[Guide] A Hackintosh How to: From the Ground Up

maleorderbride

United States2916 Posts

June 13 2009 22:43 GMT

Hackintoshin' it. Building the computer, tweaking and overclocking the BIOS, installing OS X, drivers, and boot manager

If he can do this, then you can build a freaking Mac clone:

edit: New Content
I am appending an i7 /Snow Leopard guide at the end. It will also include an SL install for this same initial motherboard/hardware setup.

Builing a system is still pretty much identical. Sure, one might change the motherboard or whatnot with the i7s, but it is 99% the same. If, for some reason, my parts list meets with construction difficulties, post in the thread. I am REALLY occupied with my master's work right now, but I still check TL every 3-4 days.

Props:
Everything I know about OSx86 and Hackintoshes I know because of http://insanelymac.com and http://netkas.org. Big thanks to the Chameleon team who makes the bootloader possible.

A short blurb about me. I have run my own computer business for the last 3 years now. I build and repair computers. I have built somewhere in the neighborhood of about 300 computers. I recently started on hackintoshes and have built about 20ish of them.

I just realized that some may not know what this even is. A hackintosh is a computer with PC hardware that runs Apple's OS X Leopard. In this case, Leopard 10.5.7, the most recent version. This guide will allow you to use Apple update and have full functionality within OS X, including dual monitors, and the ability to dual-boot your system with Windows, Linux, or whatever OS you might be dreaming of.

This particular computer, with the overclock, outperforms any stock speed computer on the market. The video card is quite good and you will 100% will be able to play SC2 at max everything.

Tools:
You don't need much, but you probably do not want to build this on a carpet. Be somewhat aware of static and try to touch metal (such as the case) before handling the components.

+ Show Spoiler +

Static gives me an excuse to wear my tevas!

The red handled screwdriver is magnetic tipped. That can be pretty useful, just don't drag it all over the components.

Some people buy the OS.

Materials:
I have included links to each part in the spoiler. You can change any of those parts, except the motherboard and video card, and still use my drive package for OS X. I highly recommend sticking with my motherboard selection. You can use a variety of different video cards with OS X. The HD4870 1GB is simply a great price for amazing performance. It will play any game on max or very close to max settings at 1920x1200.

You can use any Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad processor instead of the Q9550 that I recommend. The Q9550 is what I use when building systems for graphic designers, musicians, architects, etc. It is a very beefy quad-core that overclocks phenomenally.

This computer is equivalent to Mac Pro that costs ~$2,000+tax. The only real difference between the two motherboard choices is that the UD3LR supports RAID, hence the "R". RAID allows multiple HDDs to be configured in RAID 0 for faster performance, or in RAID 1/5/10 for differing degrees of data redundancy.

Hardware Costs: ~$985
+ Show Spoiler +

Intel Q9550 Core 2 Quad Processor - $215
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10007855&prodlist=celebros

Cooler Master Hyper-212 CPU Heatsink $39+shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103040

8GB(4x2GB) G-Skill DDR2-1066MHz RAM - $110
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231166

Gigabyte EP45-UD3L - $95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128372
currently cheaper here: (If you spend $250 then get $20 off using code "summer20"
http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-45-U3L

EP45-UD3R Motherboard - $110+shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128359

XFX HD4870 1GB DDR5 Video Card $128 (coupon code: SIZZLE15)
http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=XFX-487G1B&src=DC
You can get a 512MB version if the 1GB becomes much more expensive for some reason.

2x Hitatchi 500GB SATA II Hard Drive 7,200RPM - $50
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10007436&prodlist=celebros
You will want one 500GB (or smaller) HDD for each OS that you plan on installing.

Samsung 1TB SATA II Hard Drive 7,200RPM - $90
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10007194&prodlist=celebros

HP 22x Dual Layer DVD/CD Burner - $26
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827140032

Cooler Master 690 Mid-Tower ATX Case - $80+shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137

OCZ Modular 600W Power Supply - $70
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10009333

The Setup:
First, just unwrap everything and lay all of the components out on table or wherever you will be building the computer.

Lets spend a few minutes acquainting ourselves with some of the components.

Motherboard:

Note the four DDR2 RAM slots to the upper right. These are color coded so that you know what channels to use for dual-channel mode. Since we will be populating all four slots we do not really need to worry about this, but it helps to know. If you were only going to use 2 channels, say 2x2GB sticks then you would want to use either both yellow channels or both red ones.

Moving down we have the PCI-E x16 slot. That is the blue slot for a video card. The small white ones are PCI-E x1 and the longer white ones are PCI. A fun fact is that you can put any PCI-E device into any sized PCI-E slot, provided that it meets the minimum size. Thus, you could put a PCI-E x1 TV tuner card into the x16 slot if you did not have room for it elsewhere. Obviously, this is not a problem with this motherboard.

Obviously the CPU goes under that cover, and there are two places that the power supply plugs into the motherboard. One is on the top left, the other is to the right of the RAM slots. The computer will not POST without both of those plugged in.

Power supply:

A lot of people are power supply snobs, but there is some merit to buying brand name and expensive power supplies. All 550W PSUs, or any wattage PSU, are not created equal. One of the best signs of a quality PSU is the 12V rail. The more amps you have on that 12V rail the better the video card you will be able to run in your machine. A second easy way to grade a PSU is weight. Higher quality components weight more, so heavier power supplies are normally superior to lighter ones. These are both pretty general methods, but it is perfectly adequate level of understanding for a novice.

Every video card, assuming it is a higher-end card, will have somewhere in its specs what the minimum 12v wattage or 12v amps are that it needs to run correctly. You do not want to skimp on these requirements. Anything over 30 amps will work for our video card. I would recommend getting at least 36 amps though.

The only way to really know if a power supply is of superior quality is to read reviews that test it or to do extensive (and expensive) tests yourself.

Heatsink:

Size does matter. Is anyone surprised that tossing away that crappy Intel heatsink allows me to overclock to 3.7GHz+ without exceeding Intel heat specifications?

Case:
You can use any case (Mid-Tower ATX, or Full-Tower ATX), I just happen to like this one. It is roomy and has an easy to use tool-less design. Meaning that it does not take a bunch of screws to hold all of the parts in. It also has USB, sound, Firewire, and eSATA conveniently located at the top of the case.

Part I: Construction

CPU Installation

Unwrap the motherboard and place it on top of something that will not damage the base of it. I just use the motherboard box. Undo the lever that locks the CPU socket down. You can leave the black plastic cap on.

Now, gently, place the CPU in the socket. It only fits one way because of those twin cutouts. Note the below picture.

It should plop right in, no need to push or force anything at this point. Next you drop the top back down on the CPU and lock it in place with the lever again. This will cause that black plastic shield to pop off. You do need to exert a little bit of pressure to lock the CPU in. As long as you lined up the CPU correctly you will not have a problem.

RAM Installation:
This is pretty straight-forward. The DMMs have off-centered slots in them to prevent incorrect insertion. Just line up the slots and push. Hard. You should hear two snaps for each stick. I usually support the motherboard from underneath when I give the RAM sticks the final hard push. You need to make sure the RAM is in all of the way. The computer will not POST if it is loose.

Heatsink Installation:
Next, we will apply some thermal paste. This comes with the heatsink. You do not want to apply too much, or too little ;p Just follow the pic.

Then we will install the heatsink. The heatsink that I selected needs some assembly. It comes with picture directions that are more than adequate, just bear in mind that the screw is not broken - you need to screw counterclockwise for some parts of the assembly.

Make sure you attach the sticky black rubber washers likes so:

Once you have the basic assembly done then we are ready to mount it onto the CPU. You want the fan oriented closest to the RAM. The fan blows, not sucks, the air, so this positioning allows it to blow hot air towards the back of the case and then the rear case fan sucks it out.

Like so:

After you orient the heatsink, holding and the motherboard together, flip the motherboard upside down and rest it on top of the heatsink. We need to screw in the mounting mechanism that holds the heatsink in place.

Use the nifty tool that comes in the box to screw the nuts down. -.-

Next, install the power supply. This needs 4 screws. I don't see how you could mess it up. The cords go inside the case.

Alright, well that is the heart of the computer. Lets mount the motherboard in the case!

Case Installation:

Install the metal risers that come with the case. Yours will probably be brass, not steel like mine. I'm just that special.

Make sure you install the rear I/O panel at this time. You don't want to have to re-do the screws because you are an impatient moron.

There are only the top four shown in that picture, but you will screw 6 of them in total. Just refer to the motherboard for the proper positioning. Also, when moving the motherboard around you can just grab it by the CPU fan. It is a nifty handle.

Wiring Fun

I usually attach as many wires as I can outside of the case. You definitely want to at least attach the 4-pin power supply cord to the upper left of the motherboard. The CPU fan tends to get in the way with most cases.

A lot of people are intimidated by the wiring for the front panel. All of those thin wires go to this panel on the very bottom right. Above it we see the green IDE port, to the left we see some USB ports. Above the IDE port you see the SATA ports.

If you have decent eyesight you will notice that the pins have a key just below them. The key designates the red pins as PWR (power), the green as RES (reset), the blue as HD (HDD activity signal), and the green as the power LED for the system.

That is all well and good, but it is not quite that easy since there is a positive and negative for each one of these. The key is to make sure that the writing that is on each of the wires faces away from the middle of the front panel connector. So, the PWR wires should have their writing closest to the green IDE port. The power LEDs do not actually matter. Just plug those two in willy nilly.

The HD and RES should have their wire's writing facing the bottom of the motherboard. If this is not clear enough then I can get a pic for you guys.

Screw that Mother@#*$!

Now install the motherboard and screw it down into place. Just use three fingers on the screwdriver to avoid over-tightening and damaging the motherboard.
Plug in th USB in the yellow USB slot. Notice that it only fits one way due to a missing pin. Do the same with the HD Audio cord. Again, it only fits one way due to pins.

I am about to plug in the HD Audio cord:

Video Card:

First plug in the two 6-pin PCI-E power cables.

Then remove the rear clips so the video card can fit out the back.

Firmly seat the video card and either screw or clip it into place. Do the same for any other PCI/PCI-E x1 add-on cards that you have.

Hard Drive:

Pull out a few of the hard drive trays to make some room and run a yellow SATA cable and power cable under the cage. Insert the HDD into the tray, no screws needed, and then attache the cables. The SATA cable and power cord have an L shaped head, so they only can be plugged in one way.

The SATA cord should be plugged into port 0 on the motherboard.

DVD Drive:
You need to remove the front of the case to install this. Just put your hand at the bottom of the case front and pull out. It can take a bit of muscle to get started.

Once the front is off slide in the DVD Drive and secure it in place using the nifty tool-less locks.

Pop out the corresponding false front from the case front and then re-attach the case front to the case. Make sure you get all 6 of the anchor points firmly attached.

Almost Done!
At this point your computer should look something like this:

I did not use a 4870 for this build since the customer did not need quite that much graphical power.

Now just make sure that all of the fans are plugged in, including the CPU fan. The fan headers on this motherboard are white. You will probably need to use a 3-pin fan to 4-pin molex adapter for the front fan. No worries, one is currently on the side panel fan. The side panel fan can instead be plugged directly into the motherboard, on the right, just above the video card.

That is it. See how easy it is to build a computer? With a lot of practice it can be done very very quickly. It takes me less than 30 minutes to assemble a complete computer and shove in an install disc.

*Note* OS X only allows 4GBs of RAM during installation, so do not have 8GBs of sticks plugged in when you start the install.

Recycle!

Sort your recyclables and your garbage. I'm not a slob, all that mess was from today.

Part II: BIOS settings and Overclocking

Assuming the computer turns on when you press the power button, start pressing delete rapidly to enter the BIOS.

The first thing you want to do is update the BIOS to the most advanced version. Get the BIOS from here:
http://www.gigabyte.us/Search/Search_List.aspx?Keyword=ep45-ud3l&SearchType=Driver

Select your model and then click on BIOS on the upper left. I would avoid the beta BIOS for now, so choose F4 for EP45-UD3L and F5 for EP45-UD3LR. Download the file, unrar it and put it on a flash stick.

At the main BIOS window, on your new computer, press F8, when the flashdrive is plugged in, to start the BIOS update. Follow the prompts and DO NOT accidentally turn off the computer during the process. If your house has power problems then do no even try this.

Press F8 at this screen:

Select the HDD (flash drive) and scroll for the file. If you do not change the default name then it will be EP45UD3L.F4
+ Show Spoiler +

After the BIOS update is done, reboot the computer, and re-enter the BIOS with delete. Under the M.I.T menu, in the upper left, you will change the following values:

M.I.T. Menu
1 of 3:
+ Show Spoiler +

1. Change Extreme Memory Profile to "Disabled"
2. Performance Enhance to Standard
3. CPU Host Clock Control to "Enabled"
4. CPU Host Freq to 424
5. PCI E Freq to "100"
6. G Mch Latch to "333"
7. System Memory Multi to "2.40B"

2 of 3:
+ Show Spoiler +

1. Load-Line Calibration to "Enabled"
2. CPU Vcore to 1.3625 (this is the largest variable. We will go over this more during stability testing)
3. CPU Term 1.4
4. CPU PLL 1.65

3 of 3:
+ Show Spoiler +

1. MCH Core 1.2
2. ICH I/O 1.69
3. ICH Core 1.2
4. DRAM 2.1V

Standard CMOS Features:
+ Show Spoiler +

1. disable Drive A

Advanced tab:
+ Show Spoiler +

1. Change the boot order to CDROM/HDD/Disabled

Integrated Peripherals:
+ Show Spoiler +

1. Enable AHCI (You cannot install OS X, or boot into it, without this!)
2. USB Mouse Support to Enabled

Save the BIOS settings:
Press F11 and name the profile so you do not need to do this again.
+ Show Spoiler +

Remember - You CANNOT install OS X with 8GBs of RAM installed in the computer. Reduce it to 4GBs before starting this next step.

Now we need to burn a Boot-132 CD. Basically this CD contains the drivers needed to nurse the OS X installation along until you can install the real drivers. It also allows the booting of the retail DVD.

DL this, unzip it, and burn as an image onto a blank CD:
http://www.filesavr.com/genericiso

Boot 132 loading:

Boot 132 first screen:
You press enter here. That's it. Really.

Boot 132 second screen:
Here you want to eject the Boot-132 CD and insert the retail DVD. Wait about 20 seconds and then press enter. 9F is the default system ID for IDE DVD drives. If you use a SATA Drive it will be a different number, but it will automatically default to it.

Your primary HDD has a system ID of 80, with the secondary being 81, etc. We will be using that later.

Getting ready to start the OS X Install disc:

After this screen you should proceed to the spinning Mac icon, give it a few minutes and then this should pop up:

Select your language and agree to their ToS, etc.

Disk Utility:

Installing!

After it finishes installing you will have to reboot your computer manually. You will want to reset the computer and then eject the retail DVD and replace it with the Boot-132 disc. The boot-132 CD will load and you press enter once, just as before. This time type "80", press enter, and then enter again. OS X will start booting. You will then setup your keyboard, username, etc. Once you boot into your desktop download and unzip these files to your desktop:
http://www.filesavr.com/mobshackintoshstuff

Driver Installation:
1. A: open up Universal OSx86 Installer. Check the following boxes and hit install.

B: hit install again.

2. Now open OSx86 Tools and check all boxes and run the commands. That will take about 6-7 minutes to finish. Reboot. The computer will not fully turn off, so give it a full 10-15 minutes before manually resetting it. These drivers that we just installed will make it so you don't have to do that anymore.

3. Turn back on the computer. Now you should boot into the desktop normally. Go to the Apple sign in the top left and auto-update. Install any and all updates. Reboot.

4 Repeat steps 1 and 2 again. You need to re-install the drivers after updating to the major patches. We did it initially because otherwise you might have issues with the computer working properly.

5. *UPDATE* You no longer need to install either of these files, so long as you update to 10.5.7 or 10.5.8 before you install the video card driver. Just proceed straight to step 6 after rebooting from updates. Then install the radeon_hd_48x0 driver package and install the ATY_motmot.kext. The package is just a regular installer, but the kext needs to be installed with Universal OSx86. Open up Universal OSx86 and check the box for custom kext and then browse to the file. Make sure the proper HDD is selected at the top of the installer.

6. Now reboot, then install the last package, Enabler_for_Nvidia etc. Reboot.

7. That does it for the drivers. The only thing left to do is access the system preferences panel (in the dock) and go to energy settings and turn off sleep mode. The 4870 driver does not support sleep yet. If you are using a different video card test sleep and see if it works.

8. While in the system preferences panel also assign the sound to use "internal speakers" for sound out. You now have a fully functional MacPro Clone.

Dual Booting:
Unhook the Mac drive. Then install the OS just like you normally would. For windows just leave your secondary HDD hooked up and put the disk in. The BIOS is still set to auto-boot of the disk and the windows installer should start. Install drivers using the disc that comes with the motherboard. Just pop it in, wait for it to auto-start, then select the auto-install feature. Download the latest video driver from either ATI's website.

Now, hook up both HDDs again. Press F12 rapidly as soon right after you press the power button. Select Hard Drive, from the boot menu and then select the HDD that you installed OS X on. Run the Chamaleon 2 package installer. Reboot. You can triple boot, or quad boot, or whatever if you so desire. The process is the same as above.

Now you should be greeted with a screen like this at each boot:

Select which OS you want to enter by using the arrows on the keyboard and pressing enter. Now you are truly done! Good job!

Well, you should test for system stability with the overclock ;p

I use this program:
http://www.ocbase.com/perestroika_en/index.php?Download

Install this on your windows HDD. Disable the screen saver before running the program since they do not seem to interact well. You should run the program for at least 8 hours before concluding that your system is stable. Also, keep an eye on the temperature range over those 8 hours (the program provides a chart when you press stop) and make sure that the temperature did not exceed 68C.

I would also recommend using the windows built in RAM tester, again, overnight. type "memory" in the run bar and run in advanced mode.

If you have any questions please post in the guide or PM me.

Thanks!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Snow Leopard Guide for the above hardware: (Thank BlackOSX for everything)
Download this Boot-132 CD:
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?mq4y4jmgmyj

Download these support files:
http://www.filefactory.com/file/a07534f/n/Support_Files_for_Blackosx_SL_Install_v2_2_zip

Download a general PDF guide:
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?tm0zjhoynzt

Update your BIOS: (re-enter old BIOS settings after the update)
http://www.gigabyte.us/Search/Search_List.aspx?Keyword=ep45-ud3l&SearchType=Driver

Suggested method:
Burn the Boot-132 CD to CD and boot off it. After it loads, same as before, eject the Boot-132 CD and insert a Snow Leopard retail DVD in the same drive. Press F5 to rescan the drives and then proceed to do a retail install.

I highly suggest doing a retail install instead of an upgrade install. I also suggest selecting "customize" during the install and deselecting the print drivers and language packages. It speeds up the install and reduces the chance of errors.

After you finish the basic install there are additional instructions within the boot CD and within the PDF guide. Post in the thread for specifics.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Snow Leopard Guide for i7 processors (work in progress)

Hardware list:
i7 920
ASUS P6T Motherboard
DL SATA DVD/CD Burner
Any SATA HDD
Nvidia video card (6,7,8,9, or 2xxx generation)
9500GT 512MB recommended for light gaming/work:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500072&cm_re=9500gt-_-14-500-072-_-Product
9800GTX+ or 2xxx for serious gaming
or
ATI video card 48xx or 49xx generation for serious gaming
Cooler Master 590 Mid-Tower ATX Case
Cheap/high-quality 700W Power Supply
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10009502&prodlist=celebros
Cooler Master Hyper-212 Heatsink
12GB (6x2GB) DDR3-1600MHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161305&cm_re=6gb_ddr3-1600-_-20-161-305-_-Product

BIOS setup:

Install Procedure:
Right now, the best way is to install via a USB stick built from a working Mac. I realize that leaves some of you in the cold and I will attempt to get a solid Boot-132 method operational. It will probably take me a month or two though =/

If you reallllly can't wait I can maybe seed a 6GB image file on bittorrent that can be just restored to an 8GB+ usb drive. I suppose I could also sell and ship install USB drives for whatever it costs to buy them, plus shipping, plus $10 for my time?

How to build a USB ASUS P6T install/boot drive:
PDF will be linked here

Finalizing the install:
PDF will be linked here

Video Card drivers:
EFI Studio:
This simply program allows you to create EFI string drivers for 6,7,8, and 9 series Nvidia cards, as well as some ATI cards.

http://www.mediafire.com/?xl19omzld9j

You simply select what card you have, copy the HEX string to clipboard, and then navigate to /Extra and drag the com.apple.Boot.plist to the desktop. Then open it using text edit and add the following lines: (make sure you do not separate any other key&string lines with your code)
<key>device-properties</key>
<string> insert HEX string here </string>

Then save the Boot.plist and paste it back into the /Extra folder and overwrite the old version.

uglymoose89

United States671 Posts

June 13 2009 22:58 GMT

wooooooooooooooow, i've been looking for something like this!

Bebop Berserker

United States246 Posts

June 13 2009 23:24 GMT

Nice guide

Building these is easier than most people think. People are amazed when i say i built a computer. I tell them its easier than putting together most pieces exercise equipment , but the dont believe me. Anyways do you know of an easy way to build a laptop? I have trouble with the casing part(well ive only tried it once.)

maleorderbride

United States2916 Posts

June 13 2009 23:26 GMT

Unfortunately the only laptops one can really build are the DIY models from OCZ and other manufacturers. All you do is drop in the CPU, RAM, and HDD. It does not really save much money =/

They main problem is the case. You could buy pretty much anymore motherboard you want on ebay, but good luck getting a case that fits it properly =/

ghostWriter

United States3302 Posts

June 13 2009 23:26 GMT

Thanks for this. I'm building a computer right now.

Bebop Berserker

United States246 Posts

June 13 2009 23:28 GMT

On June 14 2009 08:26 maleorderbride wrote:
Unfortunately the only laptops one can really build are the DIY models from OCZ and other manufacturers. All you do is drop in the CPU, RAM, and HDD. It does not really save much money =/

They main problem is the case. You could buy pretty much anymore motherboard you want on ebay, but good luck getting a case that fits it properly =/

ha. Ya, I noticed. Well so much for building friends laptops. I just hate how they overprice laptops so much. Thanks for the feedback.

Pakje

Belgium288 Posts

June 13 2009 23:52 GMT

do you know any laptops/netbooks that are fully compatible with mac os?

maleorderbride

United States2916 Posts

June 13 2009 23:57 GMT

On June 14 2009 08:52 Pakje wrote:
do you know any laptops/netbooks that are fully compatible with mac os?

All the netbooks are (MSI wind, dell mini, eeePC) really. Sometimes you need to change out your wireless card, but you just buy a different one on ebay. It takes about 7 minutes to change one out.

mostly you need to just look at specific components, like north/southbridge chipsets and the video card to determine compatibility.

If you settle on a particular one just google up a guide. They already exist for all the netbooks I have run across.

If you need a more powerful lappy, then the Dell XPS Studio 1340 is almost fully compatible. The wireless sometimes needs to be replaced and the bluetooth always does. I am not sure any complete newbie friendly guides exist for that model though.

-orb-

United States5770 Posts

June 14 2009 00:00 GMT

Oh hey nice.

Since glider got assraped by blizzard the only non-detectable bots are for macs now so I need to setup a dual boot asap

ghermination

United States2851 Posts

June 14 2009 00:33 GMT

#10

Hehe, why waste all that power on OSX? (although it is dualboot)

Husky

United States3362 Posts

June 14 2009 00:34 GMT

#11

now you're making me want to go buy a new computer

SoLaR[i.C]

United States2969 Posts

June 14 2009 03:47 GMT

#12

Are there any potential incompatibilities or problems with updates on these machines? How stable are these? I'm quite interested in building one.

EvilTeletubby

Baltimore, USA22247 Posts

June 14 2009 06:06 GMT

#13

Very useful guide!

In desperate need of a new rig, will probably start collecting parts later this year/early next. This'll be the first I've built, so any common 'newbie mistake' warnings are appreciated.

SoLaR[i.C]

United States2969 Posts

June 14 2009 07:08 GMT

#14

On June 14 2009 15:06 EvilTeletubby wrote:
Very useful guide!

In desperate need of a new rig, will probably start collecting parts later this year/early next. This'll be the first I've built, so any common 'newbie mistake' warnings are appreciated.

Ditto. There's going to be a lot of "first-timers" trying this, so I think putting pretty much every smaller step would be a LOT of help.

JWD

United States12607 Posts

June 14 2009 07:46 GMT

#15

This guide is bomb... <3 OS X

I'm excited for Snow Leopard!

United States496 Posts

June 14 2009 08:04 GMT

#16

Thanks SoOOooOOo much for this guide ! I was looking for this !

StimD

Norway738 Posts

June 14 2009 09:51 GMT

#17

will it be possible to install osx on a couple of years old asus laptop (a7j)?

maleorderbride

United States2916 Posts

June 14 2009 18:32 GMT

#18

On June 14 2009 12:47 SoLaR[i.C] wrote:
Are there any potential incompatibilities or problems with updates on these machines? How stable are these? I'm quite interested in building one.

Yes, there are certainly update incompatibilities. However, only with the major updates. Since 10.5.7 just came out a few weeks ago you should have many many months before 10.5.8 and you are not forced to DL it. I generally wait a bit and glance at the insanelymac.com forums to see how it affects my particular hardware.

Generally speaking only the sound and video card drivers get wiped out by major updates. Sound is about 20 seconds to re-install, while the video card is variable. Currently it takes about 3 minutes to install the video card driver, but if 10.5.8 changed core system files then it is likely the install method would change. Luckily the OSx86 community is incredibly devoted and generous with their time. Several programers, like netkas, seem to get new drivers working within a few days.

Also, I noticed that EVGA now lists drivers for the GTX285 on their website for OS X. That is a great precedent. Currently EVGA and Realtek are the only companies I know of that bother to support OS X, but I imagine that number will slowly increase. If major brands start writing installer packages for OS X then Hackintoshes will become very very user friendly.

On June 14 2009 18:51 StimD wrote:
will it be possible to install osx on a couple of years old asus laptop (a7j)?

Probably. Try googling your model with insanelymac.com. Also, you can try distros of OS X, such as kalyway and XxX Final. These have the advantage of including large amounts of drivers in the installer, but the disadvantage of being un-updateable. I only build updatable Macs, which is much more of a driver headache, but worth it in my opinion.

The only real kiss of death on laptop installs right now is the new Intel integrated 4500 video family. None of them work and most likely never will. So, older laptops, 1+ year old, or ones that do not use integrated video, are your best bet. You can still install OS X without having a video driver, but its like in windows were you get weird graphic distortion just from scrolling a webpage. Its pretty lame.

On June 14 2009 16:08 SoLaR[i.C] wrote:

Show nested quote +

Ditto. There's going to be a lot of "first-timers" trying this, so I think putting pretty much every smaller step would be a LOT of help.

Are there any steps in particular that seem like I skimped too much? I realize I have not gotten to the OS X portion yet, but I think you will be pleasantly surprised how easy it is when someone just links you to files to DL and install ;p

I will get the BIOS and OS X install writeup done today. Just recovering from going to bed at 4:45AM very much not alone and then having to get up 4 hours later.

maleorderbride

United States2916 Posts

June 15 2009 01:30 GMT

#19

updated OP. I am lacking another 2 pics thanks to my camera battery dying, but this will be uploaded tomorrow. All the info is there though!

ghostWriter

United States3302 Posts

June 18 2009 13:51 GMT

#20

What do you do if you build it and it doesn't turn on?

The light on the motherboard turns on and is blue but none of the fans turn on and I'm pretty sure that all the wires are in correctly. I tried pulling the motherboard away from the case a bit to see if it isn't working because it is touching metal, but it still doesn't turn on.

1 2 3 4 5 12 13 14 Next All

Please or register to reply.

[Guide] A Hackintosh How to: From the Ground Up

Completed

Ongoing

Upcoming