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

[kgp]

Also tried the SMbios iMacPro, no difference
As soon as the computer was turned on the CPU temperature was quite high for some minute, now it seems stabilized
View attachment 327745

Did you only try with SMBIOS iMacPro1,1 or also with the 10.13.4 iMacPro OSX build? Anyway, I don't think that SMBIOS iMacPro1,1 is really mandatory for hot plug.

What I released is the following:

When booting without any TB or USB device connected to the TBEX 3, only the AHCI drivers get loaded as soon I connect the Lacie TB HDD or a USB 3.1 Flash drive. Both drives become also correctly implemented as expected within a working hot swap configuration.

Before connecting:

After connecting:

However, I am obviously missing the /DSB0/NHI0 implementation in both IOREG and PCI, if I boot without any TB device connected.

But I have no other TB device than the Lacie HDD to check if the latter would be correctly loaded subsequently when connecting a TB device different from the TB Lacie HDD, which is furthermore connected via the Apple TB3->TB2 adaptor..

Do you have a TB HDD or SSD or a USB 3.1 Type-A or C drive to reproduce at least my current results?

 

[LeleTuratti]

@canyondust if you use only one TB device you can use the SSDT V1 or V2 in this post, they work well even without devices connected before booting

Did you only try with SMBIOS iMacPro1,1 or also with the 10.13.4 iMacPro OSX build? Anyway, I don't think that SMBIOS iMacPro1,1 is really mandatory for hot plug.

No, I used the normal version of HS 10.13.4, but I do not think it makes a difference.

Do you have a TB HDD or SSD or a USB 3.1 Type-A or C drive to reproduce at least my current results?

Unfortunately I only have 3 TB devices: Belkin TB Dock > UAD Satellite > UAD Apollo Twin.
I think the problem is another one at this point:
- I noticed that the PCI-TB card if it does not have connected devices does not show up on the Bios.
- If I remove Fix Shutdown and disconnect the USB3 devices (otherwise it will restart immediately after shutdown) my computer turns off completely and also the TB Dock turns off, as it should normally happen (orange led). But when I turn on the computer the Dock does not turn on right away as it should, it takes a long time to activate and not always happens. So I have to unplug it, then connect it and restart my build to make sure that the PCI-TB card is activated and working. If I use Fix Shutdown, the devices never go out (the dock is always on) and the PCI-TB card is always activated.
The main difference is that your card shares the PCI lines with the CPU, while mine with the PCH, probably for this the TBEX card is activated every time the computer is powered on.
I do not know if there is a setting on the bios to make sure that the card is recognized by the PCH on boot (as it did when the THB_C cable was connected).

I compared the original Apple SSDT of iMacPro and iMac18,3 (you can find them on this post) and they look very similar, the only difference is that on iMacPro the card is connected on PEG while iMac18.3 on PCH.

ps. my XHC controllers are not loaded but maybe because I do not use SSD / HDD TB. However, the NHI TB host is loaded correctly in DSB0 when a TB device is connected

 

[kgp]

@canyondust if you use only one TB device you can use the SSDT V1 or V2 in this post, they work well even without devices connected before booting


No, I used the normal version of HS 10.13.4, but I do not think it makes a difference.


Unfortunately I only have 3 TB devices: Belkin TB Dock > UAD Satellite > UAD Apollo Twin.
I think the problem is another one at this point:
- I noticed that the PCI-TB card if it does not have connected devices does not show up on the Bios.
- If I remove Fix Shutdown and disconnect the USB3 devices (otherwise it will restart immediately after shutdown) my computer turns off completely and also the TB Dock turns off, as it should normally happen (orange led). But when I turn on the computer the Dock does not turn on right away as it should, it takes a long time to activate and not always happens. So I have to unplug it, then connect it and restart my build to make sure that the PCI-TB card is activated and working. If I use Fix Shutdown, the devices never go out (the dock is always on) and the PCI-TB card is always activated.
The main difference is that your card shares the PCI lines with the CPU, while mine with the PCH, probably for this the TBEX card is activated every time the computer is powered on.
I do not know if there is a setting on the bios to make sure that the card is recognized by the PCH on boot (as it did when the THB_C cable was connected).
View attachment 327756
View attachment 327757

I compared the original Apple SSDT of iMacPro and iMac18,3 (you can find them on this post) and they look very similar, the only difference is that on iMacPro the card is connected on PEG while iMac18.3 on PCH.

ps. my XHC controllers are not loaded but maybe because I do not use SSD / HDD TB.

My TB XHC controller is always loaded, independently if I connect a USB drive before boot or not. To make TB XHC work, you just need to connect a USB drive to the TB adapter before or after booting the system. No need to connect a SSD / HDD TB in addition.

 

[LeleTuratti]

My TB XHC controller is always loaded, independently if I connect a USB drive before boot or not. To make TB XHC work, you just need to connect a USB drive to the TB adapter before or after booting the system. No need to connect a SSD / HDD TB in addition.

My GB Alpine Ridge has only 2 TB3 port and no USB3.1 like TBEX. I use a TB3 > TB2 Apple adapter and I do not have compatible TB storage devices for test it

 

[kgp]

My GB Alpine Ridge has only 2 TB3 port and no USB3.1 like TBEX. I use a TB3 > TB2 Apple adapter and I do not have compatible TB storage devices for test it

I see, thanks for clarification

 

[perfecto245]

Thank you! Will check it out
Any chance you could try both Power Nap and Wake for network access enabled to see if those work on your computer?

Ive Just disabled those on my system. I was having some sleep issues recently with thy system not coming out of sleep or going to sleep for 2 sec and back up. I recently changed my wifi usb dongle to a TP link from a d link which has improved overall stability for me, but this might have caused some new issues for me. still investigating the issues to figure out which one of those settings might be causing that behavior. also, I've installed SwitchResX to get my card to use 30-bit color mode recently that might be also causing some issues I need to look into as a potential cause.

 

[RuleBreaker01]

Mayor breaktrough: Running Nvidia 1080 in Windows and AMD Vega in OSX on the same system

Folks, you know I have been searching for a solution to run a Nvidia GFX in Windows and ignoring this card in OSX, while using a AMD Vega card in OSX. Both cards have their respective benefits in each OS. I was simply not able booting into OSX with both cards installed in the computer.

How did I solve it?

FWIW, with 10.13.4, using both a nvidia 1080Ti and a Vega 64 works fine...
I get some intermittent crash dump during boot from time to time, but it works most of the time.

You need Vega5KFixup kext (with Lilu) so that you don't get a black screen when booting.

 

[kgp]

Hello, I'am a complete newbie looking with great interest this thread.
I would sincerely like to thanks you KGP for your kindness to share your user guide.
I'am looking for the latest revision of the guide, since there is more than 719 pages, the latest revision is in page 667 but there is no link to it.

Could you just tell for the rookie where i can find the latest version of your guide ?

Best regards

You find the latest version of my guide in post 1 of this thread

 

[jayfxjay]

You find the latest version of my guide in post 1 of this thread

Thanks a lot.

 

[canyondust]

@canyondust if you use only one TB device you can use the SSDT V1 or V2 in this post, they work well even without devices connected before booting

I confirm this behaviour with SSDT V1. One device hot-swap working perfectly. I swapped multiple times between a Blackmagic MiniMonitor and a TB2->Ethernet adaptor. Tested both devices and both worked as expected upon hotswap.

USB does not work on either TB3 port, and only one of the two TB3 ports work.

Progress!!