iMac replacement for Professional

[sajjad365]

Current machine is an iMac 27" Late 2009. He's a graphic designer and Mac user since 1990. The objective is simple: 1) Native support OOB 2) Stability over performance 3) SFF

All prices are in CAD:

• ASUS Prime H310I-PLUS $130
  GIGABYTE B360N WiFi $160
• Intel i5 9400F $220
• Noctua L9i $50
• MSI Radeon RX 560 2G ITX $147 or Sapphire RX 570 4G (used) $60 **
• Kingston A2000 250G $60
  WD Black SN750 Gen3 250G $85
• Fractal Design Node 202 $110
• Corsair SF450 $450 $120
• Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x16GB $170

** Suggestions welcome. Adobe PS, Illustrator and iMovie don't need this kind of GPU prowess but I cannot find a cheaper alternative with DisplayPort...which I would need to pair with Benq PD2700U vs Dell U2719D.

I will add 2x1TB Crucial MX500 SATA SSD later in RAID0.

The motivation here is that the old iMac cannot run the latest Adobe CC, and this Hacktintosh+Display would be half the price of a new iMac.

ETA: Want to start building next weekend. Thank you for your time!

 

[scottkendall]

I would get a z370 Motherboard most Compatablity & native Nvram
https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813119164?Description=z370&cm_re=z370-_-13-119-164-_-Product
That board looks like it does not need to be flashed to support the chip you choose.

CPU is fine
Fan is good

Vega 56 is good stable card works best with iMac Pro SM allows easiest configuration for DRM content use. "iTunes movies, Netflix, Hulu" Though with a few kext you could do the same with the 570.

I would get a Western Digital Drive or Samsung... have not had good experience with Kingston drives I got 3 dead ones on my desk and Customer service is trash.

WD_BLACK™ SN750 NVMe™ SSD | Western Digital Store

The WD_BLACK™ SN750 NVMe™ SSD delivers top-tier performance for gaming and hardware enthusiasts who are looking to build or upgrade their PC. Available in capacities up to 4TB, the WD_BLACK™ SN750 NVMe™ SSD rivals some of the best performing drives on the market to help give gamers that...

shop.westerndigital.com

Case is fine
Get 750 Power supply

Get the Corsair memory, do not get the Kingston they are trash.

This is my opinion but you said stably over performance and OOB. My exprence says some of the stuff you have chosen might make stability issues because it will be defective. Specifically the Kingston stuff. I just find the Vega cards better for easy of setup, and if it is for graphic design the extra power can't hurt.

Some of this stuff might increase your cost to some degree but a few $$$$ is worth less headaches!

 

[sajjad365]

Thanks for your response. WADR:

1) NVRAM, right! Holy mother of.....Z370I is almost $400! Is emulation really that bad/unstable?

2) I thought the RX560 had native support in OSX? Those GPUs are overkill for Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and iMovie anyways.

3) I was going to get the Lexar NM600 250G for $35. If compatibility is not an issue, I will take a chance on reliability. Alternatively, the next cheapest option is WD Black Gen3 500G for $80.

4) Don't see a reason to get higher wattage. The rig will never be upgraded.

5) OK, Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x16G is same price.

 

[scottkendall]

Thanks for your response. WADR:

1) NVRAM, right! Holy mother of.....Z370I is almost $400! Is emulation really that bad/unstable?

2) I thought the RX560 had native support in OSX? Those GPUs are overkill for Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and iMovie anyways.

3) I was going to get the Lexar NM600 250G for $35. If compatibility is not an issue, I will take a chance on reliability. Alternatively, the next cheapest option is WD Black Gen3 500G for $80.

4) Don't see a reason to get higher wattage. The rig will never be upgraded.

5) OK, Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x16G is same price.

1. I provided you a link for a board that is only $118

2. The RX560 is the base but generally is configured with an IGPU and can break other things in Mac OS without additional files and research on configuration. I think of research and time to configure as money.

3. 250 gig is very limited and I do not know Lexar and you said Kingston either way I would get the WD because it is a better drive.

4. I am not sure 450 watt you listed is sufficient even if it never is going to be upgraded.

The reason windows runs so bad is because of all the crappy hardware people install in their systems. They blame windows for the instability but the reality is that it is the hardware they have. The reason Mac's are so stable is they run on a limited set of hardware and the OS is tuned for that hardware. If you want to run the risk you're welcome to run the risk and buy hardware that may be problematic.

 

[scottkendall]

Also if cost is an issue you might look into this:

Refurbished Dell OptiPlex 5040 (Skylake) starting at $160 for i5

Go to https://www.dellrefurbished.com/ Select an OptiPlex 5040. Use 50% off coupon code "DESK5040SALE".

www.tonymacx86.com

 

[sajjad365]

The reason windows runs so bad is because of all the crappy hardware people install in their systems. They blame windows for the instability but the reality is that it is the hardware they have. The reason Mac's are so stable is they run on a limited set of hardware and the OS is tuned for that hardware. If you want to run the risk you're welcome to run the risk and buy hardware that may be problematic.

Couldn't agree more. So I've revised the parts list as per your recommendation:

1) Build must be mITX and the board you linked is not. Also it's $118 USD. Hence, going to stick to "my MOBO" - found a thread with person saying its working/stable.

2) I'll keep doing more research on the GPU, thanks.

3) Going with WD Black SN750 Gen3 250GB for OS/apps; will run 2x1TB RAID0 SATA SSD for data.

4) Fact checked several places and I should be OK with 450W.

5) Can't find enough evidence online to disregard Kingston except personal anecdotes. Sticking to a brand I've come to trust for 15 years.

 

[sajjad365]

ignore.

 

[scottkendall]

Couldn't agree more. So I've revised the parts list as per your recommendation:

1) Build must be mITX and the board you linked is not. Also it's $118 USD. Hence, going to stick to "my MOBO" - found a thread with person saying its working/stable.

2) I'll keep doing more research on the GPU, thanks.

3) Going with WD Black SN750 Gen3 250GB for OS/apps; will run 2x1TB RAID0 SATA SSD for data.

4) Fact checked several places and I should be OK with 450W.

5) Can't find enough evidence online to disregard Kingston except personal anecdotes. Sticking to a brand I've come to trust for 15 years.

Good thing you waited to say it must be mITX till the very end. When something must be something that should be in your first post. Oh and the board you picked Looks like it needs to be flashed before it will run a 9th gen chip.

Good luck I trusted them for for over 20 years and then boom crap hardware all over the place. Everything I have bought from Kingston in the past 5 years is no longer functional sitting on a shelf and could not get Kingston CS to RMA the stuff.

 

[sajjad365]

Good luck I trusted them for for over 20 years and then boom crap hardware all over the place. Everything I have bought from Kingston in the past 5 years is no longer functional sitting on a shelf and could not get Kingston CS to RMA the stuff.

Corsair it is boss!

Switching boards too, the ASUS H310i is hard to find and delivery will takes a few weeks.

GIGABYTE B360N or ASRock Z390M-ITX ??

Picked up a used Sapphire RX570 4G on FB marketplace for $60 - worth a shot!

 

[scottkendall]

Corsair it is boss!

Switching boards too, the ASUS H310i is hard to find and delivery will takes a few weeks.

GIGABYTE B360N or ASRock Z390M-ITX ??

Picked up a used Sapphire RX570 4G on FB marketplace for $60 - worth a shot!

If your willing to use used or refurbished hardware check eBay for some mitx z370 boards.