The iHack Build Project - Part 1: Introduction & Aim [Hackintosh]
0Well it looks like I have found myself another expensive item which I need to buy. So here is my iHack project! I'm calling it the iHack because I am building a Hackintosh machine which is comparable to the current iMacs in both price and specifications. I will be trying to beat them in as many areas as I can for the cheapest price since Apple are well known for being super expensive, so you pay for the brand... BAH!
I work with audio a lot for sound design and music, from recording to mixing/mastering. I started doing this on Logic Pro 7 way back in the day and since then have used it ever since as my primary DAW. I have Pro-Tools LE too (cant remember which specific version as I haven't used it in a long time) but I just prefer working in Logic as it has great workflow and bang for your buck.
I currently run Logic Pro 9 through an early 2011 (I think) Macbook Pro 2GHz Intel Core i7 Sandy Bridge with 4GB of RAM at 1333MHz. Needless to say over time the macbook is starting to struggle with what i want it to do since I have also been using it as a casual computer... I know I wanted this to be JUST for audio but aah well.
What I am trying to do is build a new audio workstation is is JUST used for logic and similar software with better or similar specs to the low end iMac for less. And before you ask. Yes this will just be for audio because I play games on my PC (which I did build... twice). So here is the list of parts I mentioned which I have currently picked. If you have any suggestions then feel free to let me know in the comments section!
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CPU + GPU - Intel i5 4670k Quad Core 3.4GHz
I chose this as the cheapest iMac had a quad core i5 as well. However I believe it was 3rd Generation Ivy Bridge and clocks in at 2.7GHz. So this is a significant upgrade from the basic iMac with potential to overclock in the future. It also doubles as a basic GPU. However this is more personalized to me since I will not be doing 3D modelling, video editing or any gaming at all on this system. It is purely a Logic DAW workhorse.
MoBo - Gigabyte Z87X OC
This is a fairly cheap motherboard with all the functionality you need. It has ample USB3 ports along with some other fancy options. Basically it does the job on par with the iMac... Minus the thunderbolt which nobody uses anyway
PSU - Corsair Builder Series CX 500W
People were right. My old choice of 750W was way overkill for the system. Whilst it was good for future reference right now I don't plan on changing the system much to suck up all that juice. So downgrading a tad to this is fine. It saves a bit on cost and is apparently silent. Which is essential for an audio system.
SSD - Samsung 256GB 840 PRO Series
I went with this model taking in the advice over the more expensive EVO version. As long as it works I am happy. One SSD is enough for now but I will add another one in the future when the budget allows it. As for room. It should have plenty. With the OS and logic installed it should still leave enough room to allow me to work on Logic files for the near future. And with a better read/write speed than a traditional mechanical drive it will not bottleneck after playing back a few tracks. And it is also silent. I will use an external USB HDD to backup my system every week. So no need to have a messy HDD switched on and spinning all the time internally. Also I have no need for any form of RAID since SSDs are darn fast anyways. the difference will be negligible (and safer in case one fails).
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RAM - Corsair Vengeance 1x8GB
This RAM has stupid heat sinks stuck on top, but since I am using stock cooling this is no problem. It also runs at 1600MHz which is on par with the cheapest iMac available. With the 8GB sticks this also leaves room to expand up to 32GB. Which is the maximum the MoBo supports.
CASE - Fractal Design Define R4 Titanium
Okay so I don't really need to spend this much on a case. I could easily get away with spending half this amount. but this is a good case. And apparently it has "some soundproofing" qualities too. This is just a small panel of foam on the inside I can imagine which doesn't really absorb too much theoretically. But since this is a silent build anyway I imagine this will in fact make that tiny bit of difference for complete silence. Unfortunately I still have all this stuff in my bedroom so silent running isn't essential for now, but for future reference this will help. Plus I just like this case. It's nice.