Hackintosh
- Mac OS X (10.5.5) on PC Hardware
OSx86 - http://wiki.osx86project.org/
- Run Mac OS X on non-Apple PC hardware
2008 December - prices are circa October to November 2008
My Hackintosh
Summary
Quad-core system was installed from iDeneb v1.3 with fixes for graphics
with Quartz Extreme (Supported) and Core Image (Hardware Accelerated),
audio, CarbonLib, and Network/Bonjour. The result is a fully
functioning system, including printing and Parallels for Windows XP
virtualization. Major performance improvements over PowerMac G5
are appreciated especially for HD-video conversion to burn DVD-video
using Toast 9
Titanium. Quirks include: Energy Saver - system does not wake
from sleep, and SATA DVD drive does not wake from sleep.
My Hackintosh:
OS: 10.5.5 (iDeneb v1.3)
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.8GHz
MB: Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P
RAM: 4GB DDR2 1066MHz @ 800MHz dual-channel
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 3870 512MB GDDR4 PCIe, Scythe USA SCVMS-1000
Sleeve VGA Cooler
DVD-RW: LG 22X DVD±R SATA
HD: Hitachi Deskstar 7K250 250GB + Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB
http://www.nobell.org/~gjm/mac/hackintosh.html
Hardware Details
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core
Processor
Model BX80562Q6600 ($180 Newegg)
Note: This was the Quad-Core sweet spot
at the time of purchase. Newer 45nm-based Quad-Cores are now
available.
MB: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P
LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel
Motherboard ($94 NewEgg open
box, $115 = $135 - $20 rebate Newegg)
TweakTown Gigabyte Form (with input from Gigabyte
Technical Support) - http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/
RAM: OCZ Platinum 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2
1066 (PC2
8500) Dual
Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2P10664GK ($50 = $80 - $30 rebate Newegg)
MCH Core 1.160V (install one stick,
then change BIOS M.B.I. Tweaker setting, save, switch PS off, install
next stick)
CPU Clock
Ratio: 7x
CPU Frequency:
2800MHz
CPU Host
Frequency (Mhz): 400MHz
Memory
Frequency (Mhz): 800MHz
Graphics: SAPPHIRE 100225L Radeon HD 3870 512MB 256-bit GDDR4 PCI
Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card ($80 = $90 -
$10 rebate)
Scythe USA SCVMS-1000 Sleeve VGA Cooler ($42 Newegg)
Note: The Sapphire HD 3870 graphics
card is a single-slot design
with a
loud stock cooler. While I expected this, it is so loud that it
prompted me to buy a replacement cooler sooner than I expected. I
highly recommend this Scythe "Musashi" VGA Cooler if you have the space
for it (it takes up an extra slot and a half = 3 slots total). It
was fairly easy to
install
and is nearly silent. On this Sapphire card, I had to sand down
one of the heatsinks so that the cooler would mount perfectly flat
agains the GPU.
DVD Burner: LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model
GH22LS30 [HL-DT-STDVD-RAM GH22LS30] ($26 Newegg)
HD: Hitachi Deskstar 7K250 250GB [HDS722525VLSA80] (o
HD: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB [WDC WD1001FALS-00J7B0] ($120 Newegg)
Case/Power Supply: Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel
ATX Mid Tower
Computer Case 500W Power Supply ($75 special Newegg)
Case Fan: ARCTIC COOLING AF12025 PWM 120mm Case Fan ($10 Newegg)
Note: The motherboard-controlled PWM
case fan helps to reduce noise even further.
Software Details
OS: Mac OS X Leopard (10.5.5) - iDeneb 1.3 - http://ideneb.ihackintosh.net/
Put your SATA HD on the first yellow SATA port, do not use the purple
ports, and configure the SATA port for AHCI in the BIOS. I used
an external USB-DVD drive to boot, but SATA or IDE/PATA DVD drives
should also work. The PATA and purple SATA ports
are on a JMicron controller. During
installation, make sure to click the Options button and select the
drivers for ALC889 and JMicron.
Essential fixes
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD pkg installers 10.5.x (Current 10.5.6) - ATI
Radeon HD Update: 2 days after new years -
InsanelyMac Forum - http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=107526
Audio: InsanelyMac Forum > ALC889A, all analog ports are working
with AppleHDA.kext (1.5.7a24) - http://www.insanelymac.com/lofiversion/index.php/t140941.html
CarbonLib: iDeneb 10.5.5 CarbonLib Error - InsanelyMac Forum - http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=128753&mode=linearplus
Network/Bonjour: SourceForge.net: RealtekR1000 - http://sourceforge.net/projects/realtekr1000/
Applications
Most everything works (standard applications are not listed), including:
Pending time for further testing:
Quirks
- Energy Saver
- Wake from system sleep does not work for me with ATI Radeon HD
3870, it used to work for me with ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro.
- Wake from sleep for SATA DVD burner does not work for me - the
current solution is to NOT put any drives to sleep - uncheck [] Put the
hard disk(s) to sleep when possible.
References
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3 - InsanelyMac Forum / OSx86 Project / OSx86
Installation / OSx86 10.5 (Leopard) - http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=137066
NEW INSTALL: Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R, EP45 UD3R and the right stuff to
get it up and running! - InsanelyMac Forum / OSx86 Project / OSx86
Installation / OSx86 10.5 (Leopard) - http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=141769
Gigabyte
GA-EP45-DS3R?, Questions regarding this motherboard... - InsanelyMac
Forum / Discuss and Learn / Buying Thoughts, Reviews, and
Recommendations - http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=114739
Other recent builds
While the following are not (yet) Hackintosh builds, I'm listing them
here for convenience since hardware is still being swapped
around. It appears to be more difficult to get Mac OSX running
for AMD, hence the purchase of the above Intel-based hardware.
Fedora 10 Linux
2008 December
Hardware Details
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ Brisbane 2.9GHz Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core
Processor Model ADO5600DOBOX ($103 Newegg)
MB: GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2H
AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX
AMD Motherboard
($90, updated S2HP Newegg)
RAM: MEM 1Gx2|CRUCIAL BL2KIT12864AA804 ($35 = $55 - $20 rebate Newegg)
Graphics: POWERCOLOR HD2600PRO 512MB DDR2 R Radeon HD 2600PRO 512MB
128-bit GDDR2
HDCP Ready Video Card ($50)
Case/Power Supply: COOLER MASTER Centurion Micro ATX 541 RC-541-SKR1
Black Aluminum
bezel,
SECC chassis MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case 380W Power Supply ($75,
without PS Newegg)
Fedora 10 Linux
2008 December
Hardware Details
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ Brisbane 2.9GHz Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core
Processor Model ADO5600DOBOX ($89 Newegg)
MB: GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2H
AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX
AMD Motherboard
($85, updated S2HP Newegg)
RAM: CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2
800 (PC2
6400) Dual
Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400C4 ($50 Newegg)
Graphics: AMD 780G integrated ATI Radeon™ HD 3200-based graphics
Power supply: RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-530SS 530W ATX12V V2.2/ EPS12V SLI
Ready CrossFire
Ready Modular Modular LED Power Supply ($50)
NoBell
Home - gjm - last update 2/1/2009 - created 12/28/2008