Hackintosh 10.5.5 Retail Rig - Starting at $305

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: dclive
I've had luck with the Dell Inspiron 530. Dirt cheap, quad-core, easy to install. Add a gigabit NIC of some sort, add an nVidia graphics card of some sort, and add 2/4/8GB of RAM and you're good to go - at very minimal cost.

Very nice! Feel free to use my software (and even repackage it) if you feel like writing a guide here or on Insanely

 

[scootermaster]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: MBony
Transcend RAM backordered until 11/18, has dropped a few more dollars as well.

G.Skill is another excellent brand:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231203

And plenty of other cheap 2gb RAM sticks in the sub-$30 range:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...59&bop=And&Order=PRICE

Dumb question here, and not really on topic: Is there a difference between these RAM sticks? I want to get one that's shipped free, since paying $8 shipping on a $20 item sorta sucks. But is higher voltage better, or lower? Keep in mind, no overclocking for me. I'm looking at 2 of these, right now:

Geil 2 gb sticks with heat spreaders (good, no?)

 

[dclive]

There's really nothing different - everything is exactly as specified in your guide (with the exceptions I pointed out earlier) - the only thing one must then do is acquire a supported NIC & gfx card, and there's a huge list floating about the internet. It's quite trivial once it's all started....

Sound is fully supported.... 4xSATA leaves sufficient drive options, so for $900 or so including some RAM, the 24" screen, Leopard, and 8800GTS/320, I've got a machine that rivals the iMac at $2099. (8800GS/512 config)

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: scootermaster

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: MBony
Transcend RAM backordered until 11/18, has dropped a few more dollars as well.

G.Skill is another excellent brand:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231203

And plenty of other cheap 2gb RAM sticks in the sub-$30 range:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...59&bop=And&Order=PRICE

Dumb question here, and not really on topic: Is there a difference between these RAM sticks? I want to get one that's shipped free, since paying $8 shipping on a $20 item sorta sucks. But is higher voltage better, or lower? Keep in mind, no overclocking for me. I'm looking at 2 of these, right now:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820144259">Geil 2 gb sticks with heat spreaders (good, no?)</a>

I always buy the cheapest I can find - never a problem. Much like the silly folks that spend $ on power supply "upgrades", I find it humerous that people spend $ on RAM "upgrades". Yes, SPD this and SPD that, but quantifying the performance improvement (particularly in terms of FPS per dollar) leads me to believe the benefit just isn't there.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: scootermaster

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: MBony
Transcend RAM backordered until 11/18, has dropped a few more dollars as well.

G.Skill is another excellent brand:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231203

And plenty of other cheap 2gb RAM sticks in the sub-$30 range:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...59&bop=And&Order=PRICE

Dumb question here, and not really on topic: Is there a difference between these RAM sticks? I want to get one that's shipped free, since paying $8 shipping on a $20 item sorta sucks. But is higher voltage better, or lower? Keep in mind, no overclocking for me. I'm looking at 2 of these, right now:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820144259">Geil 2 gb sticks with heat spreaders (good, no?)</a>

Lower voltage is generally better. I have read that some manufacturers set it up with a higher voltage to go over the fact that the RAM cannot perform correctly at the lower voltage.

RAM that can output the correct speed at half the voltage is golden. The chips are designed to handle x voltage. If you can get that speed at x/2 then imagine how much faster you can push it if you want!

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: scootermaster

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: MBony
Transcend RAM backordered until 11/18, has dropped a few more dollars as well.

G.Skill is another excellent brand:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231203

And plenty of other cheap 2gb RAM sticks in the sub-$30 range:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...59&bop=And&Order=PRICE

Dumb question here, and not really on topic: Is there a difference between these RAM sticks? I want to get one that's shipped free, since paying $8 shipping on a $20 item sorta sucks. But is higher voltage better, or lower? Keep in mind, no overclocking for me. I'm looking at 2 of these, right now:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820144259">Geil 2 gb sticks with heat spreaders (good, no?)</a>

Lower voltage is generally better. I have read that some manufacturers set it up with a higher voltage to go over the fact that the RAM cannot perform correctly at the lower voltage.

RAM that can output the correct speed at half the voltage is golden. The chips are designed to handle x voltage. If you can get that speed at x/2 then imagine how much faster you can push it if you want!

It all really boils down to whether or not you want to do extreme overclocking. There is no real-world difference in CAS - there's a great article at Tom's Hardware on it. Even for mild overclocking, the cheap stuff is great. Again both of my 2.4ghz Quads are at 3.0ghz on cheap RAM. I've used G.skill, PQI, Transcend, etc. - no problems with any of it. As long as it checks out in Memtest86+ (6 passes + Zero Errors) you're golden

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: Kaido
Again both of my 2.4ghz Quads are at 3.0ghz on cheap RAM

BSEL mod?

 

[KeypoX]

4GB for 19.99 http://shop2.frys.com/product/...sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: dclive

Originally posted by: Kaido
Again both of my 2.4ghz Quads are at 3.0ghz on cheap RAM

BSEL mod?

Nah just regular OC'ing Tempting, but why mess with perfection...

 

[scootermaster]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: scootermaster

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: MBony
Transcend RAM backordered until 11/18, has dropped a few more dollars as well.

G.Skill is another excellent brand:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231203

And plenty of other cheap 2gb RAM sticks in the sub-$30 range:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...59&bop=And&Order=PRICE

Dumb question here, and not really on topic: Is there a difference between these RAM sticks? I want to get one that's shipped free, since paying $8 shipping on a $20 item sorta sucks. But is higher voltage better, or lower? Keep in mind, no overclocking for me. I'm looking at 2 of these, right now:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820144259">Geil 2 gb sticks with heat spreaders (good, no?)</a>

Lower voltage is generally better. I have read that some manufacturers set it up with a higher voltage to go over the fact that the RAM cannot perform correctly at the lower voltage.

RAM that can output the correct speed at half the voltage is golden. The chips are designed to handle x voltage. If you can get that speed at x/2 then imagine how much faster you can push it if you want!

Thanks for the reply.

I ended up getting Corsair 1.9v sticks. I thought it said 1.8, but I guess I missed the 1.9 part. Hopefully this won't be too big of a deal, especially since I don't plan to do much OCing.

 

[Zaap]

Originally posted by: dclive
I always buy the cheapest I can find - never a problem. Much like the silly folks that spend $ on power supply "upgrades", I find it humerous that people spend $ on RAM "upgrades".

I agree with you about RAM- for most people's desktop usage, the cheapest of RAM probably works just fine.

But PSUs- gotta take issue with you on that. A cheap-ass, crappy PSU can absolutely destabilize an otherwise good system. Some of the crappier ones output uneven power,or have bad rails that can cause all sorts of issues that people mistake for the OS or software- everything from blue screens, (kernel panics if we're talking Hackintosh) freezes, lockups, and total system instability. A good PSU can have the reverse effect.

Thing is, one doesn't have to spend major $ to get a decent PSU- but just buying the crappiest, cheapest PSU and slapping it in an otherwise good system is asking for trouble. Some crucial elements you just can't always go with cheap stuff, if that means buying complete crap, and beyond a doubt- all PSUs are NOT created equally.

If a PSU isn't a name brand and has less than a majority of 5 star ratings on newegg with a lot of user reviews well over a year old, I'd stay well away from it. The bad ones start failing on people in droves after a few months to a year of use- sometimes even taking down expensive system components with them- and then the pile-on of 1 star angry reviews start to show up.

 

[Kaido]

New Method: (coming this week)

1. Install Leopard:

a. Burn BootCD.iso, boot up, then eject the BootCD and insert Leopard DVD
b. Install Leopard (automatically reboots) then setup Leopard (Timezone, etc.)

2. Install Software:

a. Install 600mb 10.5.5 Apple Update (don't reboot yet)
b. Install Extra + Chameleon + EFI Studio + OSx86Tool + Memory Fix (now reboot)

No USB stick permanently installed. No Windows required. Just burn a BootCD and follow the above instructions.

 

[Kaido]

Details:
1. 10.5.5 ONLY - this method won't work with 10.5.6!
2. IDE/Serial/Parallel - these ports don't work period!
3. Uses the Pystar Ethernet driver to get Onboard Ethernet working
4. Uses an Ethernet EFI string to fix UUID and thus Time Machine (encapsulates the en1 trick into en0, so Final Cut and everything else installs OK)
5. Has the "audio pop" bug over analog due to the AppleHDA under 10.5.5 (get an $8 USB sound card if you use analog)
6. 100% working, totally rock-solid, works on the P35-DS3L (rev1 & 2) and EP35-DS3L

This is just for review. Remember, 10.5.6 doesn't work with this method. Most likely you will have to install some sort of crazy new system. Personally I think I'm just going to stick with .5 - it's stable and mature. .6 trashes the audio system and requires all kinds of weird junk like a DSDT system to be installed. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there. But if you're looking for a rock-solid 10.5.5 system, this is it!

 

[TheStu]

So, the new instructions work for the ep35 as well as the p35? I might get that instead since that way I can just do one stop shopping. Of course if they aren't in stock by this weekend then I will go with the ebay guy.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: TheStu
So, the new instructions work for the ep35 as well as the p35? I might get that instead since that way I can just do one stop shopping. Of course if they aren't in stock by this weekend then I will go with the ebay guy.

Yes, EP35 is working great with the F5 or newer BIOS.

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: Zaap

Originally posted by: dclive
I always buy the cheapest I can find - never a problem. Much like the silly folks that spend $ on power supply "upgrades", I find it humerous that people spend $ on RAM "upgrades".

I agree with you about RAM- for most people's desktop usage, the cheapest of RAM probably works just fine.

But PSUs- gotta take issue with you on that. A cheap-ass, crappy PSU can absolutely destabilize an otherwise good system. Some of the crappier ones output uneven power,or

I use PSUs from Dell and Acer (the oem ones) and in spite of being told it can't possibly work with higher-end graphics cards (nvidia 8800GTS/320) they've all been plugging away in quad-core systems for about a year now without issue or incident...with lots of hardware in the box in addition to the quad and gfx card.

The PSU bit is hype. People do _not_ need 500W PSUs! Everyone should read Anandtech's articles on actual power used by their graphics cards and buy accordingly. For an ATI 4850, for example, actual power used by the entire system, at LOAD, is 221W with a Core 2 Extreme 3.2 CPU in there.

 

[Kmax82]

Originally posted by: Kaido
New Method: (coming this week)

1. Install Leopard:

a. Burn BootCD.iso, boot up, then eject the BootCD and insert Leopard DVD
b. Install Leopard (automatically reboots) then setup Leopard (Timezone, etc.)

2. Install Software:

a. Install 600mb 10.5.5 Apple Update (don't reboot yet)
b. Install Extra + Chameleon + EFI Studio + OSx86Tool + Memory Fix (now reboot)

No USB stick permanently installed. No Windows required. Just burn a BootCD and follow the above instructions.

Do I have to reinstall Leopard for this method to work? Or can I burn the BootCD and then just follow the secondary installations in my current install?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Kmax82
Do I have to reinstall Leopard for this method to work? Or can I burn the BootCD and then just follow the secondary installations in my current install?

Nah, you just install the patch. Quick 2-step process.

 

[Kmax82]

Originally posted by: dclive

Originally posted by: Zaap

Originally posted by: dclive
I always buy the cheapest I can find - never a problem. Much like the silly folks that spend $ on power supply "upgrades", I find it humerous that people spend $ on RAM "upgrades".

I agree with you about RAM- for most people's desktop usage, the cheapest of RAM probably works just fine.

But PSUs- gotta take issue with you on that. A cheap-ass, crappy PSU can absolutely destabilize an otherwise good system. Some of the crappier ones output uneven power,or

I use PSUs from Dell and Acer (the oem ones) and in spite of being told it can't possibly work with higher-end graphics cards (nvidia 8800GTS/320) they've all been plugging away in quad-core systems for about a year now without issue or incident...with lots of hardware in the box in addition to the quad and gfx card.

The PSU bit is hype. People do _not_ need 500W PSUs! Everyone should read Anandtech's articles on actual power used by their graphics cards and buy accordingly. For an ATI 4850, for example, actual power used by the entire system, at LOAD, is 221W with a Core 2 Extreme 3.2 CPU in there.

I feel it's important to buy quality PSU's, but I do agree that the HIGH wattage isn't the issue. It's the stability of the rails. If you have a 12v rail that is all over the place in voltage then you will have an unstable system. The same goes with the 3.3v rail, and the SATA power. It's never been about total watts, but about the stability of the current through the system.

This is why PC Power and Cooling is so popular, because their rails are DEAD on. Thermaltake has always been good for me, as well as Antec and OCZ. It's the really cheap PSU's (like $15) that I have issues with.

 

[mshan]

Can you jump directly from retail to 10.5.5?

What about from say Kalyway 10.5.2 -> 10.5.5?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: mshan
Can you jump directly from retail to 10.5.5?

What about from say Kalyway 10.5.2 -> 10.5.5?

Yes, you can jump from Retail to 10.5.5. Kalyway is a bit more complex. You have to install some patches (like the Kalyway 10.5.2 Combo Update) before you can do the Netkas trick to go to 10.5.5.

 

[Zaap]

Originally posted by: dclive

I use PSUs from Dell and Acer (the oem ones) and in spite of being told it can't possibly work with higher-end graphics cards (nvidia 8800GTS/320) they've all been plugging away in quad-core systems for about a year now without issue or incident...with lots of hardware in the box in addition to the quad and gfx card.

Dell and Acer are name brands- I wouldn't think they'd use crappy PSUs.

The PSU bit is hype. People do _not_ need 500W PSUs!

Relax, the issue isn't about wattage- as I said, it's about QUALITY. You're talking about a part of the system that supplies power to all the rest of your components. Voltage can jump all over the place on a crappy PSU. A good PSU will have even, stable voltage. Crappier PSUs will often not have enough power on the rails needed most by the system- like the 12V rail. A good PSU will have good distribution of power on the rails where its most needed.

I only brought this up, so that any noob building a system won't think "Oh cool, I can just get a dirt cheap no-name brand PSU and it'll guaranteed be just as much of a good thing as a more costly PSU from a name brand!" Sure- if you want to roll the dice on wondering what's causing random crashes, lockups, and other fun things. To say nothing of that 'jet engine' noise of crappier fans in cheaper PSUs. Otherwise, pay attention to how a PSU is rated, and recognize that it IS a very important part of overall system stability.


Here's an example of a reliable PSU, by any standard. Thermaltake TR2 430W Been available for years. People aren't commenting in droves about how it died on them after a year, even several years in use. 75% top rated on nearly 2000 user reviews. I have several- they operate 24/7 if I need them too, not a hint of fluctuating power. If a person can't pony up $30 for a part that's engineered correctly so it won't fry their $200 CPU and the rest of their parts, then they don't have much business building computers.

Or hey, someone could go with something like this, and save themselves a whopping 20 bucks, and trust it with a couple of hundred bucks worth of parts. I'd also buy a smoke detector and some ear plugs to go with it!

 

[dclive]

My comments are mostly on those who think a quad-core Dell with 8800GTS/320 needs a PSU upgrade for some reason. That's rubbish, clearly - it works just fine, as does an Acer E700 quad-core with the 8800GTS/320 and lots of hard drives and TV tuners. The OEM brands that Dell and Acer use are just fine.

 

[Kaido]

Okay, let's wrap up the PSU discussion: Don't buy a crappy PSU. Name-brand big-box computers have decent PSUs. If you're building new, invest in a quality PSU.

 

[Kmax82]

Originally posted by: Kaido
Okay, let's wrap up the PSU discussion: Don't buy a crappy PSU. Name-brand big-box computers have decent PSUs. If you're building new, invest in a quality PSU.

But ... but.. awww.. ok