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Gigabyte Z690 Aero G + i5-12600K + AMD RX 6800 XT

CaseySJ

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Joined
Nov 11, 2018
Messages
22,040
Motherboard
Asus ProArt Z690-Creator
CPU
i7-12700K
Graphics
RX 6800 XT
Mac
  1. MacBook Air
  2. MacBook Pro
  3. Mac Pro
Classic Mac
  1. Quadra
Mobile Phone
  1. iOS

CaseySJ's Intel Alder Lake i5-12600K:
Gigabyte Z690 Aero G + Intel i5-12600K + AMD RX 6800 XT

Please do not quote this guide in its entirety. Post a link instead.

10 Dec 2021: All P-cores, E-cores, and Hyper Threads now working!!

IMG_5180.jpg


This guide is made possible by the wonderful teamwork on display in the Alder Lake thread.
This build guide starts with macOS 12 Monterey, but supports Big Sur as well.
It is only fitting that we inaugurate Intel's escape from 14nm with Apple's latest OS!

USB 2.0 ports HS01, HS03, and HS05 are not working due to BIOS problem

03 Dec 2022:
Please avoid BIOS F20 and F21 due to missing Thunderbolt settings in BIOS

31 May 2023:
If using BIOS F23 or newer, refer to this post for some additional BIOS settings
31 Jul 2023: BIOS F25 is reportedly okay to use

NOTE 1A: Monterey and Ventura Users:
  • 03 Aug 2023: Ventura 13.4, Sonoma and newer: Please follow this procedure to enable i225-V or i226-V Ethernet port.
  • (old procedure) To enable the Intel i225-V Ethernet port, please follow this procedure.
  • Intel WiFi and Bluetooth now working! See this post.
  • Need help choosing between iMacPro1,1 and MacPro7,1? Click here.
  • MacPro7,1 users click here for additional information about RestrictEvents.
NOTE 1B:
  • A discrete GPU is required because Alder Lake's iGPU (UHD 770) is not supported in macOS.​
  • Recommended GPUs are:​
    • AMD RX 400 series, RX 500 series, RX 5000 series, RX 6800, RX 6800 XT, RX 6900 XT.​
    • AMD RX 6600 and 6600 XT are only supported in Monterey 12.1 and newer.​
  • Boot Argument agdpmod=pikera should not be used on Vega 56, Vega 64, and Radeon VII.​
  • Boot Argument agdpmod=pikera is required for AMD 5000 and 6000 series.​
  • See Journey Through OpenCore for details on changing Boot Arguments.
NOTE 2:
  • Avoid Samsung NVMe SSDs due to incompatibility with trim that can lead to excessive boot times and reduced drive longevity. Crucial P2 NVMe SSDs (only P2 series) also suffer from trim incompatibility.​
  • WD SN750 and SN850 series are good choices, as are NVMe SSDs from Silicon Power and others. Refer to this post for more details.​
NOTE 3:
  • Corsair smart power supplies and other devices with an internal USB header connection may cause sleep problems if the USB cable is connected. We recommend checking searching the forum or checking with other users to determine whether those devices will operate smoothly with macOS.
  • Corsair Commander Pro appears to macOS as an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) and prevents sleep. But it can be used in conjunction with CommanderProFix available from GitHub by clicking here. Thanks to @zakinster for pointing this out. Update 2-Jan-2022: Sleep may not work even with this fix.
  • In Windows, do not install Intel Optane drivers (which are part of Intel Rapid Storage). These drivers can change BIOS SATA port configuration from AHCI to Intel Optane. macOS requires "AHCI".
NOTE 4:
  • OLOy 3600MHz DDR4 CL14 memory does not work with Gigabyte Z690 Aero G when XMP is enabled. Other similar DIMMs might also fail.
  • Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3600 -- CMK32GX4M2D3600C18 (18-22-22-42) -- also fails to work when XMP is enabled.
NOTE 5:
  • System will not shutdown if any Thunderbolt device is connected to a flashed GC-Titan Ridge. Thunderbolt devices will need to be disconnected before shutdown.
Update to OpenCore 0.7.6 by following the mini-guide located here.
Update to OpenCore 0.7.6 for using all P-cores, all E-cores, and all Hyper Threads. Click here.
Update to OpenCore 0.7.7 by following the mini-guide located here.
Update to OpenCore 0.7.8 by following the mini-guide located here.
Update to OpenCore 0.8.3 by following the mini-guide located here.
Update to latest OpenCore.
Adding Reset NVRAM and Toggle SIP to OpenCore 0.8.1 and Newer
macOS Sonoma Installation Mini-Guide

  1. Components
  2. Comments
  3. Installation Procedure
  4. Tech Talk
  5. Troubleshooting / FAQs
  6. Summary
  7. Benchmarks
  8. Acknowledgements
  9. Updates

Components: New

Gigabyte Z690 Aero G DDR4 Motherboard
https://www.newegg.com/gigabyte-aorus-z690-aero-g-ddr4/p/N82E16813145346
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09L9DY4L1

Intel i5-12600K 10-Core 16-Thread Processor (6 P-cores + 4 E-cores)
https://www.newegg.com/intel-core-i5-12600k-core-i5-12th-gen/p/N82E16819118347
https://www.amazon.com/Intel-i5-12600K-Desktop-Processor-Unlocked/dp/B09FX4D72T

MSI RX 6800 XT Gaming X Trio GPU
https://www.newegg.com/msi-radeon-rx-6800-xt-rx-6800-xt-gaming-x-trio-16g/p/N82E16814137621
https://www.amazon.com/MSI-Radeon-6800-Architecture-16G/dp/B08RJ6YBH5

G.Skill TridentZ Neo 2x16GB 3600MHz CL16 Memory (recently added)
https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820232860
https://www.amazon.com/G-Skill-DDR4-3600-Memory-F4-3600C16D-32GTZN-Trident/dp/B07VNKFTZD

WD SN850 PCIe 4.0 500GB NVMe SSD
https://www.newegg.com/western-digital-500gb-black-sn850-nvme/p/N82E16820250162
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KFN1KT1

Optional: Fenvi BCM94360NG WiFi/BT NGFF M.2 Key A/E Module
This is optional and replaces the on-board Intel AX201 WiFi/BT module. It has full native support in macOS.
https://www.newegg.com/fenvi-bcm94360ng-pcie-half-mini-card-m-2/p/0XM-00JK-00083
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083YXS7VF

Noctua NH-U12S chromax.black CPU Cooler (new shipment with LGA1700 bracket in the box)
https://www.newegg.com/noctua-nh-u12s-chromax-black/p/13C-0005-001H6
(Not on Amazon at this time)

EVGA SuperNova 850W G5 Fully Modular 80+ Gold Power Supply
https://www.newegg.com/evga-supernova-850-g5-220-g5-0850-x1-850w/p/N82E16817438161
https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Supernova-Modular-Warranty-220-G5-0850-X1/dp/B07WDLTGC1

Components: Already Owned

OLOy 16GB 3600MHz DDR4 DIMM (2 x 8GB)
https://www.newegg.com/oloy-16gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820821167
https://www.amazon.com/OLOy-Warhawk-288-Pin-Desktop-MD4U0836180BE0DA/dp/B089VQR49S

Gigabyte GC-Titan Ridge Thunderbolt Add-in-Card
https://www.newegg.com/p/14U-00GP-00008
https://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-GC-Titan-2-0-Thunderbolt-Component/dp/B08BC11XW8

Asus MX27UC 4K Monitor with ICEPower Speakers
https://www.newegg.com/asus-mx27uc-27/p/N82E16824236808
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XPJYVF2

Fenvi FV-T919 WiFi / Bluetooth Wireless Card
https://www.newegg.com/fenvi-fv-t919-pci-express/p/0XM-00JK-00033
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VCCZS54

Samsung Bar Plus 32GB USB 3.0 Flash Disk (for installation)
https://www.newegg.com/samsung-model-muf-32be3-am-32gb/p/N82E16820147698
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BPHML28

Logitech K780 Wireless USB Mac/Win/iOS Keyboard
https://www.newegg.com/logitech-k780-920-008149-usb-bluetooth-wireless/p/N82E16823126476
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZAK8MM

Logitech M510 Wireless USB Mouse - connected to same USB receiver as keyboard
https://www.newegg.com/logitech-910-004554/p/0TP-000C-00869
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01694XMF0

Components: Bootable Backup

128GB or 256GB SATA SSD (any suitably sized SATA SSD is okay)
Carbon Copy Cloner 6.x by Bombich Software

Comments:

Why?
Why is often a good, but sometimes obnoxious question. Fortunately, this time there's a fairly good answer: Intel's 12th generation desktop processors (Alder Lake) represent a significant generational leap. We have not seen a jump this dramatic since the introduction of Skylake in August of 2015, which replaced Broadwell. Alder Lake is manufactured on the Intel 7 process node, marking an escape from 14nm that plagued the company for years. But most notably, Alder Lake introduces for the first time on x86 a mixed-core topology consisting of full-size performance cores (P-cores) and small-size efficiency cores (E-cores). The different physical sizes of the cores allow more of them to be accommodated on the die. P-cores provide an approximately 20% uplift in instructions per clock (IPC), placing them at the top of the current desktop processor market.

Alder Lake's P-cores are code named Golden Cove and support Hyper Threading. E-cores are code named Gracemont, which are based on Intel Atom micro-architecture and do not support Hyper Threading. The total thread count is therefore computed as follows: P-cores x 2 + E-cores. An overview of the Z690 platform is provided in Tech Talk.

Alder Lake Core Table.png

Alder Lake processors with an "F" in their name indicate that an integrated GPU (iGPU) is not present. Model names without "F" contain an integrated UHD 770 iGPU based on Intel's Xe architecture that is not supported in macOS. Although the iGPU cannot be used in macOS, we can enable it in BIOS for use by Windows and Linux.

Why Z690 Aero G DDR4?
The future of PC computing is PCIe 4.0, PCIe 5.0, and DDR5. So why choose a DDR4 motherboard? There are several reasons for choosing this board at this particular time (November 2021).

First generation DDR5 is expensive and scarce at this time. Additionally, various blogs indicate that first generation DDR5 modules do not perform compellingly better than low-latency DDR4. Second generation DDR5 is expected in mid 2022, which should offer a clear lead in performance.

We wanted to avoid high-end Z690 boards not only because of the expense, but also because they are exclusively based on DDR5. Unfortunately, all Z690 motherboards with built-in Thunderbolt are also based on DDR5, therefore this build guide recommends an add-in Thunderbolt controller, the Gigabyte GC-Titan Ridge.

Why Another Hackintosh When Apple Silicon is Making the Rounds?
macOS on Intel platforms will continue to be supported for another 4 to 5 years. The recent release of new 14-inch and 16-inch Apple Silicon MacBooks Pro shows that Apple's prosumer-level and pro-level systems based on M1 Pro and M1 Max will be priced fairly high. Glancing at Alder Lake benchmarks and real-world performance metrics shows that it provides an extremely high level of performance per dollar. There is nothing in Apple's current product portfolio that competes in this category.

What About Scheduling Tasks on P-Cores and E-Cores?
macOS on Intel x86 architecture regards all cores as the same. It is not aware of the differences between P-cores and E-cores so it will schedule tasks at any time on any type of core. We recommend each user to experiment with either of these configurations to see which works best for their workflows:
  • Option 1:
    • All P-cores, all E-cores, and Hyper-Threading enabled. The maximum CPU frequency will be that of the E-cores. But multi-threading performance will be better.
  • Option 2:
    • Only P-cores and Hyper-Threading enabled. The maximum CPU frequency will be that of the P-cores. But multi-threading performance will be less.
Recommendations for Windows Dual Boot
Because Windows 11 is designed to take advantage of Alder Lake's asymmetric core architecture, we expect many users will choose to install Windows 11. Fortunately, the Windows 11 boot loader integrates nicely with OpenCore in the same EFI partition, which means we can install a Windows NVMe SSD or SATA SSD at any time in any slot or port without creating an EFI partition on that disk (unless we want the Windows disk to be completely independent), and run the Windows 11 installer. macOS drives can remain installed during Windows 11 installation if the Windows SSD does not have its own EFI partition.

Note, however, that a full backup of macOS to an external SSD may result in BIOS recognizing only the Windows boot loader if the EFI partition of the external backup disk contains both OpenCore and Windows boot loaders. In other words, if the EFI partition of the external backup disk contains both EFI/OC and EFI/Microsoft folders, then BIOS might only recognize the latter (Microsoft). In this case it is necessary to either (a) delete the EFI/Microsoft folder, (b) move it out of the EFI folder, or (c) rename the folder to something other than Microsoft.

Thunderbolt
If Thunderbolt capability is needed, a Thunderbolt add-in-card based on the Titan Ridge or Alpine Ridge controller is recommended. These Thunderbolt 3 controllers are natively supported whereas the newer Maple Ridge controller (Thunderbolt 4) is partially operational (specifically, Thunderbolt hot plug may not work). The Z690 Aero G provides two Thunderbolt headers: a 5-pin and a 3-pin. If an add-in-card supports the 5-pin connector, we recommend connecting that one to the motherboard, otherwise connect the 3-pin. Both connectors should not be used at the same time.

It is also possible to flash the firmware of a Titan Ridge controller to enable Thunderbolt Bus, but this is not necessary for the majority of Thunderbolt devices. When checking whether a Thunderbolt add-in-card is working properly, it is sufficient to either (a) connect a Thunderbolt device to see if it works, (b) look at System Information --> PCI (not Thunderbolt/USB4), and (c) run IORegistryExplorer and look for the Thunderbolt device tree.

Broadcom WiFi/BT or Intel WiFi/BT?
The Aero G comes with an Intel AX201 wireless module that supports WiFi 6 (not 6E) and Bluetooth 5.2. At this time, the OpenIntelWireless drivers support WiFi 5 speeds (802.11ac) on AX201, but they do not appear to support the Bluetooth module. This may change in the next release.
51BSkluefXL._AC_.jpg
Fenvi BCM94360NG-Sm.jpg
Use of a Fenvi FV-T919 PCIe add-in-card is recommended, but there are only three PCIe slots and it will take up one of them. An alternative is the Broadcom BCM94360NG Key A/E M.2 WiFi/BT module that can replace the preinstalled Intel AX201 module -- this module has been verified by @rushstrike.

Installation Overview:
Before we start, let's get acquainted with the big picture. These steps will unfold as we proceed through the installation procedure. While macOS is installing, do not walk away from the system because there can be a handful of sudden reboots, which will require attention.
  1. Create USB install disk on a Mac or existing Hackintosh.
  2. Boot Hackintosh from USB install disk by pressing F12 at BIOS splash screen and select USB disk
  3. OpenCore boot picker will appear.
  4. Choose Install MacOS and wait for macOS installer to load and run.
  5. When the installer appears, choose your language and then run Disk Utility to format the internal macOS SSD.
  6. Then begin macOS installation on the newly formatted SSD.
  7. This begins Phase 1 and a progress bar will appear, stating X Minutes Remaining. This is usually 5 minutes.
  8. macOS installer will suddenly reboot in order to begin Phase 2.
  9. When machine reboots, press F12 at BIOS splash screen and again select USB disk.
  10. OpenCore boot picker will again appear.
  11. This time the internal macOS SSD must be selected (it should have been auto-selected for you).
  12. This begins Phase 2 and will take the bulk of the time.
  13. At the completion of this phase the system should gracefully reboot.
  14. When machine reboots, press F12 at BIOS splash screen and again select USB disk.
  15. OpenCore boot picker will again appear.
  16. Again pick the internal macOS SSD in order to complete the installation. The MacOS Welcome screen should appear.
  17. During the Welcome process it's okay to:
    • Enter WiFi password and login to WiFi network
    • Enable Location Services
    • Create user account and set password
    • Sign in to iCloud and App Store
    • Enable Siri
  18. After logging in to macOS, the EFI folder from USB install disk is copied to the EFI partition on the macOS SSD to make it bootable.
  19. Safely eject USB install disk from macOS.
  20. Reboot and allow system to boot from the internal macOS SSD.
  21. Congratulations, you are now up and running!
Make a Backup:
Having a functional baseline is essential for future troubleshooting and peace of mind. This single investment can make the difference between a happy Hackintosh experience and a miserable one. Components needed for the backup are listed above in Components: Bootable Backup. The size of the backup disk only needs to be as large as the amount of data to be backed up. If the original disk is 1TB, for example, but it contains only 60GB of data then the backup disk can be as small as 64GB (if available) or 96GB. A relatively small backup disk can be used at the beginning and replaced with a higher capacity disk in the future as the need arises. Backup procedure is presented below in Step 11.


Installation Procedure

A picture paints a thousand words, so the following diagram may be a useful visual aid to understanding the flow:
Install and Post Install Disks.png
Create USB Install Disk:
We begin by creating a USB install disk containing (a) the macOS installer and (b) an EFI partition with the OpenCore boot loader, as shown on the left side of the figure above. A fast and reliable USB 3.x flash disk such as the Samsung Bar Plus listed in Components will speed up the process. It should be at least 16GB.

Step 1: Open the spoiler below and download macOS.
  1. Click here to visit the gibMacOS site on GitHub.
  2. Click the large green button labeled Code, and select Download ZIP.
    Screen Shot 2021-11-17 at 4.00.36 PM.png
  3. Unzip the file if it does not unzip automatically. The files will be in your Downloads directory in a folder called gibMacOS-master.
  4. In Finder, double-click gibMacOS.command from the gibMacOS-master folder. If macOS complains that the file was downloaded from the Internet and cannot be run, open System Preferences --> Security & Privacy --> General and click Open Anyway from the bottom of the window. Repeat this for any other downloaded application as needed.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions in the screenshots below to download the full Monterey installer.
    gibMacOS menu.png
  6. A number of files will now be downloaded and stored in the same gibMacOS-master directory, but in a new folder called macOS Downloads/publicrelease/xxx-xxxxxx...., where "xxx-xxxxxx..." will vary depending on the version of macOS that was selected.
  7. Depending on the size of the macOS installer (generally about 8GB) and network download speed, wait an appropriate amount of time for the download to complete.
  8. When download is complete, all files will be present in the "xxx-xxxxxx..." folder. Press Q to quit.
  9. Now look inside the newly created "xxx-xxxxxx..." sub-folder in the gibMacOS-master/macOS Downloads/publicrelease folder. Here you will find a file called InstallAssistant.pkg. Launch this application and grant it permission from System Preferences --> Security & Privacy if it does not launch the first time. This will create Install macOS in your Applications folder. Skip the remaining steps in this section.
Step 2: Open the spoiler to install macOS Installer onto USB disk
  • Format the USB disk with Disk Utility.
  • Select View --> Show all Devices then click the parent name of the USB flash disk on the left sidebar. This is critical.
  • Select Erase and ensure that three items appear. Then enter the following as shown in green:
    • Name: Monterey-USB (use this exact name)
    • Format: MacOS Extended (Journaled) -- do not use APFS here
    • Scheme: GUID Partition Map
      Screen Shot 2021-11-17 at 4.40.38 PM.png
      Screen Shot 2021-11-18 at 3.06.26 AM.png
  • Open a Terminal window and type:
  • sudo "/Applications/Install macOS Monterey.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia" --volume /Volumes/Monterey-USB
  • Enter your Mac password when requested.
  • It will take a few minutes for this task to complete. Afterwards the USB install disk will be renamed to Install macOS Monterey.
  • Open the USB flash disk in Finder and confirm that a file called Install macOS Monterey exists.
Step 3: Download essential utilities
The following applications should be downloaded to the Mac or Hack that will be used to begin the installation process and create the USB install disk:
Step 4: Open the spoiler to prepare OpenCore configuration
OpenCore is the essential boot loader. The configuration for Gigabyte Z690 Aero G has largely been done in advance. It's only necessary to specify serial numbers, ROM, and UUID. We proceed as follows:
  • Download and unzip the latest ZIP file attached below. After unzipping, a new folder will be created that will contain a single sub-folder called EFI.
  • Inside EFI will be two sub-folders: (a) BOOT and (b) OC
  • Inside the OC sub-folder will be a file called config.plist
  • Open this file in OpenCore Configurator and look at the title bar of the OpenCore Configurator window.
    • Ensure that the OpenCore version number stated there is correct.
    • If the version is incorrect, go to the OpenCore Configurator --> Preferences... dialog and change the version.
    • Each release of OpenCore Configurator supports two versions of OpenCore. It may be necessary to download a different release of OpenCore Configurator to match the version of OpenCore.
  • Now click PlatformInfo on the left side.
  • Click DataHub - Generic - PlatformNVRAM section as shown below and either (a) transfer existing serial numbers or (b) create new serial numbers from the pop-up menu. Optionally, click "Check Coverage" as shown in the blue box to ensure that the newly generated serial number is not already in use by someone else. For this build we recommend either iMacPro1,1 or MacPro7,1.
    Screen Shot 2021-11-17 at 1.07.29 PM.png
  • If Re-Sizable BAR Support is enabled in BIOS, it is necessary to set ResizeAppleGpuBars in Booter section to 0, as shown:
    ResizeAppleGpuBars.png
  • Press CMD-S to save the modified OpenCore config file.
  • Mount the EFI partition of the USB install disk. This can be done using either (a) EFI Agent or (b) Hackintool or (c) Clover Configurator.
    • The EFI partition will appear as a new disk on the desktop or in Finder.
      USB Disk Icons.png
  • Copy the entire EFI folder that you've just worked on to the EFI partition of the USB flash disk. This is essential and makes the USB flash disk bootable.
Safely eject the USB install disk. It is ready to be inserted into the Z690 Aero G.

Step 5: Open the spoiler and ensure that the system has been assembled properly.
  • Minimum power supply rating is 550 watts. Depending on the CPU and GPU, 650W or larger (fully modular) power supply should be used.
  • Ensure that 8-pin CPU power cable is attached (top left of motherboard: ATX_12V).
  • Ensure that thermal paste has been applied properly and CPU cooler is functional and connected to motherboard.
  • Intel Alder Lake 12-Gen processors require 5 drops of thermal paste. One in the center and one each near the four corners. Refer to the CPU cooler instruction manual for details.
  • Ensure that the (empty) macOS internal SSD has been installed. It does not need to be formatted at this time.
  • A discrete GPU is required because Alder Lake's iGPU (UHD 770) is not supported in macOS. See NOTE 1 at the top of this guide for a list of recommended AMD GPUs.
If using a Broadcom BCM94360NG NGFF M.2 module, follow the procedure in Tech Talk: Install BCM94360NG now. Otherwise, if using Fenvi FV-T919, Fenvi FV-HB1200, or similar WiFi/BT PCIe add-in-card, connect the Bluetooth data cable to either of the internal USB 2.0 headers.
Step 6: Open the spoiler and configure BIOS/Firmware parameters on Z690 Aero G
The latest firmware (BIOS) should be downloaded from the Gigabyte website and installed according to the instructions in the Z690 Aero G user manual. As of the date of this guide, the latest version is F6b.

Start the system and press DEL or F2 to enter BIOS Setup. Now we configure firmware parameters listed below. It is necessary to start with Save & Exit --> Load Optimized Defaults because this pre-configures a set of parameters for us, and we make a few additional changes on top of those.

Short List:
  • Press F2 if necessary to enter Advanced Mode
  • Press F7 to Load Optimized Defaults (necessary)
  • Tweaker
    • Extreme Memory Profile(X.M.P) → Profile1
  • Tweaker → Advanced CPU Settings
    • Option 1: All cores, all threads
      • Hyper Threading Technology → Enabled
      • All P-Cores and E-Cores → Enabled
    • Option 2: Only P-cores and Hyper-Threads
      • Hyper Threading Technology → Enabled
      • CPU Cores Enabling Mode → Selectable Mode
      • CPU Cores Enabling Mode → (Enable all P-Cores and Disable all E-Cores)
  • Settings → Platform Power → ErP → Enabled (optional; this prevents system start when Thunderbolt device is connected or disconnected during shutdown)
  • Settings IOPorts
    • Above 4G Decoding → Enabled
    • Re-Size BAR Support → Enabled(if your GPU supports it) or it can be Disabled
      • If Enabled, set ResizeAppleGpuBars to 0 in Booter section of config.plist
  • Settings → IOPorts → Super IO Configuration
    • Serial Port → Disabled
  • Settings → Miscellaneous
    • VT-d → Enabled

Full List:
  • Press F2 if necessary to toggle into Advanced Mode
  • Press F7 or Save & Exit → Load Optimized Defaults (pressing F7 loads optimized defaults in one keystroke)
  • Tweaker
    • Extreme Memory Profile(X.M.P) → Profile1
    • System Memory Multiplier → Auto (default)
  • Tweaker → Advanced CPU Settings
    • Option 1: All cores, all threads
      • Hyper Threading Technology → Enabled
      • All P-Cores and E-Cores → Enabled
    • Option 2: Only P-cores and Hyper-Threads
      • Hyper Threading Technology → Enabled
      • CPU Cores Enabling Mode → Selectable Mode
      • CPU Cores Enabling Mode → (Enable all P-Cores and Disable all E-Cores)
  • Settings → Platform Power → ErP → Enabled (optional; this prevents system start when Thunderbolt device is connected or disconnected during shutdown)
  • Settings IOPorts
    • Internal Graphics → Enabled (not Auto); this option not available on CPUs without iGPU
    • HD Audio Controller → Enabled (default)
    • Above 4G Decoding → Enabled
    • Re-Size BAR Support → Enabled(if your GPU supports it) or it can be Disabled
      • If Enabled, set ResizeAppleGpuBars to 0 in Booter section of config.plist
  • Settings → IOPorts → Thunderbolt Configuration (if a Thunderbolt add-in-card is installed)
    • PCIE Tunneling over USB4 → Enabled (default)
    • Discrete Thunderbolt Support → Enabled (default)
    • Wake from Thunderbolt Devices → Enabled (default)
  • Settings → IOPorts → Thunderbolt Configuration → Discrete Thunderbolt Configuration
    • Thunderbolt Boot Support → Enabled (default)
    • GPIO3 Force Per → Enabled (default)
    • GPIO Filter → Disabled (default)
    • DTBT Go2Sx Command → Enabled (default)
  • Settings → IOPorts → Super IO Configuration
    • Serial Port → Disabled
  • Settings → IOPorts → USB Configuration
    • XHCI Hand-off → Enabled (defualt)
  • Settings → IOPorts → SATA Configuration
    • SATA Mode AHCI (default)
  • Settings → Miscellaneous
    • Intel Platform Trust Technology → Enabled (default)
    • VT-d → Enabled
  • Boot
    • CFG-Lock → Disabled (default)
    • Fast Boot → Disabled (default)
    • Windows 10 Features → Windows 10 (default)
    • CSM Support → Disabled (default)
  • Save & Exit → Save Profiles
    • Save your settings into one of eight available profile slots (see screenshot)
    • Also save settings into a file on USB disk. The USB install disk can be used for this purpose
BIOS-01-Load Optimized Defaults.jpg
BIOS-02-Memory and CPU.jpeg
BIOS-03-HT.jpg
BIOS-04-P-and-E-Cores.jpg
BIOS-05-Settings-IO-Ports.jpeg
BIOS-06-Thunderbolt-1.jpeg
BIOS-07-Thunderbolt-2.jpeg
BIOS-08-Serial-Port.jpg
BIOS-09-XHCI-Handoff.jpg
BIOS-10-MISC.jpg
BIOS-11-BOOT.jpg

Begin macOS Installation:
Now we begin the process of installing macOS.

Step 7: Open the spoiler to begin macOS installation
Insert the USB flash disk into any USB 3 port on the rear IO panel or front of the PC case. A USB 3 port will speed up the overall process. Proceed as follows:
  • Insert USB flash disk into any USB Type A port and boot computer.
  • At Gigabyte Splash screen, press F12 to open BIOS Boot manager and select the USB flash disk.
  • You must continue doing this each time the system reboots during installation.
  • At the OpenCore Boot Picker, select the USB install disk, which should say:
    • Install macOS Monterey
  • When the installer starts, select Disk Utility from the Tools menu.
  • In Disk Utility, select View --> Show all Disks. This is very important.
  • Select the parent name of your macOS internal SSD and then Erase... it with these parameters:
    • Name: Your choice
    • Format: APFS
    • Scheme: GUID Partition Map
  • When disk has been erased, quit Disk Utility
  • Now you're back at the main menu. Select the option to install macOS and follow on-screen instructions.
  • WARNING: Do not leave the computer unattended during installation. The system will reboot about 4 times.
  • Each time it reboots, you must press F12 when the Gigabyte splash screen appears in order to open BIOS boot menu. Then select the USB flash disk.
  • This will cause OpenCore picker to appear.
  • From this point forward, the correct boot disk will be automatically selected, so do not make any changes at the OpenCore graphical picker. Let the system continue by itself.
  • When installation completes, the familiar Welcome screen will appear and will guide the rest of the setup.
    • It is advisable to perform the following steps during the Welcome process:
      • Enter WiFi password and login to WiFi network
      • Enable Location Services
      • Create user account and set password
      • Sign in to iCloud and App Store
      • Enable Siri
  • At the completion of the Welcome process, the macOS desktop will appear. All of the hard work is now done! But final touches remain.

Post Installation:
The macOS internal SSD is not bootable at this time because its EFI partition is empty. A boot loader (OpenCore) must be installed into the EFI partition. On the USB install disk are a number of essential utilities that were copied back at Step 3. Copy all of these utilities to the Applications folder on the macOS SSD.

Step 8: Copy EFI folder from USB flash disk to EFI partition of macOS SSD
  • When macOS is up and running, do not reboot the system yet.
  • Go to Finder --> Preferences and select Show hard drives.
    Screen Shot 2021-11-17 at 1.20.13 PM.png
  • Using EFI Agent, Hackintool, or OpenCore Configurator (Tools --> Mount EFI) mount the EFI partitions of both (a) USB flash disk and (b) macOS internal SSD.
  • Now there will be two EFI partitions on the Desktop.
  • Copy entire EFI Folder from USB EFI partition to macOS internal EFI partition.
  • This will make the macOS internal SSD bootable.

Step 9: Important Final Adjustments
  • To prevent problems with sleep, disable Wake for network access from System Preferences --> Energy Saver as shown.
Screen Shot 2021-11-17 at 1.22.39 PM.png

  • If you have an HDR-capable monitor, you may want to disable HDR from System Preferences --> Displays.
The config.plist uses a USB port map that defines exactly 15 ports and disables XhciPortLimit kernel quirk. This maximizes compatibility across multiple versions of macOS. However, with Monterey 12.0.1 and newer we can enable all USB ports as follows:
  • Check off ACPI --> SSDT-UIAC-Z690-AERO-G.aml
  • Check on Kernel --> XhciPortLimit
Then select only one of the following:
  • Check on ACPI --> SSDT-UIAC-Z690-AERO-G-ALL-PORTS.aml
    • This enables all USB ports except HS14
  • Check on ACPI --> SSDT-UIAC-Z690-AERO-G-ALL-PORTS-HS14.aml
    • This enables all USB ports including HS14
USB port HS14 is used by on-board Intel AX201 WiFi/BT module to provide Bluetooth capability. If the AX201 module is replaced by Broadcom's BCM94360NG module, then USB port HS14 needs to be enabled.

These settings are shown in the screenshots below. To revert back to 15 ports, simply reverse these steps.
PLIST ACPI ADD V3.png

If Resizable BAR Support is enabled in BIOS, it is mandatory to set ResizableAppleGpuBars to 0, otherwise the system will display a stuck or frozen Apple logo during boot.
ResizableAppleGpuBars.png

In DeviceProperties, specify the name of your AMD GPU in two places, as shown:
Dev Prop GPU 1.png
Dev Prop GPU 2.png

PLIST 08B KERNEL ADD.png
Change SecureBootModel from Disabled to Default so that future macOS updates will appear in System Preferences --> Software Update.
SecureBootModel.png

Specify your CPU name as shown below so that About this Mac displays the correct name:
Set CPU Name.png

Installation Verification:
Step 10: Open the spoiler to check configuration of various system devices to verify installation.
A selected set of system devices can be checked/verified using System Information which can be invoked by holding OPTION key and clicking the Apple menu on the top left. The first menu item will be System Information. Audio, Bluetooth, Ethernet, WiFi, and PCI devices can be checked right away. Thunderbolt is checked by examining the PCI page instead of the Thunderbolt/USB4 page when a Thunderbolt add-in-card is installed. (The Thunderbolt/USB4 page will either say No hardware was found or No drivers are loaded.)
SI01 - Audio.png
SI02 Bluetooth.png
SI03 - Ethernet.png
SI04 - PCI.png
SI05 - WiFi.png

Create Backup:
A Hackintosh is not a real Macintosh. Apple does not test its operating system on Hackintosh. Apple does not provide assurance that macOS will work today or tomorrow on Hackintosh. When we decide to build a Hackintosh and entrust our digital lives to it, we must have the wisdom (a) to know that significant problems may occur and (b) to take proactive measures to guard against digital disaster. This build process will not be considered complete until a full bootable backup is made.

Step 11: Open the spoiler below to make a full bootable backup. Components needed for this are listed at the top of this guide in the section Components: Bootable Backup.
Preparation:
  • Install the backup SATA SSD into the USB 3 SSD enclosure and connect it to an available USB 3.x port.
  • Run Disk Utility and format the SSD as follows:
    • Select View --> Show all devices
    • Select parent or top-level name of the external SATA SSD on the left sidebar
    • Click Eraseand specify three parameters:
      • Name: Monterey Backup (give it any name that is different from the internal macOS SSD)
      • Format: APFS
      • Scheme: GUID Partition Map
    • Click Erase once again to complete the process
  • Download EFIClone.sh from my GitHub repository by clicking here.
    • Click the green button on the right side of the web page: Code, then choose to Download ZIP
      Download EFIClone.png
    • It should then appear in the Downloads folder under EFIClone-master. Because of security precautions in macOS, run Terminal and clear the quarantine flag as follows (if the quarantine flag does not exist, there will be no reply, which is okay):
Bash:
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine ~/Downloads/EFIClone-master/EFIClone.sh
  • The EFIClone.sh script is set to Test Mode by default. This allows the script to be test-run to confirm that it works properly. Leave it in Test Mode at this time.
  • Run Carbon Copy Cloner. If it's being run for the first time, pull down the Carbon Copy Cloner menu bar item (right next to Apple menu at the top left of the screen) and select Grant Full Disk Access to CCC... Follow the on-screen instructions.
  • Now select the Utilities menu on the menu bar and choose Reveal CCC's Scripts folder
    • A Finder window will open and the last item in the window will be a folder called Scripts
    • Copy EFIClone.sh from the Downloads/EFICLone-master folder to this Scripts folder, but hold down the OPTION key while dragging so that the file is copied instead of moved.
    • Now there will be two exact copies of EFIClone.sh: one in the original location and the other in the Scripts folder.
    • Select the same Utilities menu on the menu bar and notice that "Reveal CCC's Scripts folder" in the menu has changed to Secure CCC's Scripts folder
      • Select this option to secure the Scripts folder
      • Now the script is capable of running
  • To create the backup task, we select the SOURCE disk and the DESTINATION disk. These are clearly labeled in the Carbon Copy Cloner main window.
    CCC 01.png
    • Click SOURCE and select the macOS internal SSD
    • Click DESTINATION and select the external SATA SSD
    • Double check that the names of the SOURCE and DESTINATION disks are different
  • In Big Sur and Monterey, the System volume (containing the operating system) is separate from the Data volume (containing user files). The System volume is write-protected and cryptographically sealed to prevent malicious software from corrupting the system. Cloning the Systemvolume is tricky and this is done only on an empty destination disk.
    • To set this up, we click on the DESTINATION disk icon, which reveals these options:
      CCC 02.png
    • We select Legacy Bootable Backup Assistant... and that in turn brings us to this:
      CCC 03.png
    • Here we select Allow CCC to erase '<name of destination disk>'... then click the Close button. This allows CCC to invoke Apple's APFS Replicator to clone both the System and Data volumes.
    • Subsequent backups will operate only on the Data volume. To clone the System volume again (after an OS upgrade) it will be necessary to erase the Destination disk. This will again invoke the APFS Replicator that will clone both the System and Data volumes.
  • Just below the SOURCE and DESTINATION disks is an option called Advanced Settings.
    • Click on it to reveal the following subsections:
      • Preflight
      • File Copying Settings
      • Postflight
      • Performance & Analysis
    • Click on Postflight followed by Run a Shell Script --> Choose... as shown.
      CCC 04.png
    • A file selection window will appear that will point to the Scripts folder
    • Select EFIClone.sh from the list
    • The window should look something like this. Click Done.
      CCC 05.png
  • The backup job has now been configured. Save it by pressing CMD-S or File --> Save
  • Because the EFIClone script is in Test Mode, click Start on the bottom right of the Carbon Copy Cloner window to perform a test run.
  • This will generate an activity log that can be examined in Terminal by typing:
Bash:
cd /System/Volumes/Data/Users/Shared
more EFIClone.log
  • Check that the list of Source Files looks correct. Press <spacebar> to page forward and <q> to quit the log.
  • If the log looks correct, the Test Mode flag must be set to N for No as follows:
    CCC 08 Test Switch.png
    • Locate EFIClone.sh in the Downloads/EFIClone-master folder and edit the file with a text editor.
    • Somewhere in the first few lines we will see this: TEST_SWITCH="Y"
    • Change only this line to: TEST_SWITCH="N"
    • Save the file
  • From Carbon Copy Cloner, select Utilities --> Reveal CCC's Scripts folder once again
  • Drag and drop the modified EFIClone.sh to the Scripts folder
  • From Carbon Copy Cloner, select Utilities --> Secure CCC's Scripts folder once again
  • Press CMD-S or File --> Save to save the modified task
  • Now Carbon Copy Cloner is fully set up to clone both the SOURCE macOS partition and the SOURCE EFI partition to the DESTINATION
CCC 06 Reveal.png
CCC 07 Secure.png

Congratulations, you made it!
Welcome to Hackintosh. Enjoy the new system and explore the wealth of information available on this forum and the Internet at large.


Tech Talk

Gallery of Assembly Photos:
A gallery of hardware assembly photos is posted here.

On-Board Devices:
The diagrams below describe the USB, Ethernet, and Audio ports enabled under macOS. To keep the total number of USB ports at 15, several had to be disabled in order to support installation of both Big Sur and Monterey. After installation is complete, Monterey users can follow Step 9 to enable all USB ports. Consequently, there are two USB port map SSDTs:
  • SSDT-UIAC-Z690-AERO-G.aml
    • Disables ports HS01, HS03, HS07, HS09, HS13, HS14, SS07
    • XhciPortLimit in Kernel section of config.plist must be disabled
  • SSDT-UIAC-Z690-AERO-G-ALL-PORTS.aml
    • Enables all ports except HS14 which contains Intel AX201 WiFi/BT module
    • XhciPortLimit in Kernel section of config.plist must be enabled
  • SSDT-UIAC-Z690-AERO-G-ALL-PORTS-HS14.aml
    • Enables all ports including HS14 which contains Intel AX201 WiFi/BT module
    • XhciPortLimit in Kernel section of config.plist must be enabled
USB Port Map 2B.png
USB Port Map 1E.png

Resizable GPU BAR (Base Address Register):
Some of the latest AMD GPUs support Resizable Base Address Register (BAR). This feature enhances GPU performance in Windows, but not in macOS. Fortunately, Resizable BAR Support can be enabled in BIOS without affecting macOS, but to ensure proper sleep/wake behavior in macOS we recommend these settings:
  • config.plist --> Booter --> ResizeAppleGpuBars --> 0 (default = -1)
  • config.plist --> UEFI --> ResizeGpuBars --> -1 (default = -1)
In OCC 2.53.0.0 a bug prevents us from entering -1 for ResizeAppleGpuBars. We can, however, switch to Outline Mode as shown below to enter -1:
  • First we select Outline Mode as shown:
OCC 01 - Outline.png

  • Now we expand Booter > Quirks:
OCC 02.png

  • We double-click in the ResizeAppleGpuBars field and type "-1" (STEP 1). Then we click Synchronize (STEP 2) and finally we click any tab item on the left side (STEP 3), as shown:
OCC 03.png

Journey Through OpenCore:
Open the spoiler below to take a journey through the OpenCore config.plist configuration. This self-guided journey is highly recommended. It will provide insight into how the system is configured and allow you to customize certain settings. For example, all users are encouraged to enter the model name of their AMD GPU in the two Device Property fields.
PLIST ACPI ADD V3.png
PLIST 02 ACPI DELETE.png
PLIST 03 ACPI PATCH.png
PLIST 04 BOOTER.png
PLIST 05 DEV PROPERTIES.png
PLIST 06 DEV AMD GPU.png
PLIST 07 DEV AMD AUDIO.png
PLIST 08B KERNEL ADD.png
PLIST 08C KERNEL PATCH.png
PLIST 10 MISC BOOT.png
PLIST 11 MISC DEBUG.png
PLIST 12 MISC SECURITY.png
PLIST 13 NVRAM ADD.png
PLIST 14 PLATFORM.png
PLIST 15 UEFI DRIVERS.png

Enabling and Disabling AppleVTD:
AppleVTD is enabled in the OpenCore ZIP files attached to this guide. In some cases this can interfere with OpenCore's ability to start Windows. Windows can still be started through the BIOS Boot Menu by pressing F12 at the Gigabyte splash screen and choosing the Windows boot loader. But it is also possible to disable AppleVTD.

AppleVTD allows certain Thunderbolt devices to connect and operate, such as Antelope Audio interfaces and Apple's own Thunderbolt-to-Gigabit Ethernet adapter.

Enabling AppleVTD requires the following (every item below is necessary):
  1. Kernel --> Quirks --> DisableIoMapper --> check off (affects macOS only)
  2. ACPI --> Add --> SSDT-DMAR.aml --> check on (affects all operating systems)
  3. ACPI --> Delete --> DMAR --> check on (affects all operating systems)
  4. BIOS Setup --> VT-d --> Enabled
Disabling AppleVTD requires the following:
  1. Kernel --> Quirks --> DisableIoMapper --> check on
  2. ACPI --> Add --> SSDT-DMAR.aml --> check off
  3. ACPI --> Delete --> DMAR --> check off
  4. BIOS Setup --> VT-d --> this can be left enabled at all times
RGB Fusion 2.0
The Gigabyte Z690 Aero G supports RGB Fusion 2.0 via an onboard ITE Tech 0x5702 lighting controller on USB port HS13. Port HS13 is disabled by default, but can be enabled when switching to SSDT-UIAC-Z690-AERO-G-ALL-PORTS.aml as described in Step 9. The ITE 0x5702 lighting controller is supported in liquidctl by Jonas Malaco:
  • Complete instructions for installing liquidctl are posted here.
  • A visual glance at some RGB color modes is posted here.
Sample output from liquidctl:
Code:
% liquidctl --version
liquidctl v1.7.2 (homebrew; liquidctl 1.7.2)

% liquidctl list
Device #0: Gigabyte RGB Fusion 2.0 5702 Controller

% liquidctl initialize
Gigabyte RGB Fusion 2.0 5702 Controller
├── Hardware name       IT5701-GIGABYTE V3.0.19.0
└── Firmware version                     3.0.19.0

Z690 Architecture Overview:
Some of the interesting new features of Z690 include:
  • PCIe 5.0 (16 lanes from CPU)
  • DDR5 memory support
  • x8 link between CPU and chipset versus x4 today
  • 5Gbps Ethernet tied to chipset (optional feature for motherboard vendors to choose)
  • WiFi 7 also known as 802.11be. Some of the benefits (source):
    • Not available at launch. Z690 will start with WiFi 6 and 6E.
    • Multi-band/multi-channel aggregation and operation to deliver higher spectrum and power efficiency
    • Better interference mitigations
    • Higher capacity density
    • Higher cost efficiency
    • Support up to 30Gbps throughput, roughly three times faster than Wi-Fi 6
    • Support of 320 MHz transmissions, which is double the 160 MHz of 802.11ax
    • Release date of WiFi 7 spec is 2024
Intel-Z690-Chipset-1.jpg

Thunderbolt Considerations:
Gigabyte Z690 Aero G does not contain an on-board Thunderbolt controller, but it does contain both a 5-pin and 3-pin Thunderbolt header for use with a PCIe add-in-card. In this section we'll summarize the experiences and observations with several Thunderbolt add-in-cards.
Gigabyte GC-Alpine Ridge
This card works well either with original firmware or after flashing the controller using GC-ALPINE-RIDGE-NVM21-V3-NATA.bin, which is available from the Thunderbolt Firmware Repository. Use of SSDT-TbtOnPch to activate Thunderbolt Bus must be avoided as this will generate system reboots. For more details, refer to @StefanAM's post by clicking here.

GC-Titan Ridge
This is the only recommended card for Z690 Aero G at the moment. Titan Ridge controller is natively supported in macOS and the card works well both with and without Thunderbolt Bus activated. Activation of Thunderbolt Bus on a Titan Ridge is only possible with a firmware flash, which is relatively easy to do on this particular model. Both V1 and V2 of this card are equally compatible.

A custom Thunderbolt hot plug SSDT is also available through HackinDROM, as described in this post. That SSDT must be used in combination with SSDT-DTPG.aml. Certain devices such as Thunderbolt 4 Hubs are not compatible with GC-Titan Ridge.

NOTE: When any Thunderbolt device is connected to a flashed GC-Titan Ridge, the system will not shutdown. It will appear to shutdown, but after 2-3 seconds it will restart. Until a solution is found, we recommend disconnecting all Thunderbolt devices before shutting down the system.

Use of the 5-pin Thunderbolt header cable is required.

GC-Maple Ridge
Testing is still under way with some interesting results. Because Maple Ridge is (a) Thunderbolt 4 and (b) not natively supported in macOS, there are some issues and limitations. Older Thunderbolt devices may not connect, may not hot plug, and may not survive a wake-from-sleep. The controller itself may not survive the first wake-from-sleep, but may turn on after a second wake-from-sleep. This card should only be used by those willing to test its functionality and ascertain its compatibility across various Thunderbolt devices.

Use of the 5-pin Thunderbolt header cable is required.

Detailed Information on Thunderbolt Firmware Flashing
Please refer to Section 8 of the "Quick Reference to Mini-Guides and Micro-Guides" spoiler located at the top of the Gigabyte Z390 Designare thread for complete details.


Troubleshooting / FAQs

With BIOS F4, the Z690 Aero G may freeze at the Gigabyte Splash Screen when a USB hub is connected. This happens in particular when this hub is connected to a front panel USB 3 port. Unplugging the USB cable allows BIOS to boot properly. The Hub can be reconnected when macOS has booted. This problem has been submitted to Gigabyte.
Thunderbolt monitors and monitors containing a USB-C video port can be driven through a Gigabyte GC-Titan Ridge by first connecting a DisplayPort output from AMD GPU to mini-DP input on the GC-Titan Ridge. For more information, refer to this post.
Refer to this post for a comparison of disk read and write speeds between WD Black SN850 (500GB) and Sabrent Rocket 1TB. Both are PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs.
Sidecar is not available on this system due to the lack of supported iGPU. Two alternatives (Luna Display and Duet Display) are discussed in this post.
A 31-minute sample music video was rendered to HEVC in about 3 min 30 sec, and to H.264 in about 3 min. Details in this post.
If the following dialog appears after logging in to macOS, delete the Sleep Wake Failure file in /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports and reboot.
1641117420251.png

Credit: @eos1d3
If Broadcom Bluetooth (Fenvi FV-T919 or BRCM94360NG M.2) is behaving erratically or unreliably, try disabling all three of the following kexts in the Kernel section config.plist:
  • BlueToolFixup.kext
  • BrcmFirmwareData.kext
  • BrcmPatchRAM3.kext
If you have difficulty installing Apple's Bootcamp drivers in Windows in order to support Apple peripherals, take a look at this procedure by @mikecmp.
To control monitor brightness and speaker volume using the appropriately labeled function keys on the keyboard, download and install the MonitorControl app from GitHub.
If you have a case that has two USB 3.0 Type A ports in the front and a USB-C port, @starghost1100 has created a port map that serves this purpose while maintaining a 15-port limit. For details and download, refer to this post:
Refer to this post by @beelzebozo to fix sleep/wake issues with BIOS F22.
Please see this post for an SSDT that spoofs the device ID of RX 6650 in Slot 1. This allows macOS Monterey and newer to use the card.
Please see this post for recommendations to resolve USB reliability issues when a large number of USB devices are connected to the system.



Summary

What Works
  • Shutdown, restart
  • Sleep / Wake
  • iCloud, App Store
  • Handoff / Continuity / AirDrop (with Broadcom-based WiFi/BT module)
  • FaceTime / Messages
  • WiFi / Bluetooth with Broadcom-based WiFi/BT module
  • Ethernet port (2.5GbE)
  • RGB Fusion 2.0 lighting controller with liquidctl (see Tech Talk)
  • Quick Look, Preview
  • Apple TV
  • Netflix and Prime Video in Safari
What Doesn't Work
  • One sleep/wake cycle works, but system reboots on second wake-from-sleep
  • Sidecar requires either an iGPU or an Apple T2 chip for HEVC encoding/decoding so it does not work on this system (iGPU UHD 770 is not supported by macOS). See Alternatives to Sidecar.
  • macOS treats all cores the same and does not schedule tasks optimally between P-cores and E-cores
  • USB 2.0 ports HS01 (front panel USB-C), HS03 (bottom USB-C on rear IO), and HS06 (bottom red USB Type A) are not currently working. This appears to be a Gigabyte BIOS issue.
What May or May Not Work
  • Hot plug on some Maple Ridge based Thunderbolt 4 controllers may not work.
  • With Gigabyte GC-Maple Ridge, hot plug works on some devices such as Thunderbolt 3 docks, but Thunderbolt controller does not wake from sleep.

Benchmarks
These benchmarks are based on Mac Pro 7,1 with CPUFriend using frequency vectors from iMac Pro 1,1. Processor is Intel i5-12600K with 6 P-Cores and 4-Cores.

2 x 8GB OLOy CL18 Memory: 18-22-22-42
Benchmark Summary.png


2 x 16GB TridentZ Samsung B-Die CL16: 16-16-16-36
Benchmark Summary New RAM.png


New mem - all cores all threads.png


Acknowledgements
This guide is made possible by the collective diligence of numerous forum members. In alphabetical order, I would like to acknowledge these members in particular for their contributions: @darthsian @dehjomz @Elias64Fr @etorix @Middleman @ori69 @rushstrike @sjoseph @StefanAM

Special thanks to @vit9696 and @vandroiy for OpenCore (and associated kernel extensions) and enabling use of all P-cores, E-cores and hyper threads on Alder Lake.



Updates:
  • 17 Nov 2021: First pre-release version.
  • 18 Nov 2021: Changed ResizeGpuBars to -1 in both Booter and UEFI sections for wider compatibility. Use EFI-076-PRE-Z690-AERO-G-V2.zip for this version.
  • 18 Nov 2021: First release version of build guide. Additions and updates will continue over the next few days.
  • 20 Nov 2021: Posted EFI-076-PRE-Z690-AERO-G-V3.zip with a USB port map SSDT that enables all USB ports except Intel AX201 on HS14. It breaks the 15 port limit, so XhciPortLimit kernel quirk must be enabled. See Step 9 for more information.
  • 22 Nov 2022: Reboot after second wake-from-sleep has been fixed in V4 of the EFI. Users of earlier versions can simply make the changes shown in this post without having to download V4. File EFI-076-PRE-Z690-AERO-G-V2.zip.
  • 24 Nov 2022: Uploaded V5 of the EFI Folder: V5-EFI-076-PRE-Z690-AERO-G.zip. This version includes:
    • Optional USB port map SSDT that enables all ports including HS14 for on-board Bluetooth. This can be used with Broadcom BCM94360NG (M.2 Key A/E module) or Intel AX201.
    • BrcmFirmwareData.kext and BrcmPatchRAM3.kext for Broadcom-based Bluetooth modules. Can be enabled or disabled based on user preference.
  • 14 Jan 2022: Uploaded official OpenCore 0.7.7 EFI folder.
 

Attachments

  • EFI-076-PRE-Z690-AERO-G-V4.zip
    36.3 MB · Views: 1,128
  • V5-EFI-076-PRE-Z690-AERO-G.zip
    36.3 MB · Views: 1,037
  • EFI-077-Z690-AERO-G.zip
    45.5 MB · Views: 2,423
Last edited:
** PROBLEM REPORTING GUIDELINES **
Please do not quote this post in its entirety. Use a link instead.


Photos:
  • Remove EXIF location information before posting. Drag-and-drop your photo to this website (jimpl.com) to easily remove location information.
  • Resize photos so they consume no more than 2 or 3 MB. JPEGs are preferred.
Background:
  • Describe symptoms, warnings, errors, or problems that you see.
  • Describe problem-solving steps that have been taken.
  • Describe when the problem started and what changes were made around that time.
  • Describe whether the problem is consistent and repeatable, or occasional and random
  • Describe whether the problem occurs on another Mac or Hack
System Information:
  • Which version of macOS?
  • Which version of OpenCore?
  • List any of the following information that is relevant:
    • Make/model of motherboard, if something other than Gigabyte Z690 Aero G
    • Make/model of AMD GPU
    • Make/model of macOS NVMe SSD or SATA SSD
    • Make/model of monitor
    • Using DisplayPort or HDMI?
    • Make/model of memory and number of DIMMs
  • List any relevant BIOS settings
Try these Common Remedies:
  • At OpenCore Picker, press and release CMD-V to enable Verbose Mode.
    • Boot macOS and observe the boot log. If needed, capture and post a photo at the point where the log freezes.
    • Please see Photos at the top of this post before posting a photo.
  • Perform Cold Boot.
    • This means shutting down the system and flipping power switch on PSU to OFF for 10 seconds. Then restarting.
    • Does problem go away?
  • Perform Reset NVRAM.
    • At the OpenCore Boot Picker, press <spacebar> to reveal hidden options. The last option on the right is Reset NVRAM. Select that option. Computer will restart. Boot macOS.
    • Does problem go away?
  • Perform CMOS Reset
    • Follow procedure in motherboard manual. All BIOS parameters will need to be reconfigured, starting with Load Optimized Defaults. Never skip this step because BIOS settings in Post 1 are made on top of BIOS settings that are applied by Load Optimized Defaults.
  • Try booting from the bootable backup.
    • Didn't make a bootable backup? Don't you wish you had?


OpenCanopy Cheat Sheet:
  • CMD-V to enable Verbose mode
  • Select a boot disk and press CTRL-Click or CTRL-Enter to make it the default startup disk
  • Press <spacebar> to reveal hidden options, including Reset NVRAM and Toggle SIP
  • Press F10 to capture screenshot; it will be saved in EFI partition of boot disk as PNG file
OpenCanopy Main.png

After Pressing Spacebar:
OpenCanopy Extras.png


Please refer to this mini-guide to change the disk icon labels that appear in OpenCore Picker.
 
Last edited:
** Quirks and Features **
Please do not quote this post in its entirely. Use a link instead.
(w/apologies to Doug DeMuro)​


Enable Aquantia AQC107 10GbE Ethernet
Apply the following patch to enable Aquantia AQC107 10GbE Ethernet driver:
  • Identifier: com.apple.driver.AppleEthernetAquantiaAqtion
  • Comment: AQC 107 10 GbE v2
  • Find: 0F84C002 0000
  • Replace: 660F1F44 0000
  • Count: 1
  • Limit: 0
  • Skip: 0
  • Enabled: True
For Monterey 12.3 we need the following patch (included in the EFI folder for OpenCore 0.7.8):
  • Identifier: com.apple.driver.AppleEthernetAquantiaAqtion
  • Comment: AQC 107 10 GbE v3
  • Find: 0F844503 0000
  • Replace: 660F1F44 0000
  • Count: 1
  • Limit: 0
  • Skip: 0
  • Enabled: True
Aquantia Patch.png


Enable Aquantia AQC113 10GbE Ethernet
This is a newer version of the 10GbE Ethernet controller. To enable this controller in macOS, perform these steps:
  1. First apply the Kernel patch described in the AQC107 section above. That patch is necessary.
  2. Then add the attached SSDT (SSDT-AQUANTIA-AQC113C.aml) to OpenCore by:
    • Copying file to EFI/OC/ACPI folder
    • Adding an entry in config.plist --> ACPI section
Note that the SSDT assumes AQC113 is on RP01. If it's on a different PCI root port, please let us know or modify the SSDT appropriately. Use IORegistryExplorer to determine the root port of the Aquantia 10GbE device.

A cold boot is necessary to activate AQC113. Cold boot means: Shutdown the system and flip power switch on PSU to OFF for 10 seconds, then power the system back up.

Credit: @Elias64Fr


15 Jan 2022: This section has been deprecated (i.e. do not use): CPU Core Settings for Multi-Boot Systems
As stated in the build guide (post 1) there are two CPU core configurations that work with macOS. The configurations depend on whether Hyper Threading is enabled or disabled:
  1. Hyper Threading Enabled:
    • P-cores may be enabled
    • E-cores must be disabled
  2. Hyper Threading Disabled:
    • P-cores may be enabled
    • E-cores may be enabled
However, Windows 10 and Windows 11 support the asymmetric BIG.little architecture of Alder Lake. Unlike macOS, these operating systems will work when P-cores, E-cores, and Hyper Threading are all enabled. As for Linux, depending on the kernel version, all P-cores, E-cores, and Hyper Threads may also be workable.

On a multi-boot system, therefore, the ideal configuration is to enable all P-cores, E-cores, and Hyper Threads for the benefit of operating systems that can take advantage of that topology. But for macOS, we can apply a SSDT that will filter out E-cores and allow macOS to run on P-cores and Hyper Threads.

Benchmarks performed in macOS indicate that option 1 above yields better results than option 2. Hence, using an SSDT that filters in all P-cores and Hyper Threads, but filters out E-cores, provides a good overall solution. To set this up, there is an SSDT specific to i5-12600K, and another that is specific to both i7-12700K and i9-12900K.

Credit: @StefanAM and @sjoseph
BIOS Settings:
  • Hyper Threading → Enabled
  • P-cores → Enabled (all)
  • E-cores → Enabled (all)
For i5-12600K systems:
  • Check OFF:
    • SSDT-PLUG-ALT.aml
    • SSDT-PLUG-ALT-16.aml
  • Check ON:
    • SSDT-PLUG-ALT-12.aml
For i7-12700K and i9-12900K systems:
  • Check OFF:
    • SSDT-PLUG-ALT.aml
    • SSDT-PLUG-ALT-12.aml
  • Check ON:
    • SSDT-PLUG-ALT-16.aml
These SSDTs are included in the OpenCore EFI for Gigabyte Z690 Aero G, but are also attached here for other board owners.

The OpenCore kernel quirk ProvideCurrentCpuInfo must be enabled in order to use these SSDTs. This quirk is already enabled in the OpenCore EFI folder for Gigabyte Z690 Aero G posted in this thread.
Core Filter SSDTs.png

Below we can see that Windows 11 is using all 16 threads on i5-12600K because P-cores, E-cores, and Hyper Threads are enabled in BIOS. On the left side pane we can see that both Intel UHD 770 and AMD RX 6800 XT are enabled and available.

Windows 11 Task Manager.png


Updates:
  • 22 Nov 2021: First version of Quirks and Features.
 

Attachments

  • SSDT-AQUANTIA-AQC113C.aml
    287 bytes · Views: 329
  • SSDT-PLUG-ALT-12.aml
    845 bytes · Views: 260
  • SSDT-PLUG-ALT-16.aml
    1.1 KB · Views: 291
Last edited:
Have you tried loading into Windows 11 from OpenCore on this setup? I have very similar settings to your EFI, and I would get a black screen whenever I load into Windows 11. Normally, I would get ACPI error or BSOD to indicate that I either have messed up ACPI or forgot to turn on SyncRuntimePermissions, etc. This time I haven't got a clue why. I just have to not use OpenCore to load into Windows for now.
 
Have you tried loading into Windows 11 from OpenCore on this setup? I have very similar settings to your EFI, and I would get a black screen whenever I load into Windows 11. Normally, I would get ACPI error or BSOD to indicate that I either have messed up ACPI or forgot to turn on SyncRuntimePermissions, etc. This time I haven't got a clue why. I just have to not use OpenCore to load into Windows for now.
Yes Windows 11 is installed and boots normally through OpenCore. Some details:
  • Windows 11 is on a SATA SSD.
  • The SATA SSD does not have an EFI partition.
  • Windows 11 has installed its boot loader into the same EFI partition as OpenCore, but without interfering with OpenCore.
  • It boots normally through OpenCore every time even though I have AppleVTD enabled (i.e. dropping the original DMAR table and replacing with modified version).
 
Yes Windows 11 is installed and boots normally through OpenCore. Some details:
  • Windows 11 is on a SATA SSD.
  • The SATA SSD does not have an EFI partition.
  • Windows 11 has installed its boot loader into the same EFI partition as OpenCore, but without interfering with OpenCore.
  • It boots normally through OpenCore every time even though I have AppleVTD enabled (i.e. dropping the original DMAR table and replacing with modified version).
I figured it out in your configuration (which I borrowed) you had ResizeGpuBars as "0" you should leave it as -1 to not break windows boot for GPU with resizable BAR capability. I set it to "-1" and I can boot just fine.
 
I figured it out in your configuration (which I borrowed) you had ResizeGpuBars as "0" you should leave it as -1 to not break windows boot for GPU with resizable BAR capability. I set it to "-1" and I can boot just fine.
Will make the change.
 
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