Apple keeps tight control over their products, and if you want to build your own computer and install Mac OS X , you’ll need to find compatible components.
But it’s a complicated process because the Mac OS X is designed to work on Mac’s own hardware. You need to choose the right hardware to base your Hackintosh off of, and this starts with your motherboard.
If you are looking for a quick answer – the GIGABYTE Z390 DESIGNARE is the best hackintosh compatible motherboard in our opinion.
The right hackintosh motherboard will allow for more operational features and less issues along the way.
We’re going to review motherboards, primarily 300-series models (although we do recommend a few ITX models below) that have all been thoroughly tested as a Hackintosh.
Which Motherboard is Best for Hackintosh?
Gigabyte Z390 AORUS ULTRA
- Chipset: Z390
- Memory: 4 x DDR4 4266+ MHz
- Storage: 3 x M.2, 6 x SATA
- PCIe Slots:
- 1 x PCIe 3.0 x 16
- 1 x PCIe 3.0 x 8
- 1 x PCIe 3.0 x 4
- 3 x PCIe 3.0 x 1
ALC 1220-VB audio is built into the motherboard, too.
Note: See guide using the Z390 AUROS.
What Works
A lot of people have had success with this motherboard, installing macOS Mojave alongside an Intel i7-9700k processor. The Sapphire Vega 64 graphics card was used, but you can adjust these components if you like.
You’ll find that most of the features work:
- Ethernet
- IMessage / FaceTime
- Sleep/Shutdown/Wake/Restart
- Integrated graphics
- Headphones
- Sound
What Doesn’t Work
The majority of functions work, but there are a few quirks and items that either don’t work or don’t work as normal. A few areas of concern are:
- NVIDIA graphics don’t work (Mojave doesn’t support NVIDIA)
- Initial hang on first boot
- A lot of motherboard ports don’t work
When using this motherboard, the vast majority of features work, which is nice. You’ll be able to use iTunes, FaceTime and even iMessage and the app store.
There is the issue that Mojave doesn’t support NVIDIA, but it’s not the end of the world (but High Sierra does support NVIDIA).
Mac only supports 15 ports, so a lot of the ports on your motherboard will not work – not a major concern.
A lot of people do have issues getting the onboard WiFi and Bluetooth to work, but you can correct this with a PCI card.
ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero (Wi-Fi) Z390
- Chipset: Z390
- Memory: 4 x DIMM DDR4 4400+ MHz
- Storage: 2 x M.2, 6 x SATA
- PCIe Slots:
- 2 x PCIe 3.0 x 16 or Dual (x8)
- 1 x PCIe 3.0 x 4
- 3 x PCIe 3.0 x 1
The motherboard has 5-way optimization overclocks, and it can also support up to 64 GB DDR4 memory with four slots. There are PCIe x16 slots as well as SupremeFX 51220A audio.
The motherboard has HDMI/DP graphics outputs as well as 2×2 MU-MIMO 802.11ac audio.
Note: See guide using the ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero.
What Works?
The components that you choose will have an impact on what works and doesn’t work, but the Intel i7-9900K processor with a GTX 1070 graphics card has been found to work well.
High Sierra 10.13.6 was used since NVIDIA is used as the graphics card, but you can use Mojave if you’re running a non-NVIDIA card.
Features that work include:
- Sleep/Wake
- iMessages
- Ethernet
- USB Ports
- USB charging
- Audio (issue below)
What Doesn’t Work?
A few features do not work, especially when using NVIDIA. You may have issues with:
- Audio, especially when waking up from sleep mode
- WiFi (ethernet works)
- Bluetooth doesn’t work
- NVRAM issues on some versions
Most features seem to work, and there are a lot of guides on making this motherboard work as a Hackintosh.
AMD GPUs are often easier to get up and running, and some NVIDIA GPUs seem to cause more functionality issues.
One interesting issue is that the audio seems to stop working when the computer wakes from sleep mode. And some users claim that the NVRAM issues that they experienced went away with an update.
MSI Intel Z390-A PRO
- Chipset: Z390
- Memory: 4 x DIMM DDR4 4400+ MHz
- Storage: 2 x M.2, 6 x SATA
- PCIe Slots:
- 2 x PCIe 3.0 x 16
- 4 x PCIe 3.0 x 1
The Z390-A PRO supports Intel’s i9-9900K, i7-9700K and the i5-9600K. Intel’s 8th generation processors are also supported along with dual channel DDR4 memory. The unit has PCI-E 3 x 4 slots.
The unit has audio boost, built-in audio jacks, USB 3.1 support and 7.1 audio.
Note: See guide using the MSI Intel Z390-A Pro.
What Works?
The MSU Z390 Pro has been used for dual boot hackintosh setups, and it’s a very user-friendly option for putting together a Hackintosh.
You’ll find that SSD drives work, and you can get most features up and running easily.
Integrated graphics works, but you’ll have issues getting unsupported graphics working. Using Mojave works best for using non-NVIDIA graphics cards.
Related: Integrated graphics vs dedicated graphics card – what’s the difference?
The features that work well, after some tweaking, include:
- Wide screens
- USB
- HDMI audio (not regular audio)
- Wireless
- Bluetooth
- USB
What Doesn’t Work?
A few issues that users have (note: always check the forums to see if they have been fixed) include not being able to get regular audio working. HDMI audio works, but regular audio does not.
- Audio without HDMI (AppleALC 1.3.4 may fix the issue)
- Network didn’t work originally, but it does after a few tweaks
The Z390 is a motherboard that works very well as a Hackintosh, and there are a lot of guides online to help you get started.
ASUS ROG STRIX Z370-G
- Chipset: Z370
- Memory: 4 x DIMM DDR4 4000 MHz
- Storage: 2 x M.2
- PCIe Slots:
- 1 x PCIe 3.0 x 16
- 2 x PCIe 3.0 x 4
Related Post: Best mATX Case
ASUS’ STRIX Z370-G is a gaming motherboard that is feature-rich, but it’s the first model on our list that doesn’t support 9th generation processors.
This model supports Intel’s 8th generation processors and comes with DDR4 support, 802.11ac WiFi, USB 3.1, 8-channel audio and dual PCI-E 3.0.
What Works?
Strix is known to run both Mojave and High Sierra well with the integrated UHD 630 graphics. You can get most functions working well, including:
- Audio with the right chipset and layout-id
- Ethernet
- WiFi with a PCI-e
What Doesn’t Work?
One thing to note is that some users had trouble getting their RAM working with this motherboard. That’s an unusual issue that most motherboards don’t have when building a Hackintosh.
But with the RAM mapped properly, it does work.
Features that don’t work or have issues, include:
Most features and functions work very well without much tweaking involved.
GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Gaming 7
- Chipset: Z370
- Memory: 4 x DIMM DDR4 4133+ MHz
- Storage: 3 x M.2
- PCIe Slots:
- 2 x PCIe 3.0 x 16 or Dual (x8)
- 1 x PCIe 3.0 x 4
The Z370 supports 8th generation processors, and it comes with USB 3.1, SLI, Gigabit Lan, ESS Sabre DAC Audio, dual channel DDR4 support and easy overclocking options. The unit has triple PCIe 3 support, too.
What Works?
MacOS High Sierra runs very well on this unit with full graphic acceleration.
You’ll want to be running version 13.X, as earlier versions of the operation system will have problems. The functions that work are:
- Sound
- Ethernet
- Onboard graphics
- Sleep/wake function
- IMessage
- Temp sensors
What Doesn’t Work?
The Z370 offers a lot of functions that even the other motherboards on our list don’t offer. Full graphic acceleration is offered, and you can get iMessage and other features working. With tweaking, we haven’t been able to find features that don’t work on the Z370.
Mini ITX Hackintosh Compatible Motherboards
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I
- Chipset: Z390
- Memory: 2 x DIMM DDR4 4600 MHz
- Storage: 2 x M.2 and 4 x SATA
- PCIe Slots:
- 1 x PCIe 3.0 x 16
- 2 x PCIe 3.0 x 4
Strix Z390-I is designed for both 8th and 9th generation processors, and it features dual M.2, USB 3.1, 5-way optimization for overclocking, HDMI 2, SupremeFX audio and DDR4 memory compatibility.
Related: DDR4 memory buyer’s guide
The unit boasts four SATA ports, multiple fan headers and DisplayPort.
Note: See guide using the ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I.
What Works?
When using the Z390-I for your Hackintosh, you’ll find that this motherboard works very well with the i7-8700K and can also run the RX 580 8 GB graphics card.
Mojave remains the go-to operation system, and the vast majority of features will work.
The features that will work, as long as you have the latest version of Mojave, include:
- iMessage
- Air drop
- Instant hotspot
- Handoff
- Sleep
- Wake
- Power nap
- Audio
- Ethernet
- Bluetooth
- WiFi
- USB
You can even get Nightshift working with this motherboard.
What Doesn’t Work?
A lot of the features of the Z390-I will work, so there’s no need to worry about the WiFi or USB issue.
Some users did mention that they had issues with CPU spikes, but this is not common.
Every guide is different, and one of the main installation guides has an issue where when the computer goes to sleep automatically, it will have problems “waking up.”
There are fixes for this, primarily enabling PCIE Native Power Management.
GIGABYTE Z390 I AORUS PRO WiFi
- Chipset: Z390
- Memory: 2 x DIMM DDR4 4400 MHz
- Storage: 2 x M.2
- PCIe Slots:
- 1 x PCIe 3.0 x 16
- 2 x PCIe 3.0 x 4
The Z390 I AORUS supports 8th and 9th generation Intel processors, dual channel DDR4 memory, onboard Wi-FI, WIMA audio capacitors and Intel Optane Memory ready.
The board also includes HDMI 2.0, DIsplayPort, Internet Accelerator, Bluetooth 5 and advanced thermal design.
Note: See guide using the GIGABYTE Z390 I AORUS PRO WiFi.
What Works?
The PRO WIFI pairs well with the i9-9900K processor, DDR4 DRAM and the RX580 works well on this setup, too. Mojave is the go-to operating system, and the majority of functions seem to work:
- Reboot
- Shutdown
- Sleep
- Wake
- Audio
- Graphics card
- Ethernet
What Doesn’t Work?
WiFi is the main feature not working in this setup, and only CNVi cards have support.
You’ll need to have a USB dongle, so using anything but the onboard WiFi wouldn’t work anyway. If you do want to replace the built-in WiFi, you can use the Broadcom BCM94352Z – it works very well.
Otherwise, most features work very well using this setup.
ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming-ITX/AC
- Chipset: Z390
- Memory: 2 x DIMM DDR4 4500 MHz
- Storage: 2 x M.2 and 4 x SATA
- PCIe Slots:
- 1 x PCIe 3.0 x 16
- 2 x PCIe 3.0 x 4
ASRock is a solid motherboard manufacturer, and the Z390 is a great gaming motherboard with 2 DDR4 DIMM slots, maximum capacity of 32 GB, a PCI-E 3.0 x 16 slot, 4 SATA 3 ports, support for 8th and 9th generation processors and RAID support.
What Works?
Mojave and an i5 9600K SPU works well for a Hackintosh. If you’re on a medium-budget, this is a great option for you. You’ll find that a lot of functions are working, including:
- Sleep
- Wake
- Shutdown
- Audio
- USB ports
- Ethernet
- IMessage
Almost all of the same features listed in our previous review will work on this model, too.
It’s a very similar board, and you’ll find that it will be able to support the AMD RX 580 without having to make any significant adjustments in the process.
What Doesn’t Work?
The majority of features work, but a lot of users do seem to have issues when they’re trying put the computer to sleep, wake the computer up or shut down their computer. If you’re having this issue, the culprit is likely in your EFI folder.
But this build was tested using HDMI, so the DisplayPort may not work.
Conclusion
These motherboards offer your best option for a Hackintosh. While other motherboards will still work well, these models have all been tested and offer most of the function and features a standard Mac offers.
Related posts:
