PowerMac G5 x299 Hackintosh

[RendyCheng]

This is my version of PowerMac G5 with Intel i9 7920x. I have been running this configuration for about 6 months with a PC cases. I was hoping one day, I can build a proper case for the setup. Late 2018, I found two empty PM G5 Quad case locally thinking they are the perfect case.

The goals/requirements were as follows:​

1. Full ATX motherboard
2. Full size GPU card
3. allows for custom water loop
4. keep CDROM
5. Keep the clear plexiglass cover
6. try to hide as much wiring as possible
7. Maintain exterior look as much as possible
8. Quiet

Here is the frontal view. The front panel I/O is not working yet. That is next phase of at the project.
A 240mm AIO for the cooling. The space can handle as large as 280mm and 2" thick radiator.

The back side: I used Mountain Mod I/O panel. For the symmetry, the MB tray was raised about 1". That 1" space is where I route all the wires.

Power outlet with a switch and 15A fuse. I build a short extension cable to connect PSU and this outlet.

This one show the clear plexiglass cover in place. The 850W PSU is perfectly fit in that location. I cut a circular opening for the PSU cooling fan. This also double as the hot air exhaust port.

Much clear view without the plexiglass cover. The fan/radiator mount is built from L-shape aluminum stock. Two vertical bars that holds the radiator can be moved independently to accommodate larger fan/radiator. The large space on the right of the radiator bracket is reserved for custom water loop reservoir/pump on the lower section; two 3.5" HD for the upper section.

With current setup, the system reach 70 deg C with all 12 cores running at 4.7 GHz. The system is a bit noisy due to (1) AMD Vega 56 fan (2) Thermaltake AIO pump. Without them, the system is almost silent. I probably will update this cooling system with custom water loop later.

Tasks remained:

1. Build a custom cable for the front I/O panel. Completed, except for the Firewire
2. Add 3.5" drive case 2.5" Hot-swap drive cage installed (two 2.5" SSD per drive cage, 2 drive cages total)
3. Mount original "G5" CPU cover plate.
4. Build a cover plate for the upper deck (CDROM & PSU) for that Mac Pro Look.
5. Add air divider to channel AIO hot air toward lower chamber and to be removed by the two 80mm case fans. This will allow more cooler air for the GPU. Or... adding a custom air duct just for the GPU blower fan; however, that will eat up the space reserved for the 3.5" drive cage. Go with custom water loop from EKWB A240R.

Rendy

 

[RendyCheng]

Update: I decided to re-make the radiator bracket with 1"x1" L-stock. The 1" width will cover the side profile of the radiator nicely. In addition, I re-position the bracket 70mm away from the front mesh. This allows me to use a 64mm thick radiator in the future. There are enough room on the backside of the radiator bracket to mount 1" thick 120mm fans.

This is the lower bracket. The additional offset was achieved by using 1" brass standoff.

This is the upper bracket. It is mounted to the upper tray.

I have also finished the wiring up the front I/O panel. The servo wire on the left is for the PWR LED and PWR SW.
The servo wire on the right is for the headphone jack. The thick black cable is for the USB2. I did not wire the Firewire port.

I decided to replace the Thermaltake AIO with EKWB A240R custom water loop. I made a small aluminum stand to raise the water pump/reservoir combo. This allows me to pass the coolant tubing beneath it. The water pump stand is mounted to a 1/8" aluminum plate, which is mounted to the bottom of the case through 4 existing screw holes for the original power supply.

I also made a little bracket to house two hot swap drive cages. I haven't decide how to secure the cages to the bracket thus the blue tape.

Next task: replace AIO with custom water loop.

 

[RendyCheng]

My "green blooded" computer is almost done. With all 12-core running at 4.7 GHz + Rx Vega 56, it reaches 85 deg C. I guess it is just too much heat for this slim 240mm radiator to handle. I added another set of Noctua fans for push-pull configuration, but that does not help much. I probably will replace the slim 240mm with a 64mm thick 240mm or a 54mm thick 280mm radiator later.

 

[RendyCheng]

Even with the ECO mode turned on, the EVGA PSU fan is loud. The worst part is that it just stay on for a long time even the computer has been just idling. So...I replaced the it with a 140mm Noctua fan and connected the 4-pin connector to opt-cpu fan port. Now, all I hear is the humming of the water pump.

Update: Replaced the thin 240mm radiator with a Thermaltake 64mm thick 240mm one. Due to the space configuration, I can only place the fans in pull position. This should not make a big difference, but the result is worse than before. The cpu hits 95 deg C often. Increasing the fan speed does not make much difference. I even open up the cpu water block to make sure it is not clogged. Spent lots of time to remove air bubbles. Re-apply thermal compound....etc. No real changes. To confirm nothing else is wrong, I put the original radiator back while keep everything else the same.... Surprise! Temperature drop to 85 deg C under full stress load.

 

[RendyCheng]

Top deck cover

It is made from G5 processor cover. Turns out quite good. I haven't figure out a way to secure it in place. Most likely I will use magnets to snap in place.

Plexiglass cover

Unfortunately, I had to cut it for the drive cage. Made a mistake and cut the opening larger than I need. I might just remove that indentation on the plexiglass and add something to that.