New Year, New computer
macOS High Sierra on Intel Core i7 8700K
I decided to upgrade my 4th generation Intel core i7 4790K devil’s canyon to an 8th Generation Intel Core i7 8700K for macOS High Sierra Hackintosh. I’ve been using that 4th generation processor for almost 3 years and I wasn’t disappointed with my choice 3 years ago. Intel Core i7 4790K have 4.0 GHz base clock and 4.4 GHz boost Clock, It can be overclocked to 4.8Ghz. It was sufficient for my gaming needs before I started making videos and rendering scenes. 4 cores are somehow outdated if you’re a pro user and want to do multitasking like video editing, 3D modeling, rendering, animation and simulation for engineering projects. I was able to build a Hackintosh out of that 4th generation build with ease and I was using this for all of my video editing tasks. Intel HD 4600 and Nvidia Gtx 970 were more than enough for me while editing videos in 1080P and 4K occasionally.
This year I decided to upgrade to the latest core i7 8700K has more cores than previous generation processor. Also, It can be overclocked to 5.0 Ghz. Intel Core i7 8700K has Intel UHD graphics 630 which is much better in terms of performance. I also have the Ryzen processor but it is not feasible to make a Hackintosh out of it due to unavailability of Intel graphics.
macOS High Sierra Installation on PC using Unibeast, multibeast and Clover Configurator
macOS High Sierra installation was simple on this newly assembled computer. I’ve added complete macOS High Sierra Hackintosh system specification below. All you have to do is to follow the steps and you can create a Hackintosh without any hassle. The only issue is that I wasn’t able to get Msi Lightning 1080Ti working on this build. I’ll update as soon as I find any way to fix it.
SYSTEM SPECS :
Intel Core i7 8700K ASUS Prime Z370P MSI LIGHTNING X 1080Ti 11GB Corsair Vengeance RGB 16GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO Transend SSD 370 256GB Seagate Barracuda 2TB Seagate 1TBBENQ RL2755
Prerequisites
1. Register at tonymacx86! If you don’t have a user account, create one!
2. Get latest UniBeast and MultiBeast tools from the downloads section.
3. Purchase a 16GB or larger USB drive.
4. Do a full backup of your system. Use a separate HDD or SSD for installation.
UniBeast is a tool that creates a bootable installer out of your downloaded version of macOS.
STEP 1: Download macOS High Sierra
The full operating system is a free download for anyone. Download the Application from the Mac App Store using your Apple ID on any Mac.
1. Open Mac App Store
2. Log in with your Apple ID
3. Download macOS High Sierra
Note The Application Install macOS High Sierra will appear in /Applications.
STEP 2: Create a Bootable USB Drive with UniBeast
1. Insert the USB drive
2. Open /Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility
3. Highlight the USB drive in left column
4. Click Erase button
5. For Name: type USB (You can rename it later)
6. For Format: choose OS X Extended (Journaled)
7. For Scheme: choose GUID Partition Map
8. Click Erase then Done
9. Download and run UniBeast
10. Click Continue, Continue, Continue, Continue, Agree
11. At Destination Select, choose USB and click Continue
12. At Select OS Installation screen choose Sierra and click Continue
13. At Bootloader Options screen choose UEFI Boot Mode or Legacy Boot Mode. UEFI Boot Mode is recommended for 7/8/9/100 Series CustoMac desktops and all UEFI capable systems. Legacy Boot Mode is recommended for 5/6 Series CustoMac desktops and all BIOS based systems.
14. (Optional) At Graphics Configuration screen choose the appropriate graphics option for your system and click Continue.
15. Verify installation options, then click Continue, enter a password and click Install
UniBeast will now create the bootable USB drive. The process will only take about 10 minutes, depending on system and drive speed. Do not unplug or stop during this time.
Mount the EFI partition using Clover Configurator
Now open clover configurator and mount the EFI partition.
Go to Kext Copy apfs.efi to “Other” Kext folder.
Also copy apfs.efi to drivers folder.
Open Config file with clover and follow the on-screen options.
In Boot tab, Make sure dart=0 and Nv_disable=1 is selected.
In devices, Under USB
Select Inject, Add clock ID and Fix Ownership.
From GUI, Select your screen resolutions.
In RT Variable tab, Change CsrActiveConfig value to 0x67.
In SM Bios, Select the configuration that matches with your processor.
Save the config file.
16. Now copy all utilities in the macOS Bootable USB.
Clover Note UniBeast delivers basic bootloader support based on our testing on recommended CustoMac systems. For further bootloader customization, download and run the official Clover package. Advanced users may also compile Clover by downloading the full source.
STEP 3: Recommended BIOS Settings
Note If you’re installing on a recommended CustoMac desktop with AMI UEFI BIOS, the options are simple. For other systems make sure to set your BIOS to Optimized Defaults, and your hard drive to AHCI mode. Here are standard MSI AMI UEFI BIOS.
To access BIOS/UEFI Setup, press and hold Delete on a USB Keyboard while the system is booting up
Load Optimized Defaults
Disable VT-d
then Disable CFG-Lock
and Disable Secure Boot Mode
Save and exit.
STEP 4: Install mac OS Sierra
You’re almost done! All you need to do is boot from the USB drive and install!
For best results, insert the USB in a USB 2.0 port.
1. Turn on the computer
2. Press the hotkey to choose boot device (F11)
3. Choose USB
4. At Clover boot screen, choose Boot Mac OS from USB
5. When you arrive at the Installer, choose language.
If you have issues reaching the installer, first make sure you’re using a USB 2.0 port. If you’re using a NVIDIA graphics card you may need to enter the extra boot flag nv_disable=1 to reach the installer. For instructions on entering boot flags see Clover Basics and Switching Advice.
6. For a new installation of macOS High Sierra, you MUST erase and format the destination drive according to the following steps before continuing.
a. In the top menu bar choose Utilities and open Disk Utility
b. Highlight your target drive for the macOS High Sierra installation in left column.
c. Click Erase button
d. For Name: type macOS High Sierra (You can rename it later)
e. For Format: choose macOS Extended (Journaled)
f. For Scheme: choose GUID Partition Map
g. Click Erase
h. Close Disk Utility
7. When the installer asks you where to install, choose macOS High Sierra, or your existing install.
8. The system will restart several times during installation.
STEP 5: Post Installation with MultiBeast
MultiBeast is an all-in-one post-installation tool designed to enable boot from hard drive, and install support for Audio, Network, and Graphics. The installation is complete, but the drive isn’t bootable yet. Boot from the USB again, this time choosing macOS High Sierra.
1. Turn on the computer
2. Press the hotkey to choose boot device
3. Choose USB
4. At the Boot Screen, choose your new macOS High Sierra installation.
5. Complete macOS High Sierra setup
6. Open and run MultiBeast. If your system requires installing Clover to the root of the drive, such as Gigabyte 6 Series and X58 systems, skip to STEP 6.
7. If this is a fresh installation, click Quick Start. UEFI Boot Mode is recommended for 7/8/9+ Series CustoMac desktops and all UEFI capable systems. Legacy Boot Mode is recommended for 5/6 Series CustoMac desktops and all BIOS based systems.
8. Choose the appropriate audio and network options for your system: (Check FAQS)
9. Click Customize for further options
10. Click Print or Save to back up your configuration
11. Click Build then Install
If using a NVIDIA ‘Maxwell’ GeForce GTX 750, 750 Ti, 950, 960, 970, 980, 980 Ti, or TITAN X graphics card, mac OS graphics drivers are not natively supported. Alternate NVIDIA drivers are required.
12. (Optional) Download and install Alternate NVIDIA Graphics Drivers
13. Reboot
Open clover configurator from flash drive and mount the EFI Partitions.
Now copy everything from EFI partition of flash drive to EFI partition of macOS installation SSD.
*Also download Nvidia Kext and copy all to other Kext folders.
FAQS
You can check your audio and Ethernet controller from the detailed specification of your Motherboard.
Google it or visit official product website. For Example
Install and Enable Nvidia Web Driver in Hackintosh
Enable HDMI Audio in Hackintosh
STEP 1: Download macOS High Sierra
The full operating system is a free download for anyone. Download the Application from the Mac App Store using your Apple ID on any Mac.
1. Open Mac App Store
2. Log in with your Apple ID
3. Download macOS High Sierra
STEP 2: Create a Bootable USB Drive with UniBeast
2. Open /Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility
3. Highlight the USB drive in left column
4. Click Erase button
5. For Name: type USB (You can rename it later)
6. For Format: choose OS X Extended (Journaled)
7. For Scheme: choose GUID Partition Map
8. Click Erase then Done
9. Download and run UniBeast
10. Click Continue, Continue, Continue, Continue, Agree
11. At Destination Select, choose USB and click Continue
12. At Select OS Installation screen choose Sierra and click Continue
13. At Bootloader Options screen choose UEFI Boot Mode or Legacy Boot Mode. UEFI Boot Mode is recommended for 7/8/9/100 Series CustoMac desktops and all UEFI capable systems. Legacy Boot Mode is recommended for 5/6 Series CustoMac desktops and all BIOS based systems.
14. (Optional) At Graphics Configuration screen choose the appropriate graphics option for your system and click Continue.
15. Verify installation options, then click Continue, enter a password and click Install
UniBeast will now create the bootable USB drive. The process will only take about 10 minutes, depending on system and drive speed. Do not unplug or stop during this time.
Mount the EFI partition using Clover Configurator
Now open clover configurator and mount the EFI partition.
Go to Kext Copy apfs.efi to “Other” Kext folder.
Also copy apfs.efi to drivers folder.
Open Config file with clover and follow the on-screen options.
In Boot tab, Make sure dart=0 and Nv_disable=1 is selected.
In devices, Under USB
Select Inject, Add clock ID and Fix Ownership.
From GUI, Select your screen resolutions.
In RT Variable tab, Change CsrActiveConfig value to 0x67.
In SM Bios, Select the configuration that matches with your processor.
Save the config file.
16. Now copy all utilities in the macOS Bootable USB.
STEP 3: Recommended BIOS Settings
To access BIOS/UEFI Setup, press and hold Delete on a USB Keyboard while the system is booting up
Load Optimized Defaults
Disable VT-d
then Disable CFG-Lock
and Disable Secure Boot Mode
Save and exit.
STEP 4: Install mac OS Sierra
You’re almost done! All you need to do is boot from the USB drive and install!
For best results, insert the USB in a USB 2.0 port.
1. Turn on the computer
2. Press the hotkey to choose boot device (F11)
3. Choose USB
4. At Clover boot screen, choose Boot Mac OS from USB
5. When you arrive at the Installer, choose language.
If you have issues reaching the installer, first make sure you’re using a USB 2.0 port. If you’re using a NVIDIA graphics card you may need to enter the extra boot flag nv_disable=1 to reach the installer. For instructions on entering boot flags see Clover Basics and Switching Advice.
6. For a new installation of macOS High Sierra, you MUST erase and format the destination drive according to the following steps before continuing.
a. In the top menu bar choose Utilities and open Disk Utility
b. Highlight your target drive for the macOS High Sierra installation in left column.
c. Click Erase button
d. For Name: type macOS High Sierra (You can rename it later)
e. For Format: choose macOS Extended (Journaled)
f. For Scheme: choose GUID Partition Map
g. Click Erase
h. Close Disk Utility
7. When the installer asks you where to install, choose macOS High Sierra, or your existing install.
8. The system will restart several times during installation.
STEP 5: Post Installation with MultiBeast
MultiBeast is an all-in-one post-installation tool designed to enable boot from hard drive, and install support for Audio, Network, and Graphics. The installation is complete, but the drive isn’t bootable yet. Boot from the USB again, this time choosing macOS High Sierra.
1. Turn on the computer
2. Press the hotkey to choose boot device
3. Choose USB
4. At the Boot Screen, choose your new macOS High Sierra installation.
5. Complete macOS High Sierra setup
6. Open and run MultiBeast. If your system requires installing Clover to the root of the drive, such as Gigabyte 6 Series and X58 systems, skip to STEP 6.
7. If this is a fresh installation, click Quick Start. UEFI Boot Mode is recommended for 7/8/9+ Series CustoMac desktops and all UEFI capable systems. Legacy Boot Mode is recommended for 5/6 Series CustoMac desktops and all BIOS based systems.
8. Choose the appropriate audio and network options for your system: (Check FAQS)
9. Click Customize for further options
10. Click Print or Save to back up your configuration
11. Click Build then Install
If using a NVIDIA ‘Maxwell’ GeForce GTX 750, 750 Ti, 950, 960, 970, 980, 980 Ti, or TITAN X graphics card, mac OS graphics drivers are not natively supported. Alternate NVIDIA drivers are required.
12. (Optional) Download and install Alternate NVIDIA Graphics Drivers
13. Reboot
Open clover configurator from flash drive and mount the EFI Partitions.
Now copy everything from EFI partition of flash drive to EFI partition of macOS installation SSD.
*Also download Nvidia Kext and copy all to other Kext folders.
FAQS
You can check your audio and Ethernet controller from the detailed specification of your Motherboard.
Google it or visit official product website. For Example
Install and Enable Nvidia Web Driver in Hackintosh
Enable HDMI Audio in Hackintosh
You now have a fully updated bootable version of mac OS High Sierra on your CustoMac! And a USB rescue drive if something goes wrong.