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Building a CustoMac: CustoMac Mini 2012

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tonymacx86

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Nov 17, 2009
Messages
7,369
Motherboard
Z370N WIFI
CPU
i7 8700K
Graphics
HD 630
Mac
  1. MacBook Air
Classic Mac
  1. Apple
  2. PowerBook
Mobile Phone
  1. iOS
customacmini2012.jpg
Building a system from parts is a lot of fun and a mini-ITX build is a great way to start your journey. With that in mind, we are proud to announce that our CustoMac Mini build post is finally here! This time we've put together two mini-ITX builds using Intel Ivy Bridge CPUs with HD 4000 graphics and 7-series motherboards.

For these builds we're recommending Gigabyte's new H77N-WIFI AND Z77N-WIFI, which are the most compatible mini-ITX boards available and don't require a DSDT. Both motherboards have full analog and digital audio features, dual Gigabit LAN ports and USB 3.0. They also include a mini-PCIe card slot with an Intel mini-PCIe card capable of both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Please note that only the bluetooth features of this card are available under OS X. We're currently testing a few mini-PCIe card alternates for these boards, but for now we recommend the TP-Link PCIe card below for native Wi-Fi support.

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.​

i3.jpeg CPU Intel Core i3-3225 Amazon Newegg
h77n.jpg Motherboard Gigabyte GA-H77N-WIFI Amazon Newegg
ram.jpg RAM Options 8GB Corsair
1600Mhz DDR3
16GB Corsair
1600Mhz DDR3
Amazon Newegg
Amazon Newegg
apex.jpeg Case
+
Power Supply
Apex MI-008
(w/ 250W Power Supply)
Amazon Newegg
drive.png
san.png
Storage Options Seagate Barracuda
SATA 6Gb/s
1TB HDD
SanDisk Extreme
SATA 6Gb/s
120GB SSD
240GB SSD
Amazon Newegg
Amazon Newegg
Amazon Newegg
tp.png Wifi
Card
TP-Link PCI Express
Wifi Adapter
(TL-WDN4800)
Works Natively!
Amazon Newegg
mtnlionapp.png Operating System Mac OS X
10.8 Mountain Lion
Mac App Store



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 up to 8 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.

i7.jpg CPU Options
Intel Core i5 3570K
Intel Core i7-3770
Intel Core i7-3770K
Amazon Newegg
Amazon
Newegg
Amazon
Newegg
z77n.jpg Motherboard Gigabyte Z77N-WIFI Amazon Newegg
ram.jpg RAM Options 8GB Corsair
1600Mhz DDR3
16GB Corsair
1600Mhz DDR3
Amazon Newegg
Amazon Newegg
oreo.jpg Case
BitFenix Prodigy
(No Power Supply)
White
Amazon
Newegg
Black
Amazon Newegg
psu.jpg Power Supply Corsair 650TX Modular Amazon Newegg
670.jpg Graphics Card
(Optional)
GeForce GT 640
GeForce GTX 650
GeForce GTX 660 Ti
GeForce GTX 670
GeForce GTX 680
Amazon Newegg
Amazon
Newegg
Amazon
Newegg
Amazon
Newegg
Amazon
Newegg
drive.png
san.png
Storage Options Seagate Barracuda
SATA 6Gb/s
1TB HDD
SanDisk Extreme
SATA 6Gb/s
120GB SSD
240GB SSD
Amazon Newegg
Amazon Newegg
Amazon
Newegg
cooler.jpg CPU Cooler
(Optional)
Corsair H60 Hydro Series
Liquid Cooler
Amazon Newegg
mtnlionapp.png Operating System Mac OS X
10.8 Mountain Lion
Mac App Store



Alternate Cases

41L3o67dd3L.jpg CoolerMaster
Elite 120
(No Power Supply)
Amazon Newegg
Screen Shot 2012-10-10 at 12.46.33 PM.png Thermaltake
Element Q
(w/ 200W Power Supply)
Amazon Newegg
41Pp0n7XoML._AA300_.jpeg Silverstone
Sugo SG07B
(w/ 600W Power Supply)
Amazon Newegg



Accessories

11970919651729077809molumen_USB_flash_drive.svg.png 8GB
USB Flash Drive
Amazon Newegg
Sony+Optiarc.jpg Optical Drive Amazon Newegg
apple-wired-keyboard.jpg Apple
Wired Keyboard
Amazon
41ThZR9eflL._SL500_AA300_.jpg Apple
Wireless Keyboard
(Bluetooth)
Amazon
logit.jpeg Logitech
Wireless Keyboard
(USB)
Amazon Newegg
magictrackpad.png Apple
Magic Trackpad
Amazon
31wszJhG7hL._SL500_AA300_.jpg Apple
Magic Mouse
Amazon
610eYpJvHsL._SL1500_.jpg IOGear Bluetooth Adapter
GBU521
Bluetooth 4.0
(Wakes from Sleep)
Amazon Newegg
tp.png TP-Link PCI Express
Wifi Adapter
(TL-WDN4800)
Works Natively!
Amazon Newegg


Remember, when building your own rig, it's easy to get frustrated- don't give up! There are users with similar specs 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!


Related Posts:
Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide 2012 (H77/Z77)

Building a CustoMac: CustoMac Mini 2011 (H67)
Building a Sandy Bridge CustoMac: Buyer's Guide (Z68)
Building a CustoMac: 3 Updated Builds (P55/H55)
Building a CustoMac: CustoMac Pro 2010 (X58)
Building a CustoMac: CustoMac Mini 2010 (H55)
CustoMac.com MultiBeast.com UniBeast.com
 

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Last edited by a moderator:
no love for ASUS P8Z77-I DELUXE ??? :p
 
I have been waiting for ever for this update! Thank you for saving us from the grips of Apple's dated Mac Mini line!
 
Thanks for the updated list.
 
Article: Building a CustoMac: CustoMac Mini 2012

no love for ASUS P8Z77-I DELUXE ??? :p

Another interesting option for sure. Its very fully featured indeed.

Notice also a big difference; that is the clearance between the CPU socket and the graphics card slot, compared to the Gigabyte boards.

Asus do appear to be getting better, and their quality is good too.

;)
 
That ASUS board is very nice, however it requires a patched/modified UEFI in order to be fully compatible. If you're ok with that kind of thing, they're fine- however, that board is pretty expensive as well.
 
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