Difference between revisions of "Hackintosh"

From Eugene Eric Kim
(Added TRIM Enabler patch. New hard drive.)
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[http://www.tonymacx86.com/325-building-customac-buyer-s-guide-january-2013.html#custo_pro CustoMac Pro Guide]
I constructed a Hackintosh in April 2013. It served me well until November 2018, when it died a tragic death.
 
I had a lot of trepidation building it, as it was my first self-built machine, and Hackintoshes have their share of issues, but it was a very smooth project, thanks to the wealth of information on the Internet. I loved the price / performance I'm getting, I loved the expandability, and I loved being all Mac!
 
I was also pleased to see that many of my software licenses from my [[MacBook Pro]] applied to second machines (e.g. [[Adobe Lightroom]], Microsoft Office), so I didn't have to purchase second copies!
 
= Specs =
 
Using [http://www.tonymacx86.com/325-building-customac-buyer-s-guide-january-2013.html#custo_pro CustoMac Pro Guide] as a guide, I selected these components:


* [http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Obsidian-Series-Computer-CC650DW-1/dp/B004UE1W9K/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1360971044&sr=8-6&keywords=corsair+600t Corsair Obsidian 650D] ~$170
* [http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Obsidian-Series-Computer-CC650DW-1/dp/B004UE1W9K/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1360971044&sr=8-6&keywords=corsair+600t Corsair Obsidian 650D] ~$170
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* [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006EKJCWM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tonymacx86com-20 SATA 6Gb/s 120GB SSD] ~$110
* [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006EKJCWM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tonymacx86com-20 SATA 6Gb/s 120GB SSD] ~$110
* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004CSIG1G/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=tonymacx86-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B004CSIG1G&adid=0FRR1MR1QPCW3JWRA9ZX WD Caviar Black 2TB] ~$180
* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004CSIG1G/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=tonymacx86-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B004CSIG1G&adid=0FRR1MR1QPCW3JWRA9ZX WD Caviar Black 2TB] ~$180
* Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920. ~$70. Doesn't officially support Macs, but works great. For manual controls, you can purchase an app called Webcam Settings from the App Store
* Azio USB Micro Bluetooth Adapter Version 4.0 (BTD-V400) ~$13
* Reused my Nvidia GEFORCE 9400GT from my [[Dell Inspiron 531]], which supports dual monitors (which I'm also reusing)
* Reused the DVD-RW drive from my [[Dell Inspiron 531]])
* Reusing my wireless Microsoft Natural Keyboard (but not the mouse)
* Reusing my Apple Bluetooth Trackpad
Total cost was less than $1,300, which is an absolute steal considering the specs. An equivalent Mac Pro would have cost triple this.
= Log =
== November 21, 2018 ==
Bought some new USB drives, but Unibeast kept returning a, "Couldn't modify plist" error. I searched, and [https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/there-was-an-error-creating-your-unibeast-drive-couldnt-modify-plist.175889/#post-1250712 this post] eventually saved me. First, I ran:
  diskutil list
to see which disk my USB drive. (It was /dev/disk2.) Then I ran:
  diskutil eraseDisk HFS+ usbdrive GPT /dev/disk4
After that, I ran Unibeast, and it worked perfectly.
Unfortunately, upon attempting installation, my Hackintosh got into a reboot cycle that I was not able to correct. After futzing around, I decided that it was time to put this noble machine to bed.
== November 2, 2018 ==
[https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/unibeast-install-macos-mojave-on-any-supported-intel-based-pc.259381/ Upgrading to macOS Mojave.]
* https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/multibeast-10-4-update.258371/
* https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/mojave-applehda-audio.260004/
Created a USB installer and ran through the installation, but kept running into problems, and now hugh is unusable. Suspect my USB drive is fried. Will try again with a new USB drive.
== June 22, 2016 ==
I had a weird problem where everytime I shutdown, the computer would shutdown, then restart again. Turns out I was connected to the drive on my laptop, and the BIOS was set to wake on LAN. Turned that setting off, and all was good in my universe again.
== June 20, 2016 ==
[http://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/unibeast-install-os-x-el-capitan-on-any-supported-intel-based-pc.172672/ Upgrading to OS X 10.11.5 (El Capitan).] The main difference is [http://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/clover-basics-and-switching-advice.171680/ switching from Chimera to the Clover bootloader].
# I created a new USB installer via Unibeast 6.2.0. I selected the UEFI Boot Mode and the nVidia graphic options (since I have an older card — essentially the equivalent of "GraphicsEnabler=Yes" on Chimera).
# I tested Clover by booting to the USB drive, then selecting my Yosemite installation.
It worked! Unfortunately, I didn't remove the old Chimera installation, but fortunately, Clover and Chimera can coexist just fine. I rebooted and ran the OS X installation. I then logged into my account and ran MultiBeast 8.2.3 with the [http://www.macbreaker.com/2015/12/how-to-use-multibeast-8-el-capitan.html following settings]:
* Drivers > Audio > Realtek ALCxxx > ALC898
* Drivers > Misc > FakeSMC v6.16-313-g671f31c.1707
* Drivers > Misc > FakeSMC Plugins v6.16-313-g671f31c.1707
* Drivers > Misc > FakeSMC HWMonitor Application v6.16-313-g671f31c.1707
* Drivers > Network > Intel > AppleIntelE10000e v3.3.3
* Drivers > USB > 3rd Party USB 3.0
* Customize > Graphics Configuration > Inject NVIDIA
* Customize > System Definitions > Mac Pro > Mac Pro 3,1


== Log ==
== June 19, 2016 ==


=== April 2, 2013 ===
Upgraded to a 4 TB Western Digital hard drive. Used rsync to transfer most of my data over. For some reason, rsync got tripped up several times by seemingly harmless looking files in Library, so I tarred up that directory and transferred it manually.
 
== April 23, 2015 ==
 
System upgraded to OS X 10.10.3. Had to rerun Multibeast in order to get my sound working.
 
==February 8, 2015 ==
 
Upgrading to OS X 10.10.2 Yosemite. It's a bit of a chore. First, I had to [http://www.tonymacx86.com/yosemite-desktop-guides/143917-guide-update-os-x-mavericks-os-x-yosemite-using-unibeast-multibeast.html modify /Extra/org.chameleon.Boot.plist]. I then had to [http://www.tonymacx86.com/yosemite-desktop-guides/143976-unibeast-install-os-x-yosemite-any-supported-intel-based-pc.html reinstall from USB via Unibeast]. To boot, I used "-x GraphicsEnabler=Yes".
 
I used DSDT Free, then set:
 
* Audio > Realtek ALCxxx > ALC898
* Disk > TRIM Enabler > 10.10.x TRIM Patch
* Misc > USB 3.0 - Universal
* Network > Intel > AppleIntelE10000e v3.1.0a
 
Under Customize, set "GraphicsEnabler=Yes".
 
== September 25, 2013 ==
 
Apple updated me to OS X 10.8.5, which broke sound, Ethernet, and Bluetooth. Ran Multibeast 5.2.1 and reinstalled sound, Ethernet, and TRIM. Those worked, but Bluetooth did not. Upgraded to Multibeast 5.5.1 and did the same upgrades. Again, all is fine, but no Bluetooth.
 
Tried [http://www.tonymacx86.com/network/108872-10-8-5-bluetooth-not-working.html#post662998 this fix] a few times, and got Bluetooth working. However, it's not clear that this was the problem. My Trackpad may have been connected to my laptop when I was trying to get this working, which may have prevented it from connecting to my Hackintosh. Regardless, all is well now.
 
== April 3, 2013 ==
 
Swapped in my Nvidia GEFORCE 9400GT from my [[Dell Inspiron 531]]. (I needed to swap it out of the Dell anyway, in order to convert that machine into a media center PC.) Initial research suggested I may have issues:
 
* http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/158685-the-easiest-way-to-install-nvidia-9400-gt/
* http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/280837-mountain-lion-boot-on-in-safemode/
 
However, it worked out-of-the-box for me! Sweet!
 
Also swapped in my DVD-RW from my Dell. WIth the drive, it took forever for it to acknowledge a DVD, and I've had issues with eject. Basically works, though, just not perfectly.
 
== April 2, 2013 ==


Powered up the machine. No problems! Relatively quiet! Booted it off the [http://www.tonymacx86.com/61-unibeast-install-os-x-mountain-lion-any-supported-intel-based-pc.html UniBeast Mountain Lion USB drive] I had created. Again, no issues.
Powered up the machine. No problems! Relatively quiet! Booted it off the [http://www.tonymacx86.com/61-unibeast-install-os-x-mountain-lion-any-supported-intel-based-pc.html UniBeast Mountain Lion USB drive] I had created. Again, no issues.
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* Drivers > Disk > [http://www.macbreaker.com/2012/05/hackintosh-ssds-all-you-need-to-know.html TRIM Enabler] > 10.8.1+ TRIM Patch
* Drivers > Disk > [http://www.macbreaker.com/2012/05/hackintosh-ssds-all-you-need-to-know.html TRIM Enabler] > 10.8.1+ TRIM Patch


Installed 2 TB hard drive. Formatted. Moved User directory there and created symlink.
Installed 2 TB hard drive. Formatted.


Other SSD hacks from [http://blog.alutam.com/2012/04/01/optimizing-macos-x-lion-for-ssd/ this post]:
Other SSD hacks from [http://blog.alutam.com/2012/04/01/optimizing-macos-x-lion-for-ssd/ this post]:


* Set noatime flag for root partition
* Set noatime flag for root partition
* Moved User directory to HDD and created symlink
* Moved /private/tmp to HDD and created symlink


== CPU ==
== February 2013 ==


The CPU instructions said to apply thermal grease to the CPU before installing the cooler, but it looks like there was already thermal grease there. In any case, here's a [http://www.maximumpc.com/article/howtos/howto_install_cpu_and_apply_thermal_paste guide].
The CPU instructions said to apply thermal grease to the CPU before installing the cooler, but it looks like there was already thermal grease there. In any case, here's a [http://www.maximumpc.com/article/howtos/howto_install_cpu_and_apply_thermal_paste guide].


== Cases ==
The Corsair Obsidian 650D is largely self-explanatory, but there are things that took me a while to figure out:
 
I chose the Corsair Obsidian 650D. It's largely self-explanatory, but there are things that took me a while to figure out:


* This is the [http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&file=print&reid=289 best guide] I found to all of the internal wiring.
* This is the [http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&file=print&reid=289 best guide] I found to all of the internal wiring.
* Mounting an SSD. Remove the back side bolt (just give it a pull), and screw it in from the bottom.
* Mounting an SSD. Remove the back side bolt (just give it a pull), and screw it in from the bottom.
** [http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=213732 How do I mount an SSD in a Corsair 650d?]
** [http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=213732 How do I mount an SSD in a Corsair 650d?]
* Making it quieter. Haven't done anything about this yet. Just researching in preparation.
* It's actually reasonably quiet (when I first saw the case, I thought it would sound like a rocket ship. In case I want to make it even quieter:
** [http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1037067555 Corsair: 650D]
** [http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1037067555 Corsair: 650D]
** [http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-165-OP Foam silencing kit]
** [http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-165-OP Foam silencing kit]
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** [http://www.overclock.net/t/1155513/corsair-650d-proper-positive-pressure-project Proper Positive Pressure Project]
** [http://www.overclock.net/t/1155513/corsair-650d-proper-positive-pressure-project Proper Positive Pressure Project]


=== Other ===
= See Also =
 
Top candidates:
 
* [http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Graphite-Mid-Tower-Computer-CC600TM/dp/B004X63JWS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1360971042&sr=8-2&keywords=corsair+600t Corsair Graphite 600T]
* [http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Carbide-Series-Computer-CC-9011013-WW/dp/B005E97ZUU/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top Corsair Carbide 500R]
* [http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Obsidian-Black-Computer-CC-9011015-WW/dp/B006L6ZSWC/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1360978796&sr=1-1&keywords=corsair+550d Corsair Obsidian 550D]
 
Other possibilities:
 
* [http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-RC-692-KKN2-Power-Supply/dp/B00336EM0W/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top Cooler Master RC-692-KKN2]
* [http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=555&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=62&g=f Lian Li PC-V1020]
* [http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Nine-Hundred-Black-Computer/dp/B000I5JHB0 Antec 900]
* [http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-CC600TWM-WHT-Special-Graphite-Computer/dp/B004O0PAKW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1351180019&sr=8-2&keywords=cooler+master+cosmos Corsair CC600TWM-WHT Special Edition Graphite Series 600T Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case]
* [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139009&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3754110&SID=skim1132X509988X968542c617169c975db573a2ddc19afe Corsair Carbide Series 500R Black Steel structure with molded ABS plastic accent pieces ATX Mid Tower Computer Case]
 
== Video Card ==
 
I have a Nvidia GEFORCE 9400GT in my [[Dell Inspiron 531]] that I'll need to swap out anyway (in order to turn that old computer into a media center PC), so I'm hoping it will work in a Hackintosh. More information at:
 
* http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/158685-the-easiest-way-to-install-nvidia-9400-gt/
* http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/280837-mountain-lion-boot-on-in-safemode/
 
== Other ==
 
* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0033Z2BAQ/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=tonymacx86-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B0033Z2BAQ&adid=0KR701HGWD620VVKG6CE DVD-RW drive] (may be able to use the one in my [[Dell Inspiron 531]]) ~$30
 
== See Also ==


* [http://paulstamatiou.com/hackintosh-computer My First Hackintosh]
* [http://paulstamatiou.com/hackintosh-computer My First Hackintosh]
* [http://www.mattbrandenburg.com/2010/08/12/build-your-own-i7-hackintosh-system-for-862-that-will-run-with-apples-new-2499-mac-pro/ Build Your Own i7 Hackintosh]
* [http://www.mattbrandenburg.com/2010/08/12/build-your-own-i7-hackintosh-system-for-862-that-will-run-with-apples-new-2499-mac-pro/ Build Your Own i7 Hackintosh]
* [http://forums.whatthetech.info/index.php?topic=9.0 Project iBox - Lian-Li PC-V353A Mod]
* [http://forums.whatthetech.info/index.php?topic=9.0 Project iBox - Lian-Li PC-V353A Mod]

Latest revision as of 19:32, 13 September 2021

I constructed a Hackintosh in April 2013. It served me well until November 2018, when it died a tragic death.

I had a lot of trepidation building it, as it was my first self-built machine, and Hackintoshes have their share of issues, but it was a very smooth project, thanks to the wealth of information on the Internet. I loved the price / performance I'm getting, I loved the expandability, and I loved being all Mac!

I was also pleased to see that many of my software licenses from my MacBook Pro applied to second machines (e.g. Adobe Lightroom, Microsoft Office), so I didn't have to purchase second copies!

Specs

Using CustoMac Pro Guide as a guide, I selected these components:

Total cost was less than $1,300, which is an absolute steal considering the specs. An equivalent Mac Pro would have cost triple this.

Log

November 21, 2018

Bought some new USB drives, but Unibeast kept returning a, "Couldn't modify plist" error. I searched, and this post eventually saved me. First, I ran:

 diskutil list

to see which disk my USB drive. (It was /dev/disk2.) Then I ran:

 diskutil eraseDisk HFS+ usbdrive GPT /dev/disk4

After that, I ran Unibeast, and it worked perfectly.

Unfortunately, upon attempting installation, my Hackintosh got into a reboot cycle that I was not able to correct. After futzing around, I decided that it was time to put this noble machine to bed.

November 2, 2018

Upgrading to macOS Mojave.

Created a USB installer and ran through the installation, but kept running into problems, and now hugh is unusable. Suspect my USB drive is fried. Will try again with a new USB drive.

June 22, 2016

I had a weird problem where everytime I shutdown, the computer would shutdown, then restart again. Turns out I was connected to the drive on my laptop, and the BIOS was set to wake on LAN. Turned that setting off, and all was good in my universe again.

June 20, 2016

Upgrading to OS X 10.11.5 (El Capitan). The main difference is switching from Chimera to the Clover bootloader.

  1. I created a new USB installer via Unibeast 6.2.0. I selected the UEFI Boot Mode and the nVidia graphic options (since I have an older card — essentially the equivalent of "GraphicsEnabler=Yes" on Chimera).
  2. I tested Clover by booting to the USB drive, then selecting my Yosemite installation.

It worked! Unfortunately, I didn't remove the old Chimera installation, but fortunately, Clover and Chimera can coexist just fine. I rebooted and ran the OS X installation. I then logged into my account and ran MultiBeast 8.2.3 with the following settings:

  • Drivers > Audio > Realtek ALCxxx > ALC898
  • Drivers > Misc > FakeSMC v6.16-313-g671f31c.1707
  • Drivers > Misc > FakeSMC Plugins v6.16-313-g671f31c.1707
  • Drivers > Misc > FakeSMC HWMonitor Application v6.16-313-g671f31c.1707
  • Drivers > Network > Intel > AppleIntelE10000e v3.3.3
  • Drivers > USB > 3rd Party USB 3.0
  • Customize > Graphics Configuration > Inject NVIDIA
  • Customize > System Definitions > Mac Pro > Mac Pro 3,1

June 19, 2016

Upgraded to a 4 TB Western Digital hard drive. Used rsync to transfer most of my data over. For some reason, rsync got tripped up several times by seemingly harmless looking files in Library, so I tarred up that directory and transferred it manually.

April 23, 2015

System upgraded to OS X 10.10.3. Had to rerun Multibeast in order to get my sound working.

February 8, 2015

Upgrading to OS X 10.10.2 Yosemite. It's a bit of a chore. First, I had to modify /Extra/org.chameleon.Boot.plist. I then had to reinstall from USB via Unibeast. To boot, I used "-x GraphicsEnabler=Yes".

I used DSDT Free, then set:

  • Audio > Realtek ALCxxx > ALC898
  • Disk > TRIM Enabler > 10.10.x TRIM Patch
  • Misc > USB 3.0 - Universal
  • Network > Intel > AppleIntelE10000e v3.1.0a

Under Customize, set "GraphicsEnabler=Yes".

September 25, 2013

Apple updated me to OS X 10.8.5, which broke sound, Ethernet, and Bluetooth. Ran Multibeast 5.2.1 and reinstalled sound, Ethernet, and TRIM. Those worked, but Bluetooth did not. Upgraded to Multibeast 5.5.1 and did the same upgrades. Again, all is fine, but no Bluetooth.

Tried this fix a few times, and got Bluetooth working. However, it's not clear that this was the problem. My Trackpad may have been connected to my laptop when I was trying to get this working, which may have prevented it from connecting to my Hackintosh. Regardless, all is well now.

April 3, 2013

Swapped in my Nvidia GEFORCE 9400GT from my Dell Inspiron 531. (I needed to swap it out of the Dell anyway, in order to convert that machine into a media center PC.) Initial research suggested I may have issues:

However, it worked out-of-the-box for me! Sweet!

Also swapped in my DVD-RW from my Dell. WIth the drive, it took forever for it to acknowledge a DVD, and I've had issues with eject. Basically works, though, just not perfectly.

April 2, 2013

Powered up the machine. No problems! Relatively quiet! Booted it off the UniBeast Mountain Lion USB drive I had created. Again, no issues.

Installed Mountain Lion. When rebooted, got the endless startup wheel. Rebooted in safe mode using "-x" boot parameter. Started up Mountain Lion just fine.

Went through Apple post-installation steps, then installed MultiBeast. Selected:

  • Drivers > Audio > RealTek ALC8xx > RealTek ALC898
  • Drivers > Network > hnak's' AppleIntelE1000e Ethernet
  • Drivers > Disk > TRIM Enabler > 10.8.1+ TRIM Patch

Installed 2 TB hard drive. Formatted.

Other SSD hacks from this post:

  • Set noatime flag for root partition
  • Moved User directory to HDD and created symlink
  • Moved /private/tmp to HDD and created symlink

February 2013

The CPU instructions said to apply thermal grease to the CPU before installing the cooler, but it looks like there was already thermal grease there. In any case, here's a guide.

The Corsair Obsidian 650D is largely self-explanatory, but there are things that took me a while to figure out:

See Also