How to build your own iMac Pro [Successful Build/Extended Guide]

[kgp]

Hi KGP, I wanted to find out how Section C: 13.) Lilu and Lilu Plugin distribution remarks: applies to me? I'm trying to install 10.13.2 update and never did that part of the install process. My system starts fine, so I'm trying to find out if I really need to do this process?

If you already use the Lilu 1.2.1 und most recent Lilu plugins distributions, please just ignore C.13).

 

[kgp]

Hi KGP, I'm on Section D2: 4.) a.). Since I reformatted the USB stick and followed your instructions to use Terminal to install: Install macOS High Sierra (10.13.2), am I to copy the new EFI folder into that USB stick or am I supposed to do it another way? Let me know what you can, thank you.

Alright.. before starting with D.2.4.a), backup your current EFI-Folders on your USB Flash Drive Installer and 10.13 system disk.
Then remove both original EFI-Foders form the EFI-parition of your USB Flash Drive Installer and 10.13 system disk and copy my recently distributed EFI-Folder to the EFI-Partitions of your USB Flash Drive Installer and 10.13 system disk.

Note that my distributed EFI-Folder just contains a minimal system configuration. Therefore please complete the new EFI-Folders on your USB Flash Drive Installer and 10.13 system disk with the missing details (e.g. VoodooTSCsync.kext, Lilu.kext and Lilu plugin kexts, ssdt.aml, etc.) from the Backup of your former EFI-Folders. Don't forget to complete your SMBIOS credentials (serial number, board serial number, SMUUID) in the new config.plist with the former credentials in the config.plist of your EFI-Folder backup.

You can skip C.2.4.b) as my latest EFI-Folder distribution already implements Clover_v2.4k_r4334.

Don't hesitate to contact me in case fo further questions.

Best regards,

KGP

 

[kgp]

Okay... It looks like I was able to successfully update to 10.13.2. I don't know how I did it (as I thought it wasn't going to work), but it works. The only issue that I have is that I don't have internet connection. Is there some file that I have to reinstall? Please let me know, thank you.

For Ethernet you need IntelMausiEthernet.kext and SmallTree-Intel-211VA-PCIe-GBE.kext in /EFI/CLOVER/kexts/Other/. IntelMausiEthernet.kext should be already part of my recent EFI-Folder, and SmallTree-Intel-211VA-PCIe-GBE.kext you might be able to take form your EFI-Folder backup. If not, SmallTree-Intel-211VA-PCIe-GBE.kext should be also attached at the bottom of the originating post/guide.

 

[prunzi]

Hi KGP, I installed your last EFI... all works fine and there are no stability issue at all as with your EFI from 0712...but the geekbench scores are way worser. CPU single dropped from c.ca 5700 to 5400 and the overall dropped from 51000 to 42000.
Looking deeper inside it seems to me that the major differences are that in 0712 you "disabilitated" some components in the driver64UEFI Folder (see attached photo) changing "

.efi" to "UUUefi".
Do you think that this drivers could be the cullprit of the decreased performance or could it be something else?
Do you experience/have similar performance decrease in your system with the new efi?

 

[kgp]

I'm replacing some of the config.plist file that you created with some of my original "BoardSerialNumber," "SerialNumber" and "SmUUID." What I want to find out is that I see that your config.plist has:

<key>BoardVersion</key>
<string>1.0</string>

but mine has:

<key>BoardVersion</key>
<string>Hacked</string>

Also your config.plist has:

<key>PlatformFeature</key>
<string>0x00</string>

I don't have that on my list. Am I to change "BoardVersion" name to match "1.0" and put in "PlatformFeature" "0x00"? Let me know what you can, thanks.

You can leave my SMBIOS credentials as they are... You just have to add your "Board Serial Number," "SerialNumber" and "SmUUID" .

 

[kgp]

Hi KGP, I installed your last EFI... all works fine and there are no stability issue at all as with your EFI from 0712...but the geekbench scores are way worser. CPU single dropped from c.ca 5700 to 5400 and the overall dropped from 51000 to 42000.
Looking deeper inside it seems to me that the major differences are that in 0712 you "disabilitated" some components in the driver64UEFI Folder (see attached photo) changing "View attachment 299459 .efi" to "UUUefi".
Do you think that this drivers could be the cullprit of the decreased performance or could it be something else?
Do you experience/have similar performance decrease in your system with the new efi?

Up to my knowledge I did not add any files except the recent apsf.efi and Test2-2016.efi to /EFI/CLOVER/drivers64UEFI and I exchanged OsxAptioFixDrv2-64.efi by OsxAptioFixDrv-64.efi.

Did you realise that you erroneously renamed "Test2-2016.efi" as "Test2-2016.UUUefi". May that cause your problems? Also you erroneously use "CsmVideoDxe-64.UUUefi" instead of "CsmVideoDxe-64.efi" and "VBoxHfs-64.UUUefi" instead of "VBoxHfs-64.efi". Where do these erroneous file name conventions come from?

I don't witness any performance decrease on my system after the upgrade to 10.13.2!

 

[kgp]

Hi!

I Installed my system today. It looks like this:
Mainboard: Asus x299 Prime Deluxe
CPU: 7900x
Memory: 32 (2x16gb) G.Skill 3200
GPU: MSI ATI 560 4gb
NVME Samsung Evo 960 (Installed under the coverplate)

Now I'm up and running, but I have some issues.
running 10.13.2 (17C88)


1. The DSDT-patches does not seem to be recognized perfectly.
When I enabled all of them and put SSDT-X299.aml and SSDT-XOSI.aml in /EFI/CLOVER/ACPI/patched (Just dropped them in there), my graphics where no longer being accelerated, but all pretty names for PCI-controllers showed up under System Report.
I then removed SL05 -> GFX0 under patches (It had to to with graphics), and my acceleration for the gpu came back, but the pretty names under System Report was removed again, making me think that they are not at all applied now...
And sleep does not work. (Black screen, but no fans tuning off)

2. My ThunderboltEX 3-card does not show up at all. All I'm getting under System Report is
"Thunderbolt: No drivers are loaded." Have tried everything to make it show up (Different port, different bios, different settings and so on..), but with no luck.
(It seems to work under Windows, and windows see's my device).

3. A bit uncertain about my score and my Power management as well.Could you take a look at my graps and results @kgp?

I've done everything in the guide



EDIT: I removed the nvidia-specific blocks in SSDT-X299.aml and now my PCI-panel under System Report shows all named devices from SSDT-X299.aml. BUT, the damn Thunderbolt-controller still won't get recognized.
See attached imaged. It still says No drivers loaded if I click Thunderbolt in System Report. Does yours say Port 1, Port 2 etc?

1.) You have to adopt both DSDT-patches and SSDT-X299.aml to your build and system configuration by means of IROEG. You cannot just simply enable the DSDT-patches in the config.plist. Therefore, they are disabled by default. Before enabling the DSDT-patches you have to verify them by means of IOREG! The same states for the SSDT-X299 implementation!

Some of your PCI devices are not yet properly recognised, see e.g, GPU, Audio, USB and some unknown device! Your GPU is currently assigned to thunderbolt, this will never work.

2.) The Thunderbolt EX 3 will show up under PCI after it's proper implementation in the SSDT-X299.aml!

Please check and adopt all device path entries by means of IOREG and where applicable also the PCIe Slot entries in the SSDT-X299.aml!

If you just use one ATI GPU in slot one, the DSDT patch SL05 -> GFX0 still should be valid! But you have to use the ATI device definition of @apfelnico instead of my NVIDIA device definition in the SSDT-X299.aml!

Your IPG graphs reflect what? IDLE CPU frequencies? If so, your XCPM configuration does not work yet properly. Did you enable Intel SpeedShift in your mobo bios?

 

[ImaPirate]

If you already use the Lilu 1.2.1 und most recent Lilu plugins distributions, please just ignore C.13).

To be honest I don’t know if I’m using those files (I’ll check though). Also reading on how to install them is rather confusing to me.

 

[ImaPirate]

You can leave my SMBIOS credentials as they are... You just have to add your "Board Serial Number," "SerialNumber" and "SmUUID" .

Although I added mine, I can definitely add yours if that would help things. Let me know thanks.

 

[kgp]

To be honest I don’t know if I’m using those files (I’ll check though). Also reading on how to install them is rather confusing to me.

Just download, Lilu.kext 1.2.1 and AppleALC.kext 1.2.1 following the respective links in my guide and copy both files to the /EFI/CLOVER/kexts/Other directories on your USB Drive Installer and 10.13. System Disk. You don't need NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext nor Whatsevergreen.kext, as you don't use any Nvidia GPU and your ATI GPU should be natively implemented.