A photographer's Hackintosh?

[Dan Wells]

My new Nikon D800e is on its way, and, as I contemplate nearly 40 megapixel image files, I can hear my 2 year old ( immediately pre- Thunderbolt) MacBook Pro groaning... I'm trying to decide between a new quad core MBP, a top-end iMac, and a hackintosh... I've built many a PC, including some fairly high-end ones, and owned a lot of macs over the last 27 years, so I'm in pretty good shape knowledge-wise for someone who's never built a Hackintosh.

I'm certainly not wedded to the idea of a laptop ( my iPad serves just fine on the road, especially since I can now use iCloud and the like to send photos home from the camera connection kit), but I WOULD like something relatively portable so I can take it with me if I'm photographing somewhere for a couple of months (the iMac meets my definition of relatively portable, but a full-size ATX tower does not).

What I don't like about MacBook Pros is the 16 gb RAM limit, and my only issue with a 27" iMac (which will hold 32 gb) is the screen - i'd rather spend the same money on a 27" NEC antiglare monitor with much better color... The mini is dual-core and restricted to 16 gb, and the Mac pro is both ancient and very expensive...

I'd be looking for a $1000-$1500 (price range of a top iMac once you subtract the value of the screen) hackintosh that supported the following:

Fast CPU (i7-2600 or i7-3770). I haven't yet decided about Ivy Bridge...

32 gb RAM ( perhaps with the capacity for even more, although that may be very hard)

2 or more internal 3.5" bays (I'd be using 2 tb or larger drives) - four bays would be ideal, but not if it meant going from a Micro ATX case to a full tower.

1 internal 2.5" bay ( I already own the SSD, and don't need to include it in the price)

Support for dual displays, both up to 2560x1440

Midrange graphics accelerator (at least as good as a current 27" iMac) - historically, photoshop and the like have barely used the graphics card, but that's changing

At least one type of fast external drive interface (USB 3.0, thunderbolt or esata) - ideally two or all three of them...

Reasonable size, weight, noise and power consumption.

Apart from the drive bays, I've just described a core i7 iMac, except that that machine is bundled with a $1000 27" display, and I'd prefer a different $1000 27" display!

This is basically the mythical xMac tower that photographers and other creative pros have wanted Apple to build for years, variously described as a cut-down MacPro, an iMac where you can bring your own screen, or a souped-up mini... Ironically, it's also not far off Steve Jobs' various cubes (at NeXT and Apple) in concept...

I was thinking of a high end Micro ATX board, or even the new Shuttle Z77, as a starting point. This doesn't need massive expansion other than RAM, and a less obtrusive case would be really nice...

Does anyone have a similar hackintosh, or any good ideas about how to go about this one? If I get it running really well, I'd of course be willing to post the build, as I think it's a machine that could interest quite a few folks.
-Dan

 

[mister_spaccato]

I'm an amateur photographer, and i'm trying to build a hackintosh very similar to what you've described. I was considering a mATX motherboard like this one (LINK) but it's still unclear which z77 motherboards will be fully supported under OS X. The CPU choice is a no brainer: 3770k offers 10% better performance over the 2600k, for a not much higher price. We still don't know about its overclocking capabilities, but even getting to 4.2ghz will give outstanding performances. 32gb ram kits are quite expensive and usually slower than 16gb kits; i advice a good 16gb kit unless you have dire needs for more memory. You could fit everything into a Fractal Design Arc Mini (LINK), which boasts front USB 3.0 ports and 6 3.5" drive bays. Regarding the GPU, i've read that Photoshop CS5 supports CUDA, so i'd take an Nvidia GTX 550, which is reported to work OOB.

 

[talisman]

My comment is related to backing up your photos as I think you have everything else covered. I keep at least 3 copies of every image I want to keep. At least one copy internal to the computer, one on another computer and one on an external drive (in my case connected via esata). It looks like you may be considering something similar with multiple drives and high speed external drive access.

Good luck with your build.

 

[Dan Wells]

32 GB is a must for really large image files, pretty much anything above 24 MP (there are few enough D800/D800e's out there, and they're new enough, that I haven't seen the comment specifically about those models, but all the medium format photographers seem to use 32)... The new Nikons are the first cameras to sell in substantial numbers with resolutions this high - anything previous was a limited production medium format back, but more big-file DSLRs will soon appear. 16 GB would work until getting into stitching or layering the big files... 32 also gives enough headroom for at least one more generation of image sensors (folks don't seem to need 64 GB to deal with 80 MP files from the really high-res medium-format backs).

On the backup issue, that is exactly why I'm insisting on at least one fast interface - OS and applications on an internal SSD, photo library on internal mirrored HDs, backup on an external HD connected via USB3, eSata or Thunderbolt...

-Dan

 

[Dan Wells]

I just looked up the Gigabyte motherboard that mister_spaccato recommended, and it looks good, except that it uses VIA audio, which doesn't seem to be popular for Hackintoshing, and Atheros LAN, which opinions are mixed on... Among Gigabyte's four (confusingly specced) Micro-ATX boards with the Z77 chipset, only the gaming-grade G1.Sniper M3 uses anything except the VIA/Atheros configuration.

The G1.Sniper (which I'm willing to use, due to its improved power regulation - gaming and workstation), uses an Intel LAN chip, but Creative audio... The Intel LAN chip should be no problem at all, but the Creative audio probably won't work, which is a disappointment (my receiver's USB port doesn't seem to support connecting a computer - it's for flash drives). I'd really like to be able to use the optical audio port to go directly to the stereo. I may have to replace my receiver with something like a Peachtree amp (which does support USB) someday...

Anyway, here's a possible build, all from Newegg...

Motherboard:
GIGABYTE G1.Sniper M3 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128551

CPU:
Intel Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116502
I know this isn't the overclockable version, but I don't want to overclock on a professional machine like this - is there any other reason to prefer the "K" for an extra $30?

CPU cooler:
ZALMAN CNPS8900 Quiet 110mm Ultra Quiet Slim CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118126
The best that will fit in the case - I only have 82mm clearance

RAM:
CORSAIR 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory Model CMV8GX3M1A1333C9 (four of them for 32 GB)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233269
DDR3 1600 is only a little more expensive, but has tall heatsinks, and I was worried about clearing the CPU cooler - its timings are also worse (unless buying the really expensive stuff), and I wondered how much the improvement would really be.

Case:
SilverStone SUGO SG02-BF Black ABS / SECC Steel MicroATX Desktop Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163112
The smallest decent MicroATX case I could find...

Power Supply:
Seasonic SS-460FL Active PFC F3, 460W Fanless ATX12V Fanless 80Plus Gold Certified, Modular Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151099
Efficient, silent and a good brand

Graphics:
PowerColor AX6850 1GBD5-DH Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card ...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131374
This was the hardest choice - I'm not a gamer, and looking at Adobe's site, it seems like their Mercury acceleration only works with (very expensive) Quadro boards in CS6. This fairly inexpensive Radeon should support OS X GPU acceleration, and the parts of the Adobe acceleration that are simply OpenCL. Any better suggestions (either cheaper without losing anything much outside of games or same price/modestly more with significant benefits) MORE than welcome...

Hard Drives:
I didn't spec any, because I have several lying around I'm going to use... I've got a couple of 1.5 TB Barracudas that will be the data drives (mirrored), and a GREAT SandForce SSD that will be the boot/apps drive.

Optical:
LG Black 12X Super Multi Blue with 3D Playback & M-DISC Support SATA WH12LS39 LightScribe Support - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136241
It reads and writes everything, including BluRay, and it's not terribly expensive... This is one of the BluRay burners folks have working, right? I know it won't play BluRay movies because Steve in his infinite wisdom decreed BluRay licensing a bundle of hurt, but it'll work as a data BluRay drive and play everything else?

Overall, about $1200 without hard drives. The expensive SSD I already own pushes it up quite a bit ($500+ if I had to buy it).
An interesting machine, compared to a top-end iMac, and I'm not sure which of the two I'll choose (I'll see what the Ivy Bridge iMac looks like). After accounting for the monitor, it's essentially the same price, although this would be a lot cheaper if I already owned a nice monitor.

It's essentially the same speed as the best iMac (I'm guessing Apple will probably offer the 3770 as the top processor), and has both advantages and disadvantages...

Advantages:

Not tied to a monitor - I can choose a NEC 27" with better color and an antiglare screen instead of the glossy Apple.

Upgradabilty - iMacs are a pain to work on, and many pieces just aren't upgradable at all. The only way to use the iMac's expensive display after an upgrade is either as a secondary display for another iMac, or being satisfied with a Mac Mini (or moving to a Hackintosh then).

Storage: This could take mirrored 4TB drives internally without breaking a sweat (plus a SSD for boot). An iMac comes with one 2TB drive, and an internal SSD is a pain to install (unless you're Apple).

eSata (I'm assuming the Ivy iMac will finally support USB 3.0, but probably NOT eSata).

BluRay (it still won't play movies, for such is the gospel according to Steve, but it does have high-capacity optical backup).

Overall quality: iMacs are good machines, but there are quite a few Mac Pro grade components in here.

Disadvantages:

Portability: The NEC monitor for this is almost exactly the size and weight of a 27" iMac, then there's the 20 lb computer to worry about. The internal storage DOES reduce this differential somewhat - an iMac means carrying a Thunderbolt RAID which is not that much smaller or lighter than this computer.

Thunderbolt (and a couple of lesser interfaces): FireWire and WiFi are relatively easy to add, and I don't care about Bluetooth, but I don't see how to shoehorn Thunderbolt in here...

Audio: I'd love to have the working optical audio out, not for work reasons, but just to play music from iTunes. USB audio works, and a good USB DAC is going to be better than what I have, but it means messing with the stereo...

Warranty: One warranty, one place to go for repairs. Most of the component warranties on the Hackintosh are probably longer, but I'd have to figure out which component is shot... On the other hand, repairs are probably faster on the Hackintosh, and I'm more skilled than many low-level Apple techs (not than the good ones, but it can be hard to get the good ones).

An interesting set of tradeoffs, and I'll have to consider them carefully...

 

[jhuse]

Looks like a great build!! My i5 is mildly overclocked to 4.5 Ghz and handles my 5dII files awsome! No lag in Lightroom on the sliders and Photoshop really flies. The i7's you listed should do you great justice for your large files. Cant wait to hear about your results. And the folks here are really helpful and have all the tools for Hackintoshing down to an art and they make it super easy!

 

[Vendetta]

Here's my $.02 on the matter. Take it for what it's worth, everyone will have their own opinion.

-If you're willing to wait for IB iMacs, then it'd be worth it to go with an IB hackintosh, because at that point there will be official support and unofficial support via the hackintosh community won't be far behind.

-If you want a system sooner, I don't see much decrease in performance by going with SB. From what I've read, the performance increase is marginal (10%), while the greatest benefit undoubtedly comes with the upgrade to HD4000, which won't matter much for someone not using integrated GPU.

-If you go SB, you should be able to get a deal, since IB just got released. Microcenter recently sold the 2600k for $200. With a deal like that, SB is a no brainer IMO.

Personally, I'd go with the following (assuming you don't want to wait for IB support):

-Go with a proven and solid Z68 mATX. Find a good deal on a 2600k and pounce.

-Strictly for CUDA and because nVidia is so far ahead of AMD right now, I'd go with a GTX 570 if I were you. That may even be overkill for you, in which you could go with a 470, 480, or 560Ti.

-Ram (two of these): http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B007TG8QRW/
or 4 of these: http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance ... 62&sr=1-11

-Maybe consider a case with a handle for better portability. Other LAN cases like this exist, but I won't bother posting a link to every one:
http://www.xoxide.com/silverstone-sg04b ... black.html

Also consider that the iMacs utilize mobile versions of the GPUs, so they're not really in the same class as your hackintosh would be.

 

[Dan Wells]

I like Vendetta's case possibility - not much bigger, handle helps, and 120 mm fan support means that a small, sealed watercooler is an option (Corsair H60 or the like). I might be willing to overclock modestly on water - one reason I said "no overclock" was the low-profile CPU fan. Can a sealed watercooler leak in transit? I would assume not - that's why it's sealed, after all (machine can be laid on its side with no problem)?

I'll be waiting for Ivy Bridge Macs, because I want to see what Apple offers... If they do a Retina iMac (unlikely, but possible), that changes the whole picture...

I'd chosen the slower RAM to avoid clearance issues - if the DDR 3 1600 is low profile, I'd certainly go with that...

What uses CUDA now? Adobe is talking of Quadro cards only, and Quadros are very expensive... Do the GeForce cards actually accelerate CS6, and Adobe/NVidia are just pushing Quadros? I'm very happy to consider NVidia...

-Dan

 

[Vendetta]

I like Vendetta's case possibility - not much bigger, handle helps, and 120 mm fan support means that a small, sealed watercooler is an option (Corsair H60 or the like). I might be willing to overclock modestly on water - one reason I said "no overclock" was the low-profile CPU fan. Can a sealed watercooler leak in transit? I would assume not - that's why it's sealed, after all (machine can be laid on its side with no problem)?

I'll be waiting for Ivy Bridge Macs, because I want to see what Apple offers... If they do a Retina iMac (unlikely, but possible), that changes the whole picture...

I'd chosen the slower RAM to avoid clearance issues - if the DDR 3 1600 is low profile, I'd certainly go with that...

What uses CUDA now? Adobe is talking of Quadro cards only, and Quadros are very expensive... Do the GeForce cards actually accelerate CS6, and Adobe/NVidia are just pushing Quadros? I'm very happy to consider NVidia...

-Dan

Here's another case I ran across that looks nice as well:
http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/produ ... s/survivor

The thing to understand about OC on these SB CPUs is that they do it without breaking a sweat. So, even a modest OC will not give you any problems at all. At the same time, the OC isn't necessary, as the CPUs are already quite fast.

Any reason you're going with that low profile cooler? You should probably get your case first and then see what you can fit in there. No sense limiting yourself to a low profile cooler when it may not be necessary. Personally I like to keep my CPUs as cool as I can, even if I'm not OCing.

If you're gonna wait for IB iMacs, then I'd say it's worth it to keep a close eye on the forum and blog and then go with IB once it's supported, so long as the cost isn't substantially higher than SB, which should be on sale.

The RAM I linked is low profile, so you shouldn't have any problems.

I'm honestly not into photography or the graphic arts, but from what I know, CUDA is quite helpful for Adobe applications. Someone with real world experience will have to chime in here, as I'm really just parroting what I've read over and over.

Again, those cards I listed are probably overkill and more of a "gamer's" card, but at the same time it seems silly to build such an awesome rig and have a lowly GPU in there. The ATI you listed isn't lowly by any means, but I'd go with a solid nVidia card if it were me, but that's where my preference/bias is.

 

[jecmacx81]

Hey Dan!
I'm waiting for my d800e as well, and that's the exact same reason that i'm building a hackintosh. I will keep an close eye on this thread. That's a pretty good build setup, but yeah. IB, you need to wait awhile until the PRO cleans out the tweaks. Good luck