j00's Build - GA-Z68XP-UD3 - Core i7 2600k - HD6870

[joransrb]

j00:
Ok, im not sure what "p-scale" variations and all that other technical stuff is, and I'm not sure how to check if my CPU is running correctly :/

That said, I'm on the Mac Pro 3,1 definition, and during the install, i checked the same options in multibeast as you have on your picture (including the i7 SSDT), i just recently updated the bios to the UEFI version, and was not quite sure what to select in multibeast. And i cant say i have the same problems as you, mye system are now running flawless, as far as i know, and my geekbench score is what it should be

Before i updated to the UEFI bios, i had some problems with my install, probably due to some incorrect kexts, but i only got about a 5895 geekbench score, and my system had random "freezes", but not as serious as you have. The system would "freeze" for about 10 seconds, but i could still move my mouse, and music was playing, but i got the beach ball. This is solved now, as i formatted my 1,5 TB hd to HFS, it was exFAT, and now the freezes are gone. About sleep, that is a something i don't use, so i can't comment on that, my system is always on

The only thing i had to do to get my system booting, was to replace the AppleACPIPlatform.kext for my system to boot, or else i would get the white screen problem after boot.

 

[samisnake]

out of interest, what was wrong with the bitfenix survivor?

 

[j00]

out of interest, what was wrong with the bitfenix survivor?

I found the whole case cheap. Removing panels is particulary difficult, you need to remove 2x "round corner" each time you want to open them, when you want to put panel back you need to stick them between the front "round corner" (that's not easy too).
Their "coating" can't be easily clean and become dusty fastly. The case is noisy, the 200 mm fan become quickly unbalanced (and noisy too btw). I also found the hdd tray fixation system cheap. You dont have too much space on the back panel, added with the lack of cable management and the difficulty to put the panel back is a great way to destroy sata connectors (got one crushed by the panel). One of the drillings for the motherboard was askew. Lots of things that can be ok for a 40$ case but not for it current price imho.

 

[hitok1ri]

Hey,

So I have the exact same parts and my current is
http://www.tonymacx86.com/yosemite-desktop-support/147553-adobe-programs-problems-ga-z68xp-ud3.html

I was wondering if you were able to get Yosemite to work right here? I have a few problems, I'm just going to list them here for brevity's sake:

Problem has been fixed. Though it isn't without some drawbacks.

Currently Running:
1. Same hardware
2. Yosemite 10.10

Current Problems
1. Slow quicktime playback (playback is sluggish, where in the previous install it was quite snappy). This is required when I'm previewing files to a client who want to see the files in Apple ProRes 422 HQ or Apple ProRes 4444 (again, in the previous install with UEFI there was completely buttery smooth playback).
2. Slightly sluggish UI, but nothing crazy (there was no sluggish UI in the previous install).
3. Slow SSD read/write speeds. I was getting R:450/W:420mb/s on the SATA 6gbps ports on the UEFI bios, but now only scrounge up R:271/W:276mb/s, which is odd that the read speed is slower than the write speed.

Solved Problems
1. Hackintosh boots with no freezes
2. Hackintosh can install Adobe CS6 Suite, where previously it would always freeze on the install

What I've done so far:
1. Downgraded BIOS from UEFI - U1J to Award BIOS F10, and applied all the recommended BIOS settings found in the forums here
2. Erased and reinstalled Yosemite on the SSD
3. Applied Multibeast settings as found in the attachment below
4. Repaired permissions, installed all the programs I need and they are running.

What I suspect
1. The UEFI bios is definitely a lot more efficient in having all the parts play nice together, however for some reason none of the Adobe programs would install when I was using the UEFI bios. Everything installs on the F10 AWARD BIOS, however it is a bit sluggish.
1.1 Of note, there was one magical time where I was able to get UEFI U1J to install all the adobe programs and work in blazing speed, however somehow Yosemite would refuse to load after a restart and I had to reinstall. I was never able to get it to work again.
1.2 UEFI probably has some magic to make data transfer faster because going from R:450/W:420mb/s to R:271/W:276mb/s is painful.

Any solutions?

 

[j00]

Hey hitok1ri,

I just saw your message, unfortunately I can't help you. I'm still on Marevicks (which works perfectly) , didn't want to switch to Yosemite mostly because I was worried about soft & hardware compatibility but when I read your post, I think that i've made a good choice...

--

So guys, I'm thinking about getting rid of my XFX HD6870 (really noisy even if it's a bit quieter since I'm using custom fans profile) and I don't know which card to choose. Are the last Nvidia recommanded in the buyer's guide compatible with my configuration? Which one is quiet and will fit perfectly in your opinion?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Stork]

...

So guys, I'm thinking about getting rid of my XFX HD6870 (really noisy even if it's a bit quieter since I'm using custom fans profile) and I don't know which card to choose. Are the last Nvidia recommanded in the buyer's guide compatible with my configuration? Which one is quiet and will fit perfectly in your opinion?

Thanks in advance!

You didn't describe your requirements for a graphics card (gaming, video or photography). The HD 6870 was a powerful card in it's day. So, knowing your requirements will help us focus on the right solution for you. Now, that being said...

All the graphics cards in the latest tonymacx86 Buyer's Guide, Graphics Cards section, are nVidia graphics cards and work only in Yosemite with the nVidia Web and CUDA drivers (CUDA optional). The exception are the nVidia Kepler GT 740 graphics cards.)

Your AMD/ATI HD 6870 graphics card is on a par with the nVidia GTX 750 (Maxwell) and GTX 650 Ti graphics cards. (See this Graphics Hierarchy chart by Tom's Hardware for more information.) So, you might want to see if you can pick a used nVidia GTX 760/770 graphics card as they were working OOB with Mavericks and Yosemite. I recently picked up a used GTX 760 for $125. (I expect it in the mail today.)

I recommend you read tonymacx86's introduction to the Buyer's Guide, Graphics section, as the latest AMD R9 2xx series of graphics cards are not fully supported in Mavericks or Yosemite. However, read through some of the User Builds build descriptions and threads in the Yosemite Desktop Guides, General Hardware & Graphics forum sections.

Good luck!

 

[j00]

Thanks a lot for your answer Stork and for the links!

In fact, between my message and your reply I was reading a lot here and elsewhere and saw the R9 support issues on the dedicated topic.

Despite the noise, I'm mostly satisfied with the HD6870 performance so switching for a same aera / performance range Nvidia seems to be a good option. Still, I will wait a bit and keeping an eye on the second hand market even if I don't think making a good deal as you did with the GTX 770.

In last resort I will turn myself to the GTX 750 TI, the price seems reasonable and the performance arent ridiculous, I just have to find the less noisy version / brand (apparently MSI are doing well). Are you satisfied with your own GTX 750 ti ?

Edit : Another (stupid) question, how did the replacement works? Can I switch directly and if the card works ootb it will be directly recognize or do I need to make a new clean installation?

 

[Stork]

Thanks a lot for your answer Stork and for the links!

In fact, between my message and your reply I was reading a lot here and elsewhere and saw the R9 support issues on the dedicated topic.

Despite the noise, I'm mostly satisfied with the HD6870 performance so switching for a same aera / performance range Nvidia seems to be a good option. Still, I will wait a bit and keeping an eye on the second hand market even if I don't think making a good deal as you did with the GTX 770.

Oops! Typo. I meant a GTX 760 for $125. Sorry 'bout that.

In last resort I will turn myself to the GTX 750 TI, the price seems reasonable and the performance arent ridiculous, I just have to find the less noisy version / brand (apparently MSI are doing well). Are you satisfied with your own GTX 750 ti ?

I have the Gigabyte GTX 750 Ti (see my signature block), and it has no problems unlike the other manufacturer's cards. The Gigabyte GTX 750 Ti has 2xDVI and 2x HDMI connections; I connected four monitors to test, and all four monitors were driven just like Gigabyte's advertisements. I highly recommend this card verse other manufacturer cards. Gigabyte and EVGA are the closest designs to the nVidia GTX 750 Ti Reference Design card.

Edit : Another (stupid) question, how did the replacement works? Can I switch directly and if the card works ootb it will be directly recognize or do I need to make a new clean installation?

The nVidia Maxwell cards (750, 750 Ti, 900 series and Titan series) require the nVidia Web drivers as they are not yet supported by Apple in Yosemite. The Maxwell cards are only supported in Yosemite by nVidia. The GTX 760/770 series are supported in Mavericks and Yosemite. So, my recommendation is to watch for a EVGA or Gigabyte GTX 760 on eBay like I did. However, if you're not in a hurry to update Yosemite every time Apple publishes an Yosemite update, then get the GTX 750 Ti or GTX 960 and use the nVidia Wed drivers. Oh, and you don't need to do a clean install to switch your card.

 

[j00]

Thx again mate for the detailed response,
I think that I'm gonna go for a Gigabyte GTX750 (N750TOC-2GI) (it's already in the shopping cart), the price is reasonnable and I'm not planning upgrading to Yosemite so it should do the trick with Mavericks!

Edit : I've probably read your answer too fast, I was reading your post about Hector upgrade with the 750 ti and if I'm correct then, the GTX750 isn't nativly supported by Mavericks (or unavalaible nvidia-drivers?). I've seen a GTX760 around 170 bucks (second-hand), maybe I should go for it?

Gigabyte GTX 760 on the way Hope everything will be cool !