Has anyone ever built a hackintosh?

"Anon" (tjsielsistneb) 07/26/2015 at 16:47 • Filed to: None

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I’m very much considering building one. I like mac software, however I want a computer that can use 3 hard drive (one ssd for system, and two 1tb in RAID 1 for photo storage) and the ability to output 4k at 60hz. As such the only mac made computer that matches my needs in a mac pro which is WAY out of my price range! However for about $700 I can make a mackintosh that would be on the level of a nice imac. So it’s looking like hackintosh is going to be the way I’m going to be going for my next computer. Does anyone have any experience building a hackintosh?

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Anon 07/26/2015 at 16:50

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I don't have advice but it sounds like a good idea.

Nibby > Anon 07/26/2015 at 16:50

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Literally making a Yosemite bootable USB installer right now to try to hackintosh my HP Z400.

If it works well, I’ll let you know in a few hours.

Check out tonymac86 and there’s tons of useful info and hardware compatibility there.

Anon > Nibby 07/26/2015 at 16:52

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Tonymac is person who inspired me to do it!

JGrabowMSt > Anon 07/26/2015 at 17:00

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Years ago I did build a hackintosh system, but have since lost the time to do it. What exactly do you need the Mac OS for though? 4k output? If you have a 4k display and a modern graphics card, you can do 4k video. Apple advertises it like you need their system to do 4k, but that’s definitely not the case

You can do hardware or software RAID with just about any motherboard today if you want.

I mean, when I was in college I build my monster desktop that’s still way faster than I need it to be, and less than a Mac Pro at the time. I ended up getting killer deals left and right, but was satisfied with running Windows. Sure I have a MacBook Pro, but overall, I use cross-platform software (Adobe CS6 Master Collection, Pro Tools, Reaper, etc), so whether I’m on the Mac OS or running Windows 7, 8 or 10 doesn’t make any difference.

$700 is a decent amount for an i5 or i7 machine today, definitely, if you stretch the budget just a little further out you can go with an enormous amount of power though.

bhardoin > Anon 07/26/2015 at 17:01

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Me!

Mine was a complicated bitch. I didn’t plan on making it a hackintosh, so my hardward was far from ideal. Because I was using a (new at the time) ATI graphics card with only fringe compatibility, I had to install custom drivers in some of the base installation folders, and it was super confusing and time consuming.

http://www.tonymacx86.com/ This site is your bible. Follow their directions, use their recommended hardware.

OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE: have a working computer ready beside you to write files to thumb drives, possibly to burn installation DVDs, and of course to look up eery and unheard of problems on forums.

My impressions of running a hackintosh? It’s relatively smooth if you have appropriate hardware. Be wary of updates, expect that there will be weird glitches from time to time. I wouldn’t recommend it for projects that really really need a reliable computer and are very time sensitive, or for projects that require somewhat obscure software or hardware. But for the money you save on buying an actual Mac with the Apple Tax, its totally worth it. My experience would’ve been much smoother if I just stuck to a recommended build.

Have you build a PC before? If not I’ll give you some more general tips.

Jedidiah > Anon 07/26/2015 at 17:03

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Personally, I’d use a linux system for something like this.

There’s a couple of desktop environments / distros that are emulative of mac in terms of design. Others can easily be configured to resemble it as well.

Plus you get all the added freedom of being able to do pretty much whatever you want.

Anon > JGrabowMSt 07/26/2015 at 17:09

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I suppose that I don’t need mac os but it’s what I like and what I’m used to. I just like os x’s layout. Also I’m at $700 because I’m a broke college student :(.

AthomSfere > Anon 07/26/2015 at 17:24

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I’d say:

Just convert to a decent OS that you can legally run. Windows, or Linux. Linux has a ton of themes that mimic OSX’s “features” (Not really sure what to call what I think we both know you want and I meant).

Also, Windows 10 is AWESOME!

Also, what are you majoring in? If it isn’t Music Theory or Art then getting on the PC bandwagon now can only help you for the real world . ;)

edu-petrolhead > Anon 07/26/2015 at 17:28

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There are lots of software, some very good ones from Stardock, which completely transform Windows look into OSX ;)

JGrabowMSt > Anon 07/26/2015 at 17:30

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I was not a broke college student, but regardless, I do understand. The forum I would recommend most highly is insanelymac.com. I used to be a lot more active on there, but even today consider it to be the absolute leader in info about running OSx86 (what it used to be called at least). You can get great info about hardware recommendations, or even just see what people are running and copy their builds. The stuff is all top notch, and most of the users there are fantastic. I never had a bad experience with other users there, and if you have a problem, chances are someone else has a solution for you.

El Darto > Anon 07/26/2015 at 17:54

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I have been into Hackintoshes for a loooonng time. These days, things are pretty easy. My only advice is to stay away from TonyMacx86. If you want, I can go into more detail, but basically, he stole the UniBeast source code from Conti’s MyHack and doesn’t give proper credit, nor does he follow the licensing for many of the kexts (drivers) that he uses.

Chasaboo > Anon 07/26/2015 at 22:56

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There’s a lot to learn but it’s good to have particularly if you can make money doing it. I used to build Hackintoshes for companies that would do specific work. Lifehacker might have some good info as I recall. There are forums you can find help as well. Good luck.