Mac Pro G5 Case Hackintosh Project

[NorthMac]

I found the biggest problem was the front instrument cluster. Internal cables for standard motherboards are not long enough. Soldering on the front usb power points were a pain.
Good Luck,
NorthMac

 

[Stork]

Fadiddy, any progress, yet?

There was a super long thread a while back on here with a ton of progress made on this very project:

Building your hackintosh in a G5 case
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=1849

Might add some interesting perspective to this go.

Thanks for pointing this thread out to us, TonyMacX86. It was a good read. I was thinking about using a Mac Pro case until I saw what work it was to just to have a VG looking Hackintosh. Whew! Hat's off to case mod'ers.

 

[Fadiddy]

Hi Guys,

Sorry about the wait....been super busy with work. Okay, so the case finally arrived, and I must say, it was in near mint condition. There were some spots inside where it seemed like liquid may have got in and corroded, but nothing the ole' Dremel can't scrape off. The pics I have included are the basic pics/layout of a normal gutted not "hacked" Mac Pro G5 case. Now, as time goes by, I will update this thread with step-by-step instructions on cutting, shaping, installing, etc... I should have a list of everything needed by the end of the week and will post it asap. Remember, this is my first time doing this, so...baby steps....however, I will make it look as OEM as possible. My method is going to be a little different then some others in that I will use actual ATX parts on this build. The ultimate goal here is not to make a award winning case that will cost more than a real Mac Pro to build, but one that will be fairly simple and affordable to build. In the end, I personally plan on painting the entire case matte black to match my studio setup. So, without further ado....the Mac G5 Hackintosh build Officially begins.

 

[Fadiddy]

Fadiddy, any progress, yet?

Yep! Case finally got here....sorry for the wait, been super busy with work. See the attached pics I recently uploaded on this thread. I will continue to update it as I go along.

 

[zionic]

Wow. Those cases truly are awesome, inside and out.

 

[Stork]

Fadiddy, any progress, yet?

Yep! Case finally got here....sorry for the wait, been super busy with work. See the attached pics I recently uploaded on this thread. I will continue to update it as I go along.

No sweat, Fadiddy.

BTW, anybody... is there a version of the Mac Pro cases better than others to mod? If so, please post so we know.

 

[exte1977]

where can i find that case is wonderfull, is original ?

 

[Fadiddy]

Fadiddy, any progress, yet?

Yep! Case finally got here....sorry for the wait, been super busy with work. See the attached pics I recently uploaded on this thread. I will continue to update it as I go along.

No sweat, Fadiddy.

BTW, anybody... is there a version of the Mac Pro cases better than others to mod? If so, please post so we know.

Stork,

There are two types of Mac G5 cases; ones with single CD drive (aka Mac G5), and the newest with dual CD drives (aka Mac Pro). Either works fine....however, the newest cases have one fan screen on the back versus the older models that have two, like mine. The benefit of the new case (in terms of modding) is that they have a little more room to play with when cutting the aluminum back panel for custom ATX I/O panel inserts. The old cases, have two fan screen which can make things a bit cramped when cutting and modifying. Both types of cases are built well, and share almost identical internal measurements. It all depends on how much work you want to put into modding it.

 

[Fadiddy]

where can i find that case is wonderfull, is original ?

Exte1977,

Yes the case is OEM Apple equipment....I bought it from a guy online through a forum. His computer had a kernel panic and damaged all internal workings. I was surprised at how clean the case was. Your best bet is to google "Mac G5 cases" or eBay! I know a few people who had luck finding them on eBay, but beware of shipping prices, they can be a bit high. Good luck!

 

[Fadiddy]

Fadiddy, any progress, yet?

There was a super long thread a while back on here with a ton of progress made on this very project:

Building your hackintosh in a G5 case
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=1849

Might add some interesting perspective to this go.

Tony,

I did see that thread, and I must say the OP did an excellent job, especially with the wiring diagram. My build will be similar in that I will retrofit an ATX I/O metal panel to have the ATX motherboard line up perfectly. I am a bit worried about the wiring, and I hope I can get some help from a few veteran modders. I guess time will tell.

Btw, I am running a similar setup to Lifehacker's build....but I plan on using the iBoot, Multibeast, etc... to make sure all members of this forum will be familiar with the build. That said....please be patient with my ignorance on iBoot, CustomBeast, MultiBeast, etc...