The best Hackintosh laptops

There is no denying that Apple’s Mac OS is revered by many, especially by the power users because it allows them to do so much on the fly like editing videos, and even editing music just the way they want to. Apple’s offering such as Final Cut Pro has made things much easier. Not to forget, the excellent harmony in which the hardware and software communicates with one and the other is impeccable to say the least.

With that said, one of the biggest reasons why people do not go for a MacBook or a Mac is the cost; Apple’s habit of charging a premium usually pushes away the budget conscious users to a point that they compromise and opt for a powerful Windows laptop instead.

However, the lack some of the features such as having good editing software, or the same level of hardware to software collaboration that makes the MacBooks so popular in the market. In this article, we are going to be looking at the best Hackintosh laptops in the market. Through Hackintosh, you can learn Mac OS on a Windows based laptop with exceptions of some features that might not work due to limitations on the Apple software.

HP ProBook 450 G3

HP’s made a name for themselves through their impressive lineup of the ProBook laptops that have graced the market for some time now. The laptop is aimed at business professionals who do not want all the fancy features to get their work done. The ProBook 450 G3 is tried and tested, and works wonderfully with both Windows, as well as Mac OS.

The laptop I have has the following configuration but keep in mind that the laptop can be upgraded, parts like RAM, and storage are easily upgradeable.

• Intel Core i5 6200U
• 16GB RAM
• 1TB SSD
• Windows 10
• Dual band WiFi, and Bluetooth

As the specs mention, there is nothing ground breaking about this laptop, but I have already talked about how this laptop is just for the business users. The good thing is that you can easily run Mac OS on the laptop, and it will not break a sweat.

The process of installing the Mac OS is rather simple, with all the instructions available along with all the files that you would need to download. Keep in mind that since this laptop is on the older side, it actually works with Mac OS in a much better way. Below is the list of things that are not working or are bugged, every other feature is in the perfect running condition.

• The screen flickers at times.
• The card reader is not working on some models.

Aside from the aforementioned issues, everything else about the HP ProBook 450 G3 is perfect when it comes to running the Mac OS. I can assure that that you will not be having any issues whatsoever.

Pros

• Solid performance on both Windows, and Mac OS.
• Gives a decent battery life, just want business users would prefer.
• Nice, minimalistic looks.
• Has all the necessary Mac OS features working without any issue.
• Older hardware allows for better integration with the Mac OS, meaning more working features.

Cons

• The screen of the laptop is nothing to write home about.

Acer Aspire E5-571-53S1

As you may have noticed, I am using the laptops that are on the older side. That is because the older the hardware is, the better it matures, and the developers get more time to make the Mac OS smoother on the hardware it is not supposed to run on and make sure the bugs are ironed out.

The Acer Aspire E5-571-53S1 is no exception, this is one of the older laptops because it is running Haswell, and during my research to find out good Hackintosh laptops, I figured that older hardware works much better with the Mac OS because of the maturity.

Obviously, the specs are nothing groundbreaking, but thanks to Mac OS’ efficient resource management, you will not run into any issue. The specs on the laptop I have are listed below.

• Intel Core i5 5200U
• 8GB RAM
• 512 GB HDD
• Windows 8.1

Yes, the laptop did come with Windows 8.1 by default, but can be upgraded to the Windows 10 that has become the gold standard in modern computers. Now obviously, Windows 10 is not my primary concern here, the primary concern here is getting the laptop to run Mac OS. I did some research and gathered all the important files and the tutorial I needed to proceed.

The installation process was easy, and similar to what you would have to go through in some of the other laptops as well. Everything that the guide listed was working just fine. However, I ran into the issue with making the WiFi and Bluetooth work; the fix is to replace the built-in chip with the one mentioned in the tutorial, and you’re good to go.

The Acer Aspire E5-571-53S1 is a great option to install Mac OS on; it’s cheap, and works really well, minus some features that require spending some extra money.

Pros

• The laptop is cheap.
• It can effectively run Mac OS even with older hardware.
• Most of the Mac OS features work just fine.

Cons

• The WiFi/Bluetooth fix requires extra cost.

Acer Swift 3

Acer has done a promising job with the recently released Acer Swift 3. After the release of Intel’s Coffeelake processors, it is nice to see that the laptops are getting equipped with the powerful hardware. Keeping that in mind, today, we are going to be looking at the Acer Swift 3, and see just how well it can handle Hackintosh.

Considering how this is a laptop with the latest hardware, I was a bit skeptical, but the good thing is that during my initial testing, everything works just fine. The laptop is available in a number of different configurations, however, the one I used, had the following config.

• Intel Core i5 8250U
• 16GB RAM
• 256GB SSD
• Windows 10 Home

Along with the aforementioned specs, all the basic connectivity options such as WiFi, Bluetooth, as well as the modern day, super-fast USB Type C. With that said, you will need to make sure that you have all the right files, as well as the right procedure that you are going to need to be able to install the Mac OS onto the Acer Swift 3.

Thankfully, there are not many changes as far as architecture is concerned, so the Mac OS will work just fine. As always, considering how Apple’s ecosystem does not support the default Intel WiFI card, you are going to have to swap that out. Keep that in mind that swapping that out on the laptop is easy, and simple.

As far as the laptop itself is concerned, I love the performance of this laptop, and the looks are incredible. Not to mention, it gives a great battery timing on both Windows, as well as Mac OS. With that said, the only gripe I have is the fact that the Intel’s default WiFi chip does not work, and from what I have experienced so far, the issue is in every single laptop that runs Mac OS.

Pros

• Great performance on both operating systems.
• Decent specifications for the price.
• Sleek, minimal looks.

Cons

• You will need to open up the laptop to install the supported WiFi chip.

Dell Inspiron i5547

On paper, the Dell Inspiron i5547 is perhaps one of the oldest laptops in the market, and in all honesty, it should not bother you. Sure, you might get a bad battery timing, and finding the laptop might not be an easy task, but the good thing is that if you are looking for a cheap Hackintosh option then you are not going to get anything better than this.

The Inspiron i5547 comes with a pretty basic list of specifications, and it has a Haswell processor powering it. The laptop I used to test Hackintosh has the following specs.

• Intel Core i5 4210U processor
• 8GB RAM
• 1TB HDD
• Windows 8.1

The specs are nothing special, and that can be reflected in the price as well. However, like I have talked about time and again, older hardware works better. Of course, the exception of WiFi and Bluetooth chip being there. Everything else works just fine, and I am glad, because otherwise, installing Hackintosh on this laptop would have been pretty useless.

The performance on Mac OS was good; there is nothing ground breaking, because Mac OS handles resources much more efficiently as compared to Windows does, so the overall performance is in the line with what you would expect. That is why even MacBooks that are not loaded with top of the line specs can run the Mac OS just fine.

I only have to say that you might have a hard time finding this laptop, and if you are okay with that, then it should not be an issue.

Pros

• Older hardware means better performance.
• The laptop is cheap, and easy on the pocket as well.
• Installing Mac OS is easy.
• Most of the features work without having to make many changes.

Cons

• The laptop is old and might be a bit too hard to find in the market.

ASUS VivoBook F510UA

With the launch of Intel’s 8th generation of Core processors, Asus decided to refresh the VivoBook lineup to the surprise of some of the users. The VivoBook is a sleek option from Asus that focuses on the looks and performance in the same package.

The VivoBook I got for the testing had all the latest specs that are being offered by Asus, and I certainly am in the favour of that because it makes the overall experience much better. You can check out the specs of the ASUS VivoBook F510UA below.

• Intel Core i5 8250U
• 8GB RAM
• 1TB HDD
• Windows 10 Home

You can obviously swat out the configuration if you wish to, and that is good because despite the slim profile of the laptop, the upgradability factor does not go away in this laptop. As far as the installation of Mac OS is concerned, you need the most basic thing and that is the knowledge to install it without any issues. All the files that are necessary are already available on the internet, so that should not be an issue.

As always, the lack of the WiFi/Bluetooth is not an issue because it can be resolved rather easily. At the given price, the Asus VivoBook is a great option for people who are looking to install the Mac OS onto a laptop without spending the outrageous money on an actual MacBook.

As far as the performance is concerned, the VivoBook gets full marks on that because I did not find anything that was not up to the mark, actually, I was pleasantly surprised by how the Asus VivoBook handled the Mac OS, with all the important features working just the way they are supposed to work, and just the way they work on a MacBook.

Pros

• The laptop looks great, and feels premium as well.
• The upgradability factor is a nice addition.
• You are getting a stunning screen with small bezels.
• Installing the Mac OS is a breeze.
• 95 percent of the features on Mac OS work fine.

Cons

• Yet to find.

Acer Aspire E 15

The good thing about Acer is that they continuously bring out the best of the best laptops in the market. The latest iteration of the Acer Aspire E 15 is based on the latest and greatest Coffee Lake that is making the rounds. Sure, the Coffee Lake’s release was met with mixed feelings from many of the users, but I can assure you that the chips are powerful in the tasks they handle, and are more than just incremental upgrades.

With that said, the Aspire E 15 I have here carries the model number E5-576G-5762. As far as the specs are concerned, you can check them out below.

• Intel Core i5 8250U
• 8GB DDR4 RAM
• 256 SSD
• Windows 10 Home

Considering how this is a relatively new laptop, I had a bit of trouble finding all the relative tutorials and files that are needed to easily install the Mac OS on the laptop. However, after spending some time on the forums, I finally came across all the necessary files.

From that point on, the entire process of installing the Mac OS was easy. I already replaced the stock WiFi chip with the one that actually works, so I did not have to face any issues related to WiFi on the first boot. Plus, that is the only feature that does not work out of the box; everything else works just fine.

There is nothing about the laptop that one can dislike; the Aspire E 15 is a functional laptop at best, but seems like Acer did not pay attention to how the laptop looks. Despite having the modern hardware, the laptop looks like it comes from 2015. It is not a bad thing by any means, but some people might want to buy a laptop that at least looks good.

Pros

• Available at an affordable price.
• Has powerful hardware with upgradability.
• Installing Mac OS is simple and straightforward.
• The modern hardware is battery efficient.

Cons

• While the laptop looks great, the looks are just average at best.

Lenovo Ideapad 100

If you are okay with a laptop that does not come with the most advanced hardware, but can run the Mac OS efficiently, then the Ideapad 100 by Lenovo might be the best bet available in the market. It is cheap, it is effective, and while the hardware is not anything groundbreaking by today’s standards, it is just enough to allow you to run the Mac OS without any issue.

The Lenovo Ideapad 100 that I have comes with the following specs.

• Intel Pentium N3540 2.1 GHz
• 4 GB DDR3 RAM
• 500 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
• 6-Inch Screen

There is no denying that the specs are basic at best, but I decided to put the laptop on this list on the purpose. It is only to show people that you do not really need something super-high end to be able to run the Mac OS without any issues.

All the tutorials that you will need to run the Mac OS are already available on the internet. As always, I would advise you to change the WiFi chip beforehand so there are no complications afterwards. The process is actually very simple, and the laptop can be opened without much of a hassle.

Once you are done setting everything up, you can go ahead and enjoy the Lenovo Ideapad 100’s surprisingly good performance. However, I have to say the at the overall build quality is passable at best, and I would not put it through a torture test at all, because the all-plastic build of this laptop can easily crack in no time.

Pros

• The Mac OS performance is decent.
• Installing the OS was not a difficult task at all.
• Almost all the main features worked without an issue.
• The laptop is surprisingly cheap.

Cons

• The overall build quality is cheap, and not the best that is available in the market.
• Running Windows on this laptop can be a bit taxing because of slow hardware.

Dell XPS 13 9360

I am not going to deny; the Dell XPS 13 9360 is undoubtedly one of my favourite laptops available in the market. Sure, it is more expensive than almost all the laptops that I have reviewed so far, but the good thing is that it is a great laptop regardless of the OS you plan on running on it.

XPS has always been among Dell’s top of the line laptops and the 9360 is no different. Equipped with some of the best hardware, the laptop is amazing for day to day task, as well as media consumption. The specs on my unit are listed below.

• Intel Core i5 7200U
• 8GB RAM
• 512GB SSD
• Windows 10 Home

Considering how Kaby Lake is one of the most battery efficient series of processors, the battery life on this laptop is among the finest with the laptop being able to last 12 hours or so on moderate use. However, let’s not digress since the main reason why I am reviewing this laptop is how well the Mac OS can run on this beast.

Luckily, everything except the WiFi works which has become a standard issue whenever you are trying to convert over to the Mac OS. The issue, however, is fixable with just a change of a WiFi chip change, however, since the XPS 13 is on the slimmer side, the internal layout is not as easily accessible by the end user. I would advise that you get the supported WiFi chip from Amazon or Ebay, and once that is done, you let the professional handle the installation. Doing it yourself can damage the laptop’s internal, and potentially cost you a brand new laptop for no reason at all.

If you are okay with this minor inconvenience, then the Dell XPS 13 9360 is a wonderful laptop to run Mac OS on, as a matter of fact, with all the impressive features, and hardware, it might be a better alternative to the MacBook which also happens to have the ability to run Mac OS on it. Although, with a fair bit of tinkering.

Pros

• Excellent performance on both Windows and Mac OS.
• One of the best looking laptop in the market.
• Great build quality.
• Amazing battery life.

Cons

• Replacing the WiFi card is a bit tricky, but you can use external WiFi adapter

Conclusion

Despite being around for some time, the concept of Hackintosh is still growing in people who are just entering the market. It is not a bad idea; MacBooks are not affordable at all, and many people want to have the same level of control on their devices, and that is why the idea of Hackintosh works so well. Bringing together the best of the both world in one place. Hopefully, this article will help you pick the best Hacknitosh laptop in the market.