Hackintosh help

I've got one of these too, it's great.

I got a Dell Mini 10v, a new copy of snow leopard, a memory stick and one download.
It's not powerful but it's the perfect netbook.

there is one really big argument for building a hack mac - it's very easy to upgrade bits/fix them when they break

try upgrading the hard disk in an iMac

database of components

(wasn't much use for me, may have improved)

OSx86 sub forum

get reading!

Can anyone help me out with components?

this link is the old database, so there may be more info but it will be older components

the one I posted is the newer one

http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

I can dual boot windows/linux/whatever without issues, that's what chameleon does.

For £550 i would just buy Flickwgs mac on classifieds. No future update issues plus the ability to dual boot windows / linux etc without issues.

If you have that budget a hackintosh is too much hassle (IMO)

Fox - You've given me a lot of homework now, cheers bud. I'll try and get my head around this on the weekend.

BUMP.

Right, so I've got me one of these:

One of these downloading from the app store:

And one of these, currently running 10.6.8:

I've just done a time machine backup, so when it's downloaded I'll be ready to rock and roll.

So shortly I'll either have the latest OS X running on my hackintosh, or a very large paperweight :)

Things have come on massively in the world of hackintoshing since I last looked into it though. Installing OS X now requires 'no coding, terminal work or Mac experience of any kind' if you follow the instructions on the tonymacx86 blog (apparently, not used it myself) and he has a DSDT database now too.

Write ups like the nofilmschool - How to build a hackinstosh (not used this myself, although will be tempted when it is time to upgrade my innards) look great.

And the real deal just seems to get more and more expensive. My current geekbench score is 6525, and that's from a PC I'd already built that I turned into a Mac back in March 2010. The cheapest model in the current line up which can beat that score is the Mac mini Intel Core i7-2620M 2.7 GHz - which costs £779. And doesn't come with a CD drive. Or a monitor. Or a mouse. Or a keyboard.

This infographic from the nofilmschool site says it all really - double the cost, less than half the performance:

How much longer are people going to put up with paying such a premium for outdated but nice looking technology? I do wonder...

..there will always be different "tiers" of consumer, you just happen to be in the "computer geek" tier.

I need a new laptop

I'm really not, actually. Doing the original conversion was incredibly frustrating for someone like me who really isn't a computer geek. Fortunately I found helpful advice online and with some experimentation got there in the end.

That's the point though, you don't need to be any more, just go here, choose the build for your budget, buy the bits, follow the simple instructions. You haz hackintosh. That simple. It's no longer the preserve of geeks. Anyone can do it.

Can't really help with laptops I'm afraid. I reckon it's only a matter of time though.

I thought the point of a Mac was the shiny box it came in though?

I can see the point of a Mac in terms of the laptops- especially the MacBook Air, I think that is awesome.

In fact I'd put up with the OS due to the hardware.

OS without the hardware though- what's the reasoning for it?

Laptops aside, what you want (and look at) is a nice screen, a nice operating system and a nice keyboard and mouse. Nobody sits staring at their computer (unless they're weird), they look at the screen.

I've got a very nice 23" IPS panel coming tomorrow. So I've got that covered.

Choice of OS is subjective, clearly. But lots of people here like Mac OS for various reasons. I think you know that really ;)

Well, yes, but it seems to be easier to just load one of the various Linux varients without having to trick the OS with regards to the underlying hardware.

I can see the point if it's tricky- an achievement to get it to run.

I think the automation of it takes away what would be, for me, the point of doing it.

Lots of CPU, lots of RAM, SSD for the OS, loads of storage with commodity drives, 32" LCD panel, and then run Linux with an image of Win7 running as a virtual machine, done.

Work pays, so I'll always have the best, shiniest, best looking computer ever. THNX BYE.

I'm really not, actually. Doing the original conversion was incredibly frustrating for someone like me who really isn't a computer geek. Fortunately I found helpful advice online and with some experimentation got there in the end.

That's the point though, you don't need to be any more, just go here, choose the bui....

most people stop reading here, and go buy a mac.

I want a Thinkpad Hackintosh. That would be the sweetest laptop ever.

I don't want tricky, I don't want geeky, I want easy. I used to play with my own builds and Linux and such when I was younger, now I just buy Mac.

That's the thing, it is easy. You follow some very simple instructions, run one programme called Multibeast, follow a wizard and it does it all for you. The hardest bit is actually putting the bits together. I can understand not wanting to do that bit, but when you're talking about saving a grand for an evenings work, well...

Dredge time

I've ran IOS on my build for a while. But un installed it again. Was contemplating buying a mac PC for home then the idea of a hackintosh got into my head again.

Current build is;

P8P67 LE
I5 2500k
4gb ram

I'm thinking upgrade the RAM to at least 8gb and run iOS on it again - oh and can I stick an SSD inside whilst I'm at it and use that as the boot disk?

What cases do you guys use for hackintosh builds? I thought of an old G5 case but that seems like a lot of work to mod. I'd like a nice quiet case.

I had a very stable 10.6.8 install on an old (2nd hand from ebay) Dell Optiplex 755 with Asus 8400GS video card and a hybrid SSD drive. Died after about 18 months of heavy use. Thought it was a gonner especially when I tested that one of the RAM slots wasn't working any more. But did manage to get it working again and set it up for a friend.

My current one is another 755 but this time quad core running the latest 10.8.5. No KP's so far and plenty fast for my needs.

Noob question - I have a Dell D530 (or thereabouts, it's at work the now so can't check the exact model), would hackintoshing this a) be possible and b)be likely to make any improvement to the way it runs?

Right, this is my Hack, if it ever bloody arrives (bought off eBay, seller has gone oddly quiet and not posted it?!)
No idea of boot loader (@Fox) etc but want to put the top i7 in it... worried I will mess it up.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161787253324?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

oh, and I am aware I paid too much for it... was happy to pay to have one working rather than buy all the parts and make a mess of it.

Doesn't say the boot loader so no way of knowing till you switch it on :)

Putting a new processor in is easy. That Zalman cooler looks more than fine, you'll just need to remove it, take the old processor out, clean up any gunk (thermal paste) then put the new one in and refit the cooler.

I recommend this stuff for removing the gunk and cleaning up:
http://www.arcticsilver.com/arcticlean.htm

Use it with coffee filter papers (lint free).

You'll also need some new thermal paste, I like this:
http://www.arcticsilver.com/as5.htm

Make sure you ground yourself before/during doing this - touch a radiator pipe or similar, don't wear shoes. Or you can buy an antistatic grounding wristband or make your own, but I've never bothered with that. The point is you don't want to damage your processor/motherboard/PC with a static discharge.

Amazing. Thank you. I also got the chap to put a SSD in straight on the motherboard, although I can't imagine that'll make a difference cpu upgradability? If it runs good and stable I may well have to get the 4ghz i7 which will make this a beast of a machine! Fingers crossed.

Just asked. It's chimera.

Why are you getting a hackintosh? Isn't it mostly going to be used for DayZ?

Ha. So I can pretend I'm going to use it for work. Actually I will use it for work too... Might have an issue with my monitor working with it though, might cry.