[Guide] Install High Sierra or Mojave on the Dell Optiplex 7010 / 9010 Desktop PC - Revision II

[trs96]

One thing is for sure, the mouse and the keyboard gets current, the LEDs are glowing.

If you can't get the install to work, just do the install on your HP 8300 and move the SSD over to your Dell.

 

[karoli9]

Did you go with Dell instead of HP to be able game with the 970 ? If so which PSU upgrade are you using ?

That's right, I wanted to upgrade from the 1050 Ti 4GB LP to something beefier. First I opted for a discontinued model, a Xigmatek Centauro S 500W 80+ Bronze. But something was wrong with it as I couldn't turn it off with the switch on it No matter if it was on or off, the Dell turned on. After two days of this phenomenon, something happened and I could turn it off. No clue. For me it was a bit loud so I will take it back and already ordered a Cooler Master MWE Bronze 450, which is semi-modular and awesome. Here is a Youtube link to a good review:

My idea is - as I want a silent macOS workhorse and a gaming PC - to use the parts from the Dell and put it in a Cooler Master Silencio 352.

 

[karoli9]

I'm using a Dell Optiplex 7010 USFF with an I5-3475s as a Mac Mini replacement. It really works quite well and only cost me about $80 to buy and configure it. No way to find a quad core i5 Mac Mini at anywhere near $100 these days. Best one could do is a Core2Duo 2010 model that is slow as molasses in January when temps are well below zero.

3rd gen Core i processors are still awesome, especially the i7-3770, it is still a beast. I had HP Elite 8300 SFF, 8000 USDT all great little machines. I didn't want all the hassle searching a 7 series used motherboard, so this Dell is perfect for the project. I am grateful for your thread!

 

[karoli9]

If you can't get the install to work, just do the install on your HP 8300 and move the SSD over to your Dell.

I sold the HP to my brother And you were right, the USB 2.0 ports started working on the 3rd try. I started again from scratch, strangely the resolution was waaaaay low, much lower than before and later on it got better during the installation. This motherboard is changeful sometimes

 

[trs96]

That's right, I wanted to upgrade from the 1050 Ti 4GB LP to something beefier.

How much better are your FPS in the games you play with the new i7-3770/970 Dell system ?

BTW Newegg only sells the 550W MasterWatt PSU semi-modular version instead of the 450W version. Looks like a great deal at about 50 USD.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16817171115

 

[sednafx]

trs96 ~ Thank you very much for the guide.

I competed all steps except editing my DSDT for USB3 (at I didn't need them working at this time). I am receiving random reboots and I'm sure it is user error on my part. Here is an excerpt from the panic report:

*** Panic Report ***
panic(cpu 0 caller 0xffffff802118776f): Kernel trap at 0xffffff7fa1b6b841, type 14=page fault, registers:
CR0: 0x000000008001003b, CR2: 0xffffff8030ada008, CR3: 0x00000000290f1000, CR4: 0x00000000001627e0
RAX: 0x0000000000000000, RBX: 0xffffff80f5384000, RCX: 0x0000000000000000, RDX: 0x0000000000000200
RSP: 0xffffff8030c1be30, RBP: 0xffffff8030c1beb0, RSI: 0xffffff8037420000, RDI: 0xffffff80f5384000
R8: 0x0000000000000000, R9: 0x0000000000000000, R10: 0xffffff80219ebc80, R11: 0xffffff7fa1b6c0ba
R12: 0xffffff80f5384000, R13: 0xffffff8037697500, R14: 0xffffff8030ada000, R15: 0x0000000000000000
RFL: 0x0000000000010246, RIP: 0xffffff7fa1b6b841, CS: 0x0000000000000008, SS: 0x0000000000000000
Fault CR2: 0xffffff8030ada008, Error code: 0x0000000000000000, Fault CPU: 0x0, PL: 0, VF: 1

I have attached my clover (minus theme folder), and a copy of IORegistry. If someone has time and is able to review my setup, I would greatly, greatly appreciate it.

If there is any information I can provide please let me know. Again, thank you very much for your time.

Dell Optiplex 9010, MacOS 10.13.6

 

[trs96]

I competed all steps except editing my DSDT for USB3 (at I didn't need them working at this time). I am receiving random reboots and I'm sure it is user error on my part. Here is an excerpt from the panic report:

Would you boot verbose and take a photo of where it stops when it kernel panics. I'm guessing that it doesn't stop at the last line you have listed in your post. If it reboots too fast, take a video with your smart phone then play it back and pause it at the last line where it panics. Take a screenshot of that and post it here or you can just type out the line manually.

One more note. You didn't need to use the config.plist attached to the first post for your install with HD4000 graphics. That is there just for those without HD4000 that are using a dedicated graphics card. It helps to get past the kernel panics that occur when you don't use HD4000.

Quote from step #2 of the Guide:

If you have HD4000 graphics, use those and do not replace the config.plist.

 

[sednafx]

Would you boot verbose and take a photo of where it stops when it kernel panics. I'm guessing that it doesn't stop at the last line you have listed in your post. If it reboots too fast, take a video with your smart phone then play it back and pause it at the last line where it panics. Take a screenshot of that and post it here or you can just type out the line manually.

Thank you for the quick reply. I was able to install without problems. The reboots are random and so far have only happened during long periods of sleep. Basically I wake-up to a rebooted machine, with the kernel panic report.

I did read that the config.plist was only needed with dedicated graphics; however, I thought I messed something up in my tinkering so I wanted to start from something that was build for the machine.

I did set, KernelIvyXCPM=true. Without it, I do not have turbo boost or stepping with GPU

Edit, gramar changes.

 

[karoli9]

How much better are your FPS in the games you play with the new i7-3770/970 Dell system ?

BTW Newegg only sells the 550W MasterWatt PSU semi-modular version instead of the 450W version. Looks like a great deal at about 50 USD.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16817171115

At least +20-30 fps, or constant 60 fps in certain games in "Ultra" settings. I bought the MWE 450 (thought it was the same as the MasterWatt, but I missed it ), it is totally silent in my case. In Hungary it cost about 47 USD, the MasterWatt is much more expensive. It will be in my Nanoxia Deep Silent 4 case, so cable management won't be an issue anymore

 

[karoli9]

Compiling my DSDT (the one that Clover created) I get errors and warnings about stuff I don't know how to repair. Any idea?