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Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide January 2014

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tonymacx86

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Motherboard
Z370N WIFI
CPU
i7 8700K
Graphics
HD 630
Mac
  1. MacBook Air
Classic Mac
  1. Apple
  2. PowerBook
Mobile Phone
  1. iOS
customac.png

When running OS X as your main operating system, supported and compatible components are extremely important. That is why we have created a large selection of pre-configured systems along with a list of options. This month we've added the new Thunderbolt 2.0 equipped Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD7-TH motherboard and the fully compatible PlayStation 4 controller.

The components listed here might not be the only ones that work, but based on our research they're the easiest and best supported options. Use the following Buyer's Guide as a shopping list or as a jumping off point for further customization. Either way you'll be supporting this site by purchasing through these links, so thanks in advance!



Table of Contents

Mini-ITX.png
CustoMac Mini (mini-ITX)
Mini-ITX.png
CustoMac Mini Deluxe (mini-ITX)
mATX.png
CustoMac Budget (mATX)
ATX.png
CustoMac Budget (ATX)
ATX.png
CustoMac Pro (ATX)
E-ATX.png
CustoMac Socket 2011 (E-ATX)
Mini-ITX.png
Motherboards
cpu.jpg
CPUs
h60.jpg
CPU Coolers
640.jpg
Graphics Cards
hdd.jpg
Drives
650w.jpg
Power Supplies
prodigy.jpg
Cases
mavslogo.png
Operating Systems
logi-mini.jpg
Accessories



CustoMac Mini

The CustoMac Mini is a bare-bones CustoMac in a shoebox sized case featuring a H87 mini-iTX motherboard and a dual-core Haswell processor. The graphics are integrated and fully supported, so there's no need for a power-hungry discrete graphics card. The case also includes a power-efficient power supply unit. Less parts, less power, less heat, less cost. Please note that the motherboard's Intel mini-PCIe card includes both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth but only the bluetooth features are available under OS X. If you don't use the PCIe slot, we recommend the TP-Link PCIe card below for native Wi-Fi support. Also, there are a few native wifi-only Atheros mini-PCIe replacement card suggestions if you don't need bluetooth.​

cpu.jpg
CPU Intel Core i3-4330
Intel Core i3-4340
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Mini-ITX.png
Motherboard GA-H87N-WIFI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
ram.jpg
RAM 8GB 1600Mhz DDR3
16GB 1600Mhz DDR3
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
apex.jpg
Case + Power
Supply
Apex MI-008
(w/ 250W Power Supply)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
hdd.jpg
ssd.jpg
Storage SATA 6Gb/s 120GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 240GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
tplink.jpg
Wifi Card TP-Link PCI Express
Wifi Adapter
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



CustoMac Mini Deluxe

The CustoMac Mini "Deluxe" is a no-compromise build featuring a Z87 mini-ITX motherboard and a quad-core Haswell CPU. The BitFenix Prodigy case is a unique way of thinking about a mini-ITX system, as it's not exactly small. It's about the size of a mATX case, making room for multiple hard drives, and a full sized graphics card. The Z87 motherboard is also capable of overclocking if you use a "K" CPU, and there is even room for a water cooler for the CPU. Please note that the motherboard's Intel mini-PCIe card includes both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth but only the bluetooth features are available under OS X. If you don't use the PCIe slot, we recommend the TP-Link PCIe card below for native Wi-Fi support. Also, there are a few native wifi-only Atheros mini-PCIe replacement card suggestions if you don't need bluetooth. If the BitFenix Prodigy is unavailable, we've listed some alternate cases below.​

cpu.jpg
CPU Intel Core i3-4340
Intel Core i5-4670K
Intel Core i7-4770K
Full List of CPU Options
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Mini-ITX.png
Motherboard GA-Z87N-WIFI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
ram.jpg
RAM 8GB 1600Mhz DDR3
16GB 1600Mhz DDR3
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
prodigy.jpg
Case BitFenix Prodigy
(No Power Supply)
White Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Black Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Orange Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Red Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
c500w.jpg
Power Supply Corsair 500 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
hdd.jpg
ssd.jpg
Storage SATA 6Gb/s 120GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 240GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
760.jpg
Graphics Card
(Optional)
GeForce GTX 760
Full List of Graphics Cards
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



CustoMac mATX

A mid-sized build with a quad-core CPU, maxed out RAM, and lots of expandability. Well suited for any demanding uses.​

cpu.jpg
CPU Intel Core i5-4670K
Intel Core i7-4770K
Full List of CPU Options
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
mATX.png
Motherboard GA-Z87MX-D3H
GA-Z87M-D3H
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
ram.jpg
RAM 8GB 1600Mhz DDR3
16GB 1600Mhz DDR3
32GB 1600Mhz DDR3
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
fractal.jpg
Case Fractal Design
Core 1000
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
c500w.jpg
Power
Supply
Corsair 500 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
hdd.jpg
ssd.jpg
Storage SATA 6Gb/s 120GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 240GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
tplink.jpg
Wifi Card TP-Link PCI Express
Wifi Adapter
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
760.jpg
Graphics Card
(Optional)
GeForce GTX 760
Full List of Graphics Cards
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



CustoMac Budget ATX

A powerful desktop build with budget-minded parts and no graphics card. This build contains an ATX-sized motherboard, a dual or quad core CPU and Intel HD 4600 onboard graphics.​

cpu.jpg
CPU Intel Core i3-4330
Intel Core i5-4430
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
ATX.png
Motherboard GA-Z87X-D3H
GA-Z87-HD3
GA-H87-D3H
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
ram.jpg
RAM 8GB 1600Mhz DDR3
16GB 1600Mhz DDR3
32GB 1600Mhz DDR3
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
carbide300r.jpg
Case Corsair Carbide 300R Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
c600w.jpg
Power
Supply
Corsair 600 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
hdd.jpg
ssd.jpg
Storage SATA 6Gb/s 120GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 240GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
tplink.jpg
Wifi Card TP-Link PCI Express
Wifi Adapter
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



CustoMac Pro

A full-sized build with a quad-core CPU, maxed out RAM, and lots of expandability. Well suited for any demanding uses.

cpu.jpg
CPU Intel Core i5-4670K
Intel Core i7-4770K
Full List of CPU Options
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
ATX.png
Motherboard GA-Z87X-OC Force
GA-Z87X-OC
GA-Z87X-UD5H
GA-Z87X-UD3H
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
ram.jpg
RAM 8GB 1600Mhz DDR3
16GB 1600Mhz DDR3
32GB 1600Mhz DDR3
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
carbide500r.jpg
Case Corsair Carbide 500R Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
650w.jpg
Power
Supply
Corsair 650 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
hdd.jpg
ssd.jpg
Storage SATA 6Gb/s 120GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 240GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
tplink.jpg
Wifi Card TP-Link PCI Express
Wifi Adapter
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
760.jpg
Graphics Card
(Optional)
GeForce GTX 760
Full List of Graphics Cards
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



CustoMac Pro Socket 2011

These rigs are the most powerful single CPU systems you can build. Warning: Power Management is NOT working, and may not ever work. This means no speedstep, sleep, etc... Socket 2011 CPUs do not come with a CPU cooler- they require a separately purchased CPU cooler.

cpu.jpg
CPU Intel Xeon E5 2609
(4 core)
Intel Xeon E5 2630
(6 core)
Intel Xeon E5 2640
(6 core)
Intel Xeon E5 2650
(8 core)
Intel Xeon E5 2690
(8 core)
Intel Core i7-3820
(4 core)
Intel Core i7-3930K
(6 core)
Intel Core i7-3960X
(6 core)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon.com
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon.com
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon.com
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon.com
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon.com
(CAN UK DE ES IT)
Amazon.com
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon.com
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
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Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
E-ATX.png
Motherboard GA-X79S-UP5
GA-X79-UP4
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon.com
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
ram.jpg
RAM 16GB 1600Mhz DDR3
32GB 1600Mhz DDR3
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
graphite600t.jpg
Case Corsair Graphite 600T Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
c750w.jpg
Power
Supply
Corsair 750 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
hdd.jpg
ssd.jpg
Storage SATA 6Gb/s 120GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 240GB SSD
SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
h60.jpg
CPU Cooler Corsair H60 (Water) Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
tplink.jpg
Wifi Card TP-Link PCI Express
Wifi Adapter
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
760.jpg
Graphics Card
(Required)
GeForce GTX 760
Full List of Graphics Cards
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



Operating Systems

mavslogo.jpg
OS X 10.9
Mavericks
Mac App Store
sl.jpg
Mac OS X 10.6
Snow Leopard
Apple
ubuntu.jpg
Ubuntu Download
win8.jpg
Microsoft Windows 8.1 Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
win8pro.jpg
Microsoft Windows 8.1
Professional
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



Graphics Cards

One of the most important components in a custom build is the graphics card. If you're building a CustoMac, it's an especially tricky decision. Not only do you have to worry about what will be a good performer for the cost, but you also have to be informed about what is fully supported, and what is not. The following graphics card examples are all natively compatible without modifying drivers. Each gives a range of port options, install compatibility, and is known to work with minimal configuration. Furthermore, it's now possible to use multiple NVIDIA cards in tandem- dual and triple cards are enabled by default. For a general comparison, check out this performance benchmarks table for recommended NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards.

Note: 6xx/7xx cards do not work in Snow Leopard.

640.jpg
GeForce GT 640
2048MB GDDR5 128-Bit
Core Clock: 901 MHz
CUDA Cores: 384
ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
PNY Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Zotac Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
650.jpg
GeForce GTX 650
2048MB GDDR5 128-Bit
Core Clock: 1058 MHz
Memory Clock: 5000 MHz
CUDA Cores: 384
ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
PNY Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
650ti.jpg
GeForce GTX 650 Ti
1024MB GDDR5 128 Bit
Core Clock: 1071
Memory Clock: 5400 MHz
Cuda Cores: 768
ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
PNY Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Zotac Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
graphics-650tiboost.jpg
GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost
2048MB GDDR5 192-bit
Base Clock: 1072 MHz
Boost Clock: 1137 MHz
Memory Clock: 6008 MHz
CUDA Cores: 768
ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
660.jpg
GeForce GTX 660
2048MB GDDR5 192-bit
Base Clock: 1046 MHz
Boost Clock: 1111
Memory Clock: 6008 MHz
CUDA Cores: 960
ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
PNY Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Zotac Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
670.jpg
GeForce GTX 670
2048MB GDDR5 256bit
Base Clock: 915MHz
Boost Clock: 960MHz
Memory Clock: 6008MHz
CUDA Cores: 1344
ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
PNY Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Zotac Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Zotac Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
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680.jpg
GeForce GTX 680
2048MB GDDR5 256bit
Base Clock: 1058MHz
Boost Clock: 1113MHz
Memory Clock: 6208MHz
CUDA Cores: 1536
ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
PNY Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Zotac Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Zotac Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
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Newegg
760.jpg
GeForce GTX 760
2048MB GDDR5 256bit
Base Clock: 1072 MHz
Boost Clock: 1137 MHz
Memory Clock: 6008 MHz
CUDA Cores: 1152
ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
770.jpg
GeForce GTX 770 (2GB)
2048MB GDDR5 256bit
Base Clock: 1046 MHz
Boost Clock: 1085 MHz
Memory Clock: 7010 MHz
CUDA Cores: 1536
ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
PNY Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Zotac Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg



Alternate Graphics Cards

These solutions are supported natively, yet each has certain issues that prevent them from being fully recommended. Use at your own risk. NOTE: OpenCL is not functional using GK110B-based GTX 780, 780 Ti and GTX TITAN GPU models in 10.9. There is no ETA for a fix.​

780.jpg
GeForce GTX 780 (3GB)
3072MB GDDR5 384bit
Base Clock: 863 MHz
Boost Clock: 902 MHz
CUDA Cores: 2304
ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
MSI Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
780ti.png
GeForce GTX 780 Ti (3GB)
3072MB GDDR5 384bit
Base Clock: 875 MHz
Boost Clock: 928 MHz
CUDA Cores: 2880
ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Gigabyte Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
PNY Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
titan.jpg
GeForce GTX TITAN (6GB)
6144MB GDDR5 384bit
Base Clock: 876 MHz
Boost Clock: 928 MHz
Memory Clock: 6008 MHz
CUDA Cores: 2688
ASUS Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
EVGA Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg





CPUs

Here's the initial lineup of 4th Generation Haswell Core i desktop CPUs for LGA 1150 motherboards. Each CPU comes with a basic Intel CPU cooler. All CPUs feature Intel HD 4600 integrated graphics. Please note, these CPUs will NOT work with older LGA 1155 motherboards- this is a brand new socket. Each CPU comes with a basic Intel CPU cooler.

cpu2.jpg
Core i7-4770K
3.5Ghz
4 Cores / 8 Threads, Turbo
Unlocked for Overclocking
8MB L3 Cache
84W Max TDP
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
cpu2.jpg
Core i7-4771
3.5Ghz
4 Cores / 8 Threads, Turbo
8MB L3 Cache
84W Max TDP
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
cpu2.jpg
Core i7-4770
3.4Ghz
4 Cores / 8 Threads, Turbo
8MB L3 Cache
84W Max TDP
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
cpu2.jpg
Core i7-4770S
3.1Ghz
4 Cores / 8 Threads, Turbo
8MB L3 Cache
65W Max TDP
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
cpu2.jpg
Core i5-4670K
3.4Ghz
4 Cores / 4 Threads, Turbo
Unlocked for Overclocking
6MB L3 Cache
84W Max TDP
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
cpu2.jpg
Core i5-4670
3.5Ghz
4 Cores / 4 Threads, Turbo
6MB L3 Cache
84W Max TDP
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
cpu2.jpg
Core i5-4570
3.3Ghz
4 Cores / 4 Threads, Turbo
6MB L3 Cache
84W Max TDP
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
cpu2.jpg
Core i5-4570S
2.9Ghz
4 Cores / 4 Threads, Turbo
6MB L3 Cache
65W Max TDP
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
cpu2.jpg
Core i5-4440
3.1Ghz
4 Cores / 4 Threads, Turbo
6MB L3 Cache
84W Max TDP
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
cpu2.jpg
Core i5-4430
3.0Ghz
4 Cores / 4 Threads, Turbo
6MB L3 Cache
84W Max TDP
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
cpu2.jpg
Core i3-4340
3.6Ghz
2 Cores / 4 Threads
4MB L3 Cache
54W Max TDP
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
cpu2.jpg
Core i3-4330
3.5Ghz
2 Cores / 4 Threads
4MB L3 Cache
54W Max TDP
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg




Motherboards

We recommend these specific Gigabyte 8-series motherboards because they have simple post-installation, don't require a DSDT, and have native sleep/wake functionality. They also have supported audio and network controllers. Please note, these motherboards will NOT work with older Socket 1155 CPUs- this is a brand new socket.​

gigabyte-logo.png
Model
mobosizes.png
Form
audioportssmall.jpg
Audio
videoportssmall.jpg
Video
cat5.jpg
Ethernet
amazon.png
newegg.png
GA-Z87X-UD7-TH ATX ALC898 2x HDMI
2x Thunderbolt 2.0
Intel i217V Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
GA-Z87X-UD5-TH ATX ALC898 DVI/HDMI
2x Thunderbolt 1.0
Intel i217V Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
GA-Z87X-OC Force ATX ALC898 2x HDMI
1x DP
Intel i217V
Intel i210AT
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
GA-Z87X-OC ATX ALC892 2x HDMI
1x DP
Intel i217V Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
GA-Z87X-UD5H ATX ALC898 2x HDMI
DP/DVI
Intel i217V
Intel i210AT
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
GA-Z87X-UD4H ATX ALC898 HDMI
DP/DVI
Intel i217V Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
GA-Z87X-UD3H ATX ALC898 DVI/VGA
HDMI/DP
Intel i217V Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
GA-Z87X-D3H ATX ALC892 DVI/HDMI
D-SUB
Intel i217V Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
GA-Z87-HD3 ATX ALC892 DVI/HDMI/VGA Realtek
RTL8111F
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
GA-Z87MX-D3H mATX ALC892 DVI/VGA
HDMI/DP
Intel i217V Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
GA-Z87M-D3H mATX ALC892 DVI
VGA/HDMI
Realtek
8111F-VL
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
GA-Z87N-WIFI ITX ALC892 2x HDMI
DVI
Intel i217V
Atheros
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



gigabyte-logo.png
mobosizes.png
audioportssmall.jpg
videoportssmall.jpg
cat5.jpg
amazon.png
newegg.png
GA-H87-D3H ATX ALC892 DVI
HDMI/VGA
Intel i217V Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
GA-H87N-WIFI ITX ALC892 2x HDMI
DVI
Intel i217V
Atheros
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
GA-H87M-D3H mATX ALC892 HDMI/DVI
D-SUB
Realtek 8111F Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
GA-H87M-HD3 mATX ALC887 HDMI/DVI
D-SUB
Realtek 8111F Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg




System Drives

We recommend using a solid state drive (SSD) for your system or boot drive for maximum performance and a traditional hard drive for your data. For these drives, we recommend the Sandisk Extreme as they use toggle NAND flash and Sandforce controllers. This combination provides the highest performance and doesn't require TRIM being enabled. We’ve also added a range of Samsung SSDs, which do require a TRIM patch. If you don't go with a SSD system drive, choose a 1TB or less hard drive for Chimera/Chameleon to boot from. Also, look for for a boot drive that that uses 512 byte blocks as the Advanced Format 4K drives require workarounds.. The following drive examples have been hand picked to work without issues.

hdd.jpg
SATA 6Gb/s 500GB HDD Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
hdd.jpg
SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
ssd.jpg
SanDisk SATA
6Gb/s 120GB SSD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
ssd.jpg
SanDisk SATA
6Gb/s 240GB SSD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
ssd.jpg
SanDisk SATA
6Gb/s 480GB SSD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
ssd-samsung.jpg
Samsung 840 EVO
6Gb/s SATA 120GB SSD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
ssd-samsung.jpg
Samsung 840 EVO
6Gb/s SATA 250GB SSD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
ssd-samsung.jpg
Samsung 840 EVO
6Gb/s SATA 500GB SSD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
ssd-samsung.jpg
Samsung 840 EVO
6Gb/s SATA 750GB SSD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
ssd-samsung.jpg
Samsung 840 EVO
6Gb/s SATA 1TB SSD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
ssd-samsung-pro.jpg
Samsung 840 PRO
6Gb/s SATA 128GB SSD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
ssd-samsung-pro.jpg
Samsung 840 PRO
6Gb/s SATA 256GB SSD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
ssd-samsung-pro.jpg
Samsung 840 PRO
6Gb/s SATA 512GB SSD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
msata.jpg
Mushkin mSATA
6Gb/s 120GB SSD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
msata.jpg
Mushkin mSATA
6Gb/s 240GB SSD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



Storage Drives

The data or storage drives listed here were chosen for their large capacity and speed. However, we don't advise using them as your boot drive.

hdd.jpg
SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
hdd.jpg
SATA 6Gb/s 2TB HDD Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
hdd.jpg
SATA 6Gb/s 3TB HDD Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



CPU Coolers

All Intel Socket 1150 CPUs come with a basic CPU cooler. An aftermarket CPU cooler is recommended for overclocking. If you're unsure whether you need a cooler, see this post.

seidon.jpg
Cooler Master Seidon 120XL (Water) Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
h60.jpg
Corsair H60 (Water) Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
performa.jpg
Thermaltake Performer (Water) Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
slimx30.jpg
Thermaltake Slim X3
Low Profile (Air)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
frio.jpg
Thermaltake Frio (Air) Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
freezeri30.jpg
ARCTIC Freezer i30
Extreme (Air)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
cmfan.jpg
Cooler Master Blade Master
120mm Case/CPU fan
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



Power Supplies

c500w.jpg
Corsair 500 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
c600w.jpg
Corsair 600 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
650w.jpg
Corsair 650 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
c750w.jpg
Corsair 750 Watt Modular Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



Cases

The case is one of the most universal parts, although you need to make sure that your motherboard and chosen parts will fit. Each link refers to the details of the product, where you can see what sizes are recommended.

apex.jpg
mini-ITX Apex MI-008
(w/ 250W Power Supply)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
elementq.jpg
mini-ITX Thermaltake Element Q
(w/ 200W Power Supply)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
sugo.jpg
mini-ITX Silverstone Sugo SG07B
(w/ 600W Power Supply)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
elite120.jpg
mini-ITX CoolerMaster Elite 120 Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
prodigym.png
mini-ITX BitFenix Prodigy White Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Black Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Orange Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Red Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Green Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Blue Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
Newegg
phenom.png
mini-ITX BitFenix Phenom White Newegg
Black Newegg
prodigym.png
mATX BitFenix Prodigy M White Newegg
Black Newegg
phenom.png
mATX BitFenix Phenom M White Newegg
Black Newegg
fractal.jpg
mATX Fractal Design Core 1000 Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
pso7.jpg
mATX Silverstone PS07 Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
hafxb.jpg
mATX/ATX Cooler Master HAF XB Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
200r.jpg
mATX/ATX Corsair Carbide 200R Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
carbide300r.jpg
mATX/ATX Corsair Carbide 300R Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
400r.jpg
mATX/ATX Corsair Carbide 400R Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
carbide500r.jpg
mATX/ATX Corsair Carbide 500R Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
graphite600t.jpg
ATX/E-ATX Corsair Graphite 600T Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
hafxm.jpg
ATX/E-ATX Cooler Master HAF XM Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg



Accessories

These parts are known to work well with CustoMac desktops. If planning to use Bluetooth exclusively, access to a USB keyboard is also helpful to get into the UEFI and to access the bootloader menus.

flash.jpg
USB Flash Drive (8GB) Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
flash.jpg
USB Flash Drive (16GB) Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
optical.jpg
Sony DVD Optical Drive Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
bluray.jpg
LG BluRay Optical Drive Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
app-wired-kb.jpg
Apple Wired Keyboard Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
app-wireless-kb.jpg
Apple Wireless
Keyboard (Bluetooth)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
logi-wireless.jpg
Logitech Wireless
Keyboard K750
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
logi-mini.jpg
Logitech Wireless Mini
Keyboard K760
(Bluetooth)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
magic-trackpad.jpg
Apple Magic Trackpad Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
magicmouse.jpg
Apple Magic Mouse Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
ps4controller.jpg
PlayStation 4 DualShock
Wireless Controller
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
usbforps4.jpg
USB Cable
(for PS4 controller)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
bt4.1.jpg
IOGear Bluetooth 4.0 Adapter
(10.8+ Wakes from Sleep)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
bluetooth2.1.jpg
IOGear Bluetooth 2.1 Adapter
(10.6+ - No Wake from Sleep)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
tplink.jpg
TP-Link PCI Express
Wifi Adapter
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
rosewifi.jpg
Rosewill PCI Express
Wifi Adapter (US only)
Amazon US Newegg
accessories-webcam-1080p.png
Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920
(1080p, Native Microphone)
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
Newegg
tbtofw.jpg
Apple Thunderbolt to
Ethernet Adapter
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
tbtofw.jpg
Apple Thunderbolt to
Firewire Adapter
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
tb-sata.jpeg
Seagate GoFlex FreeAgent
Thunderbolt to SATA Adapter
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
tbcable.jpg
Apple Thunderbolt Cable (2.0m) Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
tbcable.jpg
Apple Thunderbolt Cable (0.5m) Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
appletv.jpg
Apple TV Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)
timecapsule.jpg
Apple Time Capsule
802.11ac WiFi Router w/ 2TB HDD
Amazon US
(CAN UK DE ES FR IT)


Remember, when building and configuring your own computer, it's easy to get frustrated- don't give up! There are users with similar specs here at tonymacx86.com to help you out if you get stuck.

Oh, and don't forget, if you end up buying anything, click through one of the links here. That way, you'll be supporting the site, as well as getting the best prices. Thanks in advance! Good luck, and let us know how it goes!​

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Last edited by a moderator:
is the wifi and usb pcie card of the GA-Z87X-UD7-TH motherboard supported in os x? i don't think so but i might be wrong...

 
Article: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide January 2014

is the wifi and usb pcie card of the GA-Z87X-UD7-TH motherboard supported in os x? i don't think so but i might be wrong...


bt works but not wifi
 
Article: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide January 2014

Great :clap:
 
Been seeing a number of successful builds with the Intel NUC. Maybe it is time to include one on this list.
 
Article: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide January 2014

I noticed that the Geforce GTX 660 TI has been removed. Is it not compatible any longer?? I just bought one a couple of weeks ago.
Thanks for the great guides!
It was removed as it's no longer available.
 
Article: Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide January 2014

These guides have been recommending only Nvidia cards instead of AMD. When I upgraded to Mavericks I upgraded from a 6850 to a 650 Ti Boost. With the 6850 I was able to sleep reliably for long periods of time (overnight). With the Nvidia card I can only sleep for short periods of time and if I put it to sleep overnight the monitor will not wake.

I know you guys do some compatibility testing when coming up with these guides. Have your configurations using Nvidia cards been able to sleep for long periods and wake without issues? I am using an older non haswell system and if upgrading fixes sleep then I will upgrade.
 
What about the new ATI r9 270x and ATI r9 280x cards, looks like they are supported? They seem to be interesting for people who need a lot of opencl performance in FCPX and Motion.

Thanks! :)
 
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