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The 4K Dell OptiMac - 9020 MT - Core i7-4790 - Radeon RX 570 - LG 4K IPS Monitor

Look forward to seeing the results. I've got a 4790 in my MT and really like it. The prices for used ones have gone way up on Ebay and other sites. Budget gamers buy them up to install in their gaming desktops. Still a good performer with modern games.

The comparable Xeons cost from 40-50 USD less. They will perform slightly slower with single core tasks but should match up well when all 4 cores/8 threads are in use. I'm certain that any Xeon with 6 or more cores will not work as the Dell BIOS will not allow that. To go there would require a higher spec Dell server which has a different BIOS to accommodate those. The T1700 Precision which is much like the 7020/9020 could only use a 4 core max Xeon such as the E3 1200 V3 series CPU you will be using.

I can confirm that Xeon E3 1240 V3 works perfectly. Previously installed macOS Mojave boots without any BIOS change/downgrade, all 8 threads visible in the monitoring tool integrated to macOS, so hyper threading works. On Windows, first I had to boot without hyper threading enabled, then task manager still showed I have the i5 4590 in the machine. After shutting Windows down, enabling hyper threading in the BIOS and booting again, it recognized the Xeon one and all threads were available.

One thing I don't understand though that under AIDA64/OCCT stress test the new CPU (which is an i7 4770 equivalent) runs much hotter than the i5 4590 did. Under AIDA64 the max temp of the hottest core is about 83°C (before it was 10°C less), under OCCT it reached 93°C after 1 hour. The latter worries me as it was measured in a room with 28°C so it might reach 100°C during summer. (Under synthetic stress tests, which is designed to be resource consuming, I know, but still...)

How is it possible considering the TDP of the Xeon CPU is less then the i5s? Do I need a 3rd party cooler? What are your i7 max temps?
 
How is it possible considering the TDP of the Xeon CPU is less then the i5s? Do I need a 3rd party cooler? What are your i7 max temps?
TDP ratings are not really that accurate, mostly a guess by Intel. The Xeon is clocked 100MHz higher and has 4 cores + 8 threads in comparison to a 4590. Just those two factors are involved in the higher temps. I wouldn't be surprised if a 4770 ran that hot. I don't take much stock in stress tests because I never push my hacks that much for any length of time. If you haven't ever changed the thermal paste you could try a fresh coat of that or run the case fans faster to get more air flow. If you use Macs Fan Control app you can run the CPU fan at max speeds. That might keep it much cooler during the stress test. For this to work you also need the SMCDellsensors kext in your kexts folder. Dells standard fan curve doesn't really work well with macOS. It doesn't get the CPU fan to speed up enough when temps rise.
 
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TDP ratings are not really that accurate, mostly a guess by Intel. The Xeon is clocked 100MHz higher and has 4 cores + 8 threads in comparison to a 4590. Just those two factors are involved in the higher temps. I wouldn't be surprised if a 4770 ran that hot. I don't take much stock in stress tests because I never push my hacks that much for any length of time. If you haven't ever changed the thermal paste you could try a fresh coat of that or run the case fans faster to get more air flow. If you use Macs Fan Control app you can run the CPU fan at max speeds. That might keep it much cooler during the stress test. For this to work you also need the SMCDellsensors kext in your kexts folder. Dells standard fan curve doesn't really work well with macOS. It doesn't get the CPU fan to speed up enough when temps rise.

I measured these freshly repasted with MX-4, that's why I was worried. Turned out latest CPU stress tests are not reliable on Haswell because it produces exceptionally much heat on this CPU generation. I downgraded Prime95 to the recommended version and the hottest I measured was 84°C. It is still above the max. recommended 80°C, but as it is a synthetic test, in real life it will probably never get that hot, so I'm not buying a CPU cooler.
 
I downgraded Prime95 to the recommended version and the hottest I measured was 84°C.
Most people will disable AVX when running Prime95. That gives a closer to "real world" result.

Once AVX is manually disabled, Prime95 becomes a much better measure of stability. Most real-world applications don’t use AVX, after all. A longer test to detect possible overclocking-related instability makes more sense this way, even if we think you should still run a round of benchmarks using real-world workloads. Tom's Hardware
 
I'm pretty new to the Hackintosh world, so I don't quite know how this works...

Is it safe to update 10.15.7 (supplemental update)?

Is it safe to update to BigSur?
 
I'm pretty new to the Hackintosh world, so I don't quite know how this works...

Is it safe to update 10.15.7 (supplemental update)?

Is it safe to update to BigSur?
Make sure you've backed up your current EFI folder to a flash drive or some other external drive. Better yet, make a complete bootable backup before updating. If you are not already using OpenCore I would hold off on the Big Sur update for a few months yet, then switch to OC if you want to go with Big Sur.
 
Make sure you've backed up your current EFI folder to a flash drive or some other external drive.
I've just backed up my EFI folder- not too sure how a "complete bootable backup" would work. Is that using time machine?
already using OpenCore I would hold off on the Big Sur update for a few months yet, then switch to OC if you want to go with Big Sur.
I did a bit of research but I'm confused. Seems to replace Clover. What is OpenCore and how do I switch to it?

Am I safe to update the 10.15.7 sup. update?
 
Am I safe to update the 10.15.7 sup. update?
If you've made a backup yes. Use Time Machine if that's your only option. Most people use Carbon Copy Cloner, I use the latest version of Acronis True Image to make a bootable clone. ATI is paid software. If you get the perpetual license version you'll only pay for it once and use it as long as it still works with macOS. It's best to use the Windows version and burn the ISO file to a bootable USB instead of installing the Mac version of Acronis. You'd get the download version from a retailer like Newegg, the Acronis site gives you only the 1 year subscription via download. It should say perpetual license on the cover.

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What is OpenCore and how do I switch to it?
If you don't know what OpenCore is yet, you're not ready to switch yet.
See the OC guide first and study that. https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/the-dell-optimac-big-sur-opencore-thread.302383/
 
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There's a really good monitor deal on at Newegg for the next few days.

Lenovo ThinkVision P27q-20​

If you don't want to pay $350 or more for an LG 4K monitor you could get this 1440p Lenovo Thinkvision model.
It's 27" and is highly adjustable via the stand it comes with. $220 is a great price for a monitor of this quality.

https://www.newegg.com/lenovo-27/p/0JC-0006-00UP3?Item=9SIAHRCC3M1422

The LG 1440p model that sells for around this price:

LG 27QN600-B 27” QHD

Doesn't have all of the stand adjustments that the Lenovo has. Take a look at both before deciding.

The Lenovo Thinkvision 27" QHD can be adjusted to a much greater height. Perfect if you use a standing desk.
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At $220 it's $779 less than what Apple charges for the Pro Display XDR stand all by itself.

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Here's a video that shows the many ways you can adjust this monitor (P27Q QHD) to make it work for you. You can even use it in vertical portrait mode. Audio quality of this video is not great but watch it mainly to see how this monitor functions.

 
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