[SUCCESS] Intel Core i9 7920X, Gigabyte X299 Aorus Ultra Gaming, GTX 1080 Samsung 960 EVO NVMe

[robifis]

Bob's X299 Hackintosh: Gigabyte AORUS ULTRA GAMING - i9-7920X - 32GB DDR4 - Gigabyte GTX 1080​

Components

Phanteks Eclipse Steel ATX Mid Tower Tempered Glass Black Case
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075DMYVBV/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

Gigabyte X299 AORUS Ultra Gaming (Intel LGA 2066 Core i9/ATX/3 M.2/Front USB 3.1 /RGB Fusion /Intel LAN Motherboard)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073FJM1HS/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

Intel Core i9-7920X Processor
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0756L5T93/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

Samsung 960 EVO Series - 500GB NVMe - M.2 Internal SSD
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M20VBU7/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

Corsair CS Series, CS750M, 750 Watt (750W), Semi Modular Power Supply, 80+ Gold Certified https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GH9NA0A/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

Ballistix Sport LT 32GB Kit (16GBx2) DDR4 2400 MT/s (PC4-19200) DIMM 288-Pin BLS2K16G4D240FSC (White)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AG9EZ6E/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

ARCTIC Freezer i32 - CPU Cooler with 120 mm PWM Fan
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0119SJ3L8/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

TP-Link Archer AC1900 WiFi Card PCIe Adapter
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TQEX7AQ/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

Comments
This was a value oriented X299 build (if there is such a thing) and I wanted to focus on the high performance aspect of things without it costing too much, hence the choice of parts. It was also a build for a client and he wasn't too bothered about whether it had RGB or the likes - he was just after a fully functioning system.

Installation Notes
First off - I would like to thank kgp and his thread on the X299 Platform for helping me accomplish this build.

The main areas to focus on are as follows:
- Create your EFI Folder on your Desktop first. Download the provided one and edit it accordingly
- I've used AptioMemoryFix.efi instead of OsxAptioFix3Drv-64.efi and it worked for me - it all depends of Mobo though!
- Make sure you also edit the TSCAdjustRest.kext according to the instructions for the number of cores you have.
- Check your bootflags - For me to get a successful boot I had to use npci=0x2000 otherwise I got a kernel panic.
- Download and create the High Sierra installer file according to point D in the guide - the build is different from the one found on the App Store, unless you're using a new iMac Pro to create the installer.
- Edit your SMBIOS Section via Clover Configurator according to point D.1 in the guide - this will also prevent your system from booting!
- Finally - once you've created the EFI folder, make sure it goes on both EFI partitions - the one from the USB and the hard drive you're looking to install it on! This last step is vital for it to successfully boot into the installer!

UEFI Settings

The settings in the guide worked fine for my Gigabyte Motherboard

1.) /M.I.T/Advanced Frequency Settings/
a.) Extreme Memory Profile: (X.M.P): Profile1

2.) /M.I.T/Advanced Frequency Settings/Advanced CPU Core Settings
a.) Active Cores Control: Manual
b.) Hyper-Threading Technology: Enabled
c.) Enhanced Multi-Core Performance: enabled/disabled (optional; individual CPU compatibility yet to be verified)
d.) CPU Enhanced Halt (C1E): Enabled
e.) C6/C7 State Support: Enabled
f.) Package C State limit: C6
g.) CPU EIST Function: Disabled

3.) /M.I.T/Advanced Memory Settings/
a.) Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P): Profile1

4.) /BIOS/
a.) Boot Numlock State: Disabled
b.) Security option: Setup
c.) Full Screen Logo Show: Enbabled
d.) Fast Boot: Disabled
e.) CSM Support: Disabled

5.) /BIOS/Secure Boot/
a.) Secure Boot Enable: Disabled

6.) /Peripherals/USB Configuration/
a.) XHCI Hand-off: Enabled

7.) /Chipset/
a.) VT-d: Disabled (see VT-d notification in Section ASUS BIOS settings above)

8.) /Save& Exit/
a.) Save & Exit

Post Installation

There isn't really much that needs doing post install apart from installing the patched nVidia Drivers. Use the guide, point E.2, to create the patched file to make sure everything is working. Radeon Vega 64 Cards work OOB.

Everything else from then on is cosmetic.

What doesn't work

The only issue I've had so far is Audio. It doesn't work despite the motherboard being supported (ALC1220). I have tried all the various patches etc but it doesn't seem to work. No big deal as I am using an external USB Soundcard but just something to keep in mind.


Benchmarks

 

[BoomR]

Thanks very much for this! I'm assuming that you're just using stock CPU speeds on your benchmarks (No OC)?

 

[robifis]

Yes, but I think they smbios is wrong as the score should be much higher, around 47k ish. I'll try changing it to Mac Pro 6,1

 

[BoomR]

Yes, but I think they smbios is wrong as the score should be much higher, around 47k ish. I'll try changing it to Mac Pro 6,1

Hmmm...I thought the one to use with this build *was* the new iMacPro1,1...?? Hmmm.... Will be curious to see what the smbios change will do with performance. THANKS!!!

 

[robifis]

Yeah that's what I thought too but if you look at geekbench scores online there are lots of different definitions so I'll try them. Some are eben 18.1 iMacs etc

 

[robifis]

Hmmm...I thought the one to use with this build *was* the new iMacPro1,1...?? Hmmm.... Will be curious to see what the smbios change will do with performance. THANKS!!!

Hey sorry for the delay I ended up reinstalling the whole thing again to see what's what and if my performance improves at all.

I have also since overclocked the CPU and RAM to 4Ghz and 3200Mhz respectively and it seems like there has been an improvement indeed.

Geekbench Score:

Cinebench Score

What I did notice is that the newer nVidia driver seemed to be at fault and the score went up significantly after having "downgraded" to the 106 driver after installing them with THIS PATCH. This seems to have made all the difference (and I am sure the Overclock also has a role to play...).

 

[ophelia]

do you mind sharing your EFI zip again - I'm getting a decompression failed error? thanks.

trying to work out why I'm getting kernel panics every few minutes - I have the same MB with a 7820X CPU.

EDIT - brew install p7zip - is enough to open the file! Thanks

 

[robifis]

do you mind sharing your EFI zip again - I'm getting a decompression failed error? thanks.

trying to work out why I'm getting kernel panics every few minutes - I have the same MB with a 7820X CPU.

EDIT - brew install p7zip - is enough to open the file! Thanks

Hey, sorry for the late reply - did you manage it all OK. Happy to send it again if you need

 

[ophelia]

Thanks - yes managed to open it using p7zip instead of the standard zip.

 

[Ellybz]