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- Nov 17, 2009
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These might not be the only components that work, but based on our research they're the easiest and best supported options. Use this as a shopping list or as a jumping off point. Either way you'll be supporting the site by purchasing through these links, so thanks in advance!
Table of Contents
CustoMac Mini
CustoMac Mini Deluxe
CustoMac Budget mATX
CustoMac Budget ATX
CustoMac Pro
CustoMac Pro Socket 2011
Operating Systems
Graphics Cards
CPUs
Motherboards
*Wifi not working in OS X. Native wifi PCIe adapter listed below.
System Drives
Storage Drives
CPU Coolers
Power Supplies
Cases
Accessories
CustoMac Mini
The CustoMac Mini is a bare-bones CustoMac in a shoebox sized case featuring a H77 mini-iTX motherboard and a dual-core Ivy Bridge processor. The graphics are integrated, 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.
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CPU | Intel Core i3-3225 | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Motherboard | GA-H77N-WIFI | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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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 |
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Case + Power Supply | Apex MI-008 (w/ 250W Power Supply) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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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 |
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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 Z77 mini-ITX motherboard and a quad-core Ivy Bridge 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 Z77 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.
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CPU | Intel Core i5-3570K Intel Core i7-3770 Intel Core i7-3770K | 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 |
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Motherboard | GA-Z77N-WIFI | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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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 |
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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 |
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Power Supply | Corsair 650 Watt Modular | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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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 |
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Graphics Card (Optional) | GeForce GTX 670 | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
CustoMac Budget mATX
A powerful desktop build with budget-minded parts and no graphics card. This build contains a mATX sized motherboard, a dual or quad core CPU and Intel HD 4000 onboard graphics.
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CPU | Intel Core i3-3225 Intel Core i7-3770 | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg Newegg |
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Motherboard | GA-B75M-D3P GA-Q77M-D2H | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg Newegg |
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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 |
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Case | Fractal Design Core 1000 | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Power Supply | Corsair 500 Watt Modular | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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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 |
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Wifi Card | TP-Link PCI Express Wifi Adapter | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Graphics Card (Optional) | GeForce GTX 670 | 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 a ATX sized motherboard, a dual or quad core CPU and Intel HD 4000 onboard graphics.
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CPU | Intel Core i3-3225 Intel Core i5-3570K | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT)Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg Newegg |
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Motherboard | GA-Z77-DS3H | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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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 |
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Case | Corsair Carbide 300R | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Power Supply | Corsair 600 Watt Modular | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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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 |
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Wifi Card | TP-Link PCI Express Wifi Adapter | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Graphics Card (Optional) | GeForce GTX 670 | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
CustoMac Pro
These full sized ATX builds have quad-core CPUs, maxed out RAM, and lots of expandability. Well suited for any demanding uses. Each has few high-end graphics card options that work in OS X Mountain Lion.
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CPU | Intel Core i5-3570K Intel Core i7-3770 Intel Core i7-3770K | 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 |
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Motherboard | GA-Z77X-UP5-TH GA-Z77X-UD5H | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg Newegg |
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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 |
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Case | Corsair Carbide 500R | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Power Supply | Corsair 650 Watt Modular | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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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 |
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Wifi Card | TP-Link PCI Express Wifi Adapter | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Graphics Card (Optional) | GeForce GTX 670 | 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.
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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 Newegg Newegg Newegg Newegg Newegg Newegg Newegg |
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Motherboard | GA-X79S-UP5 | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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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 |
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Case | Corsair Graphite 600T | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Power Supply | Corsair 750 Watt Modular | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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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 |
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CPU Cooler | Corsair H60 (Water) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Wifi Card | TP-Link PCI Express Wifi Adapter | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Graphics Card (Required) | GeForce GTX 670 | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
Operating Systems
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OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion | Mac App Store |
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Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard | Apple |
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Microsoft Windows 8 | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) |
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Microsoft Windows 8 Professional | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) |
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.
CPUs
We recommend these specific Ivy Bridge CPUs for Socket 1155 motherboards because they feature fully working HD 4000 integrated graphics. Each CPU comes with a basic Intel CPU cooler.
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Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5Ghz | 4 Cores / 8 Threads, Turbo Unlocked for Overclocking | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Intel Core i7-3770 3.4Ghz | 4 Cores / 8 Threads, Turbo | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4Ghz | 4 Cores / 4 Threads, Turbo Unlocked for Overclocking | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Intel Core i3-3225 3.3Ghz | 2 Cores / 4 Threads, Turbo | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
Motherboards
We recommend these specific Gigabyte 7-series motherboards because the don't require a DSDT, have native power management and supported network and audio controllers. They are the most compatible with OS X and are the easiest motherboards to get up and running for first time builders.
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Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UP5-TH | ATX, VGA, DVI, HDMI Dual Thunderbolt, Bluetooth/Wifi* | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H | ATX, VGA, DVI HDMI, DP | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Gigabyte GA-Z77-DS3H | ATX, VGA, DVI, HDMI | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Gigabyte GA-Q77M-D2H | mATX, VGA, DVI HDMI, DP | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3P | mATX, VGA, DVI HDMI, DP | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Gigabyte GA-Z77N-WIFI | mini-ITX, DVI, HDMI Bluetooth/Wifi* | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Gigabyte GA-H77N-WIFI | mini-ITX, DVI, HDMI Bluetooth/Wifi* | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
*Wifi not working in OS X. Native wifi PCIe adapter listed below.
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. 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.
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SATA 6Gb/s 500GB HDD | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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SanDisk SATA 6Gb/s 120GB SSD | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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SanDisk SATA 6Gb/s 240GB SSD | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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SanDisk SATA 6Gb/s 480GB SSD | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Mushkin mSATA 6Gb/s 120GB 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.
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SATA 6Gb/s 1TB HDD | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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SATA 6Gb/s 2TB HDD | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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SATA 6Gb/s 3TB HDD | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
CPU Coolers
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Corsair H60 (Water) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Thermaltake Performer (Water) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Thermaltake Slim X3 Low Profile (Air) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Thermaltake Frio (Air) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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ARCTIC Freezer i30 Extreme (Air) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
Power Supplies
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Corsair 500 Watt Modular | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Corsair 600 Watt Modular | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Corsair 650 Watt Modular | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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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.
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mini-ITX | Apex MI-008 (w/ 250W Power Supply) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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mini-ITX | Thermaltake Element Q (w/ 200W Power Supply) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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mini-ITX | Silverstone Sugo SG07B (w/ 600W Power Supply) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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mini-ITX | CoolerMaster Elite 120 | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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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) | Newegg Newegg Newegg Newegg |
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mATX | Fractal Design Core 1000 | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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mATX | Silverstone PS07 | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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mATX/ATX | Cooler Master HAF XB | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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mATX/ATX | Corsair Carbide 200R | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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mATX/ATX | Corsair Carbide 300R | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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mATX/ATX | Corsair Carbide 400R | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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mATX/ATX | Corsair Carbide 500R | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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ATX/E-ATX | Corsair Graphite 600T | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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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.
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USB Flash Drive (8GB) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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USB Flash Drive (16GB) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Sony DVD Optical Drive | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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LG BluRay Optical Drive | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Apple Wired Keyboard | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | |
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Apple Wireless Keyboard (Bluetooth) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | |
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Logitech Wireless Keyboard K750 | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | |
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Logitech Wireless Mini Keyboard K760 (Bluetooth) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | |
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Apple Magic Trackpad | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | |
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Apple Magic Mouse | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | |
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IOGear Bluetooth 4.0 Adapter (10.8 Mountain Lion Only - Wakes from Sleep) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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IOGear Bluetooth 2.1 Adapter (10.6+ - No Wake from Sleep) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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TP-Link PCI Express Wifi Adapter | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Rosewill PCI Express Wifi Adapter (US only) | Amazon US | Newegg |
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Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 (1080p, Native Microphone) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | Newegg |
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Apple Thunderbolt to Ethernet Adapter | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | |
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Apple Thunderbolt to Firewire Adapter | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | |
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Seagate GoFlex FreeAgent Thunderbolt to SATA Adapter | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | |
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Apple Thunderbolt Cable (2.0m) | Amazon US (CAN UK DE ES FR IT) | |
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Apple Thunderbolt Cable (0.5m) | 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!
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!
Last edited by a moderator:
