Hackintosh Checklist
Copy this into a Markdown editor and verify each point.
Working: check-mark. Not Working: bold.
Not Tested: leave as-is. Not applicable: Strikethrough or delete.
- Correct OS choices shown in OpenCore Menu/GUI
- Keyboard shortcuts working (see details below in OpenCore Boot Key Combinations)
- CMD+V — verbose mode (check KeySwap)
- Apple -> System Preferences -> Startup Disk (uses NVRAM).
- Security (especially SIP) use Menu Bar SIP Detector
- FileVault (if used)
- Windows 10 and/or Linux Multi-Boot
- Recovery (macOS) Boot
- Serial Number: ensure that it does not exist elsewhere, Check Apple Coverage (and not uploaded to Github)
- Display via HDMI
- Display via DisplayPort
- Display via DVI
- Native Resolution
- Refresh rates
- Multimonitor displays
- dGPU dedicated GPU
- In Terminal:
gfxutil -f GFX0or check in IORegistryExplorer
- iGPU internal GPU
- In Terminal:
gfxutil -f IGPUor check in IORegistryExplorer
- QE/CI (full acceleration requires both Quartz Extreme and Core Image)
- Check for transparent menu bar and fast smooth UI.
- VDA (Video Decode Acceleration framework)
- Hackintool -> System -> System -> VDA Decoder (should show 'fully supported')
- Or use
VDADecoderChecker
- Metal
- System Information -> Graphics/Displays -> Metal: Supported
- GLView
- Geekbench -> Compute -> Metal
- Intel Quick Sync, H.264 & HEVC (H.265) hardware decoding/encoding
- Intel Power Gadget > GFX (green line) check while exporting H.264 from FCP-X
- dGPU hardware acceleration
- Audio out (see in Audio MIDI Setup)
- Audio in
- Frontpanel audio connectors
- Audio over HDMI
- Audio quality
Use Energy Saver > Restore Defaults
- Check Hibernate Mode (desktop
0, laptop3):pmset -g | grep hibernatemode - Shutdown (from Apple menu)
- Restart (from Apple menu)
- Manual Sleep (Apple menu -> Sleep)
- Auto Sleep (System Preferences -> Energy Saver)
- Wake by keyboard
- Wake by mouse/trackpad
- Check with IORegistryExplorer
- Temperatures and stability with 100% CPU
- Use Prime95 Torture Test
Test with AJA System Test Lite
- NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen3 or Gen4 speeds)
- SATA SSD
- TRIM support (System Information -> SATA -> SSD drive)
Check with HWMonitorSMC2
- CPU
- GPU
- SSD, NVMe, HD
- Fans
- Option/Command correctly mapped in macOS
- For PC Keyboards swap in: System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Modifier Keys
- Press Spacebar and the key left of the Spacebar. This should show Spotlight
- Fn keys working (Audio Volume keys, etc.)
Check with USBToolBox or Hackintool (shows connection speed)
Test external drive speed with AJA System Test Lite
- USB 2 ports
- USB 2 on USB 3 ports
- USB 3 and 3.1 ports (check transfer speed during copy)
- USB Type-C ports
- SD Card Reader
- Camera (Photo Booth, Facetime, Zoom)
- Fingerprint reader
- File transfer
- Display
- Gigabit LAN (System Preferences-> Network -> Ethernet -> Advanced -> Hardware -> Speed should be 1000baseT)
- 2.5GBase-T (especially on Comet Lake and above boards)
- 10GBase-T (Aquantia with updated firmware)
- Wifi transmission speed (Option Click -> Wifi menu bar icon -> check Tx Rate)
- Bluetooth devices (trackpad, mouse, keyboard, headset)
- AirDrop (test with iDevices)
- AirPlay to Mac (macOS Monterey or later, test with iOS 14 or later devices)
- tap the AirPlay icon on your Apple device to share videos to your Hackintosh
- Handoff System requirements for Continuity and Use Continuity which requires macOS Catalina & iOS 13+
- iMessage, FaceTime, App Store, iTunes Store
- DRM support (iTunes Movies, Apple TV+. Amazon Prime and Netflix, and others - test in Safari. Requires AMD Polaris or newer GPU.)
additional checks relevant for Notebooks including MacBooks with Legacy Patchers
- Backlight setting
- Backlight sensor
- Backlight Fn keys
- Internal Speakers
- Internal Microphone
- 3.5 mm Jack Headphones
- 3.5 mm Jack Microphone
- Sleep by close lid
- Sleep by close lid with external display
- Wake by open lid
- Showing percentage
- Showing capacity/health
- coconutBattery
- Charge plug/unplug detected
- Battery
- Keyboard (possibly PS2 based)
- Brightness and other Fn Keys
- Touchpad basic functions
- Touchpad Gestures
Last modified 4mo ago