My experience with Hackintosh

[randomlinh]

I might sell my iMac and try this project.. but getting everything under a grand (sans case) is tough. I'm at ~1150.. but I'm already only w/ a 7600 (not that it matters, not really gaming), and don't want to give up 4GB ram or 2x250GB HDD's... The bad axe is so highly recommended, is there anything else that is maybe a step or two below?

 

[rikadik]

Originally posted by: randomlinh
I might sell my iMac and try this project.. but getting everything under a grand (sans case) is tough. I'm at ~1150.. but I'm already only w/ a 7600 (not that it matters, not really gaming), and don't want to give up 4GB ram or 2x250GB HDD's... The bad axe is so highly recommended, is there anything else that is maybe a step or two below?

I'm no OSx86 expert but I also think the Bad Axe is overkill, so found this webpage helpful:

http://pcwizcomputer.com/blog/?p=32

I'm yet to try making a hackintosh, but I'm planning on going for a Gigabyte P35 board - will take the new 45nm chips, including the new Quads due this Spring (I think).

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: rikadik

Originally posted by: randomlinh
I might sell my iMac and try this project.. but getting everything under a grand (sans case) is tough. I'm at ~1150.. but I'm already only w/ a 7600 (not that it matters, not really gaming), and don't want to give up 4GB ram or 2x250GB HDD's... The bad axe is so highly recommended, is there anything else that is maybe a step or two below?

I'm no OSx86 expert but I also think the Bad Axe is overkill, so found this webpage helpful:

http://pcwizcomputer.com/blog/?p=32

I'm yet to try making a hackintosh, but I'm planning on going for a Gigabyte P35 board - will take the new 45nm chips, including the new Quads due this Spring (I think).

Thanks for the link, The Asus won't save too much vs the OEM bad axe, but has built in eSATA... very nice.

As a side note, I don't quite understand the EFI+Vanilla Kernel support... do I need both to have the best bet of performing software updates?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: TheStu
So, I am anticipating a decent influx of cash soon, and am considering a Hackintosh as my next build.

I was looking at the Lifehacker page for their hardware recommendations, and have been finding places where I can save cash. Things like the case/PSU, I already have a case that works, and a good PSU. I already have hard drives, and a good graphics card and an optical drive. But I still have some questions.

The hackintosh newegg wish list specifies Corsair XMS as their RAM. DDR2-800 can be had for $45 for a 2GB kit, whereas the XMS is $100 for the same amount. Now, the way I see it, there is no need to actually spend that extra $30/GB if I don't have to. I am just curious as to what luck some of you may have had using budget RAM, I have never had a problem with it in my experiences, but this is a slightly different situation.

Also, looking at the wiki, the 7800GT works, but how about the GTX?

Basically I want a newer, more powerful computer, and ideally I want it to run OS X since that is my OS of preference. And as much as I like Apple, my desktop is a gaming machine, that is all I have it for, and getting an iMac is silly since it would be a downgrade in graphics.

The Bad Axe 2 is a dated but quality board for Hackintosh. It is popular because it works with OSx86 very, very well. My recommendation if you were to build one from scratch right now would be the DFI Blood Iron (red motherboard). However that is deactivated on Newegg, but the equivalent right now is the DFI Lanparty (black board I think). I just barely heard about this board but apparently it's the "superboard" for Hackintosh because of Penryn and onboard audio capabilities. It has support for:

-Quad-core processors
-Penryn processors (e8400 etc.)
-8 gigs of ram
-6 sata ports
-working onboard audio
-16x PCI Express (plus a couple 1x PCIe I think)
-3 PCI slots (iirc)

If I were to build a new machine, that would be the board I would go with (I'm keeping my eye on the build threads over at InsanelyMac to see how it fares in the long term). I ended up just getting a Griffin iMic USB sound card for my Bad Axe 2, but the DFI has onboard audio which is even better.

Quality RAM only seems to matter if you are overclocking, and even then if you are overclocking to insane speeds. I have 8 gigs of the cheap stuff ($40 or so per 2 gig stick) and I can overclock to 3ghz without a hitch.

It looks like the 7800GTX should work, here's an older thread that came up on a quick google search:

http://aquamac.proboards106.co...play&thread=1174253113

I love, love, LOVE my Hackintosh. It's fast, it's cheap, it's expandable, and I can replace every single part it in myself from any local or online computer shop. The only reason I would get another brand-name Mac again would be if I got a Mac laptop, since laptops don't work very well with Hackintosh (Steve, if you're reading this - make sure the next revision of the Air has an ExpressCard slot!).

Also there's a guy over on InsanelyMac who got his Tyan dual-processor (8 core) motherboard working without a hitch. You don't save quite as much money doing it yourself as you do with a single quad-core processor since you have to use Xeons in a dual-processor setup, but if you want to save a few hundred bucks it seems like a good way to go

 

[TheStu]

Well, I visited the wiki to look through their hardware listings, to see what worked on 10.5 and what didn't.

My buddy is also wanting to go Hackintosh (he has a MacBook Pro already) since it would give him a significantly more powerful windows box for not too much money

Based on the wiki
Asus P5B-VM
intel E4500 Allendale 2.2.GHz
2*1GB Mushkin DDR2-800
7600GTS
Cheap steel case (doesn't move it much, nor care that much about aesthetics)

My buddy already has everything else he needs (and just got himself a new PSU which should be more than sufficient) so this lets him get up and running for less than $500, which is ideal for him.

I am planning on getting a beefier processor, probably stick with 2GB RAM for now, and get a more featured Mobo. My current system is more or less fine for now, it is just that I want to try out hackintosh, and make the transition to Core 2 at the same time.

Something I noticed though... the Q6600 is $275, the E6600 is $230 or so... is there any point in not getting the Q6600 over the E6600?

 

[Kmax82]

I'm happy with my setup at the moment. I have an iMac at home and Macbook Pro for on the road work, but whenever it's time for an upgrade, I'm definitely going to be building a Hackintosh. Either that, or if I decide I have a nice wad of cash burning a hole in my pocket, which happens time and time again.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: TheStu
Well, I visited the wiki to look through their hardware listings, to see what worked on 10.5 and what didn't.

My buddy is also wanting to go Hackintosh (he has a MacBook Pro already) since it would give him a significantly more powerful windows box for not too much money

Based on the wiki
Asus P5B-VM
intel E4500 Allendale 2.2.GHz
2*1GB Mushkin DDR2-800
7600GTS
Cheap steel case (doesn't move it much, nor care that much about aesthetics)

My buddy already has everything else he needs (and just got himself a new PSU which should be more than sufficient) so this lets him get up and running for less than $500, which is ideal for him.

I am planning on getting a beefier processor, probably stick with 2GB RAM for now, and get a more featured Mobo. My current system is more or less fine for now, it is just that I want to try out hackintosh, and make the transition to Core 2 at the same time.

Something I noticed though... the Q6600 is $275, the E6600 is $230 or so... is there any point in not getting the Q6600 over the E6600?

The E4500 is the perfect low-cost chip imo...$125 and is the minimum required for 1080p.

I would say, go for the Q6600...quad cores and not much more expensive, plus you can typically overclock it to 3ghz very easily. Mine goes to 3ghz with hardly a blip in temps on budget ram. If you want a Hackintosh AND a crazy overclocking box, then the E6600 is probably a better way to go. But if you're going to overclock, get an E8400 for around the same price - people are getting 4ghz left and right!

 

[TheStu]

So, in regard to trying to save as much money as possible, but still have it be a solid performer, you would say the E4500? But, if I have a little more money to burn then the Q6600 is the best way to go? That was what I had gathered from the available information, but it has been 4 years since I last built a computer completely from scratch with all the research that goes into it, so it is kind of annoying having to start all over again, but sort of fun too.

The fortunate thing was that my last system was built to be a serious overclocking system, so I am used to having to get highly specific parts and fiddling with the system.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: TheStu
So, in regard to trying to save as much money as possible, but still have it be a solid performer, you would say the E4500? But, if I have a little more money to burn then the Q6600 is the best way to go? That was what I had gathered from the available information, but it has been 4 years since I last built a computer completely from scratch with all the research that goes into it, so it is kind of annoying having to start all over again, but sort of fun too.

The fortunate thing was that my last system was built to be a serious overclocking system, so I am used to having to get highly specific parts and fiddling with the system.

That's basically it. E4500 will give you encoded 1080p playback, so all of your media needs are taken care of completely with that chip. The Quad is just awesome If you think about it, you're getting four processors for $280, so that's like $70 per 2.4ghz chip. Pretty nice deal! If you want to overclock, get a Penryn-compatible board and an E8400 for $200ish.

 

[Kaido]

SuperDuper has been updated for Leopard and works on Hackintoshes:

http://www.shirt-pocket.com/Su...rDuperDescription.html

Took 30 minutes to clone 40 gigs of data off my boot drive

 

[fyleow]

..

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: fyleow

Originally posted by: Kaido
SuperDuper has been updated for Leopard and works on Hackintoshes:

http://www.shirt-pocket.com/Su...rDuperDescription.html

Took 30 minutes to clone 40 gigs of data off my boot drive

So can it be used to transfer an existing hackintosh installation to a new hard drive?

1) Backup with SuperDuper
2) Install EFI on new HDD
3) Restore?

No:

1) Backup with SuperDuper
2) Boot up with new drive



Install SuperDuper, clone your boot drive to your backup drive, shutdown, unplug your boot drive (or swap the boot drive in BIOS), and boot up using your freshly-cloned drive. That's it! Just like a real Mac! I'm cloning my install to my RAID set (2 x 500gb RAID 1) right now to see if that works too

 

[TheStu]

In the example you just gave, how similar must the systems be for it to work? Are we talking same mobo, or could they be fairly different?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: TheStu
In the example you just gave, how similar must the systems be for it to work? Are we talking same mobo, or could they be fairly different?

I would imagine that it would be just like Windows...i.e. it has to be the exact same system. The Hackintosh install will be setup for your specific motherboard, video card, sound card, etc. and will have drivers installed for that. The purpose is to clone your boot drive for use in the same computer, such as to upgrade to a larger drive or to create a backup copy for emergency restore. Also, SuperDuper works alongside Time Machine so you have a history of backups PLUS a full system clone, all on one backup drive!

I just tested my $30 2-port SATA RAID card from Newegg. RAID 1 works flawlessly and I was able to clone my 250gb boot drive to the 500gb RAID 1 set without a hitch. My Hackintosh now has dual 500-gig drives in RAID 1 as the boot drive!

My next mod will be a Quadro 5600 (modded 8800GTX). That card is nearly $3,000 from Apple, but you can get an 8800GTX with half the vram (768mb) from Newegg for under $500 (under $400 AR actually) and mod the ROM into a Quadro.

 

[TheStu]

I ask about it on the Hackintosh specifically since I know that my MacBook hard drive will boot my buddy's MacBook Pro (he had a corrupted Leopard Beta install, I had the real deal). In fact, I think he is still using that after he cloned it to his internal hard drive.

They are fairly similar systems, but aren't identical..

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: TheStu
I ask about it on the Hackintosh specifically since I know that my MacBook hard drive will boot my buddy's MacBook Pro (he had a corrupted Leopard Beta install, I had the real deal). In fact, I think he is still using that after he cloned it to his internal hard drive.

They are fairly similar systems, but aren't identical..

That's interesting...I know you can do it on Windows, but it usually really screws things up because of the processors for the low-level stuff (processors, network, etc.) and the other stuff (video, sound, etc.). Since Apple controls Mac hardware (well, mostly ) maybe you'd get better results...

 

[TheStu]

Well, it can't hurt anything to try. My buddy is probably going to get his hackintosh up and running first since he needs a more powerful computer NOW! ANd he is already planning on cloning his hard drive off (he is going to see if BootCamp will work), so once I get the new parts for my system, I can try just dropping his clone into place.

 

[kalster]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: TheStu
In the example you just gave, how similar must the systems be for it to work? Are we talking same mobo, or could they be fairly different?

I would imagine that it would be just like Windows...i.e. it has to be the exact same system. The Hackintosh install will be setup for your specific motherboard, video card, sound card, etc. and will have drivers installed for that. The purpose is to clone your boot drive for use in the same computer, such as to upgrade to a larger drive or to create a backup copy for emergency restore. Also, SuperDuper works alongside Time Machine so you have a history of backups PLUS a full system clone, all on one backup drive!

I just tested my $30 2-port SATA RAID card from Newegg. RAID 1 works flawlessly and I was able to clone my 250gb boot drive to the 500gb RAID 1 set without a hitch. My Hackintosh now has dual 500-gig drives in RAID 1 as the boot drive!

My next mod will be a Quadro 5600 (modded 8800GTX). That card is nearly $3,000 from Apple, but you can get an 8800GTX with half the vram (768mb) from Newegg for under $500 (under $400 AR actually) and mod the ROM into a Quadro.

what raid card did you get from newegg

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: kalster

what raid card did you get from newegg

Rosewill RC-211 PCIe card, $30 shipped:

http://www.newegg.com/product/...x?item=N82E16816132008

I think any card with the Silicon Image SI3132 chip will work. So far I have gotten RAID 1 working but not RAID 0, but I think I installed the wrong driver lol. Testing it more tomorrow when I have some free time at home.

 

[NamelessMC]

I'm starting my iBlac project this weekend. I'll take lots of pictures, detailed blog it and show the hardware I used so you guys can get some good feedback on a Gigabyte P35, 7600GT, Intel processor build.

Think she's ready? I sure do.

 

[kalster]

ds3l?

 

[rikadik]

Originally posted by: NamelessMC
I'm starting my iBlac project this weekend. I'll take lots of pictures, detailed blog it and show the hardware I used so you guys can get some good feedback on a Gigabyte P35, 7600GT, Intel processor build.

Think she's ready? I sure do.

Sweet

 

[yoyomac]

First post here!

Ok, I'm building a Hackintosh with my tax refund. Thank you Uncle Sam.


So, my question is this. I want to have a dual boot machine: OSX/Vista. I know that shouldn't be a problem.
The wrench I'm going to throw into the works is this, I want to build an SLi rig for gaming on the vista side. Is this possible? I've been searching the internet for some glimmer of hope that I can build an SLi Hackintosh.

I totally understand that OSX does not support SLi, and I don't need it to, it's only for my windows/gaming side.

Would I be better off just getting the new ATI 3870 X2? IT's almost as fast as an SLI setup.

Thanks.

 

[roastin nugs]

hello everyone - great thread kaido.

i'm thinkin about building a new pc for gaming (windows side) and playing around with the Hackintosh idea.

i was planning to used a GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS4 Rev. 2.1 with an e8400 cpu. in your opinion would that be a good setup? also, i might just wait till 10.5.2 to even mess with all of this as I want to use probably a 8800gts or gtx. (was reading over at insanelymac forums that better support for that card will be availible with 10.5.2? correct me if im wrong there).

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: roastin nugs
hello everyone - great thread kaido.

i'm thinkin about building a new pc for gaming (windows side) and playing around with the Hackintosh idea.

i was planning to used a GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS4 Rev. 2.1 with an e8400 cpu. in your opinion would that be a good setup? also, i might just wait till 10.5.2 to even mess with all of this as I want to use probably a 8800gts or gtx. (was reading over at insanelymac forums that better support for that card will be availible with 10.5.2? correct me if im wrong there).

1. The 10.5.2 beta kexts have already been ripped and people are using GT cards like crazy
2. GTS/GTX cards are already supported anyway (I've had a GTS card in mine for awhile, great setup!)
3. The last release of the 10.5.2 to developers works on Hackintoshes, so unless they add something before the final release we're good

As far as motherboards go, keep an eye on the DFI Bloodiron/Lanparty. It looks like it's going to be the poster child for single-processor Hackintosh systems since it has 6 SATA ports, working onboard audio, support for Penryn processors (including quads), 8 gigs of ram cap, and everything else works 100%. I will most likely be using one in my next build for my wife's system.