Want to Update to Catalina. Stuck on Yosemite. Help Me Get There?

[acentoni]

I know I’ll have to get a new motherboard since things changed after Sierra. Little by little, I need to get up to date. Things just aren't working for me anymore without these updates. Any advice for me? I haven’t done much to my machine since I built in 2011. So I’ve forgotten a lot of the things I learned. I’d love to still be able to use my Cinema Display (DisplayPort). Do I need a new processor as well? Current specs below.

Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD5-B3 Socket 1155
Core i7-2600K Processor 3.4 GHz 8 MB Cache Socket LGA1155
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 4GB
Apple 27" Cinema Display
16 GB DDR3 RAM
Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50 CWCH50-1

 

[Jamesbond007]

I know I’ll have to get a new motherboard since things changed after Sierra. Little by little, I need to get up to date. Things just aren't working for me anymore without these updates. Any advice for me? I haven’t done much to my machine since I built in 2011. So I’ve forgotten a lot of the things I learned. I’d love to still be able to use my Cinema Display (DisplayPort). Do I need a new processor as well? Current specs below.

Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD5-B3 Socket 1155
Core i7-2600K Processor 3.4 GHz 8 MB Cache Socket LGA1155
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 4GB
Apple 27" Cinema Display
16 GB DDR3 RAM
Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H50 CWCH50-1

Your system should still be compatible with MacOS Catalina and no hardware changes should be necessary. However, I don't know if the new OS will still work with your Cinema Display.

 

[acentoni]

Really? I thought things changed with Sierra?

 

[kylec]

That processor hasn't been used since iMac12,2, which doesn't run Mojave or Catalina. However, that is because it came with the Radeon 6750m, which can't do Metal. You have a GTX 770, which is new enough for Mojave and Catalina. Probably, iMac13,2 is the best system definition for you, but you could experiment with iMac14,2 or maybe MacMini6,1.

 

[kylec]

Getting everything working on the older motherboards can be harder, but it usually works out. Here's a tip, if you're having trouble with audio support in late-model OS X, try removing the DSDT from ACPI/patched. I think on some older systems it's still helpful, while on some others it ends up getting in the way of the newer Lilu-based patches.

Your alcid value might be a weird, high number.

 

[acentoni]

Awesome. Thank you!

 

[acentoni]

Here's a question. If you wanted to update the system hardware that I have currently to be more future proof, what would you choose? What works and what doesn't?

 

[Jamesbond007]

Here's a question. If you wanted to update the system hardware that I have currently to be more future proof, what would you choose? What works and what doesn't?

Does "update the system hardware" mean replacing the graphics card only or if the motherboard / CPU / RAM can be replaced? If you replace the motherboard / CPU it is no different from building a new system.

 

[acentoni]

Does "update the system hardware" mean replacing the graphics card only or if the motherboard / CPU / RAM can be replaced? If you replace the motherboard / CPU it is no different from building a new system.

I’m open to replacing graphics, mobo and/or processor if needed. Don’t mind starting over with a “new” system if it means things will work smoothly. Right now, I’m stuck on Yosemite and things are starting to not work so well. I want an up to date, working system that’s not crazy complicated to get going. Any advice is welcome.

 

[kylec]

You can reuse your RAM if you go to a Z97 motherboard with DDR3. You can buy a Haswell refresh processor for that. Look for refurbished, or new old stock sales, and it will be quite cheap.

If you're not reusing RAM, then you're in the same boat as anyone here who's building a new system.