New Intel Processors and Hackintosh

Hey all,

Would like to build a Hackintosh using the new i7-3930k, but am concerned about compatibility issues, especially with the motherboard and running 0SX86. Is the 2600k build an overall better idea to look into? I'm constructing an audio computer, so need a very high level of performance, but do have some flexibility with budget. I'm somewhat new to all of this, but pretty tech savvy, so any advice you have to offer would be much appreciated!

Also, noticed that the price of hardware needed to accommodate the i7-3630k is a bit pricey. Is it a good idea to maybe wait a bit for a wider selection of MB's, etc... to become available?

Thanks so much!

UC

Hi,

I'm trying to do the same thing and not having much luck. I can get the machine to boot Lion but not do anything useful. I'll pick it up again
when new Mac Pro's come out.

I built a Hackintosh using a Gigabyte X58-UD3R and an I7 950 (LGA 1366). I'm running a Pro-Tools native card and a
Universal Audio UAD-2 card on this machine and the system runs great.

The reason I didn't build a 2600K system for audio is the limit of 20 PCI-E lanes.

If you don't need the extra PCI-E lanes the 2600K would be the way to go.

I built a 2600K machine also. It overclocks easily to 4.4Ghz. Geekbench 32 bit 14,945
The I7 950 machine doesn't overclock easily and scores 9,970 on Geekbench.

Good luck!

Mick

Hey Mick!

Thanks for the response. Appreciate you taking the time to spread some knowledge :)

Did have a quick question: Would you mind elaborating a bit more on the pci-e lane issue? I did of research, and am aware of PCI cards to a certain extent, but not sure how this limited number of pci-e lanes would influence the capability of the build. Sorry, but I'm still a bit new to all of this.

Also, you mentioned that the 2600k machine overclocks easily to 4.4. Would this require extra cooling to preserve the processor? Would this involve liquid cooling?

Thanks again!

Happy new year!

~UC

Quote:

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Originally Posted by UncleChimps

Hey Mick!

Thanks for the response. Appreciate you taking the time to spread some knowledge :)

Did have a quick question: Would you mind elaborating a bit more on the pci-e lane issue? I did of research, and am aware of PCI cards to a certain extent, but not sure how this limited number of pci-e lanes would influence the capability of the build. Sorry, but I'm still a bit new to all of this.

Also, you mentioned that the 2600k machine overclocks easily to 4.4. Would this require extra cooling to preserve the processor? Would this involve liquid cooling?

Thanks again!

Happy new year!

~UC

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A graphic card uses 16 PCIe lanes (PCIe X16) slot. The 2600K / Z68 only provides for 20 lanes, so the expansion is limited. To be fair, the graphics card could run on 8 lanes and still have plenty of performance for audio applications and video playback.

At 4.4 gigs, I'm using a large, fan cooled heatsink (Cooler-Master) The processor idles at 31c and rises to the mid to high 50's during heavy use. (h264 rendering etc.) I have not tried this machine with PCIe audio cards.

I still think the X58 / LGA1366 platform is a good choice for audio. Its similar to the Mac Pro and has proven to be compatible with Digidesign
and Universal Audio cards. (at least with Gigabyte motherboard. Very easy build.)

I still haven't given up on the 3930K. I'll post here if I get anywhere.

Happy New Year!

Hey Mick,

Thanks again for all your help. I feel bad for sticking on you like white on rice :), but it's apparent you're knowledgeable of Hackintoshs and of audio computers, so was wondering if I could present the crossroads I'm at: so without further ado....

I need to upgrade my rig, but am having difficulty figuring out which path is best, with the essential argument being building a sample computer for my collection of samples to be routed to my old Mac Pro (where I'd run DP, Logic, PT, etc....the kicker is that it's an old one, and the kernal is 32-bit, so I can support any 64-bit software.) or build a Hackintosh, that would host both the Samples and DAWs The following models are what I'm considering:

-Hackintosh i7 2600k/LGA 1155: We've already chatted about this model and think it's a great model/candidate.

-Xeon server CPU: I'd look into building a server computer if it was just running samples through VEPro on Windows 7. This model would run $4,000-4,500, so is certainly more expensive than the above option. It would essentially mimic the MASS sample computer (are you familiar with this one?)/Mac Pro 12 core. My concerns with building a server computer are the cost, if it's overkill, if the processing is spent in the best way for audio, and the fact that my old Mac Pro (32-bit only) would be running my DAW's.

-Sample computer/Hackintosh i7 3630k/socket 2011: This computer would obviously employ the new i7, and would run about 3k. I kind of like this option because it has the potential to be Hacked (assuming all the hardware works) but would initially start as a sample computer. the new i7's have more threads, which is nice, plus the mobo would be future compatible, as opposed to the LGA 1155, which no longer supports the new i7s. If this ended up being a server computer, the concern that my old Mac Pro would still be hosting my Daw's is still an issue, even though I have sufficient memory, 7gb, and most of the processing would be allocated elsewhere. The fact that it can't support 64-bit programs is a kicker though :(

-Buy refurbished Mac?

thanks again man. I know this is a loaded question, and really appreciate any thoughts, advice (and would understand if you're too busy to respond :)

~UC

Sorry, that's "can't" above for the 32-bit kernal and 64-bit programs. :)

Subscribing to this thread. I'm building the following system in September:

i7 3930k Processor
Corsair H100 Watercooler
Asus Rampage IV Extreme Motherboard
GeIL EVO Corsa 64GB RAM
EVGA GTX 680 4GB Graphics Processor
Intel 520 Series 240GB SSD
Corsair HX 1050W Power Supply
Cooler Master Obsidian 650D

I'm wanting to dual boot Windows and OSX, but I'm prepared to run OSX in a Virtual Machine as well.
From my experiences and knowledge, Hackitoshes work best/easiest on Gigabyte boards, yes?

Yes, Gigabyte's motherboards are the easiest one to configure