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Building a Hackintosh...

A

Afflicted Max

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 30, 2008
43
0
If this is the wrong forum/against the rules, feel free to move/delete this thread.

So my sister wants to get a computer, and I'd really like to build one... So I thought why not build a Hackintosh.

Here is my current list of hard ware:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106333
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136769
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231277
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131634
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115220

Sorry for all the links :(

Is this all compatible? I've never built a computer before, but I wanted to make sure it would all work (in theory) before I started buying things...

Thanks :eek: <3:apple:
 
Those parts look fine. You will need a graphics card. I hear the Gigabyte motherboards have the best compatibility however. I'm about to build a hackintosh and that's what I am going with.

I wouldn't do this if your sister isn't technically minded, or if you can trust her to not automatically download point updates without your go-ahead. Point updates often break things and require a re-applying of kexts.
 
Last edited:
Building a Hackintosh

:D
I would say folks often over thing the hackintosh (in my opionion), I did for a long time.
I believe the best PC makes the best hackintosh. In my is a 1st gen. quad core q6600, 16gb ram, 2 x video Cards ATI/AMD 5770 x over mode.

It comes down to what you use in the OS that uses the less resources, I found that matters the most.

For me it was VM player and a OSX Snowleopard VMDK file = 1 minute hackintosh.With a licensed copy of OSX snow leopard (of course).

Ram is the biggie, the more the better.
 
Alas, my parents have denied my idea. They figured a Mac Mini would be just as cheap/easier for her to use. I'll still have to pretty much do everything for her anyway...

But now I'm left with a void, I have an enormous desire to build a computer. I've got my 13in MBP hooked up via a HengeDock to my monitor. The monitor is also hooked up to my beloved Xbox 360 for hard core gaming sessions.

I may attempt a revival of an old 02 Dell, I may be able to bring it back to full functionality, and keep it for myself. :rolleyes: Thanks for your advice, I'll hit up InsanelyMac when I build a Hackintosh of my own. :)
 
Been there, done that...10.4 was the first Hackintosh I built.

Found out I enjoyed OSX tremendously. What I didn't enjoy was patching kexts after a security update, etc.

Took the plunge, went with retail Macs instead of building my own, and the rest is history.
 
GLS said:
Been there, done that...10.4 was the first Hackintosh I built.

Found out I enjoyed OSX tremendously. What I didn't enjoy was patching kexts after a security update, etc.

Took the plunge, went with retail Macs instead of building my own, and the rest is history.
Click to expand...

Same story here. And this is why hackintosh is actually good for apple sales; I'd have never spent this kind of money without experiencing it first.
 
Unless you know abit about linux hacking, console commands n *****, get ready for a Bag of Hurt, especially when apple release an Update.

Been there got the T-Shirt, simple things is I know Macs are expensive but people keep forgetting the other side of the coin, aslong as you take care of it in 2 or 3 Years that mac will still be worth alot of money when it comes to sell so its worth the investment.

Within a Year a PC has lost most of its value, so those cheap PC parts you use to build your own Mac Pro Replica.


Mac Pro = 2000 UKP
Hackintosh = 1000 UKP (Lian Li Case n *****)

2 Years Time

Your Mac Pro = 1200 maybe?
Your Hackintish = 200 quid

Thats my take anyway
 
I find it interesting when people have difficulty with updates. I've been running a Hac for some time now and have been able to install all updates, bar one, just by running Software Update and letting it do its thing.

The single problematic update, 10.6.3, was only a problem due to the way I'd set up my video card. If I'd done it correctly in the first place then I wouldn't have had any issues there whatsoever.

Despite that, I still hear that a lot of people have trouble with updates. My advice is to keep things as close to Apple's configurations as possible. I selected hardware that Apple uses and have no third-party drivers anywhere, and I think that's gone a long way towards getting a good experience.
 
Nermal, your experience is like mine. I'd guess we're people who read first, follow directions, and use proper hardware for things like this, but hey, just a guess. ;)

I've been using several Hackintoshes as my primary machines for going on three years now. My only update 'problem' was with 10.5.6, which wasn't even really a problem, I just skipped it and stayed with 10.5.5 until 10.5.7 came out. Currently running 10.6.5.

If you want to be on some forum claiming that it's too difficult and troublesome, then use random hardware, mainly the motherboard and graphics card. You'll be guaranteed to have some difficulty and then reason to claim hardship.

If you want a very good experience, with minimum to no fuss, setup that's nearly as easy as a real Mac, and few problems, go to kakewalk.se, read the FAQ page and use ONLY one of the Gigabyte motherboards listed there. (Also use Kakewalk to set it up). Use an nVidia graphics card, IE: 9800GT (can't go wrong) or supported GT_2xx model.

Only use SATA drives. Always install OSX on at least 2 partitions of the same hard drive- one you use to test any questionable updates. You only need a 12GB partition for a basic OSX install, and you can boot it from as many locations as you want from the same drive(s). People that whine about "bricking" their (only!) OS install simply don't understand this and must enjoy making things more difficult.

As for the 'value' of the PC, that's really missing the point. With a Hackintosh or any decent PC, you're not worried about picking the whole machine up and replacing it (certainly not in only a year), so it's 'value' isn't relative to a Mac. Want a newer/faster machine? Simply change out a few parts, IE: the motherboard and CPU, and voila, you have one. Upgrade the GPU. Add as many internal drives as you want. Add any PCI, PCIe cards you want. The whole point is you can do all of that without the MacPro price tag.
 
I though about building a hackintosh, but ended up redoing a Core Solo Mac Mini. I replaced the cpu with a 2Ghz Core 2 Duo and installed a 320gb 7200 rpm hard drive. Additionally, I upgraded the memory. Cost beakdown: $249 for the Mini on Ebay, $34 for the CPU, $45 for the hard drive, and $17 for the memory. Oh yeah, thermal paste for $5. I used the guides from iFixit and it turned out nice. As a side note you can go up to a 2.33 Ghz Core 2 duo (socket m.)
 
I payed about $1300 to get the PC specs (that are in my sig) for a Hackintosh but it was so annoying to get everything working. Supposedly it was suppose to be easy with my motherboard (Gigabyte P55A-UD3) but nothing ever went right. I was more happy just having Windows 7 on that ... but I still wanted OS X, so I went and got my MBP. Looking back, I wish I spent that money on a 27" iMac, or at least a 21.5 inch iMac :(
 
I'm curious where you read that that board was ideal for a Hackintosh?

One thing people have to get straight- all motherboards are different. VERY different. Each and every one of them. To work as a Hackintosh, it must be very close to Apple's specs. There's no voodoo to it. Real Macs use certain chipsets and certain onboard components- all are actually off the shelf and standard, but it's the combination of them that matters. Some PC motherboard (mostly Gigabyte, and even then, ONLY certain EXACT models) just happen to have exactly the right combination of OSX compatible chipset/components/BIOS settings that OSX is right at home on. That's it.

Is the mobo on the Kakewalk list? Nope? Then don't buy it expecting to have an easy time Hackintoshing it. The developer of that has done a bang up job of whittling his list down to the most compatible stuff. Otherwiese, a board may work, but it'll probably require hoop-jumping, or it simply may not work at all. Luck of the draw.

Also: go to newegg.com and look up the exact motherboard. Click the feedback tab, and search for keywords 'Hackintosh' and/or 'OSX'. See a whole bunch of reviews raving about 100% Snow Leopard compatibility? Yes? It's likely a go. No? You're going to be pulling your hair out if you're buying it to run OSX.

For people that this is too complicated for (checking throughly before pulling the trigger on hardware) please, buy a real Mac. It takes some level of figuring out things -like correct hardware choices- to build a Hackintosh.
 
I plan on building a Hackintosh for my graduation present to myself. :)

I'll check kakewalk closer to that time. I'm buying a pair of iMac G3's really cheap, and plan on putting them on steroids, and I may get a Powerbook, so I can practice with Mac hardware.
 
Afflicted Max said:
I plan on building a Hackintosh for my graduation present to myself. :)

I'll check kakewalk closer to that time. I'm buying a pair of iMac G3's really cheap, and plan on putting them on steroids, and I may get a Powerbook, so I can practice with Mac hardware.
Click to expand...

Waste of money. All 3 purchases.
 
dr. shdw said:
Waste of money. All 3 purchases.
Click to expand...

I'd have to agree. OS X will run like molasses on those machines. Attempting to "put them on steroids" is an even bigger waste of money.

You'd probably be better off trying to find a cheap Dell Mini 10v and Hackintosh it. That's a notoriously Hackintosh friendly machine. It will get your feet wet in Hackintoshing and it will run circles around any of the machines you planned on purchasing.
 
Nermal said:
I find it interesting when people have difficulty with updates. I've been running a Hac for some time now and have been able to install all updates, bar one, just by running Software Update and letting it do its thing.

The single problematic update, 10.6.3, was only a problem due to the way I'd set up my video card. If I'd done it correctly in the first place then I wouldn't have had any issues there whatsoever.

Despite that, I still hear that a lot of people have trouble with updates. My advice is to keep things as close to Apple's configurations as possible. I selected hardware that Apple uses and have no third-party drivers anywhere, and I think that's gone a long way towards getting a good experience.
Click to expand...

I hackintoshed an Asus 1000HE some months ago, just to have a netbook running the OS for light work on the go. I've been too scared that I'll break something if I update, so I just leave it at 10.5.7. :p It works fine for now as an extra (my iMac is what I do most of my work on).

I've got an unused SL retail license, so I may end up trying to put SL on it at some point, when 10.5.7 gets too old. But I'm happy for now.
 
I'm getting all three for like $80. Then I'm probably just going to max the RAM. I'm not planning on running OS X on any of them, just fix the broken parts and upgrade them. I'll probably end up giving away one of the iMac's and the Powerbook to my sister...
 
If you buy the right parts it's as simple as popping in a boot disk (iBoot Supported) and Installing Snow Leopard.

Once in you run, multi beast to install audio/video/ethernet drivers and you're golden.

Only slightly more complicated then on a normal Mac.

I just built one for a friend for $370 OTD.

i3 2.93ghz
4gb Ram
250gb hd
8400gs.
LG DVD RW

Runs Beautiful.

I have for myself,

i5 760
8GB Ram
GTS 250 (x2) SLI for windows
2x 1TB WD Black Drives (1TB OSX, 1TB Windows 7)
LG DVD RW
Apple G5 Case

$700~

Still have the Macbook Air 11' for a portable. Hackintosh netbooks are not that great due to the crappy screen/graphics/trackpad.

If you want a Apple Notebook go 100% Authentic.. I sold my mini 9 Hackintosh and my Macbook Pro 15' and just went with the Air 11' it's the best notebook I have ever owned!
 
I just built a Hackintosh, and it works extremely well:

Intel Core i7-950 3.06GHz CPU
Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R rev 2.0 motherboard
6 x 2GB Corsair XM3 DDR3 1600 memory
XFX ATi Radeon HD 5770 1GB
1TB SATA3.0 Seagate HD
D-Link DBT-120 USB 2.0 Bluetooth Adapter
Rosewill RNX-N1 802.11b/g/n USB dongle
Apple Keyboard + Mouse

I don't remember off-hand but it scored somewhere around 9500 on Geekbench.

I followed this guide: http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2010/04/iboot-multibeast-install-mac-os-x-on.html

I upgraded my BIOS to the latest version and used the DSDT for my motherboard/BIOS version here: http://www.tonymacx86.com/dsdt.php

Things that don't work:
Audio over HDMI (Video out works flawlessly)
USB3.0 ports on the back panel

That's a pretty short list of inconveniences for basically having a Mac Pro for about 60% less.
 
My only hackintoshes were a MSI Wind U100, and a WindPC. When I got rid of the U100 it was on 10.6.3 stable.

I still have the WindPC, and I just re-hackintoshed it last night. I was able to get it to 10.6.5 stable very easily, and EVERYTHING works. Not to mention it only cost $120 as a barebones kit, and I already had HD,ODD, Ram sitting around. It still amazes me how snappy the little 1.6Ghz N270 CPU with 1GB ram is.
 
Afflicted Max said:
I'm getting all three for like $80. Then I'm probably just going to max the RAM. I'm not planning on running OS X on any of them, just fix the broken parts and upgrade them. I'll probably end up giving away one of the iMac's and the Powerbook to my sister...
Click to expand...

Personally, I think that's a waste of $240. As much as I loved OS 9, it's pretty useless nowadays. Most websites won't even load on OS 9.
 
Ironduke said:
Unless you know abit about linux hacking, console commands n *****, get ready for a Bag of Hurt, especially when apple release an Update.

Been there got the T-Shirt, simple things is I know Macs are expensive but people keep forgetting the other side of the coin, aslong as you take care of it in 2 or 3 Years that mac will still be worth alot of money when it comes to sell so its worth the investment.

Within a Year a PC has lost most of its value, so those cheap PC parts you use to build your own Mac Pro Replica.


Mac Pro = 2000 UKP
Hackintosh = 1000 UKP (Lian Li Case n *****)

2 Years Time

Your Mac Pro = 1200 maybe?
Your Hackintish = 200 quid

Thats my take anyway
Click to expand...

But they've BOTH lost the same value. I have a laptop with the same specs as my friends MBP, I bought mine a year ago for £600, and he bought his for roughly £1,200, I don't care that mine is maybe only worth £400 now, ive only lost £200.

Infect in the even longer run, his MBP will devalue to the point of the whole cost of my laptop, where mine would still be worth something, even if it's £100.
 
Ironduke said:
Within a Year a PC has lost most of its value, so those cheap PC parts you use to build your own Mac Pro Replica.


Mac Pro = 2000 UKP
Hackintosh = 1000 UKP (Lian Li Case n *****)

2 Years Time

Your Mac Pro = 1200 maybe?
Your Hackintish = 200 quid

Thats my take anyway
Click to expand...

So you lose $800?! whats the difference? the hackintosh get you in with less invested.
 
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