# Hackintosh and updates and parts



## gsilbers (Oct 23, 2018)

I tried getting into hackingtosh a while back but ran into issues getting the basic EFI (or whatever) to get it running. Ive also heard horror stories of being stuff on specific MACos and cannot upgrade or cannot install certain plugins or softwares. 

I recently say a few new videos of poeple using it for years now without issues. 

Can anyone who has these comment on how they picked the parts, how is OS upgrades and overall stability. 
Ive seen the https://www.tonymacx86.com/tags/hackingtosh/
site but wondering more about the audio side and a thread now in 2018 to see any changes or differences. maybe it got more stable? 
thx


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## Nao Gam (Oct 23, 2018)

Reddit is your friend.
Also, you might want to install some windows as well just incase unless all the software you have is working properly and you have updates (or even wifi) turned off. Still building mine, can't get into specifics.


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## gsilbers (Oct 23, 2018)

Nao Gam said:


> Reddit is your friend.
> Also, you might want to install some windows as well just incase unless all the software you have is working properly and you have updates (or even wifi) turned off. Still building mine, can't get into specifics.



would windows be on another partitoin sort of thing or is it like bootcamp?


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## Nao Gam (Oct 23, 2018)

gsilbers said:


> would windows be on another partitoin sort of thing or is it like bootcamp?


I'm not very technical on these things but I believe people usually create another partition yeah.


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## synergy543 (Oct 23, 2018)

I'm using a $799 Dell 8900 Hackintosh (64G RAM, GTX960, MOTU 2408 interface) that's working great for me and has been extremely stable. My son put it together while his MacPro was being repaired and he built 3 of them. He's very computer savvy (computer engineer) and I don't think I'd have attempted it myself but he just followed a recipe from TonyMac I believe. It did take him a few days. And it really helped to have 3 machines to swap parts and do updates on too. If you're doing it by yourself, I'd suggest finding someone nearby that can help in case you hit a snag, and if needed, be prepared to simply use your machine as a PC machine. My machine has been running smoothly for almost two years now. One tip - be sure to keep a copy of the boot drive before you attempt upgrades so you can revert back easily. Often upgrades require tweaking settings for the graphics card. Only regret is not having more cores (I have 4 and its quite adequate about 50% better than my MacPro 8-core) but it wasn't an option at the time. I believe now, you could build a Hacintosh with many more cores. At least 6-cores would be nice.


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## ThomasL (Oct 23, 2018)

tonymacx86 is great but for me, a mere mortal, I found that https://hackintosher.com/ had clearer instructions.


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## jmauz (Oct 23, 2018)

I've been running Hacks for years. They can be a bear to get up and running, but all of my machines have been stable and reliable. 

Definitely use the buyer's guide on tonymac to choose parts. Also if you search the forums on that site for more detailed info. My latest build had to interface with my new Focusrite Red4Pre and as such I had to get Thunderbolt working. There were some others on that site who had this rig working so I was able to reach out to them when I ran into issues (of which there weren't many).

Feel free to PM me if you need any help!!!


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## gsilbers (Oct 23, 2018)

synergy543 said:


> I'm using a $799 Dell 8900 Hackintosh (64G RAM, GTX960, MOTU 2408 interface) that's working great for me and has been extremely stable. My son put it together while his MacPro was being repaired and he built 3 of them. He's very computer savvy (computer engineer) and I don't think I'd have attempted it myself but he just followed a recipe from TonyMac I believe. It did take him a few days. And it really helped to have 3 machines to swap parts and do updates on too. If you're doing it by yourself, I'd suggest finding someone nearby that can help in case you hit a snag, and if needed, be prepared to simply use your machine as a PC machine. My machine has been running smoothly for almost two years now. One tip - be sure to keep a copy of the boot drive before you attempt upgrades so you can revert back easily. Often upgrades require tweaking settings for the graphics card. Only regret is not having more cores (I have 4 and its quite adequate about 50% better than my MacPro 8-core) but it wasn't an option at the time. I believe now, you could build a Hacintosh with many more cores. At least 6-cores would be nice.



wow a dell?! didnt know that could be done. nice


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## gsilbers (Oct 23, 2018)

ThomasL said:


> tonymacx86 is great but for me, a mere mortal, I found that https://hackintosher.com/ had clearer instructions.



oh cool. indeed much nicer and easier for learning thx


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## gsilbers (Oct 23, 2018)

jmauz said:


> I've been running Hacks for years. They can be a bear to get up and running, but all of my machines have been stable and reliable.
> 
> Definitely use the buyer's guide on tonymac to choose parts. Also if you search the forums on that site for more detailed info. My latest build had to interface with my new Focusrite Red4Pre and as such I had to get Thunderbolt working. There were some others on that site who had this rig working so I was able to reach out to them when I ran into issues (of which there weren't many).
> 
> Feel free to PM me if you need any help!!!



interesting. i have a slave pc that i might be turning into a hackingtosh so ill be looking at those parts or getting new ones and that list iwll work. seems its all coffee lake cpu now. and ill have to check the mobo which seems to be one of the most important components for compatitability. 

so nowadays how is the update process? say for example that logic releases a new version but that version only works with a newer versino of high sierra. so on my mac pro i would update high sierra and then download logic. for the hackingtosh you have to download something first correect? and isnt there a risk every new mac os update will cutoff compatitbilty with other components ,like for exmaple my firewire 800 rme drive... or whatever?


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## jmauz (Oct 23, 2018)

gsilbers said:


> so nowadays how is the update process? say for example that logic releases a new version but that version only works with a newer versino of high sierra. so on my mac pro i would update high sierra and then download logic. for the hackingtosh you have to download something first correect? and isnt there a risk every new mac os update will cutoff compatitbilty with other components ,like for exmaple my firewire 800 rme drive... or whatever?



Updates are run in the same manner as if you were on native mac hardware. However, a good idea is to check the community at tonymac and see if anyone has tested said updates. I usually don't do updates to ANYTHING (OS, DAW, etc.) unless absolutely necessary, and even then I wait as long as possible so that any glitches have been found and solved (this is good practice regardless of whether you are running native mac hardware or a hackintosh). 

For example, I ran the same version of Cubase and Mac OS for 2 years before upgrading, and that was under duress. My project schedule just doesn't allow for constant updates, and rarely do I find that running the latest and greatest offers any major improvements to my workflow or my writing. 

If you need to have your computers up to date all the time, hackintosh might not be for you.


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## Land of Missing Parts (Oct 23, 2018)

jmauz said:


> Updates are run in the same manner as if you were on native mac hardware. However, a good idea is to check the community at tonymac and see if anyone has tested said updates. I usually don't do updates to ANYTHING (OS, DAW, etc.) unless absolutely necessary, and even then I wait as long as possible so that any glitches have been found and solved (this is good practice regardless of whether you are running native mac hardware or a hackintosh).
> 
> For example, I ran the same version of Cubase and Mac OS for 2 years before upgrading, and that was under duress. My project schedule just doesn't allow for constant updates, and rarely do I find that running the latest and greatest offers any major improvements to my workflow or my writing.
> 
> If you need to have your computers up to date all the time, hackintosh might not be for you.


Is anyone else having trouble loading the tonymacx86 home page? For me it just keeps loading until it times out.


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## garyhiebner (Oct 23, 2018)

The HP Elite 8300 and 6300 units are super easy to Hack up. Good guide on Tonyx86. Dirt cheap machines. Only down side is max CPU is the i7 3770, and 32GB RAM. But if you don't need a high spec then these units if you get one with a i7 3770 you pretty much don't need to change any of the hardware. If you only find one with a i5 3470 CPU, then you'll need an extra compatible NVidea video card. But was the easiest Hackintosh I have ever setup.


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## Damarus (Oct 23, 2018)

Now let me ask, why a hackinstosh?


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## synergy543 (Oct 23, 2018)

Damarus said:


> Now let me ask, why a hackinstosh?


I needed something more flexible than an iMac (PCI cards, beefier PS, etc.) and Apple had absolutely nothing to offer. I'm not fool enough to buy a 6-year old computer! The Hacintosh is almost perfect, I just wish Apple made it.


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## Tyll (Oct 23, 2018)

I have had a Hackintosh running for some months. It worked great until one day I updated something and then it didn't boot at all anymore. Full reinstall required. This time i chose windows again. That's my experience. It's great while it runs, but you'll always have to have a full backup (disk clone) in case something breaks horribly. Because if it breaks it might not be as easy as rebooting and fixing some drivers. If something crucial breaks, you will be left with nothing at all.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Oct 23, 2018)

Tyll said:


> It's great while it runs, but you'll always have to have a full backup (disk clone) in case something breaks horribly.



That applies to every computer ever.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Oct 23, 2018)

...which is not to say that I have an opinion about Hackintoshes, because I've never even seen one in person. That's just a general comment: you need an image backup of every computer in a working state.


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## MarcelM (Oct 23, 2018)

ive been using several hackintoshes now (latest one is a ryzen build), and no regrets.

no offense here, but dont mess with bootloader stuff if you dont know what you are doing and you will be fine.

there hasnt been atleast any problem which couldnt be fixed, and all my hackintoshs run stable like a beast.

typing on on an old dell latitude 6230 running mojave 

regards


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## Tyll (Oct 23, 2018)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> That applies to every computer ever.


True, but the risk of a hackintosh not booting anymore after an update is indefinitely higher then a normal windows installation getting stuck big time. Like I would comfortably do only a backup of my work for any windows computer and risk the reinstall once every ten years, but I'd not want to do it once every few months.


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## Tyll (Oct 23, 2018)

MarcelM said:


> ive been using several hackintoshes now (latest one is a ryzon build), and no regrets.
> 
> no offense here, but dont mess with bootloader stuff if you dont know what you are doing and you will be fine.
> 
> ...



Reading this I'm tempted to give it a shot again on my second computer. Maybe I was just unlucky.


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## MarcelM (Oct 23, 2018)

Tyll said:


> Reading this I'm tempted to give it a shot again on my second computer. Maybe I was just unlucky.



it might take some time to get into the hackintosh stuff, but its worth it. some hardware is more easy to setup and the right components will run out of the box while others might need a bit of work. after all you can install osx on like any machine if you have the knowledge. i just dont recommend ryzen builds for beginners.


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## gsilbers (Oct 23, 2018)

Tyll said:


> Reading this I'm tempted to give it a shot again on my second computer. Maybe I was just unlucky.



i had the same experience. i saw a few videos where they said the process has become much easier and stable in the past few years.


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## MarcelM (Oct 23, 2018)

gsilbers said:


> i had the same experience. i saw a few videos where they said the process has become much easier and stable in the past few years.



yes, a few years ago it was much more complicated!


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## gsilbers (Oct 23, 2018)

MarcelM said:


> yes, a few years ago it was much more complicated!


now it seems poeple just use the cloverfield or clover somehting and it does a lot of the stuff? right? 
ill have to check out more recent videos.


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## MarcelM (Oct 23, 2018)

gsilbers said:


> now it seems poeple just use the cloverfield or clover somehting and it does a lot of the stuff? right?
> ill have to check out more recent videos.



yes, clover is the most used bootloader today. clover doesnt include everything you need though. you will need some additional files for clover which are needed to boot. those can all be downloaded free.

fakesmc.kext beeing the most important one (or the newly released virtualsmc)

hackintosher is a great page to start for beginner, but so is insanelymac.

i had bad experience using tonymacx86 unibeast tools. its better to build own usb installers.


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## garyhiebner (Oct 24, 2018)

Tyll said:


> I have had a Hackintosh running for some months. It worked great until one day I updated something and then it didn't boot at all anymore. Full reinstall required. This time i chose windows again. That's my experience. It's great while it runs, but you'll always have to have a full backup (disk clone) in case something breaks horribly. Because if it breaks it might not be as easy as rebooting and fixing some drivers. If something crucial breaks, you will be left with nothing at all.



Yeah definitely have a clone available. use something like Carbon Copy Cloner to clone your system. Then its as simple as just switching the drive if something breaks.


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## composerguy78 (Oct 27, 2018)

I have been using a hackintosh for the last 6 years and I’m pretty techy but this is a whole new level. There have been hours spent dealing with hackintosh issues. If there were a book on the subject that would possibly change everything for me in that I might understand it properly. I get the basic concept but when I come up against problems I post online at tonymac86 and prey for a reply. This usually takes a while. When I get a reply it is usually way above my head. I found one guy who kindly explains everything as to a child and it’s great but that is rare.

I am currently updating to High Sierra and after 10+ days I’m ready to give up. I have the machine booting but then I have a weird graph issue and the WiFi won’t work. This is is the page which explains how to fix the WiFi problem. Do you understand this stuff? I sort of do but then don’t get some of it so I can’t fix the issue. On the site I feel completely out of my depth.

If you understand this kind of thing then I would totally recommend a hackintosh. Personally I’m done with it, I’m going to revert back to my backup and I’ll use that machine as my video slave and I’m switching to windows with Cubase. And BTW making a clone on a hackintosh is NOT as simple as on a Mac, there are a few more steps involved. You need to install the boot loader afterwards. 

I hope that helps.


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## Damarus (Oct 27, 2018)

composerguy78 said:


> I have been using a hackintosh for the last 6 years and I’m pretty techy but this is a whole new level. There have been hours spent dealing with hackintosh issues. If there were a book on the subject that would possibly change everything for me in that I might understand it properly. I get the basic concept but when I come up against problems I post online at tonymac86 and prey for a reply. This usually takes a while. When I get a reply it is usually way above my head. I found one guy who kindly explains everything as to a child and it’s great but that is rare.
> 
> I am currently updating to High Sierra and after 10+ days I’m ready to give up. I have the machine booting but then I have a weird graph issue and the WiFi won’t work. This is is the page which explains how to fix the WiFi problem. Do you understand this stuff? I sort of do but then don’t get some of it so I can’t fix the issue. On the site I feel completely out of my depth.
> 
> ...



Very helpful. Most people don't hear about this side of building computers.


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## gsilbers (Oct 27, 2018)

garyhiebner said:


> Yeah definitely have a clone available. use something like Carbon Copy Cloner to clone your system. Then its as simple as just switching the drive if something breaks.



if im not mistaken native instruments and a few others companies tie the serial to a specirfic hard drive. im sure its not hard to redo the authorization though.


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## gsilbers (Oct 27, 2018)

composerguy78 said:


> I have been using a hackintosh for the last 6 years and I’m pretty techy but this is a whole new level. There have been hours spent dealing with hackintosh issues. If there were a book on the subject that would possibly change everything for me in that I might understand it properly. I get the basic concept but when I come up against problems I post online at tonymac86 and prey for a reply. This usually takes a while. When I get a reply it is usually way above my head. I found one guy who kindly explains everything as to a child and it’s great but that is rare.
> 
> I am currently updating to High Sierra and after 10+ days I’m ready to give up. I have the machine booting but then I have a weird graph issue and the WiFi won’t work. This is is the page which explains how to fix the WiFi problem. Do you understand this stuff? I sort of do but then don’t get some of it so I can’t fix the issue. On the site I feel completely out of my depth.
> 
> ...



yep, those are examples of the stuff im worried about. logic and plugins is normally an issue as the os vs versions varies so much but simple things like ethernet, wifi and video card etc are also a concern if they dont work. i coudnt work without internet in the same computer so hackingtosh automaticallty wont do. 

btw- when i read those sort of fixes my 1st thought is to go and buy another wifi card or whatever. something that someone else didnt have a problem. so basically throw money at the probelm.


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## Dewdman42 (Oct 27, 2018)

I recently retired my hackintosh that I built 10 years ago and will never go that route again... here is the experience


I built a hackintosh the first time because I had a new PC sitting in my house and I was recovering from back surgery and needed something to do with myself while I was couped up in the house for a month. I also wanted to try out OS X, I had been on windows for quite a while prior, though I had used older versions of MacOs in the past.
I was lucky that my particularly motherboard at the time had users who had done it, but I had to do a lot of hunting around the net to find solutions to issues about how to set it up for hackintosh, and it literally took the better part of that month to do it. So first impression, my time is worth way more than that.
At first I was happy because I had this machine which I could overclock and it was basically faster then any Mac mini at that time, and as fast as some smaller macPros, for a fraction of the price.
I used it for everything, it worked completely well, I never really ran into any issues except occasionally something weird about power-saving modes of OS X. I ended up buying DP and later Logic and ran them just fine, including all plugins and everything, for quite a while. But I fell in love with OS X, so my next purchase was an actual MacBookPro.
Eventually it started getting hard to keep up with OS X updates and eventually I was unable to upgrade it past Mavericks.
Eventually I bought a used 2010 MacPro, which cost about the same as it cost me to build that hackintosh...and let's just say I should have done that years ago. Though, the cost of the used macPro was only that low because the computer is older...but at 12 cores x3.33 ghz, its plenty fast for me and today in 2018 that is what I would heartily recommend!
My hackintosh then needed a purpose so I made it an OS X server for a while, running Mavericks, it worked as a time machine backup server more than anything else. I was unable to upgrade it past Maveriks though and i wasted a LOT of time trying to do so. How much is your time worth?
Recently i upgraded that machine to windows10 and it works flawlessly as a server and now I can use it with VEP also to host win32 plugins and such, so its still not wasted...but anyway...
Dealing with hackintosh stuff is way easier now compared to 10 years ago, due to tonymac and other resources. They can direct you to the best hardware to get easy installs. there is no guarantee though that some update from Apple won't cause it to go FUBAR, so eventually you should expect to have to tinker and spend a lot of time tinkering with it and without any deadlines stressing you out. Otherwise, don't do it.


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