[Success] i5 2500K - Zotac Z77- ITX - Mountain Lion

[minihack]

When updating to 10.8.2 you need to remove OEMSmbios.kext and repair permissions before restart. If you don't see this kext in System/Library/Extensions then check the plugins inside FakeSMC.kext (right click it, show package contents, check plugins folder). If the OEMsmbios.kext is not removed you will get a KP.
Otherwise everything else is as expected.....meaning you will have to re-load your AppleHDA.kext [backup before your update and then re-install it] and after update you will need (if you are running Sandy Bridge CPU) to re-patch your framebuffer kexts.

 

[podoboy]

When updating to 10.8.2 you need to remove OEMSmbios.kext and repair permissions before restart. If you don't see this kext in System/Library/Extensions then check the plugins inside FakeSMC.kext (right click it, show package contents, check plugins folder). If the OEMsmbios.kext is not removed you will get a KP.
Otherwise everything else is as expected.....meaning you will have to re-load your AppleHDA.kext [backup before your update and then re-install it] and after update you will need (if you are running Sandy Bridge CPU) to re-patch your framebuffer kexts.

First, I'd like to express my thanking to Minihack. I've successfully got the first cust-mac because of minihack's success build STORY/GUIDE/UPDATING

Big thank you again.

Today, 10.8.2 Updating procedure from him...wow!!....

PS. I think that I need to learn/make the cleaned/basic install partition such as ghost image for windows....(do we cust-mac user can have that kinds of option like a ghost image recovery partition at booting level stage ?) anyway.....Not sure how to do...but...I felt very anxious...yesterday during 10.8.2 updating..

 

[Noodle]

I think I found the problem.

I made a ioreg dump, and find that "Unknown Standard AHCI Controller" has device id: 197b,2360 (Should be JMicronATA controller). It's under RP02\PXSX. And I remember I set eSATA port to ACHI mode as well. That will make this MB has 7 SATA total (2 internal SATA III, 3 internal SATA II, 1 mSATA and 1 eSATA), but H77 support 6 SATA port only. So I guess Motherboard using JMicronATA controller for 7th one (eSATA). And it is: RP02\PXSX\PRT0.

I checked JMicronATA.kext, and only JMicronATA that apple supported is 197b,2368. I don't know if it's safe to set device id to it. I will give it a try. But change eSATA back to IDE maybe better idea. Does real Mac support eSATA?

Thanks

Noodle

Hi,
I wondered if it made a difference if I changed my HD to be attached to the blue SATA ports instead of the orange ones, but actually on the Z77 board swapping the connection makes no difference and with the DSDT fix all SATA controllers are seen as Intel Series 7.
Good news for me, but not any help for you I'm afraid.

 

[minihack]

Hi Podoboy,
Thanks for the nice words.
I always keep a bootable cloned partition using Carbon Copy Cloner. The latest version unfortunately does cost money (it used to be donation ware) but I like it. Other options though are discussed here: http://www.tonymacx86.com/173-backup-solutions-your-mac-customac.html - well worth a read

 

[Noodle]

Finally, Installed 3rd part eSata driver from Multibeast fixed it. It shows as JMicron AHCI controller, and eSATA disk can hot swap as well. Maybe Z77 using Intel chip for eSATA, H77 using JMicron for eSATA?

 

[nukky]

Hmm, i have tried without DSDT and sleep/wake up works, but auto sleep doesn't.
With your DSDT, the score in geekbench is 9950 (Max multiplier x36), without it decreases at 9300 (max multiplier x33).

I think I should flash the bios at stock and follows instructions of Miramar's build

Finally, with your DSDT or Miramar's DSDT, wake works only if I boot on Windows 7 first, and restart on Mac OSX Moutain Lion.
Presumably booting into Windows allows the Windows drivers to upload GFX card firmware into the system which remains in the event of a restart.
Without this tip, wake doesn't work properly -> I have black screen with nothing on wake (I think it certainly the fact that the Nvidia GTX 660 Ti doesn't wake up).

Anyone have an idea to fix that ?

Thx.

 

[minihack]

Sorry no idea. I think it'll be a graphics card issue so probably try that part of the forum first. I haven't yet tried a graphics card with this board.

 

[minihack]

I learnt a few things recently from Toledas posts on HDMI audio.



1. This first piece of information is relevant if you are using SB processor on 7 series main board ONLY.

There is no need to be editing both the Capri framebuffer kext and the SNBFB kext to change the MEI driver information. Instead this can more easily (and permananetly) be done via a DSDT edit. Specifically, this insertion does the job.

Find this section in your DSDT:

Scope (_SB.PCI0)
    {
     Device (GLAN)

and change it to this:

Scope (_SB.PCI0)
    {
        [COLOR="#FF0000"]Device (MEI)
        {
            Name (_ADR, 0x00160000)
            Method (_DSM, 4, NotSerialized)
            {
                Store (Package (0x02)
                    {
                        "device-id", 
                        Buffer (0x04)
                        {
                            0x3A, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00
                        }
                    }, Local0)
                DTGP (Arg0, Arg1, Arg2, Arg3, RefOf (Local0))
                Return (Local0)
            }
        }[/COLOR]

        Device (GLAN)

What that does is effectively mask your MEI driver device to have the ID that the SNBFB kext needs to see to recognise and load. This means no more having to swap MEI device driver IDs between Capri kext and SNBFB kext. IMPORTANT: If you have a Ivy Bridge processor DO NOT use this edit in your DSDT.

2. The second thing is that you can enable HDMI audio on both of the HDMI outputs. This change DOES need you to edit the SNBFB kext. Specificlly, go to System/Library/Extensions/AppleIntelSNBGraphicsFB.kext and drag it to your desktop to modify it. Back it up in case you make a mistakeand then: Right click on the kext, "Show Package Contents" and go to Contents/MacOS/AppleIntelSNBGraphicsFB and open it with HexEdit or Hex fiend.

Find: 00 02 03 00 00 00 00 00 ff ff ff ff 02 05 00 00 00 04 00 00 07 00 00 00 03 04 00 00 00 04 00 00 09 00 00 00 04 06 00 00 00 08 00 00 06 00 00 00
and
Replace: 00 02 03 00 00 00 00 00 ff ff ff ff 02 05 00 00 00 08 00 00 06 00 00 00 03 04 00 00 00 08 00 00 06 00 00 00 04 06 00 00 00 04 00 00 09 00 00 00

This enables HDMI audio on ports 5 and 6, which are the right ports for the Zotac board. I do not know if this edit affects the DIspalyPort connector at all as I have no way to test that, but I have asked Toleda for his opinion on that as some of this hex editing stuff is not immediately obvious....

Again, this edit is only needed for those of us who are using HD 3000 with this board. However, unlike the DSDT edit mentioned above this edit will not do any harm if you use an Ivy Bridge processor as in any case this kext will not load for an Ivy Bridge CPU.

3. I am using the latest experimental/Preview ML AppleHDA.kext that Toleda has posted, along with the DSDT edit to "layout 3" with the Device (HDEF) As below:

Device (HDEF)
        {
            Name (_ADR, 0x001B0000)
            OperationRegion (HDAR, PCI_Config, 0x4C, 0x10)
            Field (HDAR, WordAcc, NoLock, Preserve)
            {
                DCKA,   1, 
                        Offset (0x01), 
                DCKM,   1, 
                    ,   6, 
                DCKS,   1, 
                        Offset (0x08), 
                    ,   15, 
                PMES,   1
            }

            Method (_PRW, 0, NotSerialized)
            {
                Return (Package (0x02)
                {
                    0x0D, 
                    0x05
                })
            }

            Method (_DSM, 4, NotSerialized)
            {
                Store (Package (0x06)
                    {
                        "layout-id", 
                        Buffer (0x04)
                        {
                            0x03, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00
                        }, 

                        "hda-gfx", 
                        Buffer (0x0A)
                        {
                            "onboard-2"
                        }, 

                        "PinConfigurations", 
                        Buffer (Zero) {}
                    }, Local0)
                DTGP (Arg0, Arg1, Arg2, Arg3, RefOf (Local0))
                Return (Local0)
            }
        }

The DSDT edit goes hand in hand with the preview kext from Toleda - I.e. use them both together and they are independent of whether you are using a SB or and IvyBridge CPU so this is a universally useable hack.

In closing.

I think then that these edits (assuming that the DP connector does still work!) some of the last missing pieces in the puzzle for making this board 100% functional under OS X. The 1% lacking would be that USB 3.0 is still patchy and is dependent on devices used etc.

 

[nukky]

Sorry no idea. I think it'll be a graphics card issue so probably try that part of the forum first. I haven't yet tried a graphics card with this board.

Ok, it's not a big deal anyway I don't use sleep often.
I have another problem, do you know how activate hdef audio on front panel ? Sound on it works but with poor quality :/

 

[minihack]

It should just be activated through the systems preferences and selecting the headphones.

I haven't got front panel audio as my build is in an old Mac Cube case which does not give an option for having any front panel controls so this is not something I'd tried and just assumed it'd be fine as it is just Realtek 892. I assume you are using one of the approved kexts as suggested on these forums (e.g. Toledas AppleHDA.kext versions from Multibeast) and not VoodooHDA - if you are using voodoo then get rid of it as I never had any positive experiences with that on any system and always seemed to get rubbish quality and regular KPs.

Apart from kext choice and right settings in DSDT (if you are using one) quality also does depend on you having a case with a decent front panel - is there a difference between the quality you get in OS X and any other OS (e.g. have you compared it with Windows or Linux?). If the quality is the same across all OSes then it may just be a crappy front panel.

Also I think audio from the Zotac board is exclusively HD Audio, so if you have Ac 97 audio connectors on your case then that could be the issue?

To be honest, I'm just guessing here, but that's all I can think of.

In the not too distant future I'm going to be taking my build out of the Cube case to try in something a little different and at that point I'll hook up a front panel and see if I have a problem.

Meantime, good luck!