Recommendations for video card (+CPU?)

[Feartech]

I was hoping to get advice on what parts to get for a Hackintosh build. Do I need to have already build a Hackintosh in order to get advice on building one? At this point, I have nothing. I came seeking advice.

sorry, I missed where you said "proposed build"

 

[trs96]

As per used CPUs, motherboards and such

CPUs rarely ever fail. It's fine to buy used. Done that many times. I have a 12 year old Gigabyte motherboard that still works fine. It depends on how the board was handled. If the owner bent the pins or damaged the traces somehow, then yes, it's a risk to buy used.

 

[srk9026]

I'm fine with buying new; at least I have a line of recourse if there are problems.

I was looking at the recommendations for the "CustoMac Pro" which listed the ASUS Prime Z490-A motherboard and the Intel Core i7-10700K processor ... I guess that recommended build is based on Catalina?

Also, that recommended build has listed a network card. Am I to presume that ethernet ports on-board won't work with Hackintosh?

 

[trs96]

Am I to presume that ethernet ports on-board won't work with Hackintosh?

Most all Intel and Realtek LAN ports work on a hackintosh. Wifi cards are for those that can't use a wired connection to their router for whatever reason.

I was looking at the recommendations for the "CustoMac Pro" which listed the ASUS Prime Z490-A motherboard and the Intel Core i7-10700K processor ... I guess that recommended build is based on Catalina?

Yes, right now 10th gen makes the most sense for the longest support. Catalina through to Ventura will all work.
The last Intel Mac released in August 2020 was a 27" iMac20,1 (i5/i7) and iMac20,2 which had the i9 CPU.

 

[srk9026]

An example of an 8th gen Intel CPU is the i7-8700. You can find these used on Ebay at reasonable prices.

intel® 8th Gen Core i7-8700 Processors 3.2@GHz LGA1151 CPU Processor 6Core SR3QS | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for intel® 8th Gen Core i7-8700 Processors 3.2@GHz LGA1151 CPU Processor 6Core SR3QS at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

It's harder to find an 8th gen motherboard in good condition. Takes some searching for that.
Look for Gigabyte or Asus Z370 or Z390 boards.

I'm trying to stick to the list of recommended processors on Building a CustoMac Hackintosh: The Ultimate Buyer's Guide , since it seems those have the greatest rate of success?

... right now 10th gen makes the most sense for the longest support. Catalina through to Ventura will all work.
The last Intel Mac released in August 2020 was a 27" iMac20,1 (i5/i7) and iMac20,2 which had the i9 CPU.

I was hoping I could avoid going past High Sierra. Are there any build options that won't require me to upgrade to Catalina?

Also: I'm on a tight budget here...

 

[trs96]

Are there any build options that won't require me to upgrade to Catalina?

There are lots of options. Just not with a custom build of brand new hardware. If you must keep using CS4 I don't see any way to run that on newer hardware, it's a 32 bit app so you're stuck with Mojave or older macOS versions. As you said High Sierra is probably the newest that might work.

 

[srk9026]

okay, I'm lost. Should I just start it all over again? I don't know where to begin.

 

[trs96]

If you go through Amazon renewed, you have buyer's protection. You'd could get a 7060 MT Optiplex with an 8th gen 6 core i7. Much better than an old 2009 Mac Pro for CS4. You can install High Sierra and run CS4 on it. Add a GPU if you need it etc. Room for more hard drives internally. These are well built and last.

Amazon.com

This Dell 7060 MT with core i7-8700 is brand new without paying a lot more money as you would with used 8th gen Intel hardware built from components. Really good deal here.

Dell Optiplex 7060 Mini Tower Desktop PC-New | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Dell Optiplex 7060 Mini Tower Desktop PC-New at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[srk9026]

Okay that's a starting point. Do I still need counsel about a graphics card that's compatible with Hackintosh drivers et al, and my current HDMI monitor?

 

[Feartech]

Okay that's a starting point. Do I still need counsel about a graphics card that's compatible with Hackintosh drivers et al, and my current HDMI monitor?

AMD GPUs | GPU Buyers Guide