- Joined
- Jun 4, 2016
- Messages
- 30
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- Classic Mac
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Hi everyone.
This will be my first hackintosh build, and will replace my current Mac Pro. I need a machine that's easier to move around, but still packs some power. My first thought was to get a new iMac. But first and foremost, I am not a big fan of the “new” aluminium design. Furthermore, they are quite pricey, especially if you want a discrete GPU. But the NUC doesn’t have a discrete GPU either, you might say. I will come back to that.
I used to have a 15-inch iMac G4, and I have always drooled at the 20-inch model. After some googling, I was amazed by a lot of the hacks that people have done to it. Since I do a lot of writing and research, and need to be able to comfortably view two documents at a time, I believe 20-inch is the lowest I can go.
But as it seems, these are not easy to get a hold of. At least not in the time of writing this. I came over a mint condition 20-inch base with neck last week, and quite impulsively put a bid on it, which I ended up winning. I kind of regret this, since a flawless display assembly seems hard to obtain. At least for an amount of money that is not insane. And just recently a complete machine showed up on eBay…. I should have waited. Nonetheless, since I have already bought the base, the hunt for a screen assembly continues (there’s one on eBay right now, but he will not ship it to me).
Meanwhile, I’ll try to do some planning.
As the title points out, I’m thinking about putting a NUC Skull Canyon nuc6i7kyk in it. It has an i7-6770HQ processor, and Iris Pro Graphics 580. It’s an all right performing CPU, coupled with what seems to be an adequate GPU (considering it’s an integrated one). More importantly, it has a Thunderbolt 3 port. This will let me connect devices like the Razer Core External Graphics Dock, and let me put in my GTX 960 when needed. This will probably not work under Mac OS X, but that’s okay. I am just a casual gamer, and I do not require it to be plugged in all the time. It also seems like the new NUC is quite hackintoshable, except for the new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip that is soldered on. I guess I’ll just be using a USB dongle then, or Ethernet.
The size of the new NUC is a bit different than the old one though, with it being 21,1 cm x 11,6 cm. According to my very unscientific sketches, it should fit.
I’m planning to use the internal PSU to power both the NUC and the screen. I think that’s the most elegant solution, plus I get to reuse a perfectly fine PSU. I will remove the DVD-drive, mostly to achieve better cooling and make the job easier.
That’s it for now. I have ordered some generic parts on eBay, like the DVI molex thingy that Dremel Junkie recommends, some upconverters and downconverters etc.
I am really excited to do this mod, and will keep you guys updated on how it goes. As I have already pointed out, I have never done this kind of a mod before, though I do know my way around computers. I guess the hardest part will be the PSU, as I have no experience in that area…
Every tip will be greatly appreciated. And if any of you have a 20-inch LCD laying around, I’d be happy to buy it off you.
This will be my first hackintosh build, and will replace my current Mac Pro. I need a machine that's easier to move around, but still packs some power. My first thought was to get a new iMac. But first and foremost, I am not a big fan of the “new” aluminium design. Furthermore, they are quite pricey, especially if you want a discrete GPU. But the NUC doesn’t have a discrete GPU either, you might say. I will come back to that.
I used to have a 15-inch iMac G4, and I have always drooled at the 20-inch model. After some googling, I was amazed by a lot of the hacks that people have done to it. Since I do a lot of writing and research, and need to be able to comfortably view two documents at a time, I believe 20-inch is the lowest I can go.
But as it seems, these are not easy to get a hold of. At least not in the time of writing this. I came over a mint condition 20-inch base with neck last week, and quite impulsively put a bid on it, which I ended up winning. I kind of regret this, since a flawless display assembly seems hard to obtain. At least for an amount of money that is not insane. And just recently a complete machine showed up on eBay…. I should have waited. Nonetheless, since I have already bought the base, the hunt for a screen assembly continues (there’s one on eBay right now, but he will not ship it to me).
Meanwhile, I’ll try to do some planning.
As the title points out, I’m thinking about putting a NUC Skull Canyon nuc6i7kyk in it. It has an i7-6770HQ processor, and Iris Pro Graphics 580. It’s an all right performing CPU, coupled with what seems to be an adequate GPU (considering it’s an integrated one). More importantly, it has a Thunderbolt 3 port. This will let me connect devices like the Razer Core External Graphics Dock, and let me put in my GTX 960 when needed. This will probably not work under Mac OS X, but that’s okay. I am just a casual gamer, and I do not require it to be plugged in all the time. It also seems like the new NUC is quite hackintoshable, except for the new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip that is soldered on. I guess I’ll just be using a USB dongle then, or Ethernet.
The size of the new NUC is a bit different than the old one though, with it being 21,1 cm x 11,6 cm. According to my very unscientific sketches, it should fit.
I’m planning to use the internal PSU to power both the NUC and the screen. I think that’s the most elegant solution, plus I get to reuse a perfectly fine PSU. I will remove the DVD-drive, mostly to achieve better cooling and make the job easier.
That’s it for now. I have ordered some generic parts on eBay, like the DVI molex thingy that Dremel Junkie recommends, some upconverters and downconverters etc.
I am really excited to do this mod, and will keep you guys updated on how it goes. As I have already pointed out, I have never done this kind of a mod before, though I do know my way around computers. I guess the hardest part will be the PSU, as I have no experience in that area…
Every tip will be greatly appreciated. And if any of you have a 20-inch LCD laying around, I’d be happy to buy it off you.
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