I'm mulling over if I should build or buy.
For buying, based on my research here at tonymac it seems that if I buy a box with a GA-Z87-UD5H mobo, CPU Intel i5-4670k, and GTX 760 video card, I should be mostly good to go for configuring the MacOS on it in addition to Windows. Does that sound about right? Over at ibuypower I have configured one with these components, in addition to 2- 1TB drives, and 2- 120GB SSD drives for $1800.
I know that if I just buy the components to put it together by myself, I'm at about $1700.
I have questions about the right DVD drive. How touchy is the MacOS when it comes to DVD drives? I see in the buying list that a Sony DVD Optical drive is listed. I was told there is a list of drives kept on tonymac that might cause problems with MacOS. Have not found it, could someone point me at it?
Also have a question about the proper wireless card. I see the TP-Link PCI Express Wifi Adapter listed. Is the MacOS very touchy in this regard if another brand is purchased? If so, mostly like if I purchase, I would just not have those installed, get the proper model and put those in myself.
Any thoughts or suggestions in this regard?
Thanks!
-Dave
Titanic71 AKA Dave
Its more of how are U at your own Technical support. Cause doing a Hack makes you the Manufacturer - Productions Engineer, Purchase Acquisitions - Support staff etc. Meaning what we used to say as kids when playing Hide and Go Seek "Tag Your It".
If you can do all of that and use forums like this and others websites relating to Hacks then by All means GFI.
( Go For It).
Why we build our own is most likely cause some of us are frustrated technicians or engineering types. Who think how hard can this be. Well to be exact it can be real hard if you get off on the wrong foot and use parts that are not tested. My Number two was a hack from Hell due to issues w the ASrock x58 motherboard.
So questions to ask your soul is how well are you versed in computers - you have done several scratch builds, repaired you own or others privately or professionally. Upgraded replaced hardware etc. Installed software and application software. Worked w more that one Operating System ( WinBlows). Linux Experience a plus ... getting to sound like a job descriptions isn't it..
Questions to ask yourself - are you good w kids cause a hack will test your patience to the extreme and you can't tell it to go to its Room. It will just sit there and stare at you. Like Wilson in the movie Cast Away w Tom Hanks.
Doing a Hack is not about taking a computer that is assembled by drone's or minions from a company in China or anywhere else; but its about You making you own hack. Buying a case motherboard CPU ram hard disks etc. Each of these components needs to have been tested or have had Hack Users swear on their mother's grave that the components that they used worked and worked in a version of OSX that your planing to use.
Outside of that if you purchase a pre built computer its up to you to
make it right ( thank you Mr. Holmes)
The manufacture of the system is not going to help you with you hackintosh build and may say that your violating the terms of the warranty! (only one manufacturer that I can think of possibly will help you w tech support calls and that would be EVGA).
And as our experience is limited to what is used in a IBUYPOWER computer we and other sites are not much good at this cause we don't have that version of the hardware they are using. IBUYPOWER is not using Gigabyte motherboard but something else if you catch my drift here.
As to Sony DVD drives - these are the prefered units for hacks and are almost the same as the Apple sourced parts. Other Drives will work but this is where you play a game of Russian Roulette. Only no bullets but needing a different DVD if the non Sony one does not work.
Now about time investment - it took me three weeks to get my first love off the ground and working. Mostly cause I was learning and making lots of mistakes.
#2 took one week of sheer pain ... and most of the TMX86 tools didn't work... so I had to improvise it.
My #3 took about 3 hours - after installing a modded BIOS file it was as we say smooth sailing.
One other thing - there is almost no way you can get a Hack to be a REAL MAC.. such items as Sleep and speed step have been problems in hackintosh community for years. Even those that use identical hardware can not produce identical results. Its just the way of the hack ... the saying "Your Milage may Vary" applies here too as well.
Ok so buy or build.
If this sound like too much misery then I suggest you get a real mac and you will have a warm fuzzy feeling for doing so. And Steve Jobs will smile on you from the heavens.
If your the adventurous type and want to climb mount everest like Mr Hillery did in 1953 .... GFI (go for it).
Ok so clear as mud then ... yes!
PPS
About Wifi - the TP link card is a preferred model for Hacks and will work w current OSX versions; not so much w the older Snow Leo versions.
