New Desktop Build - want compatible hardware to run OSX hackintosh

• 

  scrimshaw on 28/10/2013 - 13:16

  +4

  You can see a list of compatible Hackintosh hardware at http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

  You will also need to delve into the forums and see what people have built, and probably copy theirs if they're known to be working.

  Hackintosh isn't for the faint of heart — there can be a lot of work involved in trouble shooting and software installation, and software updates may sometimes break compatibility. Most of the time you'd have to rely on manuals and self-help guides.

  • 

    ESEMCE on 28/10/2013 - 14:51

    +1

    This is top advice..
    Ideally you want to mimic as much (if not all) hardware that is in an off the shelf Mac so there is inbuilt support.
    If you can't do that, find a premade ISO and build using the same hardware that the hacker used.
    Upgrades are likely to break your system and you'll need to find and install kext files to make non-standard parts work.

    Big question is do you NEED to run natively or can you run in a Virtual Machine?
    If you're just running MacOS for fun, a Virtual Machine could be the best bet.
    No special parts buying required and you can undo any changes that break your working system.

    I built a system back when MacOS first went x86 and it worked nicely for a few point releases, but then became much harder to keep up to date when a new version was released. I built it to work 100% in MacOS cause I couldn't afford a real Mac, but liked the OS.
    From memory, the easiest way to get a working dual boot was to install Windows first, then MacOS. Triple Boot, install Linux Last and Grub should see that you have Mac and Windows partitions and automatically add them to the boot menu.

    • 

      abbztract on 01/11/2013 - 07:41

      OS X in a VM is the biggest pain in the but to set up. Random freezes can result in loss of data from the machine. Its also a bigger load on the host which will obviously hinder performance in the virtual machine.

      If possible, I would suggest doing a dual boot setup but if a VM is the only option, there's not much can be done apart from doing it that way.

      • 

        ESEMCE on 01/11/2013 - 12:45

        Don't bother setting it up, just download a VMWare Image and run!

• 

  yk300 on 28/10/2013 - 13:37

  +1

  +1 to what @scrimshaw said.

  You should check the hackintosh forums and seek advice there. It is possible but I think it is not worth the trouble, at least in my case.

  Just a few points you may want to think about:
  * are you guaranteed a full working MAC OS system? if not, will the alternative be good enough for your case?
  * are upgrades possible?
  * do you have enough time to set-up and troubleshoot a hackintosh?

• 

  abbztract on 01/11/2013 - 07:44

  +1

  The most likely Hackintosh will be built with intel CPU, nvidia GPU and a gigabyte mobo.

  You can look up the compatibility of integrated graphics but more. Some need a bit of work to get working but that's not very hard if you read up on them a bit beforehand.

• 

  abbztract on 04/11/2013 - 15:08

  +1

  Have a read through TonyMacx86's Customac build guide. Has a list of parts for several budgets.

  Comes down to how much you want to spend.

  • 

    Noblejoker on 04/11/2013 - 15:43

    this is exactly what I was after
    thanks mate

    • 

      abbztract on 04/11/2013 - 18:14

      No worries. I'm about to build a Hackintosh myself and found the guide to be a very helpful resource.