[BUILDING] The HaswellRise mod

[dj_aris]

These are MBP WiFi/BT antennas. You can get them on ebay for cheaper price.
Take a big straw cute it to the antenna size stuff the straw with the antenna and tape it just outside at the back side. Much better than 3 antennas poking out.

+1

Already bought one

 

[robfrazier]

@dj_aris - based on your 1st post in this thread, I bought a GA-B85N-Phoenix-WiFi. It's the same board even if it does have some orange on it, but comes with the BCM94352/AW-CE123H that's fully supported (with a little work and Toleda patches).

I'm using HD4600 graphics & no discrete card. Having a tough time getting a stable install with Clover EFI though and I can't find a DSDT or SSDT anywhere for a B85N.

Do you use a DSDT or SSDT for yours? Can you maybe post your DSDT, SSDT, config.plist, or boot.plist--whatever ya got that might help me get a more stable, happy system? I'd really appreciate it!

Loved following this tiny build of yours!

Thanks!

 

[dj_aris]

@dj_aris - based on your 1st post in this thread, I bought a GA-B85N-Phoenix-WiFi. It's the same board even if it does have some orange on it, but comes with the BCM94352/AW-CE123H that's fully supported (with a little work and Toleda patches).

Thanks for your comments!

"Phoenix" has a very bright color scheme, not exactly my taste but it's special! If you notice, I chose GA-B85N, meaning the version without a wifi+bt combo because I was afraid of compatibility problems, so I'd rather chose to employ my trustworthy solution (from a previous build): a AR9380 mPCIe wifi and a BCGA1114 bluetooth, both scrapped from working Macbooks.

I'm using HD4600 graphics & no discrete card. Having a tough time getting a stable install with Clover EFI though and I can't find a DSDT or SSDT anywhere for a B85N.

To be honest, I didn't install, just cloned my drive from my other hackintosh, which was built using unibeast. There are some issues with video, however: My monitor cannot identify any HDMI signal before the OS, which means that in order to setup I have to plug a DVI to VGA adapter to the DVI port and then plug the VGA to my monitor (which doesn't have a DVI input). Of course this works to access the BIOS and the bootloader; in order to view the desktop I have to switch to HDMI. I haven't completely solved this one. And the strange part is that my test mule's Radeon 5670 HDMI works flawlessly all the way. I'm still trying to work this out, maybe a BIOS update is needed?

Do you use a DSDT or SSDT for yours? Can you maybe post your DSDT, SSDT, config.plist, or boot.plist--whatever ya got that might help me get a more stable, happy system? I'd really appreciate it!

In the original setup (from my other system) I had chosen the "DSDT free" option, but I can check all my boot files and zip them for you. Unfortunately this will have to wait until next week because I'm out of town. Too many business trips lately and that's why my build progress has been so slow.

PS: On a sidenote, Gigabyte has just launched this:

i5-4200H (meh - mobile dual core, but a quad core is also in the works), GTX760, your own ram and hhd. Wait, did I say GTX760 ? Yes, it appears they are using a full desktop GTX760, not a mobile part. Can't really say how they're doing this!

(of course the size and power draw of such a computer really craves for a maxwell part but I guess they preferred to miniaturize yesterday's technology than picking today's?)

If I end up having even more problems with this build, I'll use all current parts (plus a proper GPU!) in a bigger scratch build case that I already have in mind and maybe use the HiRise to house this little beast. I'm sure it performs (especially in 3D!) but I have the feeling that with such a tiny case and small fans it must run so hot and sound so loud that it resembles more a steam train than a "steam box" (get it?) when stressed. So, it could be a great idea to put this in the HiRise along with a power supply and some decent cooling solution.

I mean, until now you couldn't get really good performance in less than a mITX sized build. This changes everything, GTX760 is a beast for these dimensions.

 

[neilhart]

@dj_aris - based on your 1st post in this thread, I bought a GA-B85N-Phoenix-WiFi. It's the same board even if it does have some orange on it, but comes with the BCM94352/AW-CE123H that's fully supported (with a little work and Toleda patches).

I'm using HD4600 graphics & no discrete card. Having a tough time getting a stable install with Clover EFI though and I can't find a DSDT or SSDT anywhere for a B85N.

Do you use a DSDT or SSDT for yours? Can you maybe post your DSDT, SSDT, config.plist, or boot.plist--whatever ya got that might help me get a more stable, happy system? I'd really appreciate it!

Loved following this tiny build of yours!

Thanks!

Just a note here about the B85N; I have just completed a fresh install of 10.9.2 and then updated to 9.3. I was able to boot into the Unibeast built installer using -v argument alone. Then used Multibeast 6.3.1 Quick Start Non-DSDT along with 898 audio and the third choice e1000. This is with the MSI GTX 760 ITX and 16 GB with i7-4770K. The system is stable without any boot time kernel arguments and without DSDT or SSDT. My question is why use Clover when this motherboard works so well with the TonyMacX86 standard install?

Sorry DJ, I do not mean to hi-jack your thread.

Good modding,
neil

 

[dj_aris]

Just a note here about the B85N; I have just completed a fresh install of 10.9.2 and then updated to 9.3. I was able to boot into the Unibeast built installer using -v argument alone. Then used Multibeast 6.3.1 Quick Start Non-DSDT along with 898 audio and the third choice e1000. This is with the MSI GTYX 760 ITX and 16 GB with i7-4770K. The system is stable without any boot time kernel arguments and without DSDT or SSDT. My question is why use Clover when this motherboard works so well with the TonyMacX86 standard install?

Sorry DJ, I do not mean to hi-jack your thread.

Good modding,
neil

You don't have to excuse yourself, that's my life moto: "if it works don't fix it".

That's exactly why I haven't played with anything else than Gigabyte or haven't tried clover yet.

 

[robfrazier]

@dj_aris Phoenix orange wasn't exactly my taste either but I wanted that Azurewave included (effectively $10 buying it this way) and the regular B85N-WiFi in all black was nowhere to be had at the time.

@NeilHart I hear you on the stability of the basic UniBeast setup in general, but I had nothing but trouble trying to install it without a discrete card on this board. It really didn't like the 4600. I think IGPEnabler needs a little updating to handle those OOB--or at least a config option in MultiBeast to get it fully recognized. Mine kept showing up with 3 or 7 MB. Love following your builds too BTW. Both of you guys are hard-core ;0)

 

[minihack]

Just jumping in on the Clover issue.

Historically I have had huge issues getting to grips with Clover and I also favour keeping it simple with Unibeast and Multibeast where possible.

The issue for me though is that it seems more and more boards are coming with the locked MSR issue and also are not easily bios patched. That and OS X having now moved to power management in the kernel means that for nearly all boards except Gigabyte an effective Kernel Patching needs to be done automatically and Clover is well adapted to that. So well, that once an initial set up is confirmed then for my little Haswell NUC, updating the system and installing for me is almost as pain free and worry free as with a real Mac.

…..and I don't want to always be limited to buying a Gigabyte board (even though I have a couple!).

Again, sorry for the thread hijack (!).

 

[neilhart]

dj what version of the BIOS are you using? I see that there is an F4 and mine is the original F1.

Anyway I see that the hardware sensors are somewhat lacking and wondered if the F4 BIOS would change that.

The sensors for the two fan headers do not show on my system.

Good modding,
neil

 

[dj_aris]

dj what version of the BIOS are you using? I see that there is an F4 and mine is the original F1.

Anyway I see that the hardware sensors are somewhat lacking and wondered if the F4 BIOS would change that.

The sensors for the two fan headers do not show on my system.

Good modding,
neil

I bought the board with F1 but updated to F4 trying to solve the display issues without any luck. Fan speeds are also not available, but temps are.

I am so frustrated with the display issues that I have almost given up this project. In order to boot without a dGPU I have to: boot the computer from the DVI port, halt the boot process at the bootloader, switch my monitor to HDMI and then resume boot. And that doesn't always work. I can't figure where is the problem. Maybe a compatibility issue between the mobo and my monitor? In any case, BIOS cannot be accessed via HDMI.

My next move is to transplant all my parts in a retail mITX chassis (Jonsbo U1 is the most likely candidate, it doesn't support an expansion slot at all but I'll try to mod the bottom to fit a dual slot card), utilizing a dGPU (still waiting for Maxwell support, 10.9.4 doesn't include anything yet) and save the HiRise for a future project, maybe with Broadwell Iris Pro graphics and a thin-mini board.

 

[dj_aris]

Update: Display issues fixed!

This feels extremely humiliating but I have to admit: All "display" issues were caused by a cheap HDMI cable... I bought the cable from a local electronics store just because it was very short (40cm) and cheap. It works with all of my devices (PS3, MacBook miniDP to HDMI adapter, even my other two hackintoshes), BUT, for some reason it doesn't work with B85N.

Anyhow, I swapped the cable for a better quality one and voila, everything works like a charm. And of course, even the BIOS is accessible through HDMI now (previously only via DVI).

I can't believe that such a small thing caused such a massive delay. So, the project is still on!

Meanwhile I've been trying to shorten some USB 3.0 wires without any success. Is there a super short (<15cm) USB mobo header to USB port that you know of?