[Success] MSI H55M-E33, GTX 460, Core i3 3.2 GHz 550 Hackintosh works (OS X Mavericks)

[JaneGoodall]

JaneGoodall's Mac:
MSI H55M-E33 - i3-550 - GTX 460 (PNY)

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Components

Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 (Pny)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003XU78OA/
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133326

Intel Core i3 550
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003LL1X1A/

MSI H55M-E33 - Don't know why it sells for over $200 now, I got it for $100 at Fry's in late 2010
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0043DHA76/
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130256

Patriot 8GB (2x4GB) Viper III DDR3 1866 (runs at 1333 w/o overclock, 1540 w/ 15% overclock)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0098WZV1Y/
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220737

250 GB Samsung Evo 840 SSD
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E3W1726/
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147248



Comments

I decided to turn my late 2010 budget gamer desktop into a UNIX workstation. Normally I code on my 2008 aluminum Macbook, it still runs great but this looked like a fun project.

I played Left 4 Dead 2 after installing the drivers from Nvidia's website and I didn't notice any performance drop from Windows or Linux. However, I haven't done an objective test yet and I wouldn't be surprised if it runs slightly slower. Many Mac ports, such as Bioshock: Infinite, are crappy on all Macs, but Valve Mac and Linux ports are really good; some may even be better than their Windows versions.

Microphone, audio, and built-in ethernet all work.

Both DVI and the mini-HDMI ports work with single and dual monitors work in all combinations.

It does not wake up from hibernation.


Setup Instructions

I followed the Mavericks guide, and did the following:

Step 1:

Search for Mavericks in the App Store and then click on the Mavericks icon. From the dedicated Mavericks page (not the Search Results page), click Install Mavericks. It will tell you that Mavericks is already installed. Click Continue.

Step 2:

1. Keep pressing Del (not Backspace) right when you turn your computer on till you boot into the American Megatrends BIOS.
2. Select Integrated Peripherals with the arrow keys and press Enter.
3. Select On-Chip ATA Devices and set RAID Mode to AHCI. (Note: If you have a separate Windows drive, you'll have to change a registry setting before doing this)
4. Press Esc twice, Save & Exit Setup.

Step 3:

1. Insert your USB stick if you haven't already.
2. When your computer reboots, immediately start hitting F11. Eventually you'll be prompted to select a device to boot from.
3. Select USB: from the boot device menu.

Step 4:

When you get to the Unibeast boot screen, type -x -v GraphicsEnabler=Yes and press Enter. Install and reboot to USB again, using -x -v GraphicsEnabler=Yes this time too.

Step 5:

Run MultiBeast with the following settings:

Quick Start: EasyBeast
Drivers:
--Audio: Realtek ALC889
--Disk: SATA with TRIM enabled if you're using an SSD
--Network: Realtek
Customize:
--Boot Options: Checked GraphicsEnabler=Yes, 1080p Display Mode. Unchecked Use KernelCache.
--System Definition: Mac Mini 5,1. I tried various Mac Pros but it was unstable.

Reboot, then install the Nvidia drivers:

Download and install Nvidia's newest driver from http://www.nvidia.com/object/mac-driver-archive.html. I used CUDA 5.5.28 at the time of this writing.

I strongly advise having a laptop or iPad handy during the install.

 

[JaneGoodall]

*[100% SUCCESS] MSI H55M-E33, GTX 460, Core i3 3.2 GHz 550 Hackintosh works (OS X Mavericks)

Added the Amazon/Newegg affiliate links.

 

[thegabezone]

Will it run on the internal graphics too ?

 

[JaneGoodall]

Will it run on the internal graphics too ?

I haven't tested that. Also, it won't wake up from hibernation. Not a big deal in desktops, though.

My motherboard is over four years old, I bought the processor and graphics card in December 2010 for a budget gaming build. It's fairly reliable and the 15% overclock is working fine, but honestly I'd would go for a newer build if you're building one from scratch.

 

[roto31]

Awesome job on this. I used the exact same board for my Sawtooth build almost two years ago and have been looking to upgrade to Mavericks on it. Glad to see someone else has been able to use this board besides myself. My favorite feature is the EasyOver Clock switch that allows for over clocking w/o much effort. I think the reason it sells for so much now is it is a very capable logic board and is very popular among those doing the HTPCs. Have you upgraded to 10.10 yet and are there any issues if you have?