Build-a-hackintoshSince publishing the in-depth How to Build a Hackintosh guide, lots of readers -- I don't know how many, but it seems like hundreds -- have successfully built their own version of the machine that's faster than a Mac Pro and half the price. However, it's been several months since I wrote the original guide, and some of the currently-available computer hardware has changed. So I'd like to ask readers who have built their own hackintosh a couple of questions, in order to update the guide and ensure it's still the best advice out there:

  1. Which graphics card did you use? I used the now-dated nVidia GTX 285, and I expect the newer 4X0 series are better, but since I don't have personal experience with them I can't say which one to use -- or how best to get it up and running. Any firsthand experiences are appreciated.
  2. Which processor are you using? Do you think the Intel Core i7-930 2.8GHz is still the best price/performance choice?
  3. Did anyone build a low-cost RAID solution? I've seen some great comments about building a RAID, but I'm looking for something that's not based around a $900 controller card (given the price of the machine we're building in the first place).

If you have any tips or suggestions based on the above questions, please let me know in the comments here. Thanks very much!