OCLP - have YOU used it?

[Lucas!]

Hello

I've been reading about this facility, details here:- https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher/

My Intel iMac is too old to run macOS Sonoma so I'm considering using OCLP
I've been wondering what the downsides might be.
Any thoughts? Your comments invited!
Thanks.

 

[theMarble]

What model/year iMac do you have, and what specs does it have? That will determine whether you can run OCLP, and by extension modern macOS or not.

If you have less than 8GB of RAM and a mechanical hard drive, forget about OCLP. Having at least 8GB of RAM, and most importantly an SSD is an unofficial requirement for running a modern version of macOS.

You can run macOS on less than 8GB (I used OCLP a couple years back with 4GB of RAM on Big Sur), however it is not a pleasant experience at all if you have more than one or two browser tabs and/or several apps open at the same time. Since my experiment with 4GB was not out of any necessity for a modern machine, but rather to just play around with once every so often, 4GB was OK-ish.

An SSD on the other hand is an absolute (unofficial) requirement. The macOS file system, APFS, has only been optimised for SSD's. Performance on even a "fast" mechanical drive is abysmal. I'd go as far as saying all modern OS's (Windows 10/11, macOS and heavier modern Linux distros) need an SSD to be usable.

Sidenote: A Fusion Drive is a mechanical hard drive. If you have a Fusion Drive, ditch it for an SSD if you want to run OCLP.

 

[Lucas!]

What model/year iMac do you have, and what specs does it have? That will determine whether you can run OCLP, and by extension modern macOS or not.

If you have less than 8GB of RAM and a mechanical hard drive, forget about OCLP. Having at least 8GB of RAM, and most importantly an SSD is an unofficial requirement for running a modern version of macOS.

You can run macOS on less than 8GB (I used OCLP a couple years back with 4GB of RAM on Big Sur), however it is not a pleasant experience at all if you have more than one or two browser tabs and/or several apps open at the same time. Since my experiment with 4GB was not out of any necessity for a modern machine, but rather to just play around with once every so often, 4GB was OK-ish.

An SSD on the other hand is an absolute (unofficial) requirement. The macOS file system, APFS, has only been optimised for SSD's. Performance on even a "fast" mechanical drive is abysmal. I'd go as far as saying all modern OS's (Windows 10/11, macOS and heavier modern Linux distros) need an SSD to be usable.

Sidenote: A Fusion Drive is a mechanical hard drive. If you have a Fusion Drive, ditch it for an SSD if you want to run OCLP.

Oh dear! 😢 Thank you so much for your comprehensive answer to my question.

My iMac is a 27 inch version with a 2TB Fusion Drive which I do not intend to modify at this stage.

Your advice is much appreciated. Thank you. 🙂

NFA