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[SUCCESS] Z170X-UD5 TH, i7-6700K, AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100, 64GB DDR4

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Joined
Aug 22, 2016
Messages
110
Motherboard
Gigabyte Z170X-UD5 TH
CPU
i7-6700K
Graphics
WX 7100
Mac
  1. MacBook Pro
  2. Mac mini
  3. Mac Pro
Mobile Phone
  1. iOS
amadeusp81’s Z170X-UD5 TH, i7-6700K, AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100, 64GB DDR4 Bitwig Studio Hackintosh

IMG_4564_fx.jpg

Components

Comments
I built my first Hackintosh specifically for my music production (Bitwig Studio only :)) needs and couldn't be happier. :)
The build itself went flawlessly, as well as the setup. I followed the Installation Guide and had no problems.

After hours of installing all my plugins and audio content, I did not experience a single problem or crash with the machine. Both USB2 and 3 ports operate like expected and also deliver power to connected devices.

I did not setup internal audio, as I am using an external audio interface.

Thoughts
I initially had a "Corsair CW-9060014-WW Hydro Series H110" cooler but found it to be "too loud" for my ears. I could hear the rhythmic pulses of the pump and for music making this was not ideal. I replaced it with the Dark Rock Pro 3 air cooler later and am very happy with it.

Once I have the funding, I will definitely replace the HDDs with SSDs, as the "Seagate Desktop ST2000DM001" create quite noticeable vibrations and also slow down the system in certain situations (file access, wake-up etc.)

I first built everything around the Lian Li "PC-T80" test bench and loved the built quality as well as the comfortable access to the components with the rails system. But it eventually got too dusty and so I switched to the Lian Li PC-V33 and so far I do not regret this decision. Same great built quality and look, very accessible as well (large "door" to swing open).

All in all, I have to say, that I am very happy with my Hackintosh. :) I am often working with it for many hours in a row and rarely ever experience any problems. :)

I add update reports, so please scroll down if you want to dive into my Hackintosh odyssey. :)

Summary

Settings
BIOS

  • BIOS version: F21
  • Save & Exit > Load Optimized Defaults
  • M.I.T. > Advanced Frequency Settings > CPU Upgrade i7-6700k CPU 4.5GHz
  • Smart Fan 5 = Silent (all fans)
  • BIOS > Fast Boot = Disabled
  • BIOS > Full Screen LOGO Show = Disabled
  • BIOS > Storage Boot Option Control = UEFI
  • BIOS > Boot Option Priorities > set my primary disk as the ONLY boot option
  • Chipset > Audio Controller = Disabled
  • Chipset > Internal Graphics = Enabled
  • Chipset > IOAPIC 24-119 Entries = Disabled
  • Chipset > PCH LAN Controller > Wake on LAN Enable = Disabled
  • Chipset > VT-d = Disabled
  • Peripherals > Super IO Configuration > Serial Port = Disabled
  • Peripherals > Thunderbolt(TM) Configuration > Security Level = No Security
  • Peripherals > USB Configuration > XHCI Hand-off = Enabled
  • Peripherals > Ambient LED = Off

System
  • macOS 10.15.3 (19D76)
  • APFS formatted SSDs

Clover
  • Version: 5103
  • config.plist > Acpi: FixShutdown
  • config.plist > Acpi: FixUSB
  • config.plist > Boot > Custom Flags: uia_exclude=HS09;HS11;HS12;HS13;HS14
  • config.plist > Boot: dart=0
  • config.plist > Cpu > Frequency MHz: 4500
  • config.plist > Kernel and Kext Patches: KernelPm, Apple RTC
  • config.plist > Rt Variables > CsrActiveConfig: 0x3
  • config.plist > SMBIOS: iMac14,2
  • /ACPI/patched/ssdt.aml (generated with Piker-Alpha's ssdtPRGen)
  • /ACPI/patched/ssdt-usb.aml (custom USB2/3 port mapping made by hand)
  • /drivers/UEFI/ApfsDriverLoader.efi
  • /drivers/UEFI/AptioMemoryFix.efi
  • /drivers/UEFI/DataHubDxe.efi
  • /drivers/UEFI/FSInject.efi
  • /drivers/UEFI/PartitionDxe.efi
  • /drivers/UEFI/SMCHelper.efi
  • /kexts/Other/FakeSMC.kext
  • /kexts/Other/USBInjectAll.kext
  • /kexts/Other/Lilu.kext
  • /kexts/Other/WhateverGreen.kext
  • /themes/tonymacx86

Multibeast Post Installation Settings
  • Multibeast > Quick Start: UEFI Boot Mode
  • Multibeast > Drivers > Network: IntelMausiEthernet v2.2.0
  • Multibeast > Drivers > USB: Increase Max Port Limit

What Works
The machine works flawlessly, including USB2 and USB3 ports, Thunderbolt (no hot-swap), Messages, iCloud, iCloud Photo Library, iCloud Music Library, 600GB worth of licensed audio plugins (Audio Units and VSTs) and content (with various copy protection mechanisms like iLok etc.). All fine.

What Does Not Work
  • Sleep (seems to sleep initially but eventually just restarts after a while)

Benchmarks

Here are a few more photos as well:
IMG_4577_fx.jpg IMG_4602_fx.jpg IMG_4600_fx.jpg IMG_4592_fx.jpg IMG_4562_fx.jpg IMG_4564_fx.jpg

Updates
Update 1 (System Definition Update to iMac17,1):
Followed tofuconfetti’s great instructions (El Capitan on GA-Z170X-UD5 Success) and changed my System Definition from MacPro 3,1 to iMac17,1. Updated Geekbench results (slightly better). I also slightly updated the formatting of my build post.

Update 2 (SSDT):
I added a custom SSDT. Had to download the Beta ssdtPRGen.sh as mentioned in the comments of Quick Guide to Generate a SSDT for CPU Power Management as the script otherwise was unable to recognize my CPU.

Update 3 (Build Description Update):
Updated the What Does Not Work section.

Update 4 (Build Description Update):
Updated the What Does Not Work section (Messages works now, had to wait a few days and out of the blue it started to work).

Update 5 (FixUSB):
I noticed that after sleep I had no sound through my USB audio interface (SPL Crimson). I activated FixUSB in Clover Configurator and now this problem is gone.

Update 6 (Build Description Update):
Updated What Works section and removed What Does Not Work section as really everything is working perfect now.

Update 7 (macOS Sierra):
Updated the system to macOS Sierra with no problems. Here's the steps I went through:
  1. Clover update (latest)
  2. macOS update (standard MAS download and installation)
  3. nvda_drv=1 boot argument removal and activation of new NVIDIAWeb setting in the System Parameters section (both via Clover Configurator, latest version)
  4. NVIDIA Webdriver update (latest)
  5. Patching of (before rebooting) /System/Library/Extensions/AppleGraphicsControl.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleGraphicsDevicePolicy.kext/Contents/Info.plist (search for board ID and replace "Config2" with "none")
  6. Prelinked Kernel and System Cache rebuilding via shell commands:
    Code:
    kextcache -system-prelinked-kernel
    and
    Code:
    kextcache -system-cache
  7. Reboot
  8. Done

Update 8 (Build Description Update):
Updated the Settings section

Update 9 (macOS Sierra 10.12.2):
Updated the system to macOS Sierra 10.12.2. Here's the steps I went through:
  1. Clover update (latest)
  2. macOS update (standard MAS download and installation)
  3. NVIDIA Webdriver update (latest)
  4. Patching of /System/Library/Extensions/AppleGraphicsControl.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleGraphicsDevicePolicy.kext/Contents/
  5. o.plist (search for board ID and replace "Config2" with "none") before rebooting
  6. Prelinked Kernel and System Cache rebuilding via shell commands:
    Code:
    kextcache -system-prelinked-kernel
    and
    Code:
    kextcache -system-cache
  7. Reboot
  8. Done

Update 10 (Thunderbolt Test):
I can confirm now that Thunderbolt is working out of the box, but without hot plugging capabilities. I tested this today with Apple's own USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter.

Update 11 (macOS Sierra 10.12.3):
Updated the system to macOS Sierra 10.12.3. Here's the steps I went through:

  1. Clover update (latest)
  2. macOS update (standard MAS download and installation)
  3. set the NVDARequiredOS tag in the /System/Library/Extensions/NVDAStartupWeb.kext/Contents/Info.plist to 16D32
  4. ching of /System/Library/Extensions/AppleGraphicsControl.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleGraphicsDevicePolicy.kext/Contents/
  5. o.plist
  6. Prelinked Kernel and System Cache rebuilding via shell commands:
    Code:
    kextcache -system-prelinked-kernel
    and
    Code:
    kextcache -system-cache
  7. Reboot
  8. Done

Update 12 (Dual GTX950 GPUs):
I updated and modified my setup quite a bit. I added dual ASUS PB287Q 4k displays, moved everything into a new case alongside with a new air cooler for quieter operation. I tried to install two identical GTX950 GPUs so each of the displays would have its own dedicated GPU (Bitwig's UI is pretty demanding and one GTX950 for two 4k displays had a lot to do and eventually felt a bit laggy). I therefore had to step back from my perfectly working iMac17,1 system definition and move to an iMac14,2 setup instead. I had to create new serials etc. and also had to reconfigure quite a few things (primarily licensing related apps/plug-ins that were bound to the "old" iMac17,1 serial number). I also removed the Bluetooth stick as I completely switched to a cable based setup with a WASD USB Keyboard (with custom macOS function keys) and a USB HandShoe Mouse.

Update 13 (GTX 980):
I upgraded my GPU to a GTX 980 SC in order to have more horsepower for the two 4k monitors. For those interested in why I moved away from dual GTX 950 SC to a GTX 980 SC, you can follow the corresponding trouble shooting thread here.

Update 14 (macOS 10.12.4):
Updated Clover, updated system to 10.12.4 via App Store (normal procedure), restarted, updated NVIDIA Web Drivers to 378.05.05.05f01, restarted, all good. :)

Update 15 (Geekbench 4.1):
Updated Geekbench to 4.1, ran some new tests and shared the results in the build summary above.

Update 16 (macOS 10.12.5):
Updated Clover, updated system to 10.12.5 via App Store (normal procedure), restarted, updated NVIDIA Web Drivers to 378.05.05.15f01, restarted, no issues so far. :)

Update 17 (macOS 10.12.6):
Routine update: First updated Clover to revision 4114, then updated system to 10.12.6 via App Store, restarted, updated NVIDIA Web Drivers to 378.05.05.25f01, restarted, no issues so far. :)

Update 18 (macOS High Sierra):
Updated to High Sierra as follows:
  1. Updated Clover to 4233
  2. Downloaded macOS High Sierra Installer from App Store
  3. mounted "macOS High Sierra Installer" located apfs.efi in the installer's package at /Contents/SharedSupport/BaseSystem.dmg > /Volumes/OS X Base System/usr/standalone/i386/apfs.efi and copied it to my boot volume's EFI at /EFI/CLOVER/drivers/UEFI//
  4. copied FakeSMC.kext to my boot volume's EFI at /EFI/CLOVER/kexts/Other/
  5. executed the macOS installer including a few reboots
  6. once done, downloaded the latest NVIDIA Web Driver (378.10.10.10.15.117)
  7. activated SIP via Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig > 0x0)
  8. touched the kext directories via
    Code:
    sudo touch /Library/Extensions/ /System/Library/Extensions/
  9. rebooted
  10. installed the NVIDIA Web Driver (did not restart after install!)
  11. deactivated SIP via Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig > 0x3)
  12. then rebooted
  13. converted a secondary SSD to APFS (the boot volume has been converted during the installation process)
  14. done (seems to be working very well so far)

Update 19 (NVIDIA Web Driver 378.10.10.10.15.120):
Updated to NVIDIA Web Driver 378.10.10.10.15.120
  1. activated SIP via Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig > 0x0)
  2. touched the kext directories via
    Code:
    sudo touch /Library/Extensions/ /System/Library/Extensions/
  3. rebooted
  4. downloaded and installed the new NVIDIA Web Driver (did not restart after install!)
  5. deactivated SIP via Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig > 0x3)
  6. then rebooted

Update 20 (macOS 10.13.1):
  1. updated Clover to 4268
  2. updated system to 10.13.1 via App Store
  3. activated SIP via Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig > 0x0)
  4. touched the kext directories via
    Code:
    sudo touch /Library/Extensions/ /System/Library/Extensions/
  5. rebooted
  6. installed NVIDIA Web Driver 378.10.10.10.20.107 (did not restart after install!)
  7. deactivated SIP via Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig > 0x3)
  8. rebooted
  9. replaced apfs.efi in /EFI/CLOVER/drivers/UEFI// with updated version

Update 21 (macOS 10.13.1 Security Update 2017-001):
  1. updated Clover to 4318
  2. installed Security Update 2017-001 via App Store
  3. activated SIP via Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig > 0x0)
  4. touched the kext directories via
    Code:
    sudo touch /Library/Extensions/ /System/Library/Extensions/
  5. rebooted
  6. installed NVIDIA Web Driver 378.10.10.10.20.109 (did not restart after install!)
  7. deactivated SIP via Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig > 0x3)
  8. rebooted

Update 22 (macOS 10.13.2):
  1. updated Clover to 4334
  2. updated system to 10.13.2 via App Store
  3. activated SIP via Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig > 0x0)
  4. touched the kext directories via
    Code:
    sudo touch /Library/Extensions/ /System/Library/Extensions/
  5. rebooted
  6. installed NVIDIA Web Driver 378.10.10.10.25.102 (did not restart after install!)
  7. deactivated SIP via Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig > 0x3)
  8. rebooted
  9. replaced apfs.efi in /EFI/CLOVER/drivers/UEFI// with updated version

Update 23 (macOS 10.13.2 Supplemental Update):
  1. updated Clover to 4369
  2. updated system to 10.13.2 Supplemental Update via App Store
  3. activated SIP via Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig > 0x0)
  4. touched the kext directories via
    Code:
    sudo touch /Library/Extensions/ /System/Library/Extensions/
  5. rebooted
  6. installed NVIDIA Web Driver 378.10.10.10.25.104 (did not restart after install!)
  7. deactivated SIP via Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig > 0x3)
  8. rebooted

Update 24 (macOS 10.13.3):
  1. updated Clover to 4380
  2. updated system to 10.13.3 via App Store
  3. activated SIP via Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig > 0x0)
  4. touched the kext directories via
    Code:
    sudo touch /Library/Extensions/ /System/Library/Extensions/
  5. rebooted
  6. installed NVIDIA Web Driver 387.10.10.10.25.156 (did not restart after install!)
  7. deactivated SIP via Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig > 0x3)
  8. rebooted
  9. replaced apfs.efi in /EFI/CLOVER/drivers/UEFI// with updated version

Update 25 (Geekbench Tests):
Updated Geekbench test results. Performance improved quite a bit with macOS 10.13.3.

Update 26 (BIOS and Thunderbolt Update):
  1. downloaded the latest Windows 10 disk image from the Microsoft website (WINDOWSDISKIMAGE)
  2. created a Windows 10 USB installation stick via the Terminal: sudo dd if=~/Downloads/WINDOWSDISKIMAGE.iso of=/dev/DISKIDENTIFIER bs=1m
(DISKIDENTIFIER = e.g. disk0)
  1. disconnected all my macOS disks from the motherboard
  2. reset the BIOS to "Optimized Defaults"
  3. connected a spare SATA disk to the motherboard
  4. inserted the Windows 10 USB installation stick
  5. installed Windows 10 on a spare disk via the USB installation stick (since I own a Windows 10 license I provided the corresponding key during the installation, not sure if this is necessary though)
  6. downloaded and installed Gigabyte’s "APP center" software from their website
  7. updated the BIOS to F21 via the "APP center" app
  8. downloaded and installed the "Thunderbolt Driver" from the Gigabyte website
  9. downloaded and installed the "Thunderbolt FW Update Tool" from the Gigabyte website
  10. executed the app "This PC" > "Local Disk" > "Program Files (x86)" > "GIGABYTE" > "FlashTBT" > "FlashTBT_100", according to tonymacx86's Skylake Thunderbolt 3 Test Build guide
  11. shut the computer down and removed the power cord
  12. waited for 30 seconds
  13. removed the Windows 10 USB installation stick and the SATA disk with my Windows 10 installation on it
  14. installed my macOS disks
  15. reconnected the power cord and started the machine
  16. entered BIOS and set all my Hackitosh specific settings (see BIOS section above)
  17. booted into macOS and updated Clover to 4392 as a precautionary measure
  18. rebooted and tested Thunderbolt functionality successfully with a Universal Audio Apollo8 audio interface connected via a 2m Thunderbolt cable and an Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type-C) to Thunderbolt 2 adapter

Update 27 (NVIDIA Web Driver Downgrade to 378.10.10.10.25.103):
I had massive issues with the NVIDIA Web Driver 387.10.10.10.25.156 (see https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...extremely-sluggish-log-full-of-errors.245174/) and therefore downgraded to a stable version.
  1. I did the stupid mistake of not turning on SIP before actually updating and therefore ran into the black screen issue (long time no see!).
  2. I decided to go for the approach to login to my machine via SSH (while on the black screen, obviously) and I then executed the uninstaller for the Web Driver via the shell:
Code:
pkgutil --expand /Library/PreferencePanes/NVIDIA\ Driver\ Manager.prefPane/Contents/MacOS/NVIDIA\ Web\ Driver\ Uninstaller.app/Contents/Resources/NVUninstall.pkg /tmp/uninstall
Thanks to dwhitla who mentioned this method!
  1. added Lilu.kext (https://www.tonymacx86.com/resources/lilu.362/) to CLOVER/kexts/Other
  2. changed SIP in Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig) to 0x67
  3. used vulgo’s awesome webdriver.sh (https://github.com/vulgo/webdriver.sh) to install NVIDIA Web Driver 378.10.10.10.25.103
Code:
sudo sh webdriver.sh -cu https://images.nvidia.com/mac/pkg/378/WebDriver-378.10.10.10.25.103.pkg
sudo sh webdriver.sh -m
  1. changed SIP in Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig) back to to 0x3
  2. rebooted

Update 28 (completed "Clover" section of build description):
  • SSDT files for download
  • completed info

Update 29 (macOS 10.13.3 17D102 Supplemental Update):
  1. updated Clover to 4411
  2. updated system to 10.13.3 17D102 Supplemental Update via App Store
  3. changed SIP in Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig) to 0x67
  4. rebooted
  5. used vulgo’s awesome webdriver.sh (https://github.com/vulgo/webdriver.sh) to install NVIDIA Web Driver 378.10.10.10.25.103
Code:
sudo sh webdriver.sh -cu https://images.nvidia.com/mac/pkg/378/WebDriver-378.10.10.10.25.103.pkg
sudo sh webdriver.sh -m
  1. changed SIP in Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig) back to to 0x3
  2. rebooted

Update 30 (macOS 10.13.4 17E199):
  1. checked for Clover update but 4411 was still the "latest" (at the time of updating)
  2. updated system to 10.13.4 17E199 via App Store
  3. changed SIP in Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig) to 0x67
  4. rebooted
  5. updated vulgo’s webdriver.sh (https://github.com/vulgo/webdriver.sh) to 1.3.4
  6. patched the already installed NVIDIA Web Driver 378.10.10.10.25.103 with
    Code:
    ./webdriver.sh
    and following the instructions in the CLI
  7. changed SIP in Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig) back to to 0x3
  8. rebooted
  9. replaced apfs.efi in /EFI/CLOVER/drivers/UEFI// with updated version

Update 31 (macOS 10.13.4 17E202):
  1. updated Clover to 4439
  2. updated system to 10.13.4 17E202 via App Store
  3. changed SIP in Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig) to 0x67
  4. rebooted
  5. updated vulgo’s webdriver.sh (https://github.com/vulgo/webdriver.sh) to 1.4.3
  6. installed NVIDIA Web Driver 378.10.10.10.25.103 with
    Code:
    ./webdriver.sh --list
    and following the instructions in the CLI
  7. changed SIP in Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig) back to to 0x3
  8. rebooted
  9. copied apfs.efi from /usr/standalone/i386/ to /EFI/CLOVER/drivers/UEFI// with updated version

Update 32 (macOS 10.13.5 17F77):
  1. updated Clover to 4509
  2. updated system to 10.13.5 17F77 via App Store
  3. changed SIP in Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig) to 0x67
  4. rebooted
  5. updated vulgo’s webdriver.sh (https://github.com/vulgo/webdriver.sh) to 1.4.3
  6. installed NVIDIA Web Driver 378.10.10.10.25.103 with
    Code:
    ./webdriver.sh --list
    and following the instructions in the CLI
  7. changed SIP in Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig) back to to 0x3
  8. copied apfs.efi from /usr/standalone/i386/ to /EFI/CLOVER/drivers/UEFI// with updated version
  9. rebooted

Update 33 (macOS 10.13.6 17G65):
  1. updated Clover to 4586
  2. updated system to 10.13.6 17G65 via App Store
  3. ran into issues > the machine wouldn’t do anything after passing the clover drive selection menu anymore > turned out the previously used driver OsxAptioFix3Drv-64.efi had been removed by the Clover 4586 installer > had to boot from my USB stick thereafter and rerun the Clover 4586 installer but this time including the AptioMemoryFix-64.efi driver
  4. second attempt at updating system to 10.13.6 17G65 via App Store
  5. changed SIP in Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig) to 0x67
  6. rebooted
  7. updated vulgo’s webdriver.sh (https://github.com/vulgo/webdriver.sh) to 1.5.2
  8. installed NVIDIA Web Driver 378.10.10.10.25.103 with
    Code:
    ./webdriver --list
    and following the instructions in the CLI
  9. changed SIP in Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig) back to to 0x3
  10. copied apfs.efi from /usr/standalone/i386/ to /EFI/CLOVER/drivers/UEFI// with updated version
  11. rebooted

Update 34 (switched to an AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 GPU):
  1. removed the NVIDIA card
  2. installed the AMD card
  3. booted into macOS with full GPU acceleration right away
  4. changed SIP in Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig) to 0x67
  5. removed System Parameters: NvidiaWeb in Clover Configurator
  6. changed GUI > Screen Resolution to 1024 x 768 in Clover Configurator
  7. rebooted
  8. opened NVIDIA Driver Manager from System Preferences
  9. ran the NVIDIA Web Driver Uninstaller
  10. changed SIP in Clover Configurator (CsrActiveConfig) back to to 0x3
  11. rebooted

I am enjoying the much smoother GUI and the fact that my new shiny blue GPU is supported OOB. :)

Update 35 (macOS 10.14 18A391):
  1. checked boot volume with
    Code:
    fsck_apfs -n -l -x /dev/rdisk1s1
    before updating
  2. updated Clover to 4674 via Clover Configurator and selected the following new drivers in the installer: "/drivers/UEFI//drivers/UEFI//AppleKeyFeeder-64.efi", "/drivers/UEFI//ApfsDriverLoader-64.efi", "/drivers/UEFI//AppleImageLoader-64.efi" and "/drivers/UEFI//PartitionDxe-64.efi"
  3. removed "/drivers/UEFI//apfs.efi" (this is the apfs.efi file I previously updated manually with every OS update)
  4. updated system to 10.13.4 18A391 via the App Store
  5. Wi-Fi was broken after the update because apparently macOS Mojave does no longer support the "TP-Link TL-WDN4800 N900 Dual Band PCI-E Adapter" card
  6. I temporarily put a High Sierra kext in /System/Library/Extensions/IO80211Family.kext with Kext Utility but will replace my Wi-Fi card with a supported BCM943602CS card soon.
  7. had some random freezes and just as a precaution updated FakeSMC.kext and USBInjectAll.kext

So, that's it – finally I can enjoy that shiny new dark mode on my beloved hackintosh! :)

Update 36 (BCM943602CS Wi-Fi update):
  1. removed the "TP-Link TL-WDN4800 N900 Dual Band PCI-E Adapter" card
  2. added an "ABWB 802,11 AC WI-FI + Bluetooth 4.0 PCI-E BCM943602CS Combo Card" and connected the bluetooth USB connection to one of the motherboard's USB2 header ports
  3. removed the previously blocked motherboard USB header ports (uia_exclude) in Clover's "Boot" > "Custom Flags" section
  4. reverted the patched /System/Library/Extensions/IO80211Family.kext kext with Kext Utility

Update 37 (APFS fault):
  • All of a sudden I could not empty the trash anymore.
  • The system would continue to run (like e.g. iTunes kept playing songs) but the UI would freeze.
  • SSH sessions from my MacBook Pro were still possible but more or less nothing I ran prior to the "empty trash" attempt would be executed anymore.
  1. I checked the boot disk with
    Code:
    fsck_apfs -n -l -x /dev/rdisk1s1
    and got
    Code:
    error: inode_val: object (oid 0x200f629b1): invalid private_id (0x0)
    followed by
    Code:
    fsroot tree is invalid
  2. I booted from my Carbon Copy Cloner mirror disk
  3. I deleted the APFS boot volume and created a fresh one with Disk Utility
  4. I restored from the mirror disk to the fresh APFS boot volume with Carbon Copy Cloner
  5. and if it wasn't for all the hideous copy protection mechanisms of some of the audio plugins I use, that could have been the happy ending right there – some of the plugins were easy to get licensed again, others a little harder ;)
PD: I had the exact same APFS issue two weeks earlier on my 2015 MacBook Pro. So this seems not to be related or isolated to "me using macOS on PC hardware" but rather a general APFS weakness.

Update 38 (macOS 10.14.1 18B75):
  1. checked boot volume with
    Code:
    fsck_apfs -n -l -x /dev/rdisk1s1
    before updating
  2. updated Clover to 4722 via Clover Configurator
  3. updated system to 10.14.1 18B75 via System Preferences > Software Update

Update 39 (Overclocking to 4.5 GHz):
  1. changed the BIOS settings under "M.I.T." > "Advanced Frequency Settings" to "CPU Upgrade i7-6700k CPU 4.5 GHz"
  2. created a fresh SSDT for my overclocked CPU with ssdtPRGen.sh with
    Code:
    ~/ssdtPRGen.sh -f 4500 -turbo 450
  3. Added "4500" to "Frequency MHz" in "Cpu" in my Clover config.plist because the "About This Mac" dialog did not show the higher CPU frequency OOB and was still resting at 4.01 GHz. However, I was able to see that the overclock worked with the Intel Power Gadget. Oddly enough, "About This Mac" now says 4.3 GHz i7 – I need to investigate this further.
  4. updated Geekbench results in the build description
  5. updated BIOS settings in the build description
  6. I will upload the updated SSDT once I figured out why "About This Mac" shows a wrong value for the CPU clock frequency.
  7. uploaded the updated SSDT even though my "About This Mac" dialogue still outputs the wrong CPU clock frequency
  8. I created a thread about the issue and will try to eventually fix this issue in the future

Update 40 (macOS 10.14.2 18C54):
  1. checked boot volume with
    Code:
    fsck_apfs -n -l -x /dev/rdisk1s1
    before updating
  2. updated Clover to 4784 via Clover Configurator
  3. updated system to 10.14.2 18C54 via System Preferences > Software Update

Update 41 (macOS 10.14.3 18D42):
  1. checked boot volume with
    Code:
    fsck_apfs -n -l -x /dev/rdisk1s1
    before updating
  2. updated Clover to 4861 via Clover Configurator
  3. updated system to 10.14.3 18D42 via System Preferences > Software Update

Update 42 (macOS 10.14.3 18D109):
  1. checked boot volume with
    Code:
    fsck_apfs -n -l -x /dev/rdisk1s1
    before updating
  2. updated Clover to 4871 via Clover Configurator
  3. updated system to 10.14.3 18D109 via System Preferences > Software Update

Update 43 (macOS 10.14.4 18E226):
  1. checked boot volume with
    Code:
    fsck_apfs -n -l -x /dev/rdisk1s1
    before updating
  2. updated Clover to 4895 via Clover Configurator
  3. updated system to 10.14.4 18E226 via System Preferences > Software Update

Update 44 (macOS 10.14.5 18F132):
  1. checked boot volume with
    Code:
    fsck_apfs -n -l -x /dev/rdisk1s1
    before updating
  2. corrected some issues with fsroot tree by booting with -s and running
    Code:
    /sbin/fsck -fy
  3. updated Clover to 4920 via Clover Configurator
  4. updated FakeSMC to 2018-0915
  5. updated system to 10.14.5 18F132 via System Preferences > Software Update

Update 45 (Clover maintenance):
  1. updated Clover to 5097 via Clover Configurator (… and ran into an issue, namely a non bootable system. This, because the Clover 5097 installer did not install the new "universal" drivers. Those are unchecked in the installer by the default. I had to fix this with a boot from my backup disk and a subsequent install of Clover 5097, but this time with the drivers I need checked. I also cleaned up the then "obsolete" 64 drivers manually after the second Clover install.)
  2. updated the structure of the updates section of my build
  3. changed to a new display (LG 43UD79 4K) and reflected this in the build description
  4. ran new Geekbench 5 benchmarks and added the new values and links to the build description

Update 46 (NVME SSD and macOS Catalina update):
  1. installed Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB NVME SSD
  2. cloned system from "old" Samsung 850 EVO SSD to new Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB NVME SSD via Carbon Copy Cloner
  3. cloned EFI partition from "old" Samsung 850 EVO SSD to new Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB NVME SSD
  4. updated Clover to 5100 via Clover Configurator
  5. changed BIOS to use the 970 EVO Plus 2TB NVME SSD as the new primary boot option
  6. updated macOS to 10.15.1 (19B88) via System Preferences > Software Update
  7. during the update my screen stayed mostly black, with ocassional progress bars on the black screen, never saw the grey screens with percentages etc. – which worried me a bit
  8. after several restarts the update seem to have completed, but the computer would only boot into a black screen
  9. upon closer inspection of the problem via Clover boot argument
    Code:
    -v
    , I spotted a GPU related issue
    Code:
    Hash data from ME never returned, status = 1, doing retry #
  10. I tried a couple of things, like Clover boot argument
    Code:
    -disablegfxfirmware
    but nothing helped
  11. after doing quite a bit of research and reading over these new GPU issues, I realised that I would not be able to continue from this point on without installing WhateverGreen.kext and Lilu.kext (I never needed to do so in the past) – so, I went ahead and added the latest versions of WhateverGreen.kext (https://github.com/acidanthera/WhateverGreen and Lilu.kext (https://github.com/acidanthera/Lilu) to Clover at /kexts/Other/
  12. the GPU issues where gone
  13. I updated my build description with the new values, SSD links etc.

Update 47 (macOS 10.15.2 19C57):
  1. added 10.15.1 (19B88) Geekbench results to the build description
  2. updated the build description in the Components selection
  3. checked boot volume with
    Code:
    fsck_apfs -n -l -x /dev/rdisk1s1
    before updating
  4. updated system to 10.15.2 19C57 via System Preferences > Software Update

Update 48 (macOS 10.15.3 19D76):
  1. checked boot volume with
    Code:
    fsck_apfs -n -l -x /dev/rdisk1s1
    before updating
  2. updated Clover to 5103 via Clover Configurator
  3. updated system to 10.15.3 19D76 via System Preferences > Software Update
Update 49 (the end):
  1. Sadly after many wonderful and adventurous years with this awesome machine I am going to sell it now. :'(
  2. There's exactly one reason for that: I could get my hands on a 2019 Mac Pro (which is a bit less powerful on single core, but gives me the freedom of spending more time making music and less time with maintenance etc.).
  3. I will miss hackintoshing! </3
  4. I am very thankful for the help and support I received from the community over the years. You are great! <3
  5. I added my full Clover folder to the profile as a last action.
 

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Last edited:
Nice build. :thumbup: When you get Thunderbolt work, be sure to share in Post #1.
 
Thanks! :) As soon as I have a Thunderbolt device to connect (I currently only have TB2 devices at hand), I will try this of course. Maybe I will also give the StarTech TBT3TBTADAP adapter a try. In any case I will of course document my experiences in the post.
 
Amazing Gear!!! Does the Firewire Card and the Thunderbolt ports work? And had you any difficulty setting them up? Cheers
 
Great build!
... the Thunderbolt ports work? And had you any difficulty setting them up?
I'm planning a very similar build (Sierra on Z170X-UD5 TH, i7-6700K, Asus GTX750TI-2GD5). Following
STEP BY STEP THUNDERBOLT 3 SETUP in tonymacx86's Skylake Thunderbolt 3 Test Build it seems to work (no hotswap) without any modification in Sierra. I have received the Startech TBT3TBTADAP only by today, so far I tested USB3 disks and network through an OWC Thunderbolt2 Dock.
 
Did you have to reinstall all of your AU's and VST's or were you able to pull them from a backup?
 
I installed the machine from scratch.
I have built the same machine, except I have the non Thunderbolt version of the Motherboard ( Z170X-UD5) and I can't for the life of me get the system to recognize 32GB of ram, it boots with 16GB just fine. I have tried the XMP profile 1 as suggested many other places but that doesn't help, any suggestions? I have Bios version F5
 
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