I don't do step by steps. I did the googling, research and that kinda thing to get my setup going. You can to. Its not that hard. besides, this is a Cat/Big Sur stick. And once you get it installed, if you don't learn how it all works, you won't be able to maintain it if you don't know what each item does. Bit like flying a plane. Unless you know what that flap lever does, and when to use it, best be sitting in the passenger cabin of the aircraft.
Success: 3700X, MSI MEG X570 ACE, RX5700XT (now with OC 0.6.1 and Big Sur)
- Thread starter vk2emp
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You are a master @vk2emp your EFI worked for me once again! Thank you for sharing your hard work.
I was unaware of OC-Builder, looks really useful. I'm aware of everything Dortania mentions, any other tools you'd recommend that doesn't appear on dortania?
I don't know if this of concern to you, but I try to have as few boot args as possible. To install either Big Sur or Catalina 10.15.6 I had to disable "Above 4g Encoding" as you mentioned, and add the boot arg of "npci=0x2000". However, once installed, I brazenly tried to remove the "npci=0x2000" boot arg and enable "Above 4g Encoding" and all is fine and working! Just trying to share whatever nugget of information I have that may be of use to you.
How are you going about your dual boot? I know the insertion of the fake motherboard info into windows isn't a big deal. But I personally hate it. I am not a fan of RGB really, but I do use mystic light just to have everything set to a solid subtle turquoise-blue color. When Opencore inserts MB info into windows, the inside of my case becomes a rave. I personally don't mind using f11 for boot selection, but this build is actually for a friend and his eyes widened with terror as he watched me hit f11 numerous times to get to boot selection. (I'm doing this for free and now my friend owes me his first-born. FML)
I was unaware of OC-Builder, looks really useful. I'm aware of everything Dortania mentions, any other tools you'd recommend that doesn't appear on dortania?
I don't know if this of concern to you, but I try to have as few boot args as possible. To install either Big Sur or Catalina 10.15.6 I had to disable "Above 4g Encoding" as you mentioned, and add the boot arg of "npci=0x2000". However, once installed, I brazenly tried to remove the "npci=0x2000" boot arg and enable "Above 4g Encoding" and all is fine and working! Just trying to share whatever nugget of information I have that may be of use to you.
How are you going about your dual boot? I know the insertion of the fake motherboard info into windows isn't a big deal. But I personally hate it. I am not a fan of RGB really, but I do use mystic light just to have everything set to a solid subtle turquoise-blue color. When Opencore inserts MB info into windows, the inside of my case becomes a rave. I personally don't mind using f11 for boot selection, but this build is actually for a friend and his eyes widened with terror as he watched me hit f11 numerous times to get to boot selection. (I'm doing this for free and now my friend owes me his first-born. FML)
Perhaps program an arduino to configure the RGB each boot, completely bypassing the motherboard. Plug it into a usb header and tell macOS to ignore it. In windows when you want to change the RGB colour, reprogram the arduino. They are perfect for D-RGB, as they're a 5V signal, just like D-RGB.
Alternativly Refind could go before Opencore, completely bypassing it when you want to boot Windows, thus Windows find the proper mainboard identifiers and doesn't turn the case into a disco.
I unplugged my RGB a few days after I got the board. Even took off the I/O cover and unplugged the infinity mirror
As for being a master - nah, I'm just average at Hackintosh. Covid and working from home (on a macbook pro so I can f**k all I want with my desktop) has given me plenty of time to mess around with my hackintosh. I trawl Reddit, this forum, tonymac and a few other places for all the info I've utilised to get this EFI working.
It even now has support for LSI 9211 raid controllers (amoungst a bunch of others) in HBA mode. Hunting down that kext was a rabbit hole I don't wish to repeat, but my server's motherboard died last weekend and I needed something quick to get access to the files either off the tape or via mdadm and ZFS. I got mdadm working under Mint, and then managed to get the tape drive working under MacOS
As for boot-args, i found that with the msi RX5700 XT I'd get micro freezes, of up to 5 seconds with 4g decoding enabled. having npci=0x2000 solved the issue. I have put up with that for SOOOOO long.
I still need to find out whats waking my computer and keeping it awake when I sleep it.
Alternativly Refind could go before Opencore, completely bypassing it when you want to boot Windows, thus Windows find the proper mainboard identifiers and doesn't turn the case into a disco.
I unplugged my RGB a few days after I got the board. Even took off the I/O cover and unplugged the infinity mirror
As for being a master - nah, I'm just average at Hackintosh. Covid and working from home (on a macbook pro so I can f**k all I want with my desktop) has given me plenty of time to mess around with my hackintosh. I trawl Reddit, this forum, tonymac and a few other places for all the info I've utilised to get this EFI working.
It even now has support for LSI 9211 raid controllers (amoungst a bunch of others) in HBA mode. Hunting down that kext was a rabbit hole I don't wish to repeat, but my server's motherboard died last weekend and I needed something quick to get access to the files either off the tape or via mdadm and ZFS. I got mdadm working under Mint, and then managed to get the tape drive working under MacOS
As for boot-args, i found that with the msi RX5700 XT I'd get micro freezes, of up to 5 seconds with 4g decoding enabled. having npci=0x2000 solved the issue. I have put up with that for SOOOOO long.
I still need to find out whats waking my computer and keeping it awake when I sleep it.
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I like the arduino idea a lot actually. I was kind of on the same path, but a much grosser solution. I was thinking of wiring the case's power switch to an arduino as well as mb then having the arduino send f11 for 15 seconds or so to internal unused usb header. yucky.
I was thinking of using refind, I'm sure it'd work fine but I personally find the concept of daisy chaining bootloaders just to make it seem to windows like im not using a bootloader, too inelegant for my tastes.
Well, master or not, still much appreciated
I think having tape work on macOS rightfully earns you that master qualification though. lol
It seems the msi 5700xt is really peculiar, have you been able to try another gpu to see if that's the cause of waking issues?
Perhaps "npci=2000" is masking those microfreezes in terms of user experience, but the real issue is still there and that's waking your machine. Maybe try enabling "4g encoding" and disabling "npci=0x2000", not as a solution, but just to see if your microfreezes align with wake events. Only semi-logical thing I can think of.
I was thinking of using refind, I'm sure it'd work fine but I personally find the concept of daisy chaining bootloaders just to make it seem to windows like im not using a bootloader, too inelegant for my tastes.
Well, master or not, still much appreciated
I think having tape work on macOS rightfully earns you that master qualification though. lolIt seems the msi 5700xt is really peculiar, have you been able to try another gpu to see if that's the cause of waking issues?
Perhaps "npci=2000" is masking those microfreezes in terms of user experience, but the real issue is still there and that's waking your machine. Maybe try enabling "4g encoding" and disabling "npci=0x2000", not as a solution, but just to see if your microfreezes align with wake events. Only semi-logical thing I can think of.
You mean swapping the RX 5700 XT with the RX 580 in my eGPU - yep been there, done that. Its the MSI RX 5700 XT. The micro freezes disappear when I swap to the less powerful GPU. I will switch to the above 4g decoding thing a bit later when I'm not working on the machine. Because I have two ssd's in the machine each with an EFI, I can test the changes by modifying the EFI on the Kingston SSD, allowing me to swap back in a few moments instead of futzing with usb drives.
Use the arduino like a go between in between the RGB header. use if then else statments to allow subtle colours, but block rainbow puke. This will avoid having to futz with extra bootloaders etc. It can act as a buffer and if it sees too many colour changes in a certain period (aka rave mode), it can notify you by blinking the lights 5 times before switching to your preferred colour, after which you can comment out the notification event (that you would just use to tell the code is working). There has to be a library for driving PC RGB stuff for arduino. You're giving me ideas now, as I wouldn't mind having my RGB plugged back in if the stupid thing wouldn't default to disco. I didn't buy a PC011 Dynamic chassis (aka show pony chassis) to have it dark
edit: oh your kidding me. I just had a look in the box for the 360mm water cooler and theres a bloody RGB controller in there. Completely missed it as it was under the instructions, which when you've fitted a few of these, you never read
Use the arduino like a go between in between the RGB header. use if then else statments to allow subtle colours, but block rainbow puke. This will avoid having to futz with extra bootloaders etc. It can act as a buffer and if it sees too many colour changes in a certain period (aka rave mode), it can notify you by blinking the lights 5 times before switching to your preferred colour, after which you can comment out the notification event (that you would just use to tell the code is working). There has to be a library for driving PC RGB stuff for arduino. You're giving me ideas now, as I wouldn't mind having my RGB plugged back in if the stupid thing wouldn't default to disco. I didn't buy a PC011 Dynamic chassis (aka show pony chassis) to have it dark
edit: oh your kidding me. I just had a look in the box for the 360mm water cooler and theres a bloody RGB controller in there. Completely missed it as it was under the instructions, which when you've fitted a few of these, you never read
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Hmm yeah that makes me suspect your micro-freezes might be the wake event itself.
If you still have the rx 580, I'm not sure what would be more beneficial diagnostically, switching on "4g" and removing the "ncpi=0x200" or just using the gpu disable ssdt for your 5700xt then seeing if wake events are normal with just the 580. (I have an nvidia 2070 super installed in the system as well as my sapphire 5700xt, and was pleasantly surprised how easy the gpu disable ssdt is to setup)
As for RGB, I did some digging, I think these sources would prbly be most relevant for us:
The two most useful libraries are almost certainly -
1. Neopixel by Adafruit- https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_NeoPixel
2. FastLED- http://fastled.io/
These completed projects are prbly the closest to how we'd want to go about it, and can use as a basis:
1.
2. https://erik.doernenburg.com/2018/08/an-arduino-digital-led-controller/
3. https://www.akison.com/2019/03/arduino-argb-computer-case-controller/
I looked up your case, yeah having no RGB in that is like a naked show pony.
If you still have the rx 580, I'm not sure what would be more beneficial diagnostically, switching on "4g" and removing the "ncpi=0x200" or just using the gpu disable ssdt for your 5700xt then seeing if wake events are normal with just the 580. (I have an nvidia 2070 super installed in the system as well as my sapphire 5700xt, and was pleasantly surprised how easy the gpu disable ssdt is to setup)
As for RGB, I did some digging, I think these sources would prbly be most relevant for us:
The two most useful libraries are almost certainly -
1. Neopixel by Adafruit- https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_NeoPixel
2. FastLED- http://fastled.io/
These completed projects are prbly the closest to how we'd want to go about it, and can use as a basis:
1.
3. https://www.akison.com/2019/03/arduino-argb-computer-case-controller/
I looked up your case, yeah having no RGB in that is like a naked show pony.
i am not asking for step by step, just short navigation to the right direction. As i understand need to create install stick and move you EFI folder there?)
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- Jun 1, 2020
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@J05u Basically yes. Have you read https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Install-Guide/prerequisites.html#prerequisites all the way through?
Individuals here are more than happy to help, but those getting help do need to try to fully understand the process.
Which I think is totally fair, the more people that understand the basics of opencore, the more high quality success stories and build guides we all get.
The trying to fly a plane analogy @vk2emp mentioned really is accurate.
If you were to provide a question quoting the Dortania guide asking for further clarification on a specific part, I'd be happy to try and assist you further.
Individuals here are more than happy to help, but those getting help do need to try to fully understand the process.
Which I think is totally fair, the more people that understand the basics of opencore, the more high quality success stories and build guides we all get.
The trying to fly a plane analogy @vk2emp mentioned really is accurate.
If you were to provide a question quoting the Dortania guide asking for further clarification on a specific part, I'd be happy to try and assist you further.
@binauraloptions is right, it really isn't difficult.
Really is just a matter of using gibMacOS or a real mac to download the installer, then you use the same suite to create the installer (I'm assuming your on windows right now). Once the stick is created, you'll need to copy the efi to the EFI partition (gibMacOS should leave it mounted for you. Delete the EFI folder n there and copy across the EFI I made). If your using a real mac google the createinstallmedia method for big sur / catalina - its right on the apple help communities, then use MountEFI to get the EFI partition mounted and drop the EFI in.
Load up propertree, open the config.plist and GenSMBios and create a MacPro7,1 or iMacPro1,1 serial, and copy the details into the Platform Info section.
Finally, drop in a kext for your Ethernet if Lucy or Smalltree won't drive your ethernet, and move Lucy and Smalltree out. Installers done on windows NEED an internet connection, and installing will seem slow as molassas, as its downloading while installing. Use propertree to refresh the OC directory in the EFI folder so the Ethernet kext is added. If your Ethernet works on either of the kexts, just leave them there. It won't hurt if you forget to remove them, they won't load if they have nothing to attach to.
Now boot the stick with the target computer and see how you go.
The Bios settings are farily easy
Above 4g Decoding off (or remove npci=0x2000 from boot-args)
PCI Link speed for PCIE-01 3x (experiment, if you can get away with 4x or auto, all the better)
XCHI handoff on
ECHI handoff on
Set sata controller to ACHI (if booting from a SATA SSD/HDD)
If you get stuck, look at the verbose screen and see where its stalling, then head to (os x version) installation on this forum and post a question AFTER doing a thorough google of the issue.
And yes I have spent time in the copilots seat of a twin commuter and operated some of the controls for the pilot to ease the workload. As a bonus my instruments had a HSI that was all over the place. He said the instrument was inoperable, and not to worry. phew
Really is just a matter of using gibMacOS or a real mac to download the installer, then you use the same suite to create the installer (I'm assuming your on windows right now). Once the stick is created, you'll need to copy the efi to the EFI partition (gibMacOS should leave it mounted for you. Delete the EFI folder n there and copy across the EFI I made). If your using a real mac google the createinstallmedia method for big sur / catalina - its right on the apple help communities, then use MountEFI to get the EFI partition mounted and drop the EFI in.
Load up propertree, open the config.plist and GenSMBios and create a MacPro7,1 or iMacPro1,1 serial, and copy the details into the Platform Info section.
Finally, drop in a kext for your Ethernet if Lucy or Smalltree won't drive your ethernet, and move Lucy and Smalltree out. Installers done on windows NEED an internet connection, and installing will seem slow as molassas, as its downloading while installing. Use propertree to refresh the OC directory in the EFI folder so the Ethernet kext is added. If your Ethernet works on either of the kexts, just leave them there. It won't hurt if you forget to remove them, they won't load if they have nothing to attach to.
Now boot the stick with the target computer and see how you go.
The Bios settings are farily easy
Above 4g Decoding off (or remove npci=0x2000 from boot-args)
PCI Link speed for PCIE-01 3x (experiment, if you can get away with 4x or auto, all the better)
XCHI handoff on
ECHI handoff on
Set sata controller to ACHI (if booting from a SATA SSD/HDD)
If you get stuck, look at the verbose screen and see where its stalling, then head to (os x version) installation on this forum and post a question AFTER doing a thorough google of the issue.
And yes I have spent time in the copilots seat of a twin commuter and operated some of the controls for the pilot to ease the workload. As a bonus my instruments had a HSI that was all over the place. He said the instrument was inoperable, and not to worry. phew
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Sleep is now fixed. Set the Wake events to Bios and enable wake from usb otherwise only the power button will wake the computer. Apple watch unlocking works sometimes. I'm not chasing it though.
I have added support for LSI 9211/9212 SAS controllers as I have a third NVME to install, and I want to be able to continue using my 4 HDD's (yes I crammed 28Tb of disks into my hack). I also want to get my LTO5 tape drive connected in a non hackish way, which connects by SAS, which initally worked with a 8087 to 8088 cable, but I want to use a card with an external port. Looping the 8087-8088 cable out the back of the pc doesnt look neat, and I went to move the tape drive, forgetting it was plugged in (thankfully not turned on) and sliced the poor cable on the expansion port cutout's edges!). Once this is done, I will consider my hack complete, and post a photo of the setup once I tidy my uber messy desk!
The kexts below, once referenced in config.plist will enable the SAS cards. You don't need them if your not using a sas controller.
I have added support for LSI 9211/9212 SAS controllers as I have a third NVME to install, and I want to be able to continue using my 4 HDD's (yes I crammed 28Tb of disks into my hack). I also want to get my LTO5 tape drive connected in a non hackish way, which connects by SAS, which initally worked with a 8087 to 8088 cable, but I want to use a card with an external port. Looping the 8087-8088 cable out the back of the pc doesnt look neat, and I went to move the tape drive, forgetting it was plugged in (thankfully not turned on) and sliced the poor cable on the expansion port cutout's edges!). Once this is done, I will consider my hack complete, and post a photo of the setup once I tidy my uber messy desk!
The kexts below, once referenced in config.plist will enable the SAS cards. You don't need them if your not using a sas controller.
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A new version of the EFI is now available now that Opencore 0.6.1 has been released. This version you will need to do the usual - disable usbports.kext and enable the XCHIport limit patch, or replace USBPorts.kext with your own copy.
Serials redacted, fill in your own.
Astek kexts can be removed if you don't need LSI 9211-8i or similar SAS HBA support for disk or tapes.
All needed updates to opencore config.plist have been included and checked with the sanity checker.
You may wish to add -v to boot-args if your like boot messages instead of a pretty apple and progress bar.
I bet you're all wanting boot chime now
Serials redacted, fill in your own.
Astek kexts can be removed if you don't need LSI 9211-8i or similar SAS HBA support for disk or tapes.
All needed updates to opencore config.plist have been included and checked with the sanity checker.
You may wish to add -v to boot-args if your like boot messages instead of a pretty apple and progress bar.
I bet you're all wanting boot chime now
on a laptop its fine - lets you know when you pull it out, open it up and hit the power button that the computer isn't flat. On a desktop, I'll pass.
Tape is a success. Backed up 4Tb of data and read back to disk and diff'ed results match. Not a moment too soon either, as one of my 8Tb disks died. Got a 5Tb spare in its place to keep the important stuff mirrored, the old fashioned way, by duplicating it. For all the movies and stuff, theres no probs keeping those on a tape, I can always resurrect them when a 14Tb comes on special again
Tape is a success. Backed up 4Tb of data and read back to disk and diff'ed results match. Not a moment too soon either, as one of my 8Tb disks died. Got a 5Tb spare in its place to keep the important stuff mirrored, the old fashioned way, by duplicating it. For all the movies and stuff, theres no probs keeping those on a tape, I can always resurrect them when a 14Tb comes on special again
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I'm not sure if you still have this problem since it's been a while, but disable "Use hardware acceleration when available" in Chrome and the freezes go away.
The problem went away when I switched from using above 4g decoding in bios to using npci=0x2000 in boot-args. A quirk of the MSI RX5700 XT. It coincidentally could have also gone away since I started using Big Sur as my daily driver.
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- May 3, 2020
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Good to hear. I thought I'd just mention it because I decided "to live with it" until I realised only Chrome froze, nothing else. And then the realisation "Wait, Chrome is just a program, not the OS" 
Hello VK2emp,
i have been following your post for a while and am also looking for pretty much the same setup as you to replace my old hackintosh ASUS Z8NA-D6.
my use is quite complex in what I want: to start on the first Nvme under Win10. boot on the second nvme under OSX. the third nvme is for the OS UNRAID cache.
I also need an LSI HBA card for my 8 x 1 hard drives To SAS under OS UNRAID only.
to sum up I have 3 possible system OS in the machine that I have to select at startup.
in addition to that, I want to use 2 graphics cards for UNRAID OS for my virtual machines, they are RX580 8gb and GTX1060 6gb cards that I put in passtrought mode.
this is why I am interested in this card. This is why this MSI x570 MEG ACE card corresponds to the hardware level to what I am looking for. this is why I am interested in this card, as the PCIe2 port will be used for the LSI HBA, I lose the pcie-4 port but it is less important because I do not connect the hackintosh in wifi, so not need FENVI card.
I am still in the voucher because I have not yet validated my purchases and I am awaiting returns?
my config
MSI x570 MEG ACE
Ryzen 9 5950x
DARK rock pro 4
Corsair Vengeance LPX Series Low Profile 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4 3200 MHz CL16
RX-580 8GB Sapphire Pulse
GTX 1060 6 GB gigabyte
NVMe: 3 different brands to differentiate themselves size +/- 500 GB each
here is for the info for moment, sorry I am Belgian and speak French and little English.
best regards, Phil
i have been following your post for a while and am also looking for pretty much the same setup as you to replace my old hackintosh ASUS Z8NA-D6.
my use is quite complex in what I want: to start on the first Nvme under Win10. boot on the second nvme under OSX. the third nvme is for the OS UNRAID cache.
I also need an LSI HBA card for my 8 x 1 hard drives To SAS under OS UNRAID only.
to sum up I have 3 possible system OS in the machine that I have to select at startup.
in addition to that, I want to use 2 graphics cards for UNRAID OS for my virtual machines, they are RX580 8gb and GTX1060 6gb cards that I put in passtrought mode.
this is why I am interested in this card. This is why this MSI x570 MEG ACE card corresponds to the hardware level to what I am looking for. this is why I am interested in this card, as the PCIe2 port will be used for the LSI HBA, I lose the pcie-4 port but it is less important because I do not connect the hackintosh in wifi, so not need FENVI card.
I am still in the voucher because I have not yet validated my purchases and I am awaiting returns?
my config
MSI x570 MEG ACE
Ryzen 9 5950x
DARK rock pro 4
Corsair Vengeance LPX Series Low Profile 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4 3200 MHz CL16
RX-580 8GB Sapphire Pulse
GTX 1060 6 GB gigabyte
NVMe: 3 different brands to differentiate themselves size +/- 500 GB each
here is for the info for moment, sorry I am Belgian and speak French and little English.
best regards, Phil
