Building a CustoMac: Buyer's Guide December 2013

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When running OS X as your main operating system, supported and compatible components are extremely important. That is why we have created a large selection of pre-configured systems along with a list of options. This month we've reorganized the motherboard section and moved alternate higher end graphics cards into a new section. We've also added a second Socket 2011 motherboard option.

The components listed here might not be the only ones that work, but based on our research they're the easiest and best supported options. Use the following Buyer's Guide as a shopping list or as a jumping off point for further customization. Either way you'll be supporting this site by purchasing through these links, so thanks in advance!

CustoMac Mini

The CustoMac Mini is a bare-bones CustoMac in a shoebox sized case featuring a H87 mini-iTX motherboard and a dual-core Haswell processor. The graphics are integrated and fully supported, so there's no need for a power-hungry discrete graphics card. The case also includes a power-efficient power supply unit. Less parts, less power, less heat, less cost. Please note that the motherboard's Intel mini-PCIe card includes both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth but only the bluetooth features are available under OS X. If you don't use the PCIe slot, we recommend the TP-Link PCIe card below for native Wi-Fi support. Also, there are a few native wifi-only Atheros mini-PCIe replacement card suggestions if you don't need bluetooth.

CustoMac Mini Deluxe

The CustoMac Mini "Deluxe" is a no-compromise build featuring a Z87 mini-ITX motherboard and a quad-core Haswell CPU. The BitFenix Prodigy case is a unique way of thinking about a mini-ITX system, as it's not exactly small. It's about the size of a mATX case, making room for multiple hard drives, and a full sized graphics card. The Z87 motherboard is also capable of overclocking if you use a "K" CPU, and there is even room for a water cooler for the CPU. Please note that the motherboard's Intel mini-PCIe card includes both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth but only the bluetooth features are available under OS X. If you don't use the PCIe slot, we recommend the TP-Link PCIe card below for native Wi-Fi support. Also, there are a few native wifi-only Atheros mini-PCIe replacement card suggestions if you don't need bluetooth. If the BitFenix Prodigy is unavailable, we've listed some alternate cases below.

read more for the full article and complete list of recommended components