PC/Hackintosh Users: Help me out.

C_F_H_13

C_F_H_13

Protools Guru
Mar 21, 2006
1,554
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Kelowna, B.C. Canada
So I'm getting close to needing to purchase a new machine, and being an avid apple user, a friend on mine randomly suggested "why don't you make a hackintosh?"

It's something I'd never considered but after seeing the prices of PC components and what I could potentially build for about 1/3 to 1/2 the cost, I'm seriously considering it now.

Anyone have any experience with running OSX on a pc? Anyone wanna give me some general info on what components to avoid when thinking about doing this. I'm still in the research stage so I'm not going to rush out and buy anything soon, but I'm just curious.

Right now the basic setup would include the following:

-A really solid motherboard and chipset. Preferably the fastest/best available right now
-16 ram
- Four 1 TB SATA drives
-video card able to handle driving 2 displays
-multiple USB 2/3 , firewire 4/800, and thunderbolt ports if possible
-multiple PCIe slots in case I decide to put an HD3 in it.

Any help, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Even negative experiences!
 
yeah theres a few sites with all the info you'l need,
on the forums there you'll be able to ask about the specifics of your components and all that stuff.

I ran a hackintosh setup on a Dell machine for just over a year and it was pretty sweet, just as stable as my macbook.
No problems caused by the fact that it wasnt an apple machine, the only issue was that maybe once a week the shut-down sequence wouldnt complete fully and i'd have to throw the power manually but i found out that was a problem with the Dell mobo.

In short, a properly configured hackintosh will run just as well (if not better) than a real mac.
Contrary to popular belief, apple machines aren't made of fairy dust and sorcery that makes them magically run better, it all just comes down to having good quality, compatible parts.


EDIT: and before anyone comes flying in with the EULA argument, the Apple EULA doesn't hold in court, they could literally put anything they want in the EULA, they could put in a clause that transfers ownership of your first-born child to Steve Jobs but that doesn't mean it's actual law.
Installing OS X on a non-apple machine is not breach of law, at the very worst it's a breach of contract, in which case you lose out on software support from Apple.

If you want to test the legality of a hackintosh, go down to the nearest cop station and 'confess' to installing OS X on non-apple hardware, and try not to die of embarrassment as the pigs laugh you out of the building.

in simple terms, Installing OS X on a PC =/= Illegal.
 
I love people who dont understand EULAS. If you purchase a legitimate copy of the OS you CAN do whatever the fuck you want with it other then distribute it.

IE: ONCE PURCHASED ITS YOURS TO DO WITH AS YOU CHOOSE

Afterall is it built on FREE BSD ... Keyword being FREE ....lol
 
digitaldeath said:
Coders unite! :)

What's the best off-the-shelf PC I can buy that would fit the specs to install OSX on?
Click to expand...

Dont bother with off-the-shelf.
Last time I checked you'd always be better off with a self-build, as the head-aches of trying to sort out that one niggling problem would be greater than the head-ache of building a machine yourself.

Just go with proven compatible parts listed on hackintosh sites,
dont even think of trying to cut corners by substituting other parts, just do it right :)

I'd say I spent a solid 40-hour work week trying to get that Dell system up and running (this was a few years back, its probably gotten easier since then). It worked really well in the end, but trying to debug those few little problems took way too much time and energy.

EDIT: of course, check on the sites to see if there are any off-the-shelf PCs that will work, though my guess is there will always be compromises and problems with them regardless. If there is one that is 100% proven to work and meets your needs, go right ahead. what im saying is that if it 99% works then dont bother, just do a self-build, as getting that last 1%, all for the sake of a mid-price HP or Dell, will drive you insane.
 
digitaldeath said:
Okay, so who's the guy to talk to around here who could just post a proven, kick-ass build list? :)
Click to expand...

it seems to change every week really.
just look up Insanely Mac and the few other hackintosh sites, im sure a few more have popped up since i was involved.

maybe ask on the forums for a recommended build or check the extensive lists of compatible hardware.
 
For clarity, im putting a lot of stress on using the proven compatible parts because back when I was hanging around those forums a lot I'd often see people posting their problems that basically read:
"Derp, i built a hack with parts X, Y and Z from the build list, but i substituted A for B and it wont boot, halp me, derp".

Its best to just nip that carry-on in the bud before it even happens.
Build a machine that you know for certain will work flawlessly and enjoy.
 
Not that I agree with the law, but it does violate DMCA. That only affects us poor stupid bastards here in the US though.

I have a Gigabyte X58 i7 system using an EFIX adapter. Works flawlessly for me running both PT9 and Cubase6 on it.
 
sprack said:
Not that I agree with the law, but it does violate DMCA.
Click to expand...

No it DOESNT if you legally purchase the Software from the Mac Store.

Explain to me how this violated DMCA......

You go to the store and PURCHASE the OS. Then bring it home and install it on a box that has the same components as a Mac from Apple .... Ummmmm how does that violate the DMCA? Ohhhh thats right because you BOUGHT it but you can only put it on a real genuine mac right?

:cough: :cough:

bullshit.jpg
 
Yeah, im with guru,
I'd have to dig it up again, but there is a clause somewhere in US law that protects the consumers right to use their legally purchased software as they please, including getting it to run on whatever hardware they want.
As the whole thing just involves writing drivers for the hardware(no modification to Apple code is necessary), and there is no law against writing drivers for a platform....

In fairness, it used to be the case that the software needed to be modified, but nowadays a legally purchased OS X disk and compatible hardware is all you need, no modding, no fucking around.
 
TheDriller said:
Yeah, im with guru,
I'd have to dig it up again, but there is a clause somewhere in US law that protects the consumers right to use their legally purchased software as they please, including getting it to run on whatever hardware they want.
As the whole thing just involves writing drivers for the hardware(no modification to Apple code is necessary), and there is no law against writing drivers for a platform....

In fairness, it used to be the case that the software needed to be modified, but nowadays a legally purchased OS X disk and compatible hardware is all you need, no modding, no fucking around.
Click to expand...

Quoted for 100% Mother Fucking Truth!

This guy should be Abe Lincoln! :p
 
By bypassing the check for Apples specific TPM setup or falsely emulating it you violate the DMCA. I have had this discussion with a small legion of Apple engineers. Apple turns a relatively blind eye to the hackintosh community because they know eventually most people will get tired of trying to make non-apple hardware work and eventually buy.

Apple successfully applied DMCA to Psytar.

It criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services intended to circumvent measures (commonly known as digital rights management or DRM) that control access to copyrighted works. It also criminalizes the act of circumventing an access control, whether or not there is actual infringement of copyright itself.
Click to expand...

http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/FAQ#Is_this_site_illegal_under_the_DMCA.3F
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Millennium_Copyright_Act

http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap12.html#1201
 
Cause Psystar was SELLING their products!

You are not SELLING their products you are purchasing the OS for PERSONAL USE, That where your DMCA Bullshit falls apart.

And you talking to apple engineers is fucking retarded. You think they will actually admit its legal?

Sprack not to be a dick, but you have no idea what you are talking about. A Hackintosh as long as its for PERSONAL use is 100% legal.
 
As far as I know, DMCA isn't limited to the sale of someone else's IP - but I don't know whether hacks are legal or not. I don't really care either to be honest, I really like Hackintoshes.

At the moment I'm running Windows, but when I was building hacks, it was recommended to have a Gigabyte motherboard - they're supposed to have the best compatibility, but check the specs. Insanely Mac has LOADS of information and guides on this stuff.
 
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