Chapter 4 - Laptops
Laptops are wonderful in that you get maximum portability and power in a smaller package. The tradeoff is that they're easier to misplace than a desktop computer, more likely to get stolen, but more commonly they're limited in their upgrade path. Despite the setbacks it's possible to take a laptop and turn it into a Hackintosh laptop, or more commonly, a "Hackbook".
Integrated Graphics
What all do you need? Conventionally you need a laptop with a supported CPU that has integrated HD 3000 graphics or higher graphics chipset, so any of the second generation i-series processors with HD 3000 graphics should work.
Take a look at the following Wikipedia links for i3, i5, i7, and i9 series of processors.
What all do you need? Conventionally you need a laptop with a supported CPU that has integrated HD 3000 graphics or higher graphics chipset, so any of the second generation i-series processors with HD 3000 graphics should work.
Take a look at the following Wikipedia links for i3, i5, i7, and i9 series of processors.
- List of Intel Core i3 Microprocessors
- List of Intel Core i5 Microprocessors
- List of Intel Core i7 Microprocessors
- List of Intel Core i9 Microprocessors
UHD 620 graphics Hackintosh
The word "graphics" is positioned differently in the example above, but it can be interchanged with the way it's displayed on the Wiki page and on Intel's product page. Keep in mind that if you put it in quotes; "UHD Graphics 620" vs "UHD 620 graphics", you're more likely to get hits verbatim as it is between the quotes.
ig-platform-id
Within the pages that have the information, you're going to find an 8-digit hexadecimal code (numbers 0 through 9, letters A through H) you will need to write that represents this graphics code. There will be some codes designated for the same graphics type for desktop computers, and some for laptop computers. Make sure that the one you make note of is the one for your laptop or desktop. This code will be entered in a specific spot in Clover.
The Clover bootloader gets installed on the same drive as MacOS after installing MacOS to a specific drive. After MacOS is installed you'll want to set the boot drive as the same one as MacOS. When you boot successfully, the first thing you will see is the Clover bootloader. It's here that you can choose to boot to MacOS, Windows, restart your computer, or perform other tasks.
ig-platform-id
Within the pages that have the information, you're going to find an 8-digit hexadecimal code (numbers 0 through 9, letters A through H) you will need to write that represents this graphics code. There will be some codes designated for the same graphics type for desktop computers, and some for laptop computers. Make sure that the one you make note of is the one for your laptop or desktop. This code will be entered in a specific spot in Clover.
The Clover bootloader gets installed on the same drive as MacOS after installing MacOS to a specific drive. After MacOS is installed you'll want to set the boot drive as the same one as MacOS. When you boot successfully, the first thing you will see is the Clover bootloader. It's here that you can choose to boot to MacOS, Windows, restart your computer, or perform other tasks.
Under the iconic row of drives are smaller icons for other things, and the one you'll be using this code for is under Options:
When in options you'll see an entry for ig-platform-id. On this older version of Clover (it doesn't show up on my main Hackintoshes since I'm using a video card) it's displayed as "*-platform-id" followed by the entry 0x0D220003:
The "ig" stands for Integrated Graphics which is the on-board graphics set provided by some CPUs. It may show up as 00xXXXXXXXX (where XXXXXXXX) is a series of numbers. Here you can type in the case-insensitive platform ID you found from the Google search with or without the "00x" preceding it.
Eventually when in use, you'll need to keep booting with the right IDs, if you made a list of them, until you actually see the boot screen which will show gray, then black, the loading screen of the black background and white Apple logo, followed by the language selection screen. More on this will be explained in the chapter for installation.
Eventually when in use, you'll need to keep booting with the right IDs, if you made a list of them, until you actually see the boot screen which will show gray, then black, the loading screen of the black background and white Apple logo, followed by the language selection screen. More on this will be explained in the chapter for installation.
Adding/Replacing RAM
For a smooth experience, make sure your laptop has at least 8 GB of RAM. How do you check? Most laptops have one or more panels on the underside that can be serviced by you, the owner. Some HPs and Dells have separate panels and compartments for RAM, the hard drive, and more; while some laptops have one big panel covering the underside. In any case, your laptop should have two slots for RAM modules. I italicized the "should" because there are some laptops with memory already soldered to the board. This limits the amount of RAM you can upgrade to, but the laptop user/ manual or service manual will inform you of the maximum RAM capacity. In the photo below, the RAM is in the lower right on this laptop; one module is free while the other is occupied.
Just by looking at the module I cannot tell the size/capacity. I would have to flip it over so it would look similar to this:
The label on the module above indicates that it is a 4 GB DDR3 (PC3) module that runs at 12800 bits per second. That's not important to memorize, but if you want to add a second module, look for one with the exact same specs if you can. With the above example, I would just do an eBay search for the code below it:
     
"M471B5173BH0"
What if you only have a single 2 GB module? It's better to install in matching pairs, and for any operating system, more equals better. I've doubled one user's laptop speed from 1 GB to 2 GB and somehow it helped aided the laptop with boot and response times. I honestly didn't think it would make that much of a difference, but I was gladly proven wrong there. You may be able to install two 8 GB modules if your laptop supports it, but again check the product page on the manufacturer's website or download the manuals, as they indicate the ceiling at which the memory can be maxed out. You probably wouldn't need all the extra memory, but you don't want to pay premium for 32 GB when the manual states the maximum is 16 GB.
Replacing the DVD Drive with a Hard Drive / SSD
In this day and age, DVD drives are becoming a thing of the past and some newer models are doing away with the DVD drive. Today it's possible to remove the DVD drive and replace it with a bay for a second hard drive instead, perfect for MacOS. This way you can still keep your existing hard drive for Windows and add a second hard drive for MacOS. If you feel you may require the DVD drive at some point you can purchase an external USB enclosure for it for under $20. Check your model though, as some laptops are wide enough that they already have two slots for hard drives which eliminates the requirement of a caddy:
Note: When in use and containing a hard drive for MacOS, the caddy will take the place of the DVD player. The original DVD player can be placed in an external USB enclosure and attached to the laptop when needed. It will still work to read and write to files with a catch: MacOS has a program to play DVD movies, but it will only play movies on an internal DVD player. No matter if you use the laptop's built-in drive but used outside of the laptop, or any other brand of external USB DVD drive; MacOS won't be able to play DVD movies using the included DVD Player app. Consider this important fact if you wish to view movies on your laptop.
The DVD caddy has the same shape and size of a laptop's DVD drive (sans the outside chassis), and the only thing that may differ is the connection method from the caddy to the laptop. Most have the typical connections for laptops that consists of both the SATA power and data connectors, but the power connector is shorter than a typical desktop hard drive SATA power connector (bottom photo, right):
The DVD caddy has the same shape and size of a laptop's DVD drive (sans the outside chassis), and the only thing that may differ is the connection method from the caddy to the laptop. Most have the typical connections for laptops that consists of both the SATA power and data connectors, but the power connector is shorter than a typical desktop hard drive SATA power connector (bottom photo, right):
This is the typical connector style, but in the past I've had DVD drives on some laptops that had a different connector. The screws highlighted in green indicate the hardware used to connect the flange which is used inside of the laptop. If the DVD drive is removed for an external DVD case, the flange gets removed.
Now you'll want to go on eBay for the device itself. When you do an eBay search by "DVD caddy", be sure to check all the photos in the description to ensure that it shows the connector and matches the same connector on your DVD drive. You can also do a search for a DVD caddy for your specific laptop model by including it in the search function. This will narrow down your results (and pricing options), but you'll still want to make sure the photos shown also show the same connector type as your DVD. Typically I simplify the process by searching for items sold only in the US, are listed as Buy It Now, and sort lowest to highest.
Now you'll want to go on eBay for the device itself. When you do an eBay search by "DVD caddy", be sure to check all the photos in the description to ensure that it shows the connector and matches the same connector on your DVD drive. You can also do a search for a DVD caddy for your specific laptop model by including it in the search function. This will narrow down your results (and pricing options), but you'll still want to make sure the photos shown also show the same connector type as your DVD. Typically I simplify the process by searching for items sold only in the US, are listed as Buy It Now, and sort lowest to highest.
If you haven't already, download the user/service manual for your model laptop. To remove a DVD from the laptop, first turn your laptop over so that you're looking at the underside. To the opposite side of the drive itself, look for a screw with a symbol that resembles a disc. Some show this symbol but others do not. It will be the screw that attaches to the flange highlighted in green (above photo). If you cannot see this, you may need to remove the back cover from your laptop in order to remove the drive.
Once the screw is loosened and removed, you can try pushing from the same end or pulling from the opposite end to remove it:
When you have the caddy, insert the spare drive as shown:
The red arrows indicate the power and data ports as the caddy has standard connectors for internal drives. The green arrows indicate the screws for securing the drive. In the photo these are shown as extended, so you'll want to loosen them outwards before putting the spare drive in the caddy.
Here the drive is placed securely in the caddy. The next step is to secure it with the screws:
There are two screws on each side. In the above photo, the screw locations are circled in red. I would apply these first as these are easier to get in. On the opposite side you'll find the same size screws. The hole that the screws to fit in are very small, so you'll need a small screwdriver to apply. Your DVD caddy should have come with one, otherwise you may find an applicable size screwdriver in an eyeglass repair kit or a set of small screwdrivers at the dollar store.
You'll need to ensure that the screws for the caddy on both sides clear the area so that it can slide in all the way when you insert it and make contact with the SATA connectors on the laptop motherboard.
After the caddy been added, you can reapply the DVD side piece to the caddy, then boot into BIOS where the new drive should be visible. You may have to adjust settings in the BIOS to ensure that your laptop can see UEFI drives. From there you can shutdown, insert the MacOS installer flash drive, reboot to the flash drive and install to the new internal drive for MacOS.
After the caddy been added, you can reapply the DVD side piece to the caddy, then boot into BIOS where the new drive should be visible. You may have to adjust settings in the BIOS to ensure that your laptop can see UEFI drives. From there you can shutdown, insert the MacOS installer flash drive, reboot to the flash drive and install to the new internal drive for MacOS.
SD/MicroSD Card Slots
As far as I know with what testing I had done on Hackbooks, SD cards and Micro SD cards are not recognized because Macbook laptops never had this hardware component. Your best bet would be to use a USB-based card reader for SD cards. These should be bootable as well, but they typically do not work as fast as flash drives.
WiFi/Bluetooth Issues
As a mobile device, you'll probably want to ensure that your Hackbook can connect to WiFi hotspots and Bluetooth devices without the tether of a physical cable. This is where it can get a bit dicey. When it comes to WiFi cards, laptops have what's known as a whitelist. This is a list of compatible WiFi/Bluetooth cards that will work with the laptop's motherboard. Physically, most WiFi cards will fit, but if the card's ID isn't on the whitelist for that particular laptop model, there's very little you can do to get it to work with your laptop, no matter if you're using Windows or Mac. Previously I mentioned about how some XFX-brand graphics cards can be flashed to show that they're made by a different manufacturer. There is a way to do this with some cards, but I have no experience with this nor have I attempted to do it before. So in order to use an existing WiFi card with your existing laptop, you'll have to pop open the underside of the laptop, take a photo of the WiFi card and blow it up, then Google it to see if it can be modified to work with MacOS. Many older but capable laptops have Intel Centrino-N WiFi cards. These card's have no correlation to Intel Centrino processors but somehow just share the same name. To date, Apple have never supported Intel-based WiFi cards in their products, so Intel-based WiFi cards will not work. Broadcom, Atheros, and a few other brands may work though. If your laptop has a non-Intel brand WiFi card that shows as being MacOS compatible, consider the age and speeds.
But consider this: Your laptop probably has a lot of life left on it if you're able to attempt to get MacOS on it, correct? Some of the installed parts like the WiFi probably have 802.11n speeds, or perhaps 802.11g. Why not bring it up-to-date and give it a speed boost by using a USB WiFi dongle instead? The pros are that you have much faster speeds and perhaps a wider area of coverage. The only downside is that you give up a USB port. This may not be a big deal if you have three or more ports, but some ultrabooks and similar only have one USB port. If the laptop is stationary and doesn't move from place to place, consider purchasing a powered USB hub so you can connect more USB devices. If the hub is non-powered, you may be limited to the amount of extra USB devices you can connect and expect to work.
But consider this: Your laptop probably has a lot of life left on it if you're able to attempt to get MacOS on it, correct? Some of the installed parts like the WiFi probably have 802.11n speeds, or perhaps 802.11g. Why not bring it up-to-date and give it a speed boost by using a USB WiFi dongle instead? The pros are that you have much faster speeds and perhaps a wider area of coverage. The only downside is that you give up a USB port. This may not be a big deal if you have three or more ports, but some ultrabooks and similar only have one USB port. If the laptop is stationary and doesn't move from place to place, consider purchasing a powered USB hub so you can connect more USB devices. If the hub is non-powered, you may be limited to the amount of extra USB devices you can connect and expect to work.
A few years back I purchased a WiFi/Bluetooth combo USB dongle from Edimax, the model EW-7811ULB. Turns out that the WiFi worked but the Bluetooth did not because there was no Mac-specific driver for it, yet both communication types from the dongle worked on Windows.
If you need a 2-in-1 unit and you look on eBay, check for either name brands like D-Link (and check their page to ensure total Mac compatibility), or check the box on the side that shows that the seller will accept returns.
If you need a 2-in-1 unit and you look on eBay, check for either name brands like D-Link (and check their page to ensure total Mac compatibility), or check the box on the side that shows that the seller will accept returns.