If you do not have the money to buy an Apple Laptop but would like one, then Hackintosh is the way to go. Basically, you are installing macOS on non-Apple hardware.
However, you can’t randomly install macOS on any Laptop or system that you find.
For the best results, you need to select hardware. For example, if the MacOS is not compatible with your Laptop’s Wi-Fi card, then you would most probably run into network connection issues.
List of Best Laptops you can Buy for Hackintosh
1 Lenovo ThinkPad X1
Although it has been around for some time, the ThinkPad X1 is in our opinion, the best Laptop for Hackintosh out there. It uses an i7 (11th generation) processor with a base clock of 2.1 GHz that can be boosted to 4.4 GHz.
The GPU used is the Intel Iris Xe which would do a decent job of managing visuals. Additionally, 16 GB of RAM is used along with 512GB of SSD storage. The SSD would help in the quick installation of programs and faster booting.
The 14-inch resolution of 1920×1080 feels quite sharp and impressive. The backlit keyboard does its job well. The Laptop weighs around 1.99 pounds and does feel heavier than a normal Macbook. The battery life was around 13 hours during the testing phase. Other cool features include a Thunderbolt 4 port and 3 years warranty period.
Best Features
- Features a powerful i7 processor
- 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of SSD.
- 3 years warranty
Pros
- Ultra Slim
- Impressive battery life
- Exceptional keyboard and trackpad
- Features Thunderbolt 4 port
Cons
- The audio quality is average.
2 Acer Aspire 5
The Aspire 5 is a good budget option for customers who are interested in having their own Hackintosh laptop. It uses an i7 11th gen processor which runs at a clock speed of 2.8 GHz. It comes with a large 36GB of ram and 1 TB SSD storage space. However, you can also easily upgrade the memory or hard disk if required. That is one of the best aspects of owning the Aspire series.
There is 1 USB 3.0 Type-C port, 1 USB 3.0 Type-A, and 1 USB 2.0 port. The display screen is 15.6 inches and Full HD. The Laptop was tested with Sierra 10.12.5 and it worked pretty well. This is probably the best budget option for Hackintosh right now.
Best Features
- Beautiful design
- i7 1165G7 processor.
- 36 GB of ram and 1 TB SSD.
Pros
- Fast bootup
- Fingerprint security
- Budget-friendly option
- Upgradable Ram
Cons
- Battery life is average.
3 Razer Blade 15 Base Gaming Laptop
In terms of specs, this Laptop is an absolute beast. It makes use of the 10th 6-core i7-10750H processor with a boost clock of 5.0 GHz. This processor has similar performance levels to those found in the latest Macbook laptops. The graphics card included is the Geforce RTX 3060 which is probably the best 1080p gaming graphics card on the market. It can run even the most demanding of applications.
The laptop features 16 GB of DDR4 ram, which can be expanded, if necessary. Also, there is 512 GB SSD storage as well which helps in fast booting. The screen size is 15.6 inches, and the 144 Hz display is brilliant while playing games at high frame rates. Also, it features ports like DisplayPort and the Thunderbolt 3 port. Moreover, we found it perfectly compatible with macOS as well.
Best Features
- Uses the Geforce RTX 3060 for graphics.
- The processor in-built is the i7-10750H.
- 512GB of SSD and 8 GB of Ram.
Pros
- Built quality
- 144 Hz display
- Processing power
- Upgradeable memory.
Cons
- Little expensive but worth buying
4 HP Pavilion Gaming 15
The HP Pavilion 15 was able to support macOS Catalina without any major issues. The CPU used is the i5-9300H which has a base clock of 2.4 GHz and a turbo boost up to 4.1 GHz. It is great in terms of performance.
The graphics card used is the GTX 1650, which is an upgrade on the GTX 1050 and capable of doing all the tasks. The RAM is quite impressive as you get around 12GB of DDR4 ram, which is more than enough for today. Also, the SSD storage is 512 GB.
The display size is 15.6 inches, and it uses IPS technology for wide-angle viewing. The FHD display has a 60Hz refresh rate as well. The battery life is around 9 hours which is above the average time. Moreover, there are 2 USB 3.1 ports along with an IR sensor. The design of the laptop is such that it minimizes heat buildup.
Best Features
- GTX 1650 graphic card
- i5-9300H processor used
- 12 GB of ram and 512 GB of SSD storage.
Pros
- Design
- Battery life
- Display
- Upgradeable memory
Cons
- Nothing much
5 Lenovo Ideapad L340
The Lenovo Ideapad features the 9th generation Intel i5-9300H processor, which has 4 cores and 8 threads and a base frequency of 2.4 GHz. This makes it a great choice for multi-tasking and other intensive operations like running Mac OS. Also, the dual boot won’t cause any issues as well. The screen size is 15.6 inches with a resolution of 1920*1080, and it also makes use of IPS technology.
The graphics unit is the Geforce GTX 1650, which is capable of handling some pretty demanding visuals. The included RAM capacity is 8 GB, and you also get 512 GB of SSD to help in quick installation and less loading times. However, there is only a single ram slot, so you need to buy a single slot of 16 GB Ram while upgrading. The battery life is slightly more than 9 hours, and there are 2 USB 3.0 ports but no 3.1 ports.
Best Features
- GTX 1650 GPU
- Intel i5-9300H processor is used.
- 8GB of Ram and 512 GB of SSD.
Pros
- Sleek design
- Less booting time
- Good battery duration
- Display quality
Cons
- No extra slot to upgrade RAM.
6 ASUS VivoBook 15.6
There are no touchscreen Macbooks out there as of now but the Vivobook 15.6 could serve as a good substitute. This impressive laptop uses the Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor running at a base clock speed of 1GHz and a boost clock of 1 GHz.
This processor would be able to handle Mac OS Catalina well. There is no dedicated graphics card, and Intel’s integrated graphics can handle HD movies without any issues.
There is 8GB of DDR4 Ram clocked at 2666 MHz along with 256 GB of SSD storage. There are 2 USB 3.1 ports along with 1 USB 3.2 port and 2 USB 2.0 ports. This Laptop is quite affordable and a good option for those who are on a budget. Other impressive features include a Backlit display, Fingerprint scanner, and Bluetooth 5.
Best Features
- Intel 1035G1 processor
- 8GB DDR4 Ram
- USB 3.2 and USB 3.1 ports
- 256 GB SSD
Pros
- Light in weight
- Touchscreen display
- Backlit display
- Affordable
Cons
- No dedicated GPU.
7 HP Envy
HP envy certainly has the specs to envy any user. It is packed with the powerful 11th generation Intel processor- the i7-1165G7. This processor comes with a base clock speed of 2.8 GHz and a boost clock speed of 4.7 GHz. The graphics of this Macintosh laptop is powered by Intel Iris Xe chipset. There is no DVD drive, but there are 3 USB 3.1 ports for data transfer. The display size is 13.3 inches Anti-glare screen, and the resolution is 1080p.
You get 16 GB of DDR4 ram inbuilt, and that is seriously impressive. However, even more, impressive is the 1 TB of SSD storage. All of these features make it a great choice to run Mac OS. The battery life is decent compared to other laptops. The touchpad, however, is not well-built and feels finicky.
Best Features
- 1 TB of SSD storage
- 16 GB of Ram
- Nvidia MX250 GPU.
- i7-10510U processor.
Pros
- Good graphics
- Multiple ports
- Design
- Display screen
Cons
- Touchpad quality
8 Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5 is a gaming laptop that offers great performance at not too big a cost. It features the 9th gen i5-9300H processor that has a boost clock of 4.1 GHz. It can handle MacOS and most of its applications with ease. The GPU featured is the GTX 1650 with 4GB of GDDR5 Ram that would suffice most graphically intense operations.
It features 8GB of DDR4 Ram that can be upgraded to 16GB if necessary. Also, there is 256 GB of SSD storage as well. The display is 15.6 inches and uses IPS technology. The laptop is quite silent while working, but it does get hot.
Best Features
- Uses the i5-9300H processor
- GTX 1650 display card
- 8GB of Ram
Pros
- Good processing power
- Silent working
- Upgradeable Ram
- IPS display
Cons
- Battery consumption
Buying Guide
If you are someone who admires the MacOS and is unable to afford a Macbook, then Hackintosh is your way. However, Mac OS is a product designed specifically for Apple products, and therefore there is a good chance that it might not work as intended. Therefore, the best option would be to choose hardware that resembles the one found in Macbooks. Here are the factors that you should consider while buying a laptop for Hackintosh.
Processor
A strong processor is a necessity if the system is to be able to run the macOS. We would recommend getting a new Intel processor with at least 4 cores. Features like hyperthreading would be beneficial as well. Without good processing power, the system might not handle running Mac applications that are quite intense.
Price
Price is an important aspect to note. The reason why users dwell on Hackintosh is that they cannot afford to buy a Macbook in the first place. As a result, it makes no sense to spend upwards of 2000 Dollars on a Laptop for emulation of Macbooks. Having a demanding GPU is not a necessity for Hackintosh. But rather a bonus.
Memory
Mac OS is quite demanding in terms of memory, and we would recommend getting a Laptop with at least 8GB of ram. However, this is the bare minimum. 12 GB and 16GB would be ideal. Also, having SSDs would help in fast booting and quick installation of the programs.
Final Words
In this article, we have mentioned some of the Laptops that are best suited for Hackintosh purposes. We have included options with varying prices and features so that users could choose depending on their budget. However, there is still no guarantee that Hackintosh will work as smoothly as expected. That is simply a risk one has to take. For any queries with regard to the content, do write to us.
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