3.5+ GHz Hackbook?

[SnowLion]

(READ THE WHOLE THREAD)

I've done a little research here and I've yet to come across anything that is a "reasonably powerful" Hackbook in the CPU department (I guess we can quantify that as ~3.5+GHz?). Have any of you come up with anything like this before? So far it looks like I'm going to have to delve into the world of barebone laptops, and that seems to be rather untested waters for those here on the forums....

I've read the sticky, but I'm just wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction here, as it's a difficult subject to quickly research. Really, where can someone go if they want a "powerful" hackbook? (other than buying a $2700 MacBook Pro, or a $2500+ custom-built OSX-friendly behemoth from one of those overpriced "gaming computer" companies...)

Right now, it seems to me that my best bet is the MSI 937-16GC29-029 barebones laptop (comes with a built-in GeForce GTX 860M, see http://j.mp/1FwFsBE), with an Intel Core i7-4790T (turbo to 3.9GHz--same price as the other 4th gen mobile CPUs so why not? Info at http://j.mp/1QmWhFz). I figure with that, it will probably end up in the 7-8 pound region (heavy but not terrible) but will have just about as much power as I could want in a modestly-high-end desktop, and in a portable unit to boot! My only concern is that I'm not sure if I'd be able to use the GTX exclusively (turn off all switching/optimus/etc. modes), which could make getting OSX set up rather difficult (although I could most likely resort to using only the Intel HD 4600 on the i7 if I had to, it's probably better to use the GeForce if possible).
Can anyone offer me any guidance on this idea?

 

[SnowLion]

Correction. The i7 4790T is the ultra-low power desktop processor. It is not compatible with the MSI Whitebook above. I filtered through what I thought were 4th Generation Intel Mobile Processors, but it included low-power desktop processors in the search, which obviously sabotaged my results.

After further research, I think that the best of 4th Generation i7 mobile processors in the $300's is the Core i7 4810MQ (2.8GHz/3.8GHz Turbo), which runs for about $350 to $400 on Amazon or $375 at Tigerdirect. I'll be going with this processor if I end up going the barebones route.

 

[SnowLion]

Basically, does anyone have an educated guess as to whether a laptop with the following specs would work, assuming BIOS plays nicely?

• Intel Core i7-4810MQ (Quad Core, Mobile, 2.8GHz/3.8GHz Turbo)
• GeForce GTX 860M
• 2x8GB RAM (G.SKILL Ripjaw 204-Pin SO-DIMM DDR3L)
• 1TB HGST Travelstar 7K 1000 (2.5" HDD)
• 250GB Samsung 850 EVO (mSATA SSD)

I have a bluetooth dongle that works in my current build that I could use, and if I can't get the built-in wifi card to work then I can try to replace it or find an mSATA wifi card.

 

[RehabMan]

Basically, does anyone have an educated guess as to whether a laptop with the following specs would work, assuming BIOS plays nicely?

• Intel Core i7-4810MQ (Quad Core, Mobile, 2.8GHz/3.8GHz Turbo)
• GeForce GTX 860M
• 2x8GB RAM (G.SKILL Ripjaw 204-Pin SO-DIMM DDR3L)
• 1TB HGST Travelstar 7K 1000 (2.5" HDD)
• 250GB Samsung 850 EVO (mSATA SSD)

I have a bluetooth dongle that works in my current build that I could use, and if I can't get the built-in wifi card to work then I can try to replace it or find an mSATA wifi card.

Follow Clover guide linked from FAQ.

http://www.tonymacx86.com/yosemite-...faq-read-first-laptop-frequent-questions.html

The only potential problem is digging up the information required to make the 860M work. It may be supported without a lot of trouble OOB or perhaps with the Nvidia web drivers. You should do research on laptops with similar dedicated graphics hardware.

Note: This assumes the information you provide above is accurate... that it is a dedicated Nvidia and does not have also Intel graphics (in Optimus configuration).

At any rate, the FAQ has a lot of information/links you should read through to know what you're up against. There is a lot more involved than you seem aware of.

 

[SnowLion]

Follow Clover guide linked from FAQ.

http://www.tonymacx86.com/yosemite-...faq-read-first-laptop-frequent-questions.html

The only potential problem is digging up the information required to make the 860M work. It may be supported without a lot of trouble OOB or perhaps with the Nvidia web drivers. You should do research on laptops with similar dedicated graphics hardware.

Note: This assumes the information you provide above is accurate... that it is a dedicated Nvidia and does not have also Intel graphics (in Optimus configuration).

At any rate, the FAQ has a lot of information/links you should read through to know what you're up against. There is a lot more involved than you seem aware of.

Thanks! Your reply is helpful. I'll make sure to read the Clover guide carefully. I've only ever used Chimera (through Multi beast) so I hoped I wouldn't have to learn how to do a new bootloader, but I guess it doesn't hurt to check it out. I'll post back here once I've learned enough to have more questions.