like for instance, as you know, my connected TB-device does not show up in macOS and does not function, will getting the .aml correct help with that making the TB work or is it only for displaying the correct labels in System Report?

I will go ahead and implement the SSDT-X299 anyway with IOREG, but asking from curiosity.

Can anyone post a pic on how the TB-controller looks in System Report when it's recognized, but no devices are plugged in?

Another question: The IOReg-values for the PCI-locations and stuff related to the motherboard, are they the same for all Asus x299 Prime Deluxe or does it differ even when using the sam board? Is that we you need to do the implementation event though we have the exact same motherboard and TB-card for instance?

Sry if the questions are stupid. Trying to learn.

Olof


Edit: Any good source/thread for learning how to extract the correct values from IOSReg? and applying them to the .aml file?
 
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Yes, I enabled Speedshift. I will look into the SL05 -> GFX0 tonight and get that working with my graphics card.
Ok, but question: Does the changes in the SSDT-X299-aml also provide functionality or are they only there for the cosmetics? Like for instance, as you know, my connected TB-device does not show up in macOS and does not function, will getting the .aml correct help with that making the TB work or is it only for displaying the correct labels in System Report?

I will go ahead and implement the SSDT-X299 anyway with IOREG, but asking from curiosity.

Can anyone post a pic on how the TB-controller looks in System Report when it's recognized, but no devices are plugged in?

Another question: The IOReg-values for the PCI-locations and stuff related to the motherboard, are they the same for all Asus x299 Prime Deluxe or does it differ even when using the sam board? Is that we you need to do the implementation event though we have the exact same motherboard and TB-card for instance?

Sry if the questions are stupid. Trying to learn.

Olof


Edit: Any good source/thread for learning how to extract the correct values from IOSReg? and applying them to the .aml file?

1.) The SSDT-X299.aml is not exclusively of cosmetic nature, e.g. HDAU audio will not work without a proper HDEF, GPU and HDAU SSDT-X299.aml implementation, if you do not use NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext or Whatsevergreen.kext in addition. The same might state for sleep/wake functionality of your system.

2.) The TBEX 3 SSDT-X299.aml implementation is however of pure cosmetic nature and properly displays your TBEX 3 under PCI in Apple's system report. It has nothing to do with the visualisation of connected TB-devices nor does it modify for change the TBEX 3 functionality. How the TBEX 3 is displayed by Apple's System report is clearly depicted in Section E.9 of my guide!

3.) IOREG PCI device path locations, which are PCIe slot depended will vary also for the same mainboard, depending on the PCIe Adapter and it's PCIe slot population. Imagine that I use a Nvidia graphics card in Slot 1, but you use a Nvidia graphics card in Slot 4... the IOREG PCI path location will be different. If you however use an ATI GPU instead of an Nvidia GPU, the entire SSDT-X299.aml implementation will be different. The same states for other PCIe adaptors I use and you don't or vice versa. In contrary, the device path location for build-in onboard PCI devices should not change at all when using the same mainboard.

I hope this answers your questions...

If my actual basic guideline is not sufficient to properly adopt the DSDT Replacement patches and SSDT-X299.aml, I don't know how to help you further. Me personally, I don't know any other guidelines I could refer to at this point, sorry....

I also learned it just by doing, trial and error, within a stepwise implementation and adaptation approach for my particular system...

Cheers,

KGP
 
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