Recommended mini-ITX motherboards unavailable

[GreenT]

Newegg is out of stock on the recommended Gigabyte 170N motherboards, and Amazon only has some available from unknown (to me) sellers.

I'm guessing these were recommended because they offered the easiest hackintosh configuration. Is there something comparable in terms of ease-of-build that I should be looking for?

Thanks,
Ted

 

[GreenT]

Yes, I'm familiar with the full list. I thought the two mini-ITX boards listed at the top of the CustoMac Mini Deluxe section were there because they offered the easiest build. In fact, somebody specifically recommended I avoid one of the ASRock boards on the full list because it was a PITA to make work in his build. He pointed me to the Gigabyte options as easier to get running.

If somebody has a recommendation for a mini-ITX board that is relatively less problematic, please say so.

 

[trs96]

There are now links to the Z270N and H270N Wifi motherboards in the Kaby Lake early adopters guide.
Both Amazon and Newegg in the US. have them now. Make sure to get a matching Kaby Lake CPU to go with it.

https://www.tonymacx86.com/buyersguide/special/early-adopters-guide-kaby-lake-200-series

They should have full macOS support the 2nd half of this year. You can use a fake CPU ID until then.

 

[iamgizzard]

Surprisingly, eBay has some decent deals on new GA-Z170N motherboards. That's where I'm planning to get mine.

 

[GreenT]

They [270N/Kaby Lake] should have full macOS support the 2nd half of this year. You can use a fake CPU ID until then.

I'm considering this, but frankly my primary concern is the difficulty of the project. I was leaning toward the 170N/Skylake because I was under the impression it was the least problematic mini-ITX build. Are the 270N motherboards/Kaby Lake processors more difficult to get OS X running on?

One more thing occurs to me. At the moment, I favor El Capitan on my Macs over Sierra. Would going to 270N/Kaby Lake require me to use Sierra?

 

[trs96]

I'm considering this, but frankly my primary concern is the difficulty of the project. I was leaning toward the 170N/Skylake because I was under the impression it was the least problematic mini-ITX build. Are the 270N motherboards/Kaby Lake processors more difficult to get OS X running on?

Here's an example of what the install would be like on a Z270N-Wifi:
https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/guide-sierra-on-kabylake-h270n-wifi.218494/

If you are a first timer, yes it's going to be a steep learning curve for you. Sierra is required if you want to use a new Pascal graphics card by Nvidia so that is the preferred OS to go with. If you won't use one then El Capitan is a possibility. If you can still get a Z170N-Wifi there's no reason you have to go with Kaby Lake.

 

[GreenT]

Here's an example of what the install would be like on a Z270N-Wifi:
https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/guide-sierra-on-kabylake-h270n-wifi.218494/

If you are a first timer, yes it's going to be a steep learning curve for you. Sierra is required if you want to use a new Pascal graphics card by Nvidia so that is the preferred OS to go with. If you won't use one then El Capitan is a possibility. If you can still get a Z170N-Wifi there's no reason you have to go with Kaby Lake.

I skimmed through that thread, and it looks like people are having a wide variety of problems. Audio, LAN, WiFi, etc. Is that typical of most builds, including Z170/Skylake, or are the 270/Kaby Lake builds more likely to run into problems?

On a different note... yes, I was planning on going with a GTX 1060, which (apparently) requires 10.12. So NVIDIA didn't make web drivers for any earlier OS versions? I can go to Sierra if required, but had been holding off on my Macs because El Capitan has been so stable for me.

 

[chedda7]

If you are in the U.S., are you near a Fry's or Micro Center? I just went to MC this weekend and there are plenty of new and open box mITX motherboards to be had.

 

[GreenT]

No, unfortunately there isn't a computer-builder store within 80 or 100 miles of here, and none of the big chains are even that close. The closest Micro Center is a five hour drive. The closest Fry's is an 11 hour drive.

 

[chedda7]

How soon are you looking to buy?