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

[egroys]

Hey Guys,

Successfully upgraded to 13.4 through App Store. I patched BIOS successfully to newest bios and added the TSCAdjustReset.kext. So far so good. I adjusted my plist to account for the new changes in @kgp's new efi folder. So far so good.

I am now for the first time interested in doing the SSDT implementation. However, finding it difficult to find a comprehensive guide on how to do this. I know KGP laid out some beautiful steps earlier on in the thread, but I am having trouble locating the post. This is the pci setup I have:

Slot 1: GTX Titan X (Maxwell)
Slot 2: COVERED
Slot 3: Highpoint RAID Card
Slot 4: Thunderbolt EX
Slot 5: Broadcom WIFI OSXWIFI
Slot 6: Blackmagic Decklink Extreme 4K

So I understand that my system deviates from the SSDT-X299-iMacPro.aml in three places:

1: There is a HighPoint Raid Card in Slot 3
2: OSXWIFI card is in Slot 5, instead of Slot 3
3: Decklink card in Slot 6.

If there is anyone well versed in this stuff that can help me out/point me to the best resource to learn, that would be appreciated! Thank you.

Check out post #4852

 

[izo1]

Not 100% useless no... But fairly high percentage
You may feel that you needed it for your BY adapter to work, though I have an identical BCM M.2 card as you (I bought it after you recommended it) and it's been working perfectly without anything.

Try using a Bluetooth headphone without an ssdt or kext for USB ports with the module you have right now.

You will get dropouts. Macos doesn’t know which port is which. Take a look at RehabMans guide, he has a very clear description why proper ports are important. Also power distribution (to send proper mA to the BT module is also important)

I’ve tried different antennas (ordering ones from China and around the world) but the only thing that fixed the BT packet dropouts is a proper ssdt/or kext for USB ports.

This is important and not useless as you have stated for a fully functional system.

Bluetooth uses USB and WIFI uses pcie so it’s important to properly tell macos which USB port is for what and what speed it needs to run at.

 

[x-9er]

Hey Guys,

Successfully upgraded to 13.4 through App Store. I patched BIOS successfully to newest bios and added the TSCAdjustReset.kext. So far so good. I adjusted my plist to account for the new changes in @kgp's new efi folder. So far so good.

I am now for the first time interested in doing the SSDT implementation. However, finding it difficult to find a comprehensive guide on how to do this. I know KGP laid out some beautiful steps earlier on in the thread, but I am having trouble locating the post. This is the pci setup I have:

Slot 1: GTX Titan X (Maxwell)
Slot 2: COVERED
Slot 3: Highpoint RAID Card
Slot 4: Thunderbolt EX
Slot 5: Broadcom WIFI OSXWIFI
Slot 6: Blackmagic Decklink Extreme 4K

So I understand that my system deviates from the SSDT-X299-iMacPro.aml in three places:

1: There is a HighPoint Raid Card in Slot 3
2: OSXWIFI card is in Slot 5, instead of Slot 3
3: Decklink card in Slot 6.

If there is anyone well versed in this stuff that can help me out/point me to the best resource to learn, that would be appreciated! Thank you.

You definitely do not want to use your RAID card in Slot 3 because PCIEX16_2 (which is Slot 3) is limited to x4. Assuming your Highpoint RAID runs at x8 like mine does, put it down in Slot 6, put the ThunderboltEX3 (which is an x4 card) in Slot 3.

 

[Jevens]

Hi @kgp
I've been following your awesome guide from the very first beginning and succeeded for many times.
When it comes to the fresh install of 10.13.4, I encounter a kernel panic in the second reboot from installing USB stick. Attached as below. Need some suggestions. Big thanks to @kgp and anyone else can help me with this!

 

[Jevens]

Hi @kgp
I've been following your awesome guide from the very first beginning and succeeded for many times.
When it comes to the fresh install of 10.13.4, I encounter a kernel panic in the second reboot from installing USB stick. Attached as below. Need some suggestions. Big thanks to @kgp and anyone else can help me with this!

Forget about this. After detaching other SSDs and starting over again, this problem is solved. Great guide.

 

[kgp]

Unfortunate that you can't sustain a constructive discussion, just because you feel someone is disagreeing with you. At the end of the day, we all want the same thing, improving the quality and support of our system. When someone provides a method to solve a problem, I like to understand on *why* that solution works (and does it really work or it's just a coincidence). If the solution changed many things at once, almost always a single change can be linked to the result. I do not take things at face value. Of all people, being a scientist, you should understand that approach.

I am silently following your accumulating posts along this thread for weeks.. I even secluded myself from the thread for a while because of some of your aggressive, annoying and largely misleading statements, comments and conclusions.

Not only that you did not manage to get sleep/wake working with 4 different mainboard solutions, you also repeatedly failed in successfully implementing TB XHC USB and TB hot plug functionality.

Instead of starting a constructive discussion, you started advertising e.g. against SSDTs or my TB settings (which supposedly lock the BIOS in your personal opinion), even without providing any further details or largely unnecessary alternative solutions...

In contrary to any reasonable constructive scientific approach, you just discredited fully working approaches and you just unsettled the readers with your erroneous and contra productive statements and conclusions.

Moreover, it rather seems that you just blame on fully working solutions because of personal inabilities in properly implementing the latter.

Even if your general behaviour is apparently supported, applauded and liked by e.g. @perfecto245, your recent attitude in my personal opinion is simply a no-go. pete1959 anyway always hampers or discredits me or my approaches when ever possible in public. Thus, his direct support of your contra-productive statements and conclusions is no big surprise to me.

In conclusion, I once more encourage you in leaving and abandoning this guide and thread and to come up with alternative guides, threads and solutions where you can freely demonstrate your unique skills to anybody.

Me personally, I am just tired of being repeatedly obliged to justify myself in public..

Good luck,

KGP

 

[perfecto245]

DSM2 was against SSDTs because he did not know how to manage with SSDTs either. BTW, he never managed to achieved 100% sleep/wake functionality without an SSDT and permanently faced random wakes from sleep on his system.





I am silently following your accumulating posts along this thread for weeks.. I even secluded myself from the thread for a while because of some of your aggressive, annoying and largely misleading statements, comments and conclusions.

Not only that you did not manage to get sleep/wake working with 4 different mainboard solutions, you also repeatedly failed in successfully implementing TB XHC USB and TB hot plug functionality.

Instead of starting a constructive discussion, you started advertising e.g. against SSDTs or my TB settings (which supposedly lock the BIOS in your personal opinion), even without providing any further details or largely unnecessary alternative solutions...

In contrary to any reasonable constructive scientific approach, you just discredited fully working approaches and you just unsettled the readers with your erroneous and contra productive statements and conclusions.

Moreover, it rather seems that you just blame on fully working solutions because of personal inabilities in properly implementing the latter.

Even if your general behaviour is apparently supported, applauded and liked by e.g. @pete1959 or @perfecto245, your recent attitude in my personal opinion is simply a no-go. @pete1959 anyway always hampers or discredits me or my approaches when ever possible in public. Thus, his direct support of your contra-productive statements and conclusions is no big surprise to me.

In conclusion, I once more encourage you in leaving and abandoning this guide and thread and to come up with alternative guides, threads and solutions where you can freely demonstrate your unique skills to anybody.

Me personally, I am just tired of being repeatedly obliged to justify myself in public..

Good luck,

KGP

TO EVERYONE: Let's set our egos aside and appreciate the energy, expertise and talent that has gone into the guidance and support that KGP has so generously shared with us. Let's also appreciate that we're a community with the same goals. I, for one, have been able to build my system, thanks to the guide, something I wouldn't have been able to do by cobbling together information from various places. Each and every system, as we all know, is different, and each of us building our own systems will run into our own set of challenges. How could KGP possibly account for each and every snag along the way. We have no idea what goes on in his or anyone else's lives beyond the screen, and unless we're paying for a guaranteed product, we have to give KGP some latitude and patience as he helps us to the best of his abilities and intentions. I totally understand the need to vent, as I have done before, and I'm truly sorry if I gave offence to you, KGP. Know that I'm so grateful for your guide. I suggest we all try to take a more productive, patient and collaborative approach, rather than one of blaming and venting. This is a community, afterall, and one that I'd like to see flourish, so we can all make our kickass systems and enjoy them until the next upgrade.

 

[ray0512]

There's a new PMDriver kext out that works with X299. It makes XCPM pretty painless! just this kext is sufficient. no patches or clover entries.
Try it out and see what you think KGP

Thanks man! it's worked for me! my board is Gigabyte X299 Aorus Gaminig 9.

 

[xerox24]

@kgp , since this last update I have issues....

I update 10.13.4 ok
apply new patch limit usb ok
new patch dp audio no work for me, i use voodoohda , I should use applealc ?
strange thing - I update the bios and deactivate msr in bios with the new feature and system stuck in waiting dsmos , patch bios and load perfect.

Last question, I have NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext 1.2.2 and Lilu.kext 1.2.2, are necessary when using voodoohda and gtx 980 ti?

I hope you advise me to guide my system better, regards

 

[kgp]

@kgp , since this last update I have issues....

I update 10.13.4 ok
apply new patch limit usb ok
new patch dp audio no work for me, i use voodoohda , I should use applealc ?
strange thing - I update the bios and deactivate msr in bios with the new feature and system stuck in waiting dsmos , patch bios and load perfect.

Last question, I have NvidiaGraphicsFixup.kext 1.2.2 and Lilu.kext 1.2.2, are necessary when using voodoohda and gtx 980 ti?

I hope you advise me to guide my system better, regards

Use AppleALC 1.1.4 and Lilu 1.2.2. NvidiaGraphicsFixup 1.2.4 is obsolete with SMBIOS iMacPro1,1. Remove Voodoo Audio.

Maybe you need a different HDAU patch for Maxwell anyway.