Need Help Finalising the parts for my first Hackintosh

[samaraliwarsi]

Hi guys,

I'd like to start by saying that this is my third post in this forum and I have to complain that I have got no reply on them.
I don't mean to point that the community is not active because I see people discussing anything and everything. I'd like to know what went wrong? Did i post the wrong thing in the wrong forum or was it a redundant question already answered in another thread?

I'm building my first hackintosh and I'm pretty freaked out about whether or not my build decision is correct.

Repeating from my earlier posts (which nobody cared to read), my usage is mostly video editing, motion graphics, beginner level 3D rendering and light gaming.

THE BUILD:

1. i7 4790K
2. Gigabyte GA - Z97M - UD3
3. 16GB DDR3 1600/1833 RAM
4. ASUS Nvidia GTX 970
5. BitFenix Prodigy Cabinet
6. Arctic Freezer or Noctua Air Cooler or Corsair h100? (Suggestions needed for a silent machine)
7. 250 SSD OSX + 128 SSD WINDOWS
8. 2/4TB Storage
9. Corsair RM 650 (Please suggest a good power supply unit for this build)
10. Samsung 4k Monitor (Also suggest if my build will be able to hold up to a 4K monitor)

I also need help in installation but for that I can refer to the guides already published. It would be great if anyone can point me a good clover installation guide which takes me step by step.

This is my first build ever. I'd really appreciate your help.

 

[Fumomono]

Hi,

It seems everything you selected is on the buyer's guide so that's a good point.

But if I read this right, the motherboard you want is mATX (I'm assuming it's the Gigabyte GA - Z97M - UD3H) and the case you selected is M-ITX. Those are 2 different sizes, ATX is bigger so your motherboard won't fit.

RAM : make sure you take it in the buyer's guide, it's an important element too. Specs will depend on your mobo choice. And consider its height on the mobo to check if you have enough space for your cooler (mainly if you go air).

GC : I believe the Asus isn't the most silent one but there shouldn't be that much difference (MSI using Twin Frozr system are usually very silent).

Cooler : Air works great but they are very big, so you need to make sure it can fit in your case. Noctua makes some extremely silent ones (NH D14 or D15 are particularly well noted), Be Quiet ! has a good reputation too. Personally I went for an old and cheap Hyper 212 Evo, it works very nicely with the same proc as the one you want (no overclock here). If you want max cooling you can add a second fan in a push/pool setup, again Noctua makes good fans. Water : the one you quote has good reputation, it's less bulky on the proc but you have to have enough space for the radiator/fans. The NZXT Kraken x61 is also supposed to be an excellent all arounder. The question is wether you accept the idea of liquid in a computer box. As for choosing, make sure the cooler is compatible with your socket and you have enough space to fit it.

HD : don't neglect this if you want a silent computer, avoiding mechanical noises is a key. Get a case with bumpers on trays and noise absorbing panels. I particularly like the WD green caviar series because they're so silent.

PSU : I'm using that one, works like a charm and can definitely handle your build in my opinion.

Monitor : I'd go IPS since you do only light gaming. Just bought a P2715Q from Dell (27' 4K) and I'm pretty happy with it, but if you have the money 4K will be better on 32' (I'd advise Dell again because of warranty, customer service and rob quality). With your specs 4K shouldn't be an issue unless you want the latest super game in mega ultra settings (but for that you'd be changing hardware every 4 months anyway ). For image work I'd go 32 inch or dual monitor if you can fit it in your budget and room, having a huge work space without killing one's eyes is an amazing comfort, in my opinion.

For Clover guides, just use the one here, it's a complete step by step, very easy to follow and with great tools for post-install. Your only "hurdle" should be that the GTX 970 requires web drivers, but it's not complicated and there is also a very good guide for that (just follow the link in clover's tutorial).

I see no WIFI (nor bluetooth) in your config, planning to use Ethernet ?

Last but not least, Nvidia doesn't always give you an advantage over AMD. It will really depend on the software you use (notably CUDA or openCL support). There are discussions here about what to take for the best perf with software X.

P.S. : if you can put links when you post questions about hardware it really helps to check the specs

 

[trs96]

You're doing the right thing by going with parts from the Buyer's Guide that have proven to be successful in 100's of other User Builds. You've got nothing to worry about.

http://www.tonymacx86.com/search.php?googleSearch=4790k GA-Z97M

Follow the standard El Capitan Guide in the Guides Section. Don't install with your 970 GPU
installed, use the HD 4600 graphics first and install the 970 after you have the current Nvidia
web drivers installed. Best of luck on your build and install.

 

[Kazbah]

TheBitFenix Prodigy-M will host a mATX board.
If you really like clean build then forget the Corsair RM 650, the cables are insanely long for a mAtx box, suggest you go with Silverstone Strider series and buy the short cable set .. it is worth every single penny

 

[samaraliwarsi]

Hi,

It seems everything you selected is on the buyer's guide so that's a good point.

But if I read this right, the motherboard you want is mATX (I'm assuming it's the Gigabyte GA - Z97M - UD3H) and the case you selected is M-ITX. Those are 2 different sizes, ATX is bigger so your motherboard won't fit.

RAM : make sure you take it in the buyer's guide, it's an important element too. Specs will depend on your mobo choice. And consider its height on the mobo to check if you have enough space for your cooler (mainly if you go air).

GC : I believe the Asus isn't the most silent one but there shouldn't be that much difference (MSI using Twin Frozr system are usually very silent).

Cooler : Air works great but they are very big, so you need to make sure it can fit in your case. Noctua makes some extremely silent ones (NH D14 or D15 are particularly well noted), Be Quiet ! has a good reputation too. Personally I went for an old and cheap Hyper 212 Evo, it works very nicely with the same proc as the one you want (no overclock here). If you want max cooling you can add a second fan in a push/pool setup, again Noctua makes good fans. Water : the one you quote has good reputation, it's less bulky on the proc but you have to have enough space for the radiator/fans. The NZXT Kraken x61 is also supposed to be an excellent all arounder. The question is wether you accept the idea of liquid in a computer box. As for choosing, make sure the cooler is compatible with your socket and you have enough space to fit it.

HD : don't neglect this if you want a silent computer, avoiding mechanical noises is a key. Get a case with bumpers on trays and noise absorbing panels. I particularly like the WD green caviar series because they're so silent.

PSU : I'm using that one, works like a charm and can definitely handle your build in my opinion.

Monitor : I'd go IPS since you do only light gaming. Just bought a P2715Q from Dell (27' 4K) and I'm pretty happy with it, but if you have the money 4K will be better on 32' (I'd advise Dell again because of warranty, customer service and rob quality). With your specs 4K shouldn't be an issue unless you want the latest super game in mega ultra settings (but for that you'd be changing hardware every 4 months anyway ). For image work I'd go 32 inch or dual monitor if you can fit it in your budget and room, having a huge work space without killing one's eyes is an amazing comfort, in my opinion.

For Clover guides, just use the one here, it's a complete step by step, very easy to follow and with great tools for post-install. Your only "hurdle" should be that the GTX 970 requires web drivers, but it's not complicated and there is also a very good guide for that (just follow the link in clover's tutorial).

I see no WIFI (nor bluetooth) in your config, planning to use Ethernet ?

Last but not least, Nvidia doesn't always give you an advantage over AMD. It will really depend on the software you use (notably CUDA or openCL support). There are discussions here about what to take for the best perf with software X.

P.S. : if you can put links when you post questions about hardware it really helps to check the specs

Hey Thanks for the reply,

I thought the Bitfenix Case will support mATX, I mean I saw a few online builds on the same but I'll definitely check that. I'm not too stiff about using this cabinet as I need the machine for performance and frankly, any cabinet would do. I just didn't want too big of a CPU.

About the RAM, I was thinking of taking a simple Corsair/ Kingston RAM. Without any flashy heatsinks or anything so that the air cooler can fit in nicely without obstructing anything. Good choice ?

I can buy MSI GC too, my friends here who run PC are big MSI aficionados and don't advice anything but the Twin Frozr.

PSU - You're right. The idea of water in my CPU does freak my out a little. First time putting my own hard earned money into a machine and I'll be using this for a lot of content production for my company. Low CPU noise is a big factor as I believe it will definitely help me.

Thanks for the Tip about the HD bumper trays. It never occurred to me because I thought I'm just using one HD for storage. I might even consider using an external storage since that will help me quickly connect to my Macbook Pro if I need some transfers.

IPS 4K Monitors are out of my budget frankly, so is the dual monitor setup. For me the decision is to either buy a 4K TN panel from Samsung, Asus etc. or go for the 21:9 LG 2560*1080 monitor. LG monitor is very cheap and I think it will help me a lot when I'm editing. The only loss would be pleasure of a 4K but then hardly any application will have the resolution to support that display and I'd be left with pixelating text on menus I believe (which is already happening in a friends iMac 5K on Adobe Suite). So yeah display is a major decision still to be made.

AND YES. I will be working with Wifi and Bluetooth, should have mentioned that. I was considering getting a PCI Wifi and Bluetooth Card or a USB Dongle. Don't know the pros and cons yet.

NVIDIA or AMD is still a tough choice for me. My current usage is on FCP7 (which runs fine without GC) and After Effects (Which needs GC). With the new machine, I plan to completely shift to FCPX, PProCC or AVID. I know that sounds stupid because I can't be using all editing softwares at once but the thing is that I want have options open to use everything when I need. I like all softwares for what they provide and like to tinker around so I'd want performance with everything.

Yes. Definitely, next time. I will put the links with hardware.

 

[samaraliwarsi]

You're doing the right thing by going with parts from the Buyer's Guide that have proven to be successful in 100's of other User Builds. You've got nothing to worry about.

http://www.tonymacx86.com/search.php?googleSearch=4790k GA-Z97M

Follow the standard El Capitan Guide in the Guides Section. Don't install with your 970 GPU
installed, use the HD 4600 graphics first and install the 970 after you have the current Nvidia
web drivers installed. Best of luck on your build and install.

Thank you so much.

The top post in the search is confusing to say the least (sorry). I feel technically challenged to even read the end of that (trust me I've tried several times). I'm gonna be installing Yosemite and I feel the installation guide on the site is much better than that for me personally. No offense meant to anyone. It's just me.

 

[samaraliwarsi]

TheBitFenix Prodigy-M will host a mATX board.
If you really like clean build then forget the Corsair RM 650, the cables are insanely long for a mAtx box, suggest you go with Silverstone Strider series and buy the short cable set .. it is worth every single penny

I'm afraid I wont find Silverstone Strider here in India. But I'll check. Thanks

 

[samaraliwarsi]

For updating motherboard BIOS and other things that I may need... is it better to first install Windows on another SSD?

I'll want to install a clean multi boot, any suggestions ?

 

[samaraliwarsi]

Also guys, Since I have you here,

I frequently find myself thinking about an X99 build with 5820K... Price does worry me but then I think I can compromise on the monitor and have a better performance.

The main worry though is the problems installing on X99... It's my first build, do you think i should go for X99 (considering my usage) or Z97 is fine?

 

[trs96]

Also guys, Since I have you here,

I frequently find myself thinking about an X99 build with 5820K... Price does worry me but then I think I can compromise on the monitor and have a better performance.

The main worry though is the problems installing on X99... It's my first build, do you think i should go for X99 (considering my usage) or Z97 is fine?

For a first build going with Z97 will give the best chance of a fully working system instead of
you always trying to get your system to function properly. If you read through the various
threads for each chipset you'll see why.