Tentative First Build! Any advices appreciated :)

[shl615]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to build my first hackintosh for video editing/light gaming purposes. I plan on doing a dual boot system, but the main system will be mojave. I read through some of the golden builds here and some successful youtube videos, and arrived at these parts. Please take a look, and tell me if any components could be swapped out (with little or no cost increase) for better compatibility or performance

CPU: i7-9700k
MB: Gigabyte z390 designare
GPU: Not settled yet. trying to find the right balance between cost and efficiency
Storage: 2 * M.2 NVMe Samsung evo 970 250gb for the OS and maybe add in SATA SSD later
Power: EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G3 or P2? Also 850 G3 is the same price as the 750 G3.... so maybe 850 G3?
Ram:1 * 16gb HyperX Predator Black 16GB 3600MHz DDR4 CL17 DIMM XMP Desktop PC Memory (HX436C17PB3/16) (will add more of the same sticks later)
Cooling: Kraken x72 + 6 more 120mm fans (not sure which ones yet)
Case:Lian-Li - PC-O11 Dynamic (White) ATX Full Tower Case

Etc:
Arctic MX-4 cooling paste
Shaluoman BCM94360CD/BCM94331CD to PCI-e 1X Adapter
Broadcom BCM94360CD

That's all I have on my list right now. I'm doing my research on which GPU to use, and on kijiji (Canadian version of craigslist) I found a refurbished RX Vega FE Air cooled for 750CAD, and a used liquid cooled version for 1k CAD. These are more expensive than what I would like to spend, but wanted to see if you guys thought if it'd be worth buying at this price point. I am new to both hackintoshing and PC building, so literally any advices/tips would be super appreciated.

Thanks in advance guys!!

 

[pastrychef]

I don't know if pricing is the same in Canada, but, here in the US, I've seen some really good deals on HP EX920 NVMe SSDs. Might be worth considering...

Also, prices of Vega 56 cards have dropped dramatically.

It's a great time to buy RAM. Prices have dropped a lot in the last few months.

 

[trs96]

I've seen some really good deals on HP EX920 NVMe SSDs. Might be worth considering...

How has your HP NVME performed relative to the Samsung NVME ?

 

[pastrychef]

How has your HP NVME performed relative to the Samsung NVME ?

I use my HP EX920 for Windows gaming, not with macOS, but it's been absolutely fine. I have zero complaints. It's noticeably snappier than the old 2.5" SSD that it replaced. I'm happy.

 

[trs96]

I use my HP EX920 for Windows gaming, not with macOS

No waiting for those multi GB games to open up. Nice.

 

[shl615]

I don't know if pricing is the same in Canada, but, here in the US, I've seen some really good deals on HP EX920 NVMe SSDs. Might be worth considering...

Also, prices of Vega 56 cards have dropped dramatically.

It's a great time to buy RAM. Prices have dropped a lot in the last few months.

Thanks for your input! I'll do a search for the HP SSD and see if they are any good deals in Canada.

As for the GPU, I'm not sure if we have less availability in Canada, but most of them are still sold out for some reason. Can you take a look at my potential list below?

ASUS AREZ Strix Radeon RX Vega 56 AREZ-STRIX-RXVEGA56-O8G-GAMING 8GB 2048-Bit HBM2 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - 576CAD (429USD roughly)

ASUS AREZ Strix Radeon RX Vega 56 Video Card AREZ-STRIX-RXVEGA56-O8G-GAMING - Newegg.com

Buy ASUS AREZ Strix Radeon RX Vega 56 8GB HBM2 PCI Express 3.0 CrossFireX Support Video Card AREZ-STRIX-RXVEGA56-O8G-GAMING with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.ca

Gigabyte Radeon Rx Vega 56 Gaming OC 8G Graphic Card - GV-RXVEGA56GAMING OC-8GD - 634CAD (472USD roughly)

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B079LT39Z7/?tag=tonymacx86c0c-20

Sapphire 11265-01-20G Radeon Nitro+ RX 580 8GB GDDR5 Dual HDMI / DVI-D / Dual DP with Backplate (UEFI) PCI-E Graphics Card - 407CAD (303USD roughly)

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B071QX74F9/?tag=tonymacx86c0c-20

Refurbished RX Vega FE - 750CAD (558USD roughly)
Used RX Vega FE 1 yr old - 450CAD (335USD roughly)
Used RX Vega FE liquid cooled - 1000CAD (744USD roughly)

I'm really inclined to get the used vega for the price point, but I'm not sure what the average lifespan of a graphics card is. Do you have any advice on this matter?

Thank you!!!

 

[4kYoutuber]

You can try BH Photo in the US for graphic cards.

They are a good site with fast shipping and you can
pre-pay duties and taxes, so there are no surprises.

I'm from Canada as well.

 

[shl615]

You can try BH Photo in the US for graphic cards.

They are a good site with fast shipping and you can
pre-pay duties and taxes, so there are no surprises.

I'm from Canada as well.

Thanks for the tip! I've been looking on there as well

 

[shl615]

Alright guys, so I ended up picking up a brand new MSI RX Vega 56 Air Boost from eBay for 427CAD (318USD)! Thank you for all your inputs and advices much appreciated!

I also ordered all of the parts for my build tonight from various sites. Here's my final list:

CPU: i7-9700k
MB: Gigabyte z390 designare
GPU: MSI RX Vega 56 Air Boost
Storage: 2 * M.2 NVMe Samsung evo 970 500gb
Power: EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G3
Memory: HyperX Predator 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 3000 RAM CL15 XMP Black DIMM (288-Pin) HX430C15PB3K2/32
Cooling: Kraken x72 + 6 Noctua NF-S12B Redux fans
Case:Lian-Li - PC-O11 Dynamic (White) ATX Full Tower Case

Other items:
WTXUP TX-AC94360 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth PCI-E card (Broadcom BCM94360CD embedded)
Kingston 32gb DataTraveler 100

I decided to get the WTXUP over fenvi because I read that the fenvi has been having bluetooth issues recently (even though it seems like it can be adjusted/fixed), and from what I seen on the WTXUP (assuming no version changes or updates), it seems like plug and play like fenvi used to be. I did also consider buying the PCI-e adapter and broadcom card separately, but buying the WTXUP was cheaper and easier.

As for the thermal paste, I was decided on the Noctua NT-H2 thermal paste, but skipped on it after realizing the x72 comes with paste already applied.

The vendors I utilized were:

newegg.ca
amazon.ca
staples.ca
ebay.ca

For my fellow Canadian residents on the forum, mikescomputershop.com offers a price beat system where you can make a request with a valid competitor url, but they will not match all the way if the price is too cheap.

EX: I asked them to match staples.ca for the samsung evo 970 500gb, which is 237.36CAD on their site. Staples had them for 159.99CAD, but Mike's offered 169.99 because it's "far below cost".

However, since the request system doesn't require any payments or payment information, I think it'd be worthwhile to give it a go if they have the same part you're looking for. Something else that I noticed on the site was that some items were free shipping, and some items weren't.

If anyone reads all the way to down here, thanks for taking the time, and also if you have any input/tips on my build and list, I would definitely appreciate it! The parts can always be returned and exchanged before I build. Also it'll probably take about two weeks for all of the essential parts to arrive, so I got plenty of time for edits.