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macOS HIGH SIERRA 10.13.6 INSTALLATION on the GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3


Follow these steps to perform a clean installation of macOS 10.13 High Sierra on your GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 system.

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PART 1 OF 4: ADJUST BIOS SETTINGS

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  1. Update the BIOS to the latest UEFI version

    • ​See the guide here if you are updating from a legacy version of the BIOS (version F12 or earlier)

    • See the modified BIOS here​ if you want to use an NVMe SSD
       

  2. Press F12 at startup to enter BIOS setup and select the following:
    • Save & Exit → Load Optimized Defaults
    • M.I.T. → Advanced Frequency Settings → Advanced CPU Core Features → CPU EIST Function = Disabled
    • M.I.T. → Advanced Memory Settings → Extreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.) = Profile1* 
    *Set to Disabled if your RAM modules do not support Intel XMP
    • BIOS Features → Intel Virtualization Technology = Disabled
    • BIOS Features → OS Type = Other OS
    • BIOS Features → Boot Mode Selection = UEFI Only
    • Peripherals → SATA Mode Selection = AHCI
    • Peripherals → Super IO Configuration → Super IO Chip → Serial Port A = Disabled​

    PART 2 OF 4: CREATE USB INSTALLER

  3. Download the Install macOS High Sierra app from the App Store
     

  4. Insert an 8GB or larger USB disk
     

  5. Open Applications → Utilities → Disk Utility

    • Select the USB disk in the left pane (select the physical disk, not a volume on the disk)

    • Click the Erase button

    • Under Name: type USB

    • Under Format: select Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

    • Under Scheme: select GUID Partition Map (If the Scheme option is not visible, go to the View menu and select Show All Devices)

    • Click Erase
       

  6. Open Applications → Utilities → Terminal and enter the following command:

    sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ High\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/USB --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ High\ Sierra.app --no interaction
     

  7. Enter your password when prompted
     

  8. After approximately 25-35 minutes the process will finish and the USB will be renamed Install macOS High Sierra (wait for the “copy complete” message in the Terminal before continuing)
     

  9. Download one of the following packs based on the CPU you are using and place a copy on your installation USB:

  10. Launch Clover Configurator from the Utility and Kext Pack and click Mount EFI
     

  11. Click the Mount Partition button to the right of the EFI partition of your USB. It will appear as EFI on EFI, Install macOS High Sierra (disk*s1)
     

  12. Quit Clover Configurator and copy the entire EFI folder from the Utility and Kext Pack to the EFI partition of your USB, replacing the existing folder if present.
    The EFI partition on your USB should now contain a single folder named EFI that contains two folders: BOOT and CLOVER. It should look like the image here (click to enlarge) →
     

  13. Eject your USB


    PART 3 OF 4: INSTALL macOS HIGH SIERRA
     

  14. Disconnect all drives from your computer except the drive you will be installing macOS on
     

  15. Place the USB installer in a USB 2.0 port of your computer. Press F12 at startup to select the USB as your boot disk
     

  16. Use the arrow keys to select Boot OS X Install from Install macOS High Sierra at the Clover bootloader menu and press Enter
     

  17. From the macOS Utilities screen, launch Disk Utility

    • In Disk Utility, click the View menu and select Show All Devices

    • Select your target disk (select the physical disk, not a volume on the disk) and click Erase

    • If the target disk is already in APFS format, or if multiple partitions exist, it may be necessary to click Partition and remove these partitions

    • You must end up with a single partition on the disk as described in the next step
       

  18. ​Name the target disk Macintosh HD, select Macintosh OS Extended (Journaled) format and GUID Partition Map scheme, then click Erase

    Do not select APFS format as this will prevent the installation from completing. The file system will automatically convert to APFS during the installation process if your target disk is a solid-state drive (SSD).
    It should look like the image here (click to enlarge) →
     

  19. After the erase process finishes, quit Disk Utility, select Install macOS and follow the prompts to do a standard macOS installation on Macintosh HD
     

  20. The first stage of the install process should take about 5 to 10 minutes (if the screen dims you can press a key to wake it)
     

  21. The computer will restart at least once during the next stage. When it does, press F12 to ensure that it boots from the USB. At the Clover menu, select Boot macOS Install from Macintosh HD and press Enter to continue.

    The installation process will then continue very slowly and the screen may become distorted. The computer will eventually restart again. Press F12 to ensure that it boots from the USB.
     

  22. When Boot macOS from Macintosh HD appears on the Clover menu, select this entry and complete the guided macOS setup


    PART 4 OF 4: POST INSTALL
     

  23. Go to System Preferences → Energy Saver and set Computer sleep to Never (see note below regarding sleep issue when using a discrete graphics card)
     

  24. Copy the Utility and Kext Pack to your Desktop and eject the USB installer
     

  25. Open Applications → Utilities → Terminal and enter the following command to allow apps downloaded from unidentified developers:

    sudo spctl --master-disable
     

  26. Launch Clover Configurator from the Utility and Kext Pack and click Mount EFI
     

  27. Click the Mount Partition button to the right of the EFI partition of your hard drive. It will appear as EFI on EFI (disk*s1)
     

  28. The EFI partition for Macintosh HD should now be mounted and show in the sidebar under Devices when you open a Finder window
     

  29. Quit Clover Configurator and copy the entire EFI folder from the Utility and Kext Pack to the EFI partition of Macintosh HD, replacing the existing folder if present (just as you did in step 12 for the installation USB).
     

  30. Install any system updates available through Software Update and the App Store
     

  31. ​Recommended additional steps to optimize CPU power management:
     

    1. Confirm that you have an active connection to the Internet
       

    2. Open Applications → Utilities → Terminal then copy and paste the following command in the Terminal window and hit Enter:

      curl -o ~/ssdtPRGen.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Piker-Alpha/ssdtPRGen.sh/master/ssdtPRGen.sh

      (ignore any warnings about incompatibility with your CPU)
       

    3. Next, paste this command in the Terminal window and hit Enter:

      chmod +x ~/ssdtPRGen.sh
       

    4. Finally, paste this command in the Terminal window and hit Enter:

      ./ssdtPRGen.sh
       

    5. Answer ‘N’ to the questions about copying and opening the ssdt files
      A customized SSDT.aml for your specific machine will now be in the /Users/yourusername/Library/ssdtPRGen directory
      (quickly access this directory in the Finder by holding the Option key (Windows key) while selecting the Go menu and then selecting Library)
       

    6. Copy the file named SSDT.aml to /Volumes/EFI/EFI/CLOVER/ACPI/patched/
      (you may need to run Clover Configurator to mount the EFI partition)
       

    7. Run Kext Utility to repair permissions and rebuild the boot cache, then restart the computer
       

  32. Optional: Install HWSensors to monitor temperatures, voltages and CPU speed. DO NOT install LPCSensors.kext - this can prevent system fans from operating properly. 

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Notes​ and Suggestions

  • For more consistent USB 3.0 performance, install a macOS-compatible PCIe USB.3.0 card

  • Sleep may not function correctly when using a discrete graphics card. Follow the progress on this issue here

  • Onboard Etron EJ168 USB 3.0 does not function correctly under macOS 10.13.3

  • Additional Clover bootloader resolutions can be enabled by following the steps in the video here

  • A simple method for custom key remapping is available here

  • If sound does not work after installing macOS updates, run Kext Utility to repair file permissions and rebuild the boot cache.

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RECOMMENDED macOS COMPONENTS

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Graphics Card (AMD): SAPPHIRE AMD Radeon RX 580

  • No configuration necessary

  • Automatically recognized by macOS with full Metal compatibility for High Sierra

  • Up to 12.5x better performance than integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000

  • Monitors should be connected to DisplayPort outputs on the card rather than DVI or HDMI, if possible.

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Graphics Card (Nvidia): ZOTAC GeForce GT 730 Zone Edition

  • No configuration necessary

  • Automatically recognized by macOS with full Metal compatibility for High Sierra

  • Up to 3x better performance than integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000

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Wireless + Bluetooth Adapter: Fenvi T919 Broadcom BCM94360CD Adapter

  • No configuration necessary

  • Automatically recognized by macOS as built-in AirPort and Bluetooth

  • Supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Airdrop, Handoff, and Bluetooth 4.0 in BIOS/UEFI and Bootloader

  • Install in PCIe x1 slot

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USB 3.0 Adapter: Inateck KT4006 2-Port PCIe USB 3.0 Express Card

  • No configuration necessary

  • Automatically recognized by macOS as built-in USB 3.0 Hi-Speed Bus/SuperSpeed Bus

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Keyboards: Apple Wireless Keyboard or Apple Wired Keyboard with Numeric Keypad

Any standard USB keyboard will work with this system, but Apple keyboards provide the functionality of various macOS-specific key mappings

 

 

MODIFICATIONS and TROUBLESHOOTING

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Modified BIOS for NVMe Drive Booting

source

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BIOS Boot Loop

If the computer does not boot and continually restarts, the BIOS may have become corrupt. To restore the backup BIOS and resolve this issue:

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  1. Unplug the computer

  2. Press and hold the computer's power button

  3. While holding the power button, plug the computer in again

  4. As the computer turns on (in one or two seconds) unplug the computer again

  5. Wait a few seconds, plug in the computer and then start the computer
     

A dialog box will open up and show the progress of the backup BIOS overwriting the primary BIOS. This should resolve the boot loop and allow the computer to start normally.

source

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Copy Main BIOS to Backup BIOS

Press  Alt + F10  at startup to copy the main BIOS to the backup BIOS. This will keep the same BIOS version on both BIOS chips rather than the version that shipped with the motherboard.

source

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Ethernet Port Not Working

If the onboard Ethernet port is not being detected by the operating system the Realtek RTL8111E chip can be reset by following these steps:

  1. Shut down and unplug the computer

  2. Remove the CMOS battery shown here

  3. Press and hold the power button for 30 seconds

  4. Insert the CMOS battery and plug in the computer

  5. Power on the computer and adjust the BIOS settings as necessary (they will be reset to default values)

 

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SUPPORT and DOCUMENTATION

 

Kexts included in the Utility and Kext Pack

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AppleALC.kext
enables audio

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CodecCommander.kext
enables audio

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FakeSMC.kext
System Management Controller emulator

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Lilu.kext
unified kext, process and framework patcher

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mXHCD.kext
enables USB 3.0

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RealtekRTL8111.kext
enables wired networking

macos_high_sierra.png
Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H-B3 motherboard
Modifications
Components
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