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

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For best stability with this guide use a Vega card. We’re trying to match a real iMac Pro...a few hundred bucks shouldn’t be a problem for a Vega. I’ve seen them as low as $450 for a Vega 64

I fully agree.. but do you think it is a good idea to mix the Vega 64 with a EVGA GTX 1080 Ti?
 
I fully agree.. but do you think it is a good idea to mix the Vega 64 with a EVGA GTX 1080 Ti?

I would stay away from mixing GPUs altogether, unless you want to put dual GPUs of the same model/brand.

But even then I remember I had major issues with dual GPUs in FCPX on the last Hackintosh (it would stutter unless you take one GPU out)....so best is to keep 1 fast GPU in there.

If I was doing DaVinci Resolve work, I would try dual Vega FE's (since applications like that support multiple GPUs), but then again I am not doing that kind of work anymore..
 
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I would stay away from mixing GPUs altogether, unless you want to put dual GPUs of the same model/brand.

But even then I remember I had major issues with dual GPUs in FCPX on the last Hackintosh (it would stutter unless you take one GPU out)....so best is to keep 1 fast GPU in there.

If I was doing DaVinci Resolve work, I would try dual Vega FE's (since applications like that support multiple GPUs), but then again I am not doing that kind of work anymore..

I agree.. that‘s why I asked and in principle you confirmed my personal opinion..
 
I haven't fully tested sleep, because I never used it anyway (even on real Macs)...but last time I checked it seemed to work "ok" especially with no USB devices connected (except for keyboard and mouse and my dual cinema displays USB cables that turn into a hub and speakers).

Anyway, I've attached my EFI folder, but beware that you have to set your own boot options as mine are custom and it won't boot your machine, unless you modify it before using it (I suggest you match the boot to config.plist on page 1 of this thread provided by kgp).

And you need to modify TSCAdjustReset.kext to fit your X299 CPU parameters....and remove VegaGraphicFixup if you are not using a Vega.

As far as BIOS settings, I haven't touched it in a while, but it's similar to the one on post 1 of this thread under Gigabyte. I have the memory OC'd a little bit and maybe one or two other settings (not related to sleep).
Finally i had time to test sleep with your EFI. I removed Vega kext and started with your settings but i had no luck with sleep. With PowerNap enabled or disabled the hackintosh goes to sleep mode but after wake it restarts. Maybe it's due to Nvidia card or not...i don't know.
 
Finally i had time to test sleep with your EFI. I removed Vega kext and started with your settings but i had no luck with sleep. With PowerNap enabled or disabled the hackintosh goes to sleep mode but after wake it restarts. Maybe it's due to Nvidia card or not...i don't know.

It may be related to NVIDIA. I don't know.

Sleep seems to be "ok" for me but I think it wakes up after a while automatically, that's why I just gave up on sleep a long time ago. It's never really worked for me 100% on Hackintoshes...
 
Oh I see.. Perfect, man! Many thanks!

About your CPxx -> PRxx code: I mean.. I really appreciate your work, but I was missing the points I subsequently proposed to implement. However, to implement the procedure, which I proposed subsequently, might be a lot of work, whereas on the other side everything can be done within a simple copy & paste of the CPxx -> PRxx thread replacements to the config.plist in use by means of some text editor.If you really think that it would be worth to commit all the effort, you are of course free to develop such code, which does this automatically. But of course, such code should not do anything else..
No worries, glad to help! I wouldn't mind creating the replacements for other CPUs if someone can get me IOreg screenshots. We still need CPUs: 7640X, 7740X, 7800X, 7920X

Honestly, for just the CP-PR replacements that are cosmetic in their nature to start with, I don't think it's worth the effort/complexity of introducing an extra tool. I agree that text replacements are easy enough.

I do think that Cloverfield could grow into a tool to perform other steps and perhaps automate 80% of this guide by generating EFI folder with pre-adopted SSDTs, kexts and configurations for preset combinations of motherboard, devices and slots. Developing it wouldn't be hard, as I've had great success developing such tools for enterprises for a little while. But then this would require significant support from you and others, and would start competing with Unibeast.

Unless an overwhelming demand for such a tool exists, which I don't think is the case, I'd rather focus my attention elsewhere :)
 
I still need help getting Thunderbolt to work on my machine. Is there anyone in this thread who actually got their Asus Thunderbolt EX 3 to work, or are all the successful builds using the Gigabyte board? Note that I'm on Mojave PB6.

I've been trying to get a G-Raid Shuttle TB3 drive to connect, which should be fairly straightforward, but isn't.

My status so far:
- The Thunderbolt controller never shows up without the motherboard lead attached, in either Windows or MacOS. So I have to have it plugged in. I don't really care about hot-plug much as long as it works consistently.
- It works very well on Windows, and I made sure to install the latest drivers and firmware from Asus
- Under MacOS, a USB stick is working great in both USB-C and USB-A ports
- Hot-plugging or unplugging a Thunderbolt3 device causes an immediate freeze
- I managed to get the drive to show up once, by plugging it in at a specific moment between POST and Clover. It showed up and performed as intended, so I certainly have all the drivers configured correctly. If I plug it before turning on: looks like it's not getting the power at the right time, and never appears. If I plug it in at Clover screen or after - I get stuck with with a port integrity check error.
- I did implement the devices using adopted version of @kgp's SSDT, and they show up just fine in PCI. However, the SSDT implementation doesn't make any difference in the way devices are handled.
upload_2018-8-16_0-10-20.png
 
I still need help getting Thunderbolt to work on my machine. Is there anyone in this thread who actually got their Asus Thunderbolt EX 3 to work, or are all the successful builds using the Gigabyte board? Note that I'm on Mojave PB6.

I've been trying to get a G-Raid Shuttle TB3 drive to connect, which should be fairly straightforward, but isn't.

My status so far:
- The Thunderbolt controller never shows up without the motherboard lead attached, in either Windows or MacOS. So I have to have it plugged in. I don't really care about hot-plug much as long as it works consistently.
- It works very well on Windows, and I made sure to install the latest drivers and firmware from Asus
- Under MacOS, a USB stick is working great in both USB-C and USB-A ports
- Hot-plugging or unplugging a Thunderbolt3 device causes an immediate freeze
- I managed to get the drive to show up once, by plugging it in at a specific moment between POST and Clover. It showed up and performed as intended, so I certainly have all the drivers configured correctly. If I plug it before turning on: looks like it's not getting the power at the right time, and never appears. If I plug it in at Clover screen or after - I get stuck with with a port integrity check error.
- I did implement the devices using adopted version of @kgp's SSDT, and they show up just fine in PCI. However, the SSDT implementation doesn't make any difference in the way devices are handled.
View attachment 346487

Update for all:

I was just verifying SSDT-9-minimal-hotplug-injector.aml on my ASUS Prime X299 Deluxe with a TBEX 3 in Slot-4 under Mojave PB6. The latter AML runs out of the box also for the TBEX 3, although it was initially build for ASUS Prime X299 Deluxe with a Gigabyte Alpine Ridge in Slot-4. No additional adaptations necessary when using TBEX 3 instead of Gigabyte Alpine Ridge!

However, one needs to properly adopt ACPI patch and ACPI replacements, when running the TB-adapter in a PCIe slot different from Slot-4 or on a mainboard different from ASUS! Also in the latter case, no other adaptations are necessary or required!

@4min ,

the thunderbolt controller will not work with Windows without the motherboard lead attached! Once you detach the motherboard lead for TB hot plug, you have to remain with macOS! The correct approach is to run at first place your TB controller under both Windows and MacOS with THB_C attached. Once everything works as expected, you can detach the THB_C under macOS. But with the latter configuration you cannot return to Windows, as else you would loose the actual implementation of your TB adapter.

Having this in mind, hot plug of both USB-C and TB devices should work flawless under macOS with the THB_C detached. I do not observe any related freezes on my system.

If you loose once the TB-Adapter implementation, it might be sufficient to cold boot the system with a TB device plugged. If this does not help remove and replug the adaptor. If this does not help, reconnect THB_C..

One general recommendation... TB and TB USB-C functionality should be provided without any TB-SSDT.. The latter just adds hot plug functionality..

Thus, if your TB configuration does not even work without the SSDT, you have a general TB problem with your configuration and you have to fix it completely independent from the SSDT implementation. If you do not use any SSDT, the THB_C always should be attached!

Good luck,

KGP
 
I am facing a strange issue. The computer cannot be overclock or underclock, the os will not boot. I have to leave the cpu ratio at 'Auto' for High Sierra to boot, else it is a 'Stop' sign.

I would like to underclock the computer for mundane things like surfing the web and posting forums. And then overclock it when I need to do some serious work.

Anyone any ideas?
 
No worries, glad to help! I wouldn't mind creating the replacements for other CPUs if someone can get me IOreg screenshots. We still need CPUs: 7640X, 7740X, 7800X, 7920X

Honestly, for just the CP-PR replacements that are cosmetic in their nature to start with, I don't think it's worth the effort/complexity of introducing an extra tool. I agree that text replacements are easy enough.

I do think that Cloverfield could grow into a tool to perform other steps and perhaps automate 80% of this guide by generating EFI folder with pre-adopted SSDTs, kexts and configurations for preset combinations of motherboard, devices and slots. Developing it wouldn't be hard, as I've had great success developing such tools for enterprises for a little while. But then this would require significant support from you and others, and would start competing with Unibeast.

Unless an overwhelming demand for such a tool exists, which I don't think is the case, I'd rather focus my attention elsewhere :)

If you could look for my i7 7800x, here I attached my IOReg

Thanks
 

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