Mac Pro on $1300

[nothingincommon]

I read the suggestion thread but there have been some news recently that is exciting. Specifically in terms of GPU. Since the latest mac mini snow leopard image includes drivers for higher end video cards, namely HD5780 & Geforce 480. http://modmyi.com/forums/mac-news/7..._campaign=Feed:+home_all+(MMi+|+Homepage+All)
I would like to build a hacktintosh with these cards in mind.

min req:

i7 920
6 GB DDR3
HD5780 & Geforce 480 (providing they've been proven to work fine)

Please link me to mobos they would give me the least issues given the requirements above.

Also does it matter the brand of card that you get? Are some brands more recognizable by the OS than others? like will a ASUS card work better than an XFX card, etc?

Cheers!

 

[flatfoot]

Would you mind doing a few quick forum searches?

 

[nothingincommon]

Would you mind doing a few quick forum searches?

Ive done that, thanks!

Then i decided to post in the buying advice forum as you can see.


Anyone?

Help this poor noob out.

 

[rabbit74]

As for what to buy, I think this says it best:
http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2010/06/ ... te-pc.html

As for "Does brand matter?" Yes, and No.
A gigabyte 9800 will work just as well as an Asus card but if in the future you want to get drivers or support from the website you might want to take a look at the website first. I personally don't care for Asus's website and find it hard to use and slow. But Gigabyte's website is fast and easy to use. Other brands may have better websites. Worth considering before spending your money.

rabbit.

 

[nothingincommon]

As for what to buy, I think this says it best:
http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2010/06/ ... te-pc.html

As for "Does brand matter?" Yes, and No.
A gigabyte 9800 will work just as well as an Asus card but if in the future you want to get drivers or support from the website you might want to take a look at the website first. I personally don't care for Asus's website and find it hard to use and slow. But Gigabyte's website is fast and easy to use. Other brands may have better websites. Worth considering before spending your money.

rabbit.

yeah I read that one.. .

would the any of the cards I listed in my OP work well with those MOBOs + Snow leopard

 

[rabbit74]

nVidia cards are going to be the least problematic. Most nVidia cards don't require kexts but I think most if not all ATi cards do need kexts and some or a lot of tinkering. I always use nVidia because they work so well OOB. If you choose ATi, you may be wise to find someone who has the card you want working 100% before pulling the trigger. My favorite card is the nVidia GTX-260. Works OOB with NVEnabler=Yes and is very powerful.

Check this compatibility list
http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index ... 10.6.3#ATI

As you can see most everyone is using kexts. And some aren't working well.

I think most users here are using nVidia which may be why you aren't getting quick answers to you questions about ATi.

As to the nVidia 4xx series. Awesome cards, but I can't find anyone on the Tonymacx86.wiki or the OSX86.wiki that are using them so can't confirm if it will work.

As to your choice of X58 - Check what I said about them here:
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=3634

If you aren't going to go with i7-975 or above you may not be getting your moneys worth.

I hope that helps.

rabbit.

 

[uRabbit]

I'm running a very nice setup that I am confident will be able to install/run OS X flawlessly. GA-P55-UD3L motherboard, Palit nVidia GTX 260, OCZ 4GB DDR3, Intel Core i5. This setup is known to run OS X successfully, and you can get all that for well under $1300. I got my whole setup (including printer, mouse, keyboard, monitor, case, PSU, HDD, etc.) for $1250.