The Dell OptiMac Big Sur/OpenCore Thread - For 7020/9020 Optiplex Desktops

[trs96]

Hello. I'm running Big Sur on few 7020s and 9020s without bigger problems. Updating no problems also. USB is working but seems to be slower than on windows. I have an impression that it was running faster on usbinjectall kext before. Any ideas? This is SFF with edited bios. Remapping should be done only on MT version I think? usbinjectall only when bios is not edited?

With Big Sur we want to be using the USBports kext instead of USB injectall and SSDT-UIAC.aml. Big Sur has stricter requirements in regard to third party kexts. That's the best approach from Big Sur going forward... Not sure what your USB speeds are related to. What are you connecting to your USB ports ? How are you measuring the speeds ?

Because Apple is reigning-in on what 3rd-party kexts can be installed, it was initially worrying that using any form of kext installation to modify the ACPI/USB ports could get blocked in future. However by putting our USBPorts.kext in the EFI/ or OC/ folder macOS doesn't 'see' it. What's more, if you run kextstat from Terminal you will notice that although other kexts are visible to macOS, USBPorts.kext is not. My take on this is because there is no 'executable' within it's container.

by Moderator Utterdisbelief

 

[cdummy]

With Big Sur we want to be using the USBports kext instead of USB injectall and SSDT-UIAC.aml. Big Sur has stricter requirements in regard to third party kexts. That's the best approach from Big Sur going forward... Not sure what your USB speeds are related to. What are you connecting to your USB ports ? How are you measuring the speeds ?


by Moderator Utterdisbelief

This is what use. USBports kext but I don't see SSDT-UIAC.aml in downloads. Should I download this separately?
I usually add Minecraft mods for my grandkids. One is playing on windows machine the other on 9020. When I copy the mods from USB drive to proper folders it takes about 2 times longer to copy the same files on 9020 than on windows. After copying it takes a long time to eject usually I have to do force eject but it still takes a long time. Thanks for all help.

 

[trs96]

USBports kext but I don't see SSDT-UIAC.aml in downloads.

Not used together. You just need the USBports kext. UIAC.aml is only used with the USBinjectall kext.

One is playing on windows machine the other on 9020.

How much newer is the Windows machine ? Does it have USB 3.2 ports ? Those are quite a bit faster than the older 3.0 ports on your Dell. 3.0 ports on the Dell have the SS letters next to the USB logo. Not all the ports on your 9020 SFF are USB 3. Most of them are USB 2. Two on the front and four in the back. The USB 2.0 ports will be a lot slower to read data.

I'd suggest you run some speed tests on your USB flash drives. The Blackmagic disk speed test works for that. Test the USB 3.0 ports and see where they test out. Then test the 2.0 ports with the same drive. With this app you need to click the gear icon, then select your target USB drive, then click on start.

This is what I get on my 7020 SFF when using a front USB 3.0 port with a Samsung Bar Plus flash drive. The write speeds are about normal for this drive. I bought it mainly for the 214 MB/s read speeds.

Here's the same Samsung drive in a front 2.0 port. Read speeds are reduced to 42 MB/s.

 

[cdummy]

Yes I know about SSUSB on 9020 and 7020. Thanks for BlackMagicD. suggestion. Apparently Lexar USB that I use to transfer Minecraft mods is very slow on 9020 not on Windows though(no idea why that is). I tried different sticks and USB hard drives they work OK and show faster speeds on SSUSB ports. I'll stop using that Lexar on Mac than. Stick is very old. Still fast on windows though. Thanks for all help.

 

[trs96]

I tried different sticks and USB hard drives they work OK and show faster speeds on SSUSB ports.

That's good. Means you are getting USB 3 speeds. Dell didn't use the the conventional royal blue color for their USB 3 ports. The tiny ss logo is difficult to see. That's why I asked if you were using the 3.0 ports. May help others to see this point as well.

Most PC case makers use this blue color (instead of black) on the 3.0 ports. Dell didn't on the 7020/9020.

 

[mbatrawi]

hello sir
i have also old monitor like you, i run big sur now with pc > vga , i know it's basic view option, i want to ask you when you use DP > VGA cable is the full acceleration worked fine in the system ( like the top bar blur and dock bar blur ) and if this happen , is your only problem that it's blacked when wake up only? or what? is the system work fine with you? and if it's only wake up problem , i think it's not a problem for me, and i want to know please the cable that you are using , i'm using the system now without full accelerated , and can you please post a screen shot from your desktop or from about

hello sir
i have also old monitor like you, i run big sur now with pc > vga , i know it's basic view option, i want to ask you when you use DP > VGA cable is the full acceleration worked fine in the system ( like the top bar blur and dock bar blur ) and if this happen , is your only problem that it's blacked when wake up only? or what? is the system work fine with you? and if it's only wake up problem , i think it's not a problem for me, and i want to know please the cable that you are using , i'm using the system now without full accelerated , and can you please post a screen shot from your desktop or from about apple please

thanks

Now I Don’t have Big Sur and I have Catalina only but before I had Big Sur without any problems only sleep and airplay not working ( DP to VGA).

 

[MOFNET]

Now I Don’t have Big Sur and I have Catalina only but before I had Big Sur without any problems only sleep and airplay not working ( DP to VGA).

thanks alot, i have solved the problem by having a new monitor and plug it with DP>DP cable and every thing going smoothly

 

[nicksoph]

Looking at the Mac models that will be able to run Monterey, it shows

• Mac mini Late 2014 and later
  • Model Identifier: Macmini7,1

in the list, I think it looks the closest to the hardware for the Dell 7020, has anyone ever set one of these up and tried to use the 7,1 System definitions?

 

[Bresjee99]

As a long time lurker:

Yesterday I found this https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-12-monterey-on-unsupported-macs-thread.2299557/ maybe this gives us an opportunity to keep these machines running as iMac 15,1. That seems to be most compatible SMBIOS. They've also confirmed that the support for Intel HD4600 is still in Monterey.

The piece of software is from the same creators as OpenCore.

I also have a 2014 MacBook Pro, I'm happy that machine can run Monterey with this software. In the past I've prolonged the lifespan of my 2010 white MacBook up to Catalina (still going strong btw) with the DosDude patchers.

 

[trs96]

I think it looks the closest to the hardware for the Dell 7020, has anyone ever set one of these up and tried to use the 7,1 System definitions?

It's not the best match as those Mac minis use a very low power (ULT) Haswell dual core laptop CPU and Iris 5100 graphics. It may "work" for those using only HD4600 graphics but it's not the optimal solution for full CPU performance or function of all the USB ports. Two very important matters. The 2014 minis use an Intel laptop chipset the iMac 2014 uses an Intel desktop chipset very similar to if not the same as the Q87 used by the Dell in the 7020/9020. You can't really do any better than iMac 15,1. I have a 7020 with an i5-4690 as was the exact same CPU used in the base model 15,1. Performance is really smooth and responsive.

Intel Core i5 Haswell laptop CPU:

This model is powered by a 22 nm, 64-bit "Fourth Generation" Intel Mobile Core i5 "Haswell ULT" (I5-4278U) processor which includes two independent processor "cores" on a single silicon chip. Each core has a dedicated 256k level 2 cache, shares 3 MB of level 3 cache, and has an integrated memory controller (dual channel).

Here's a spec by spec comparison of the standard Mac mini 7,1 laptop i5 vs. an i5-4670 that you'd find in a 7020.

I have no problem with continuing to use either Catalina or Big Sur for the longer term. Monterey adds some neat features that I can admit are appealing but I can easily live without them for now.