[WIP] Photo/Video Editing Mini-ITX Catalina Hackintosh: 9700K, Z390 I Aorus, 32GB RAM, RX 5700

[kabauterman]

kabauterman's Photo/Video Editing Hackintosh:
i7-9700K, Z390 I Aorus, RX 5700


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Components

Intel i7-9700K 8-Core Processor (9900K is to expensive for the given benefits my liking)
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07HHN6KBZ/?tag=tonymacx8603-21

Noctua NH-C14S CPU Cooler (the biggest thing that fits into this case)
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00Y7993MG/?tag=tonymacx8603-21

Gigabyte Z390 I Aorus Motherboard
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07J6762XD/?tag=tonymacx8603-21

2x 16 GB G.Skill DDR4-2666 Memory
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07KK9XV17/?tag=tonymacx8603-21

1TB Samsung 970 EVO NVMe SSD
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07CGJNLBB/?tag=tonymacx8603-21

PowerColor AMD RX 5700 8GB Graphic card (5700 XT is unfortunately to big for the case)
(not yet Available on Amazon)

Jonsbo UMX1 Plus Mini-ITX Case
(not Available on Amazon)

Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM Case Fan (the Only Thing that fits above the CPU Cooler)
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B071W6HJP6/?tag=tonymacx8603-21

be quiet! PURE POWER 11 400W Modular 80+ Gold PSU
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07JJFBNH2/?tag=tonymacx8603-21


Comments

Since some days I work on a new Hackintosh Project, and here I would like to share Build log.

It recreates a iMac 2019 with a configuration worth 4700 € but without the Display or course.

Possibles saving points:

CPU: i7-8700K (just 6-Cores but Hyperthreading) or any other cheap 6-Core for Socket 1151 v2.​

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Board: essential.​

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RAM: I wouldn't go with less RAM for Video Editing but if you know 16 will be okay, do it.​

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GFX: RX580 would work great for half the price but RX 5700 gives a lot more punch for the same energy drawn.​

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Case: choose what you want but I wanted something that looked like a Mac. ​

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CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9x65 will also work great but you will have a louder system.​

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Case Fan: If you go with the beefy cooler you have no choice. But if you take the smaller CPU cooler you can go with any 120m fan and a 80mm fan in the back.​

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PSU: I dare you to cheap out on the PSU but you can also go with a 80+ Bronce or Silver if you want to safe some bucks.​

WiFi and BT will be realized with USB-Dongles, unfortunately the Boards WiFi Card Slot is ONLY CNVi Compatible even if it is a usual M.2 A+E Slot.​

If this wouldn't be the case I simply would have used a DW1820 Card in this Slot.​

There are ways to use a A+E Card in an Adapter for M-Key (Big) Slots, I will give this a try.


Build

No Troubles here so far, if you know how to Build a PC there shouldn't be any Problem.

Be Careful with the CPU Cooler because it fit's just in one single orientation and there is not a lot of space. It fits like a well sized sneaker. And right from the cooler is place for exactly the Power Cable going to the Motherboard.

Above the CPU Cooler is a Slim Noctua Fan, that's the Only Case Fan that fits with this cooler.


Pre-Installation

BIOS Setup

The important Stuff is of course

VT-d = Disabled
Above 4G Decoding = Disabled (very important to get the RX 5700 booting, working and giving a display output)
Windows 8/10 Features = Other OS
CSM = Enabled (even if some other guides say this should be disabled, without it you will not be able to boot UEFI Deviced)

Also important = I leave the iGPU enabled because it can be used by some applications for render tasks.




Installation

I prepared a Stick with Mojave via UniBeast.

The biggest issue I ran into was the right Memory Manager in combination with the slide=0 argument. I had luck ONLY with the OsxAptioFix2Drv-free2000.efi and slide=0 everything else didn't boot. Be careful with this option, I got different suggestions from people running the same board. The Memory Controller is in the CPU, that means with every different CPU it could be possibly another Memory Manager Driver needed. Just use and test one at a time with slide=0 or without it. You can try this argument in CLOVER when you hit the spacebar on the booting entry.

And to get the RX 5700 or 5700 XT to work you need agdpmod=pikera as boot argument in Clover's config.plist. Also very important, NO INJECT ATI on config.plist.

If you have troubles just pull out the RX 5700 and install everything using the iGPU.

Than I also needed to use a USB 2.0 Port to get the installer to work.

You can find my CLOVER Folder for the USB-Stick in the Attachments

Post-Installation

I ran MultiBeast to install some kexts but had no luck booting it. But MultiBeast installs Clover on EFI Partition which is very important.

So, again booted from the Stick but into macOS, and just copied the Clover Folder from my working USB Drive to the SSDs EFI, and it works like a charm. I did some changes to the SMBIOS Part you can find the booting Clover Folder from the SSD in Attachments.

After a working Mojave Installation, I updated Clover via Package and installed the newest Version of every KEXT used with Hackintool.

Then I got to updating to Catalina, and that's it.

That's all. I got a working Catalina build.

Troubles:

Fixes:

for WiFi:

Update:

What Works:

Almost everything so far, but I need to test more.
Audio
Graphics
WiFi (using TP-Link Archer T3U AC1300 Dongle and TP-Link Beta Catalina Driver)
BT (using old BT Dongle)


What doesn't work:

Nothing that I found so far.

KEXTs used in /L/E:

Apple ALC​

CPUFriend​

FakeSMC​

GenericUSBXHCI​

Lilu​

USBInjectAll​

WhateverGreen​

Benchmarks:

 

[kabauterman]

Good luck I started building on this motherboard about a month ago. Photography and some video editing (FCPX). For the drivers, if you use Clover bootloader, the OsxAptioFix2Drv worked and let me install Mojave, vanilla method. All drivers/ kernel extensions updated. USB3.1/3 work if you use the correct PLRP values with mapping (Hackintool) for the Jonsbo mini-ITX case and it is not clear in the forum what are they for 10.14.6 versions and higher. SMbios iMac18,3 to 19,2.

WI-FI and BT. I also use dongles. Yet, I think there is a working solution in the forum but I am not sure and basically I am working on it, using one of the two M.2 slots of the NVMe SSDs with adaptors.

RX5700/5700XT just got compatibility in Catalina 10.15.1. I think is one of the best for video editing you can get.

Thank you! I already got it working but didn't had the time to update the Post including everything.

I think you can't get BT working with Adapters on M.2 just WiFi.

The BT Part on the Cards is connected via USB and the M.2 M Key Connectors on the Board don't have USB Lanes, just PCIe.

Do you have a link to a thread for me?

What BT Dongle do you use?

 

[kabauterman]

I just followed this one.

https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/broadcom-wifi-bluetooth-guide.242423/post-1774187

and this https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/broadcom-wifi-bluetooth-guide.242423/post-1783539

I'm experimenting. My BT dongle is a keyboardUSB nothing special, similar for the Wi-fi. I don't use Handoff, Airdrop. But I wanted to get them working.. didn't know it. I thought it would get the BT working just plugging the USB on motherboard. I will confirm that in a few hours with the last part I'm waiting the Α+Ε key adapter in my hands. Back luck for me

Edit: Sorry, my BT I currently use is a Plugable USB-BT4LE USB Bluetooth 4.0 by Broadcom

Thank you I just ordered the needed Adapter Board and will give it a try.

I updated the first post with a lot more infos.

 

[kabauterman]

Good day nice, small and good looking curvy case. Didn't you need to do your own USB mapping? I did and it was kinda hard to find the right patching values for USBInjectAll.kext in Clover Configurator. My installation and post installation looks a little bit more simple and clean without Unibeast/ Multibeast.

I can confirm finally that the M key adapter from Delock (the only one I found locally) plus A+E Key mini PCIe adapter I ordered from Amazon plus the Apple Broadcom BCM943602CS attached in the front M2P slot they are working flawlessly and natively, if you want to use this way try it.

My case is an aluminium silver microATX cube style, it fits full size ATX psu and I have two 60mm fans for intake some air and one on the top for exhaust. I also placed my AIO at the bottom of the case with slim radiator fan 15mm from Noctua (the same as yours you have as exhaust case fan). Well AIO and the dGPU almost touch each other, and their fans face each other running opposite. My system now is running a bit hot I have the Noctua NH-L9x65 cooler and it is a good replacement but yet I don't suggest this for 8core or 6core CPUs especially the K in full load. The bigger the better. Check your temperatures or just forget them if you don't mind. I dual boot with Windows.

A very good tool is the Hackintool for drivers, kexts, patches and info for post work.

Keep it up, lets make some GA-Z390 I Aorus user builds [SUCCESS]

I found an Adapter for the Apple Broadcom BCM943602CS Card directly to M.2 M-Key but I don't have the BCM943602CS.
Have you seen this?

I havn't played with the backside M.2 Slot already but will do in the next days.

I don't know if I will have the troubles of DW1820 or just get a BCM943602CS

 

[kabauterman]

And the Bluetooth keyboard by JETech works in Bios and in start up. It is a cheap plastic sliver/white color similar to Apple's one.

Your Lilu, WEG and AppleALC kexts look old, update them. According to my RX570, I had to install NoVPA.kext as well to open jpeg photos with Preview and Quick Preview. Everything installed in Clover/Other folder, nothing in Library, System/Library.

I just tested the backside port with my NVMe SSD, and it worked fine.

The Adapter for the DW1820 came today but I haven't got it to run. As soon as the card is in the slot macOS doesn't boot anymore. No matter if AirportBrcmFixup kext is installed or not.

Maybe I will give it a try later or just wait for the Apple card.

Why don't you install kexts where they belong? /L/E/ is the "right" way.

 

[trs96]

KEXTs used:

in S/L/E:

Apple ALC
CPUFriend
FakeSMC
GenericUSBXHCI
Lilu
USBInjectAll
WhateverGreen

May be better for you to install these into /L/E rather than S/L/E. Apple suggests that all non-Apple kexts go in /L/E.

• Installing kexts in /Library/Extensions is the Apple endorsed and recommended location for all 3rd Party kexts.

If you purchase a piece of hardware that requires the installation of a manufacturers MacOS driver, the kexts will be installed in /Library/Extensions so why treat hackintosh kexts any different ?

 

[kabauterman]

May be better for you to install these into /L/E rather than S/L/E. Apple suggests that all non-Apple kexts go in /L/E.

• Installing kexts in /Library/Extensions is the Apple endorsed and recommended location for all 3rd Party kexts.

If you purchase a piece of hardware that requires the installation of a manufacturers MacOS driver, the kexts will be installed in /Library/Extensions so why treat hackintosh kexts any different ?

Oh sorry! Sure, I meant L/E not S/L/E.

I have nothing in SLE

 

[macs_forever]

Not too impressed with that case. I can't see an exhaust vent for the PSU. I would recommend something different if it burns out your power supply. Maybe a Lian Li PC-TU150

 

[kabauterman]

With these two kexts USBInjectAll and GenericUSBXHCI? Versions?

Yes with these two KEXTs

Not too impressed with that case. I can't see an exhaust vent for the PSU. I would recommend something different if it burns out your power supply. Maybe a Lian Li PC-TU150

You can not see the a exhaust for the PSU because the case has no extra exhaust for the PSU.

It blows a lot of hot air inside itself but still is the only Mac-Like looking Mini-ITX Case I know.

Everything else looks to much like a PC or like Gaming.
This is sleek looking clean aluminum without a lot of holes and of course without a window.

 

[macs_forever]

Yes with these two KEXTs



You can not see the a exhaust for the PSU because the case has no extra exhaust for the PSU.

It blows a lot of hot air inside itself but still is the only Mac-Like looking Mini-ITX Case I know.

Everything else looks to much like a PC or like Gaming.
This is sleek looking clean aluminum without a lot of holes and of course without a window.

I'm not a fan of Windows. Wish I could get the PC-TU150 without one. I really like the PC-TU100 and PC-TU200. The PC-TU200 would hold a big graphics card and if you use a SFX power supply, there is plenty of room for a Noctua cooler like the one you use.

If it works, fine but PSUs don't react well to a lot of heat.