The Best CPU Work Very Well Support Hackintosh

Choosing the right processor for your Hackintosh is usually a pretty straightforward process. Just about any standard Intel processor will work. However, the choice becomes much more complicated once you get into the details, which is why we've put together this short guide on how various lines of computer processors work with Mac OS X.


Intel Core

Pretty much any Intel Core processor will work with Mac OS X, so almost all mid-range Hackintosh builds use Intel Core. The newest Intel Core processors are part of the Ivy Bridge generation, while last year's processors are part of the Sandy Bridge generation.

Sandy Bridge processors have model numbers in the 2000's, such as the Intel Core i5-2500. The built-in graphics cards on Sandy Bridge processors work with Mac OS X Lion and Mountain Lion (but not Snow Leopard), and come in two versions: HD 2000 and HD 3000. Unfortunately, only HD 3000 graphics are officially supported. HD 2000 sort of works, but it doesn't have graphics acceleration, so it's recommended that you just buy a separate ("discrete") graphics card for your computer instead.

Nowadays, most Hackintosh builds use Ivy Bridge. Ivy Bridge processors have a model number in the 3000's, such as the Core i5-3450. Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5 and all versions of OS X Mountain Lion support Ivy Bridge natively. Snow Leopard doesn't support Ivy Bridge at all, though you might be able to get it working with iBoot Ivy Bridge. HD 4000 graphics, which is built into some Ivy Bridge processors, works with OS X Mountain Lion and Mac OS X Lion version 10.7.5 (and newer). Intel HD 2500, the successor to Intel HD 2000, works with OS X Mountain Lion version 10.8.3 and (newer).

The highest end Intel Core processors are known as "Sandy Bridge-E"; these processors have model numbers in the 3800's and 3900's, such as the Intel Core i7-3820. Mac OS X does not completely support Sandy Bridge-E, because it uses a different socket from the rest of the Intel Core line. While you can still boot Mac OS X from a computer using a Sandy Bridge-E processor, sleep mode and CPU power management will not work.

P.S. Intel Sandy Bridge processors don't work very well with Mac OS X Snow Leopard version 10.6.8. I recommend that you update to version 10.6.7 instead. You can still update to Mac OS X Lion from 10.6.7 (updating to Mountain Lion requires 10.6.8, but you might be able to circumvent this requirement by spoofing your system version).

Intel Pentium/Celeron

When it comes to Mac OS X compatibility, Intel's Pentium and Celeron processors are a mixed bag. If you're putting together a budget Hackintosh, then using one of the newest Pentium or Celeron processors isn't a bad idea. These newer processors use the same underlying architecture as their higher-end Intel Core counterparts. For instance, the Intel Celeron G530 uses the LGA1155 socket, which is also used by Intel Core processors in the Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge generations. As a result, the G530 works very well with Mac OS X. 

However, Pentium and Celeron processors from older generations use different CPU sockets. Among these older processors, compatibility with Mac OS X varies widely. In some cases, it comes down to which motherboard you're using. In other cases, the processors themselves may simply be too old. For instance, Pentium M processors produced before 2008 are 32-bit CPUs, meaning that they don't work with Mac OS X Lion or Mountain Lion, which are 64-bit operating systems.

Unlike the newer Intel HD 2000 and 3000 graphics cards found in Intel Core processors, the integrated graphics cards in Pentium and Celeron processors don't work with Mac OS X. This includes Intel's GMA series of integrated cards. You can install makeshift kexts from OSx86.net that allow Intel GMA to display Mac OS X at higher resolutions, but there's no way to enable graphics acceleration. Instead of using integrated graphics, you will have to buy a separate graphics card for your Hackintosh.

Intel Xeon

The situation for Intel Xeon processors is pretty much the same as that for Intel Core processors, since both lines use the same underlying architecture. This means that Mac OS X supports all Intel Xeon processors designed in the past few years.

Like Sandy Bridge-E, Intel Xeon is not completely supported in Mac OS X because it uses different sockets from the mainstream line of Intel Core processors. While you can still boot Mac OS X from a computer using an Intel Xeon processor, sleep mode and CPU power management will not work. If you don't mind that, then the next big challenge is finding a good motherboard. Since Intel Xeon processors are designed for servers, and few people ever bother installing Mac OS X on a server, there are very few successful Xeon Hackintosh builds that can set an example for future builders.

Our advice? Unless you really need the extra cores in Intel Xeon processors, just buy a high-end Intel Core processor for your Hackintosh instead.

AMD

Don't buy an AMD processor if you ever want to turn your computer into a Hackintosh. The problem with AMD Hackintoshes lies in the kernel, a critical file that lets applications in Mac OS X communicate with the hardware of your Hackintosh. The standard kernel for Mac OS X (known as the "vanilla" kernel) is only designed to support Intel processors.

Technically, you can install Mac OS X Snow Leopard on an AMD Hackintosh. You just need a legacy kernel, a modified version of the vanilla kernel that works with AMD processors. Legacy kernels are version-specific; every version of Mac OS X has its own legacy kernel. For example, the legacy kernel for Mac OS X 10.6.7 won't work on Mac OS X 10.6.8.

To this day, there is still no practical way to install Mac OS X Lion on an AMD Hackintosh. A beta legacy kernel for Lion was released back in February 2012, but it's still very unstable, doesn't support 64-bit apps, and is generally unusable in every way.

And even if you get Mac OS X to install, that's only the first step. In fact, the subject of setting up an AMD Hackintosh deserves a whole other website by itself. To put it one way, unless you're a fan of self-flagellation, you should try to avoid AMD altogether.

Conclusion
The Ivy Bridge generation of Intel Core processors is a great choice for any Hackintosh, especially with the release of Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5 and OS X Mountain Lion. If you're looking for something really cheap, the newest Intel Pentium and Celeron processors work very well with Mac OS X, as well.

However, try to avoid Intel Xeon processors, unless you're interested in some heavy experimentation. Most of the time, buying a high-end Intel Core processor will be a safer decision. In addition, AMD processors are a pain to work with on Mac OS X, and should be avoided whenever possible.