Hackintosh 10.5.5 Retail Rig - Starting at $305

[litlgi74]

Sorry to keep asking.... but does anyone have a working line in using UD3P Board or with the USB Sound Card thingy?

 

[mosslack]

Originally posted by: TheStu
Anarquee raises a question that I wouldn't mind seeing an answer to as well. If one upgrades their graphics card, what is the process here? Also, i think I saw that the 9800GTX+ is supported is that true?

The process for untested video cards is fairly simple. Put it in and apply the correct string and see what happens. And don't forget to post your results here Don't forget, untested cards are exactly that, untested.

The XFX 9800 GTX+ (512Mb) is listed as working on the Wiki, using the EFI string for the 9800GTX (512 Mb). HTH

 

[mosslack]

Originally posted by: litlgi74
Sorry to keep asking.... but does anyone have a working line in using UD3P Board or with the USB Sound Card thingy?

I believe the line in should work fine with the USB dongle. As for the on board sound I can't answer that as mine isn't working yet. HTH

 

[mosslack]

Originally posted by: dbk
Macpalace7 is now selling the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L for $95 - figures for a discontinued model.
Might as well go for a ga-ep45-xxxx instead for that price.

I've been looking at g31 motherboards since they're around $50.
Specifically looking at Asus P5KPL-AM and Gigabyte G31M-ES2L to pair with either e5200 or e7400 ($70, $100 @ Microcenter).

Don't rule out the 945 boards if you are looking for a cheap Hack. Besides my own systems, I have a friend who recently picked up an MSI Saturn at Fry's for next to nothing and he said it pretty much worked OOTB! HTH

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: mosslack

Originally posted by: TheStu
Anarquee raises a question that I wouldn't mind seeing an answer to as well. If one upgrades their graphics card, what is the process here? Also, i think I saw that the 9800GTX+ is supported is that true?

The process for untested video cards is fairly simple. Put it in and apply the correct string and see what happens. And don't forget to post your results here Don't forget, untested cards are exactly that, untested.

The XFX 9800 GTX+ (512Mb) is listed as working on the Wiki, using the EFI string for the 9800GTX (512 Mb). HTH

Awesome. I am planning on getting a new case and 1080p monitor with my tax refund, and if at all possible the 9800GTX+. I don't need the new graphics card, but definitely would be able to put it to good use with the 1080p monitor.

 

[anarquee]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: mosslack

Originally posted by: TheStu
Anarquee raises a question that I wouldn't mind seeing an answer to as well. If one upgrades their graphics card, what is the process here? Also, i think I saw that the 9800GTX+ is supported is that true?

The process for untested video cards is fairly simple. Put it in and apply the correct string and see what happens. And don't forget to post your results here Don't forget, untested cards are exactly that, untested.

The XFX 9800 GTX+ (512Mb) is listed as working on the Wiki, using the EFI string for the 9800GTX (512 Mb). HTH

Awesome. I am planning on getting a new case and 1080p monitor with my tax refund, and if at all possible the 9800GTX+. I don't need the new graphics card, but definitely would be able to put it to good use with the 1080p monitor.

Thanks to mosslack i solved the mouse lag, i can't believe i made it! as a noob it sounded so difficult to do!
I'm still planning to change my video card but i'd avoid a 512mb card...
maybe i'll wait snow leopard to see what vc are supported

 

[Muddy Mudskipper]

Would a Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R be a safe bet? It's virtually identical to the GA-EP45-UD3P, including the same cooling/heatsinks, I compared the differences between the two:

UD3P: PCI-Express X16 (X16) - 2 (1x16 or 2x8)
UD3R: PCI-Express X16 (X16) - 1

UD3P: PCI - 2
UD3R: PCI - 3 (has an extra PCI on account of losing the 2nd PCI-E slot)

UD3P: LAN - 2 GbE LAN(Realtek 8111C Gigabit LAN Controller)
UD3R: LAN - 1 GbE LAN(Realtek 8111C Gigabit LAN Controller)

The UD3P also has the Gigabyte 'Ultra TPM' security feature. And that is it. I only ask because the UD3R is cheaper here in the UK and I won't be using those extras found on the UD3P.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Muddy Mudskipper
Would a Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R be a safe bet? It's virtually identical to the GA-EP45-UD3P, including the same cooling/heatsinks, I compared the differences between the two:

If you want to give it a try, go ahead. I haven't personally tested it myself, but I don't imagine there would be much difference either. LMK if you get it and we'll whip up a custom package for it!

 

[thepieces]

Originally posted by: mosslack

Originally posted by: anarquee
Hi!
finally i got my hackintosh up and running.
Everything is working fine exept for the annoying mouse lag.
I'd like to change my video card, anyone tried the new 9800GTX+ 1GB?
Thanx!

Have you tried this?

http://pcwizcomputer.com/weaksauce12/?p=841

I believe this is supposed to cure the mouse lag problem. HTH

I tried it , it doesnt work. Apparently whats been working for some people is flashing to a mac bios but there is a chance of screwing your card so I shall wait or roll back to 10.5.5

 

[mosslack]

Originally posted by: Muddy Mudskipper
Would a Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R be a safe bet? It's virtually identical to the GA-EP45-UD3P, including the same cooling/heatsinks, I compared the differences between the two:

UD3P: PCI-Express X16 (X16) - 2 (1x16 or 2x8)
UD3R: PCI-Express X16 (X16) - 1

UD3P: PCI - 2
UD3R: PCI - 3 (has an extra PCI on account of losing the 2nd PCI-E slot)

UD3P: LAN - 2 GbE LAN(Realtek 8111C Gigabit LAN Controller)
UD3R: LAN - 1 GbE LAN(Realtek 8111C Gigabit LAN Controller)

The UD3P also has the Gigabyte 'Ultra TPM' security feature. And that is it. I only ask because the UD3R is cheaper here in the UK and I won't be using those extras found on the UD3P.

Thanks in advance.

I have a friend who did a similar switch, his was the GA-P35-DS3R instead of the DS3L and it worked fine. Those boards were also very similar. But as Kaido said, the only way to know for sure is to try.

 

[Sophie424]

Is the firewire port on the D3SL supposed to work in this setup? i.e. can I hook up my miniDV video-camera and bring in video into something like iMovie? If not, any recommended firewire card?

Separately, is iMovie (08 or 09) a good choice for doing this kind of thing with family videos? I read some posts on the apple forums that suggests it messes up video quality on DV imports. Alternatives you would recommend?

Thanks

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Sophie424
Is the firewire port on the D3SL supposed to work in this setup? i.e. can I hook up my miniDV video-camera and bring in video into something like iMovie? If not, any recommended firewire card?

Separately, is iMovie (08 or 09) a good choice for doing this kind of thing with family videos? I read some posts on the apple forums that suggests it messes up video quality on DV imports. Alternatives you would recommend?

Thanks

The DS3L doesn't have a Firewire port onboard. I have a 3-port Adaptec AFW-4300C PCI Firewire card and it works great. I'd definitely go with iMovie 09, since it adds a whole new level of precision editing and other goodies you'll really enjoy. Import method is fine...if you have an HD camcorder and you're making movies for the web, you'll want Final Cut Pro, but if you're just having fun with family videos, avoid the headache and enjoy iMovie 09

 

[sonoflee]

Hey Kaido - I am a complete beginner at this, and built my first hackintosh based on your specs.
I have what I think is a hardware troubleshooting question, but since it was running as a hackintosh and died in a particular way I thought you might have some ideas.
I'm not sure where I should post this, so if this is the wrong place, please tell me.

Specs:
MOTHERBOARD: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
PROCESSOR: Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale
PSU: Antec earthwatts EA380 380W
RAM: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit
VIDEO: ZOTAC ZT-73TE250-HSL GeForce 7300GT 256MB
STORAGE: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
PCI Ethernet: ENCORE ENLGA-1320 10/ 100/ 1000Mbps PCI Ethernet Card
OPTICAL: LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA
AUDIO: SYBA SD-CM-UAUD USB Stereo Audio Adapter
CASE: SILVERSTONE Silver Aluminum LC13-S ATX Media Center / HTPC Case

As you can see, I mostly used your recipe for an HTPC rig. I wanted a machine that could run iTunes (with a massive library), play DVDs and video files once in a while, and download torrents.

I assembled everything and got it up and running using your detailed instructions, methods and the UD3P package at InsanelyMac. Running completely at defaults, no overclocking. Everything seemed to be working fine for a few hours - I set up the account, browsed the web, installed a few apps. Then I started copying audio files over, and after a while it just shut down... At the time, it was about halfway through copying a 150 GB directory from an external firewire drive, and I had just accessed it with Screen Sharing from another computer. After it shut down, I unplugged it, replugged, tried to turn on - the power LED flashes once, and no boot. I tried resetting the CMOS, swapping the RAM, disconnecting all devices, but it just flashes the motherboard LEDS, the processor cooling fan twitches, and nothing. I tested the PSU with a jumper, it came on and spun the case fan, and I verified that it's putting out the correct power by checking the 3.3, 5, and 12 v with a multimeter. The motherboard looks fine - no visible shorts or smells. I pulled the CPU and nothing there looks burnt, pins look fine, etc. Since I don't have much experience building PCs at all, the only things I can think of are:

1. RAM - I used G.Skill, which isn't in the list of acceptable RAM. If this is the issue, it seems like it would probably boot with the RAM in a different configuration (1 stick in 1st slot, or 2nd slot...), though - unless it was just bad or both sticks just died. Probable?
2. Motherboard - some of the negative reviews for the UD3P on Newegg sound like the board dies in similar ways. Any other experiences with this?
3. PSU - it's possible that I overloaded it, I guess... some of my components are a little more power hungry than Kaido's example rig. It tests okay when jumpered and unplugged from the motherboard, but might not be able to deliver the right power when it is plugged in. Any ideas on testing this?
4. CPU - if this died, I have absolutely no idea how I could tell.

All of this stuff is brand new, never tested before. I also don't have any other proven components to swap in, but would be open to buying other ones to test as long as I can still RMA things later...

Any help is appreciated, and thanks for reading through this - if it belongs somewhere else, just let me know.

 

[randomlinh]

hey, with all this hackintosh work.. has anyone managed to get it running in a VM? If I could run it through VMWare Server, that would be awesome... ha

 

[mosslack]

Originally posted by: sonoflee

1. RAM - I used G.Skill, which isn't in the list of acceptable RAM. If this is the issue, it seems like it would probably boot with the RAM in a different configuration (1 stick in 1st slot, or 2nd slot...), though - unless it was just bad or both sticks just died. Probable?
2. Motherboard - some of the negative reviews for the UD3P on Newegg sound like the board dies in similar ways. Any other experiences with this?
3. PSU - it's possible that I overloaded it, I guess... some of my components are a little more power hungry than Kaido's example rig. It tests okay when jumpered and unplugged from the motherboard, but might not be able to deliver the right power when it is plugged in. Any ideas on testing this?
4. CPU - if this died, I have absolutely no idea how I could tell.

All of this stuff is brand new, never tested before. I also don't have any other proven components to swap in, but would be open to buying other ones to test as long as I can still RMA things later...

Any help is appreciated, and thanks for reading through this - if it belongs somewhere else, just let me know.

Try another PSU first and if that doesn't help in a case such as this, best to go minimal right away to isolate the problem. Most boards will post without RAM, but you will need video to see what it says. So mobo, cpu and video and see what happens when you fire it up.

If results are same then substitute until you find the problem. You already eliminated the PSU, so that only leaves video, cpu and mobo. Substitute each with a known good replacement until you get a successful post.

If goes through post and displays the error message that you have no RAM and/or boot device, at least you know the basic components are good. You can then add stuff back in, starting with RAM to see when it messes up again. That should tell you which component is the problem.

HTH, good luck

 

[Zaap]

sonoflee- in addition to what mosslack said, try double checking your CPU fan connector. I noticed this board wouldn't post without the CPU fan being tightly connected.

Personally, I'd suspect a combination of your powersupply, and the motherboard. The UD3P has a 8 pin CPU power connector, and I'm guessing your PSU only has a 4 pin connector. While it will work, I'd guess it may not supply enough power on the 12V rail. You might have overloaded it when the problem started. If you can try another PSU, I'd recommend one with an 8 pin.

What to look for: PSUs that list 4+4-Pin ATX12V Connector.

For example: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817182009


If the problem is the motherboard, I'd still tend to suspect the PSU as having had a hand in blowing the mobo based on the 8 pin connector. So either way, if the problem turns out to be mobo or PSU related, it's a safe bet not to pair the two and seek a better PSU. I generally tend to suspect weak/mismatched/cheap PSUs as the cause of a lot of computer issues.

 

[sonoflee]

Thanks for the advice, mosslack and Zaap - I will test again with another PSU to see if it will do something.
My PSU does only have the 4 pin connector for the CPU power, so I will definitely look into getting a higher powered/8pin one next time.
Hopefully I can report back with better news soon.

 

[sonoflee]

Okay, I am now running just mobo, cpu, and video, but it still doesn't work. Tried another new PSU (450 watt with 8pin CPU connector) and it has pretty much the same results - when I hit the switch, all of the LEDs on the motherboard blink once. With this one, the fans don't twitch like with the last one, though...

So I guess at this point I should start looking at getting a replacement mobo to test, right?

 

[mosslack]

Originally posted by: sonoflee
Okay, I am now running just mobo, cpu, and video, but it still doesn't work. Tried another new PSU (450 watt with 8pin CPU connector) and it has pretty much the same results - when I hit the switch, all of the LEDs on the motherboard blink once. With this one, the fans don't twitch like with the last one, though...

So I guess at this point I should start looking at getting a replacement mobo to test, right?

You said others on NewEgg were having similar problems so yeah, I would try the mobo next. I know it's a bummer, but sometimes these things happen. Really has nothing to do with Hacks as this could happen to any new system. In the old days we would just assemble the main components and run a burn in program for 24-72 hours to be sure the computer would be functional. I thought this to be unnecessary with the newer boards as quality control has improved, but with new countries entering the manufacturing process they have to learn this lesson over again.

 

[chadisawesome]

its impossible to read through all these posts, so I hate to be "that guy" but I'm freezing and need some help

my set up
gigabyte ga-p35-ds3l rev. 2.0
geforce 7300gt
wd 1tb harddrive
2gm of whatever ram you suggested, I can't remember
2.5ghz intel processor e5200

so I got the os to load the first time, but then after updating to 10.5.5 it wouldn't come back after the reboot
so I reloaded and started over and got to the same place. instead of updating to 10.5.5, I tried just rebooting and had the same problem, so I realized it wasn't the upgrade. I hit f12 and went into the boot menu and picked the drive, typed 80 for the harddrive and it booted back up

so I figured that was the problem, and updated to 10.5.5 again. however, now, even going into the boot menu I can't get past the grey apple logo screen.

I guess I should also say I followed the leopard soup 2.0 instructions.

look forward to hearing some possible solutions. thanks for a great tutorial and product.

edit: messing a bit more, I've been able to boot in safe mode, but that's about it. I found out an issue I was having of not being able to get past the pci devices screen... I still had my thumb drive hooked in the back, and after removing that it skipped past that. I have no idea what the problem is, but I'm thinking it's something with the bios and not knowing where and how to boot.

by booting with -v I can tell the system is hanging warning sandbox_init error could not set Koch lookup policy for service com.apple.bsd.dirhelper er = 1100 could not set koch lookup policy for service com.apple.disributed_notification.2 and it continues to run down this list of errors and them completely stops at no network interfaces. could not update platform uuid

 

[chadisawesome]

I keep making progress, and logging it here, but now I'm kind of stuck. I reran the uinstaller program to try to fix the errors that were blocking me out, and that got me past the grey apple, but now I'm just staring at a black screen of nothingness. So, as I keep moving on and hitting roadblocks, I post them here... but if anyone has gotten this plain black screen and been able to move on from that, let me know the solution.

thanks a lot

 

[mosslack]

Originally posted by: chadisawesome
I keep making progress, and logging it here, but now I'm kind of stuck. I reran the uinstaller program to try to fix the errors that were blocking me out, and that got me past the grey apple, but now I'm just staring at a black screen of nothingness. So, as I keep moving on and hitting roadblocks, I post them here... but if anyone has gotten this plain black screen and been able to move on from that, let me know the solution.

thanks a lot

Wow, where to begin. Okay, important points to remember, be sure to set up the bios as outlined in the guide. Be sure your DVD drive is plugged into port 0 or 1 and the HD is plugged into other one (0 or 1). No other ports will work to install the OS, but once it has been installed you can move your HD to another port if you desire. Now the simple part, use the boot 132 cd to boot up the Leopard DVD, install Leopard on the HD, reboot using the boot 132 cd again, but this time choose 80 for your HD and finish setting up Leopard. Install the 10.5.6 combo upgrade (don't reboot yet), run the Uinstaller choosing all the correct options and reboot. Don't forget to remove the boot 132 CD as it should no longer be needed as the HD should boot on it's own now. If you get this far, do the minor OS updates until you are current and don't forget to install the sound patch if you are using the on board sound.

If this doesn't work, let us know at what point it didn't work and we will try to help. HTH

 

[suklee]

Does anyone know a fool-proof way to upgrade from 10.5.5 to 10.5.6?

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: Kai920
Does anyone know a fool-proof way to upgrade from 10.5.5 to 10.5.6?

buy a real mac? I don't think it's possible to have a foolproof way. Hell, even the real macs had issues. Really, I've found the best thing is to break down and have an extra HDD lying around to test your setup.

I've come to the conclusion from this though that I don't think I can keep up w/ my hackintosh, it's gotten more frustrating than I have time to deal with =(

 

[mosslack]

Originally posted by: randomlinh

Originally posted by: Kai920
Does anyone know a fool-proof way to upgrade from 10.5.5 to 10.5.6?

buy a real mac? I don't think it's possible to have a foolproof way. Hell, even the real macs had issues. Really, I've found the best thing is to break down and have an extra HDD lying around to test your setup.

I've come to the conclusion from this though that I don't think I can keep up w/ my hackintosh, it's gotten more frustrating than I have time to deal with =(

Actually that may be the best advice for some, but for those of us who thrive on the challenge of making these things work (and keeping them working for that matter), the benefits are great. The second backup HD is standard equipment as far as I'm concerned. Just my slightly tarnished two pennies worth...