Building a Hackintosh: The Build

A few days ago I made my new computer. Normally, it would operate using Windows or Linux, as I am a bit adventurous when it comes to computers. In fact, I am so adventurous that both these operating systems were not an option for me. I made this computer to work with MacOS! A PC running the operating system of a Mackintosh is called a Hackintosh.

I use Macs since 2001. MacOS is the operating system that I know best and I feel it is the more stable of the available options. I made my first Hackintosh when I was on a limited budget and I needed a new computer. The Mac Mini was too underpowered for my needs and the iMac was way over my budget. A mid-level PC was the best option for me. I wanted to continue using MacOS, so I began researching on how to make a Hackintosh.

Eight years later, the mid-level PC began showing its age so I made a new one. The goal was to make a powerful computer that will serve me without glitch for the same amount of time -and even longer. Budget was not so much a concern this time but value-for-money was something I was definitely paying attention to. With these factors in mind I made my choice of components. So, without further ado, here is what I used to make this Hackintosh.

CPU: Intel Core i7 8700

When building a Hackintosh, Intel is the only option for the processor. People have managed to make hackintoshes with AMD CPUs but it still requires a lot of work to be a viable, working option. Originally I wanted to go for the 8700k, which allows overclocking. On one hand though, my inexperience with this process and on the other the price increase of Intel CPUs, made me turn to the cheaper option of the locked processor. The price was also a factor in deciding against the newer line of processors.

Motherboard: Asrock Z370 Extreme4

When talking about value-for-money, Asrock motherboards are the definition of the term. When I was checking the options from the other manufacturers, there was always a feature missing in the budget category I was looking at. Just when I had settled to go for a more expensive model, I checked the Asrock options and there I found what I was looking for, in the price I was willing to pay.
Some people would say that a motherboard for overclocking is too much for a locked CPU but all the other specs fitted my needs so I decided to stick with my original decision.

Graphics Card: Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 480

The last minute decision! I was planning to go for an Nvidia card -most probably the GTX 1050ti. Despite what common sense would dictate -and some geeks as well- you don’t need a powerful GPU for photography work. Even for video it is not that important as most video editing software rely on the CPU to work. The latest version of Mac OS X dropped all support for Nvidia cards so I had to look at AMD, which is what Apple is using in their machines. Luckily, the crash of crypto mining meant that there were many graphics cards available for cheap, so I capitalised on that. The added bonus was a more powerful GPU than what I originally planned, for less money. A card used in crypto mining is not the best option because of the extremely heavy load it came under but you can’t beat the price!

RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB DDR4-2666MHz

The most overpriced component in the whole system. RAM prices are dropping all the time but I couldn’t wait for the market to stabilize. Therefore I decided to buy it at a higher price than what it would cost in the near future. That’s also the reason why I didn’t go for a higher frequency. The cost would go through the roof!
Photography software loves to use RAM and 32GB is half the amount of memory the motherboard can support. Not a bad decision for a long term build!

Power Supply Unit: XFX TS 550 Gold

Again, a VFM choice. The TS Gold series from XFX is one of the best options for a PSU and it was the cheapest of those top options. Mine is a full wired model. I bought this model because the case has a PSU shroud, which covers all the unused cables. Despite that, I should have gone for a semi-modular option, because there are too many unused cables! No major complaints though.

SSD: Samsung 970 Evo 250GB

It is the best M.2 SSD. Nothing else.

CPU Cooler: Arctic Freezer 7 Pro Rev. 2

CPU coolers from Noctua are definitely better than this one but they are also more expensive. Since I wouldn’t be overclocking, I didn’t need to pay more for the better quality of the Noctua. I couldn’t find any bad reviews for this Arctic cooler so I chose to go with it. The case fans are also from Arctic.

Case: GameMax Obsidian

I thought that the case would be the easiest part to choose. Wrong! I wanted a functional, good looking case, for a low price. I wanted good airflow, PSU shroud, and four USB ports on the front panel; two USB 2 and two USB 3. If I paid less than €50 for it, that would be great! €75 was the most I was willing to give. This was the only option available that covered all my demands for what functional meant. The design is not something to write home about but I consider it is not bad either. Minimal would be the word to describe it. I don’t think that it can be compared to the offerings from NZXT and the other premium manufacturers but it is well thought out and it was pretty easy to make the build in this case.

So, these are the parts I used for my new Hackintosh. In the next part of the story I will write about the problems I encountered while building this machine. Stay tuned and until then, my best wishes to all!