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Hackintosh and updates and parts

gsilbers

Part of Pulsesetter-Sounds.com
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
 
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.
 
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?
 
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.
 
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!!!
 
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
 
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?
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
...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.
 
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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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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