Dell Optiplex 7020/9020 using OpenCore + Intel HD4600 or AMD graphics

[trs96]

So, I've ordered the connector converters for the audio and front panel conversion, but I also saw there's that additional 5 pin power connector running to the on off switch up near the top of the MB seemingly related to switch lights and power on/off.

The kit should have that 5 pin adapter included. Use that. It works fine on my system. Even the power on LED light works. No need for any wire splicing, just place the adapter as shown below. Triangle points to the right.

 

[joebaillo]

Hey guys, first off, I'd like to thank you guys, all the community, especially @trs96 for putting this guide together.
I've just registered here to report my experience, which I think could be relevant.
My 9020 has a white number 3 sticker on the inner side of the panel, which means iGPU shouldn't work, however I performed the install successfully, following all the steps except step 6, which IDK why wasn't necessary (I am no expert by any means)
I figured I should try it because I already had Catalina running on it for many years, with everything working fine.
I created the install disc on a MacMini, IDK if this makes any difference.

Again, I wanna thank you for this amazing guide!
Cheers
Joe

 

[trs96]

Good to hear the guide helped. Thanks for the feedback.

My 9020 has a white number 3 sticker on the inner side of the panel, which means iGPU shouldn't work, however I performed the install successfully,

If you are seeing 1536 MB of vram for the iGPU, it may be that your side panel originally shipped on a different 9020. They are interchangeable. Resellers often take them off for inspection. If they put it back on the wrong Dell, you can see why yours might work with iGPU. Some damaged side panels also get replaced with a good one. The sellers think these will be Windows only. The iGPU will still work in Windows even if ME is disabled at the factory.

 

[joebaillo]

@trs96 Yes exactly, 1536 MB, I guess I'm lucky, man!
I almost gave up on installing it, but I'm glad I did it!
Thanks again!

 

[lentas]

i installed catalina successfully to 9020 sff. It has 160GB hdd and 16GB ram. cpu is 4690k.
Im in school, so i dont have pics
I used premade efi folder from github

 

[WencaExige]

Questions and Answers Part II

I need a low cost, low profile graphics card for the SFF Optiplex. What are my choices ?

Most people have chosen the Nvidia GT 710 card in the past. Support has ended as of macOS 12 Monterey. It's not a very powerful card, i.e. the performance is not much better than the HD4600 iGPU. Worse yet, prices have gone up a lot lately. The GB 5 Metal score for the GT 710 is just over 1,100. It is over 12,700 for the WX 2100 card.

So if you have the SFF and want to edit photos and videos the best budget choice is the AMD Radeon Pro WX 2100. I've attached a working iMac17,1 EFI folder below. It has the specific Device-ID spoof so the WX 2100 will work with either Big Sur or Monterey. Don't use it with any other GPU. Set Video -> Primary Display in your BIOS to AMD Radeon and then your HD4600 iGPU will run headless and be used for compute only. Perfect for video rendering using Intel QuickSync. No matter what AMD card you use, if you choose an iMac SMBIOS like 17,1 you can run the iGPU headless.

DON'T FORGET As with the other EFI folders, add your SmUUID to the config.plist first before booting the USB installer.
Generate your System UUID

View attachment 553429

Radeon Pro WX 2100 OpenCL and Metal Scores in GeekBench

View attachment 553438 View attachment 553439

I'd like to use a full size AMD dedicated card like the Radeon RX 580. Can I use the EFI folder for that ?

The Macmini 7,1 (Late 2014) was never capable of discrete graphics so it's not a perfect fit. The best option is to use iMac15,1 and Big Sur if you want to utilize a full size AMD GPU. I use Big Sur with my RX 570 installed for video editing and it works great. You can also use the iMac17,1 EFI and Monterey and run the iGPU headless to speed up video rendering in iMovie, Final Cut or Premiere Pro.

The 15,1 iMacs used the Haswell i7-4790K in one version so if you have the i7-4790 CPU it's practically a perfect fit for CPU function too. If you must have Monterey and an AMD GPU, then the best option is iMac17,1 which used a Skylake CPU.

That being said you could use Macmini7,1 and the GPU will work if you disable Legacy Option ROMs. I tried it with my 570 and it was recognized. I did need to leave Video -> Primary Display set to Auto for it to work. Here's a few screen shots:

View attachment 548173 View attachment 548174

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The downside to using an AMD card and disabling Legacy Option ROMs is that wake from sleep will not work. You'll always get a black screen after trying to wake your OptiMac and need to reboot to remedy this every time.

If you do want the best AMD option right now, it would have to be the Radeon RX 6600 XT. Requires a PSU upgrade and the Mini-Tower Dell Optiplex form factor to accommodate it. Prices have come down to around 400 USD lately. It has native support in Monterey but not in Big Sur. Perfect for use with Final Cut Pro or iMovie.

https://www.newegg.com/sapphire-radeon-rx-6600-xt-11309-03-20g/p/N82E16814202406
Here's a high quality DP to HDMI adapter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086QQT48Y/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

For a more powerful low profile card that fits in the SFF form factor case, try the Visiontek RX560 2GB card. These have only mini-DP outputs, not full size. 4GB version is usually over $200 new. The Radeon Pro WX 4100 looks better and runs quieter but will cost more money. A good investment if you can afford one.

Amazon.com

Amazon.com

Hello ! Have you figured out DRM with your headless setup ? I keep failing to (iMac 17,1, RX460 and i5-4590), no matter what shikigva value i set. Willing to look on but just wondering if anyone has suceeded in having both DRM (for appleTV) AND headless iGPU (for FinalCut etc.) ?