The Green & White PowerMac G3

[Zutes]

Hey everyone, this will be my first Hackintosh build so you'll have to forgive me for my noobish-ness. I recently rescued an old PowerMac from a local ad on Craigslist. It's a relatively good condition B&W that I've decided to turn into a Lime Green & White PowerMac G3. I haven't gotten the budget (my girlfriend is expensive ) to order in all my parts just yet, but I have the following shopping list:

CPU: Intel Core i5 3570K (already purchased)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Q77M-D2H
PSU: ThermalTake 600W
RAM: 8GB. I don't really care about the "high-performance" RAM
SSD: 120GB Samsung 840
HDD: 500GB Whatever's cheapest brand.
GPU: TBD. I don't game and I have a Mac Mini that works fine for watching movies on a slower Core i5.
OS: Mountain Lion

Now, seeing as this is my first Hackintosh and my first custom build in general, I have a few questions. I've already read fairly extensively so I'm asking to those in the audience that have experience regarding the following topics:

PSU: Does having the standard format PSU cause any real issues in regards to heat? The stock PSU is obviously a one-off setup and isn't compatible with newer mobo's.

Case Fans/Heat: If I only primarily use the computer for homework (I'm a broke-ass college student), and general internet browsing, should I really even concern myself with extensive cooling? The heaviest load I will ever be running will be Safari, Mail, iTunes, and Pages at once.

GPUs: For what I described above, is there really any benefit whatsoever trying to cram a GPU into an already-tight case on a small mATX board?

I hope to have the motherboard, RAM, and HDD here within the next few weeks to get this project started. For now though, I'll make a trip to the local Lowe's and grab some paint prep to get this started. Attached below is a paint scheme from an iMac G3 that I'd like to come close to, perhaps a few lighter shades of green.

 

[duncanroller]

PSU: Does having the standard format PSU cause any real issues in regards to heat? The stock PSU is obviously a one-off setup and isn't compatible with newer mobo's.

Case Fans/Heat: If I only primarily use the computer for homework (I'm a broke-ass college student), and general internet browsing, should I really even concern myself with extensive cooling? The heaviest load I will ever be running will be Safari, Mail, iTunes, and Pages at once.

GPUs: For what I described above, is there really any benefit whatsoever trying to cram a GPU into an already-tight case on a small mATX board?

PSU: I highly recommend getting an 80mm fan model. If you use a standard PSU w/ a 120mm fan you wont draw any air in because the fan will get smashed up against the bottom/back side of the case. Furthermore, the O/I switch and D-plug may have different orientation that will require extra cutting into the rear of the case. Also, unless you're planning on putting a GPU in that is over $200 a 600w PSU is an overkill.. I'd look at the 350-450W range for your config.

Case Fans/Heat: The only real problem I can think of here is that the stock CPU cooler will blow pretty much directly into the side of the PSU. as long as you have something pushing or pulling air through the case I would expect you'll be dandy.

GPUs: I would stick with the Intel HD 4000 graphics on the 3570k. It will eliminate additional potential heat issues and if you're not gaming you will rarely, if ever, notice a difference.

The most interesting part of the G3/G4 hacks to me is mounting the MLB itself. I'm very interested to see your approach. Also, I love the green machine idea! My first Mac was a clamshell iBook, I got Indigo only because Lime was OOS! (still loved that computer though!)

Good luck with everything and I'll be of as much help as I can!

Brad

 

[wiz329]

Hi there, I apologize that this is off-topic, but I don't have enough posts to PM you!

I noticed on your profile you have the ASRock Z87E-ITX board. I have been looking at using this board since it has 6 SATA ports. What can you tell me about its compatability?

 

[duncanroller]

I haven't installed OS X on my ASRock Haswell system yet. I've been waiting for 10.8.5. I'll let you know once I've switched it over.