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

[Ramalama]

Broadcom 94350xxx will never work
94352xxx or 94360xxx is the way to go.

Cheers

 

[izo1]

So what's wrong using the existing antennas already inside the Asus GO! Module... I'm simply talking about swapping out the M.2 Wifi card.

Yeah that should be fine. Thought you wanted to use up a separate M.2 slot
I was also thinking of moving the antennas internally so nothing sticks out from the back.

Which are are you going to go with? I wouldn't mind freeing up a PCIe slot and getting a faster Wifi card. This OSXWifi one is only 300Mbps.

 

[AnaktuvGod]

Broadcom 94350xxx will never work
94352xxx or 94360xxx is the way to go.

Cheers

Thanks. I was curious to the AE branding on BCM943502ZAE.

Do you have either on or the other replaced and functioning in you iX299 Pro?

 

[Thireus]

Hey @Ramalama, are you on R6E mobo with a patched BIOS?

 

[AnaktuvGod]

Yeah that should be fine. Thought you wanted to use up a separate M.2 slot
I was also thinking of moving the antennas internally so nothing sticks out from the back.

Which are are you going to go with? I wouldn't mind freeing up a PCIe slot and getting a faster Wifi card. This OSXWifi one is only 300Mbps.

Wanted to go M.2 Wifi so that I wouldn't use an additional PCIE slot underneath my graphics card (1x Asus Thunderbolt 3 PCIE card is plugged in). I want this are in my build mostly unpopulated for cooling purposes. Plus would be cool to have it built-in onboard

 

[izo1]

I'm wondering what chipset iMac Pro uses for the AirPort card. It is soldered to the mainboard and they didn't list it.

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iMac+Pro+Teardown/101807

Hi-res mainboard image:
https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/W3mK5hwyK4cIPVqC

 

[izo1]

Wanted to go M.2 Wifi so that I wouldn't use an additional PCIE slot underneath my graphics card (1x Asus Thunderbolt 3 PCIE card is plugged in). I want this are in my build mostly unpopulated for cooling purposes. Plus would be cool to have it built-in onboard

I think we're down to

BCM94352Z
or
BCM94352ZAE

They're both older.

The iMac 2017 uses BCM943602CDP (not available in NGFF form factor it seems).

 

[AnaktuvGod]

I was thinking about doing this on my Gigabyte Gaming 9 board which has onboard Wifi/BT. There's a Wifi/BT module above the heatpipe that you can take off with a few screws. (see attached)

It's a Qualcomm Atheros chip, so I'm wondering why we can't get it to work on macOS...

I'm using a OSX Wifi (Broadcom) PCIe card which works natively for now and ethernet.

After looking back on your post and images of your card... seems you're doomed with that one...

http://osxarena.com/2015/10/wifi-co...xpress-and-ngff-card-for-mac-os-x-hackintosh/

All Qualcomm Atheros can bite the dust on this ride

 

[izo1]

After looking back on your post and images of your card... seems you're doomed with that one...

http://osxarena.com/2015/10/wifi-co...xpress-and-ngff-card-for-mac-os-x-hackintosh/

All Qualcomm Atheros can bite the dust on this ride

Yeah Apple used to use Qualcomm Atheros way back a few years ago on the MacBook Pros, but I think their favorite has been Broadcom for a while now.

I'd love to get the same chipset Wifi/BT module in NGFF that's in the iMac Pro.

 

[izo1]

Ok found the chip on the very large iMac Pro mainboard rear image from iFixit.

They forgot to remove the shield to see what chipset it uses....sucks.