SENIOR PROJECT HACKINTOSH MINI HELP!!

[railsplitter66]

Hey everyone, I am a senior in highschool and I am looking to build a hackintosh pc for around $500 for my senior project. I am looking for some advice on where to start. My goal is to stay under $500, and build a nice looking hackintosh. (Aesthetically pleasing: Aluminum case, Possibly LED's, etc.) I would prefer a mac mini-type build but I am open to suggestions.

These are my main questions:

#1. Am I able to build a hackintosh mini for $500 or less?
#2. (If you are willing) can you please suggest a custom parts list for an under $500 build?
#3. If I don't have access to a mac, can I still do this? (I'm a noob)
#4. Thank you for all of your help as it is greatly appreciated!!

 

[kiiroaka]

#3 - probably not.
#1 - lots of mini cases cost a lot, the better quality, or the better ones, the more expensive it will probably be.

An ITX mobo could cost more than ATX mobos; RAM could be more expensive, especially if you want 32GB (most manufacturers will say that you can install 32GB but in reality you will probably be limited to 16GB.)

Start here: http://www.tonymacx86.com/buyersguide/august/2016

 

[railsplitter66]

#3 - probably not.
#1 - lots of mini cases cost a lot, the better quality, or the better ones, the more expensive it will probably be.

An ITX mobo could cost more than ATX mobos; RAM could be more expensive, especially if you want 32GB (most manufacturers will say that you can install 32GB but in reality you will probably be limited to 16GB.)

Start here: http://www.tonymacx86.com/buyersguide/august/2016

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[trs96]

Hey everyone, I am a senior in highschool and I am looking to build a hackintosh pc for around $500 for my senior project. I am looking for some advice on where to start. My goal is to stay under $500, and build a nice looking hackintosh. (Aesthetically pleasing: Aluminum case, Possibly LED's, etc.) I would prefer a mac mini-type build but I am open to suggestions.

These are my main questions:

#1. Am I able to build a hackintosh mini for $500 or less?
#2. (If you are willing) can you please suggest a custom parts list for an under $500 build?
#3. If I don't have access to a mac, can I still do this? (I'm a noob)
#4. Thank you for all of your help as it is greatly appreciated!!

Your best chance for a sub 500 dollar build that actually performs well rather than just being nice looking and underpowered, is to build an mATX system that has 4 DIMM slots for ram and the ability to add a discrete graphics card. Initially though you can use integrated Intel graphics to save money.

http://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/building-a-budget-haswell-build-how-low-can-you-go.118150/
This guide is for Haswell but you can apply the principles to a Skylake system as well.

 

[railsplitter66]

Your best chance for a sub 500 dollar build that actually performs well rather than just being nice looking and underpowered, is to build an mATX system that has 4 DIMM slots for ram and the ability to add a discrete graphics card. Initially though you can use integrated Intel graphics to save money.

http://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/building-a-budget-haswell-build-how-low-can-you-go.118150/
This guide is for Haswell but you can apply the principles to a Skylake system as well.

Sorry I'm a newbie, what's the difference between haswell vs. skylake?

 

[trs96]

Sorry I'm a newbie, what's the difference between haswell vs. skylake?

Performance wise, there's not a lot of difference. In terms of hardware, Skylake uses a completely different socket (1151) vs. socket 1150 for Haswell. When Intel releases a new microarchitecture, it requires a different physical socket from the previous generation. Because of the new socket type, if you want to use a Skylake CPU, you will have to buy a socket 1151 motherboard (with a compatible chipset). 1151 refers to the number of gold pins in the socket that contact the CPU's gold contact points. Gold helps prevent corrosion and is a good electrical conductor. You can google this to learn more about socket types and chip micro- architectures. The other main difference is that the majority of Skylake motherboards require DDR4 ram. Haswell uses only DDR3 ram. A few Skylake boards can use DDR3 but you'd want one that uses DDR4 for the advantages it offers.

 

[railsplitter66]

Performance wise, there's not a lot of difference. In terms of hardware, Skylake uses a completely different socket (1151) vs. socket 1150 for Haswell. When Intel releases a new microarchitecture, it requires a different physical socket from the previous generation. Because of the new socket type, if you want to use a Skylake CPU, you will have to buy a socket 1151 motherboard (with a compatible chipset). 1151 refers to the number of gold pins in the socket that contact the CPU's gold contact points. Gold helps prevent corrosion and is a good electrical conductor. You can google this to learn more about socket types and chip micro- architectures. The other main difference is that the majority of Skylake motherboards require DDR4 ram. Haswell uses only DDR3 ram. A few Skylake boards can use DDR3 but you'd want one that uses DDR4 for the advantages it offers.

Ok thanks for the help