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My 1st ihackosh - GIGABYTE Z97X-SLI, 4790K, R9 280X

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2ge

Joined
Sep 14, 2014
Messages
9
Motherboard
Yosemite 10.10
CPU
Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz
Graphics
ASUS Radeon R9 280X DirectCU II 3GB
Mac
  1. 0
Classic Mac
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Mobile Phone
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Hi guys,

I wanna advice for hw, I want to build my 1st hackintosh. I am using Apples computer for 6 years, wanted to buy iMac, but I was really disappointed about upgrading, so I decided go this path. I want computer, which is compatible as much as possible, and in same time not old (87 boards). So, for now, my setup looks like this:

GPU Sapphire Vapor-X Tri-X OC R9 280X 3GB

CPU Intel Core i7-4790K
MB GIGABYTE Z97X-SLI
RAM KINGSTON HYPER-X (K2) 16GB (8X2) 1600 MHz CL 10

I spent couple of days to choose GFX card. I want to use FCPX mainly for editing, AFAIK 290X is not ready yet (problem with two monitors), CPU is OK, for MB I choose this one, as couple of users reported it is OK.

I would like to know, if I need to order something more (except SSD/HDD, monitor, mouse and keyboard, tower, fan...), for example wifi card?

What you think about this setup, would you change something? I am not afraid with setup, I am programmer myself, and managed to install Mavericks on my old Macbook Early 2008 (which I believe just dozen of people was successful :)

Thanks
 
You might want to think about another graphics card as the R9 280X is really not natively supported.

This might change in Yosimite but only time will tell. At the moment NVIDIA 6xx/7xx cards are the easiest to work with and have native drivers. Nonetheless, if you are set on that graphics card it might be worth working off of the HD4600 until 10.10 is fully released and see how out of box support is for ATI cards is at that point.
 
hi miniTo,

thanks for answer. I saw a lot of members running R9 280x (or Radeon HD 7970, which is same architecture) without big problems (well, I am not talking about XFX, thats different story it seems).

I checked, if R9 280x is natively supported, and it seems, yes:
http://www.******.com/r/hackintosh/comments/2imlxi/is_the_msi_radeon_r9_280_graphics_card_supported/
http://www.tonymacx86.com/desktop-compatibility/112862-asus-amd-r9-280x-working-oob.html


Of course, I want compatible hackintosh as much as possible - I want to run on vanilla with few hacks, but as I see Nvidia cards, they are much lower in OpenCL benchmark, opposite Radeon (
http://www.fcp.co/forum/hardware/18250-brucex-try-this-new-final-cut-pro-x-benchmark and http://blog.alex4d.com/2013/10/30/brucex-a-new-fcpx-benchmark/ )


This might change in Yosimite but only time will tell. At the moment NVIDIA 6xx/7xx cards are the easiest to work with and have native drivers. Nonetheless, if you are set on that graphics card it might be worth working off of the HD4600 until 10.10 is fully released and see how out of box support is for ATI cards is at that point.

Yes, which is I think in 1 week, I will wait until then, but I guess not much will change, when GM (preview) is out, but lets see, what apple bring to us. It would be lovely to have 290x support...
 
Any luck with the sapphire? I'm also considering it to upgrade my mackintosh but i can't find so much people who have tested it.
It should work OOB as is, ofr what I can understand, the same sapphire DD but with tri-fans... Any clue?

Thank you.
 
You might want to think about another graphics card as the R9 280X is really not natively supported.

This might change in Yosimite but only time will tell. At the moment NVIDIA 6xx/7xx cards are the easiest to work with and have native drivers. Nonetheless, if you are set on that graphics card it might be worth working off of the HD4600 until 10.10 is fully released and see how out of box support is for ATI cards is at that point.

Not sure if you meant to type 290X or 280X, if you meant 280X your quote on the R9 280X is wrong. It is natively supported and works out the box. How do I know? I have a pair of them running. No extra install, no special web drivers. Plug them into a bare box, install Yosemite and you're good to go.

If you meant 290X you are correct.

Rob
 
Hi guys,

I wanna advice for hw, I want to build my 1st hackintosh. I am using Apples computer for 6 years, wanted to buy iMac, but I was really disappointed about upgrading, so I decided go this path. I want computer, which is compatible as much as possible, and in same time not old (87 boards). So, for now, my setup looks like this:

GPU Sapphire Vapor-X Tri-X OC R9 280X 3GB

CPU Intel Core i7-4790K
MB GIGABYTE Z97X-SLI
RAM KINGSTON HYPER-X (K2) 16GB (8X2) 1600 MHz CL 10

I spent couple of days to choose GFX card. I want to use FCPX mainly for editing, AFAIK 290X is not ready yet (problem with two monitors), CPU is OK, for MB I choose this one, as couple of users reported it is OK.

I would like to know, if I need to order something more (except SSD/HDD, monitor, mouse and keyboard, tower, fan...), for example wifi card?

What you think about this setup, would you change something? I am not afraid with setup, I am programmer myself, and managed to install Mavericks on my old Macbook Early 2008 (which I believe just dozen of people was successful :)

Thanks

If you want to use FCP X do not buy the nVidia cards, I'll repeat that again. Do not buy the nVidia cards as FCP X support for them is poor. They work but their performance is rubbish on FCP X, great cards for other things but not for FCP X.

The 280X cards work well and support multiple monitors. I have two of the Sapphire cards and they are driving three monitors. Two from display port and one from DVI across that cards. They just work, no drivers, no special install (apart from the EFI partition fix), I installed with the 280X cards in from the start.

Check your memory carefully, I used 32GB of Crucial and triple checked I had the right stuff.

Also if you get the Gigabyte MB you *may* need to update the BIOS to support the 4790K, otherwise it crashes about 30 secs after you start as Turboboost kicks in :) I use the Z97X UD5H Black. Its fine and no issues.

Also don't get hung up on how many PCI lanes your MB supports. I benchmarked my boards with old kit and it made sod-all difference.

Pay attention to the build guides and keep it simple and you'll be all right. You do need to do the EFI partition fix (10 mins) if you use the 280X though.

Rob
 
May I know your sapphire 280x model number?
100363VX-3L or 100363-4L?

Thanks

If you want to use FCP X do not buy the nVidia cards, I'll repeat that again. Do not buy the nVidia cards as FCP X support for them is poor. They work but their performance is rubbish on FCP X, great cards for other things but not for FCP X.

The 280X cards work well and support multiple monitors. I have two of the Sapphire cards and they are driving three monitors. Two from display port and one from DVI across that cards. They just work, no drivers, no special install (apart from the EFI partition fix), I installed with the 280X cards in from the start.

Check your memory carefully, I used 32GB of Crucial and triple checked I had the right stuff.

Also if you get the Gigabyte MB you *may* need to update the BIOS to support the 4790K, otherwise it crashes about 30 secs after you start as Turboboost kicks in :) I use the Z97X UD5H Black. Its fine and no issues.

Also don't get hung up on how many PCI lanes your MB supports. I benchmarked my boards with old kit and it made sod-all difference.

Pay attention to the build guides and keep it simple and you'll be all right. You do need to do the EFI partition fix (10 mins) if you use the 280X though.

Rob
 
I wasn't aware it even over clocked and I do nothing special with them.

I suspect the model number is a UK one but have no evidence to back this up.

They are a good card, but nothing special for anything but FCP X performance. I can play Battlefield 4 on what appears to be high settings with them in Crossfire mode.
 
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