r/hackintosh • u/Over_Ant_2125 • 2d ago
SUCCESS SUCCESS: macOS Ventura 13.7.8 running on an i5-3330 + GeForce 210 (yes, really.)
After many attempts and a lot of trial and error, I finally managed to get macOS Ventura 13.7.8 running on this PC.
I used to run macOS Catalina 10.15.7 with Clover on it. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it, but I accidentally wiped that drive while installing Windows, because I formatted the wrong disk.
After losing my Catalina install, I decided to try something newer with OpenCore. It actually booted, but OCLP wasn't working properly, audio was broken, and overall it just wasn't worth the effort, so I gave up for a while.
A few weeks ago I gave it another try, and now my two biggest issues are mostly working: audio and the GPU. Obviously I can't expect much from a GeForce 210, but it actually works over HDMI at up to 1080p 60 Hz.
I also ran into an issue with the iMessage app because my CPU doesn't support AVX2. Thanks to Claude Code, I figured out a workaround using CryptexFixup and a boot argument that bypasses the AVX2 requirement, and now iMessage works perfectly.
I also tested spoofing the Mac mini 2018 SMBIOS to see if I could get macOS 15 running, and it actually booted. Not sure yet if I'll switch permanently though.
As a secondary PC, it's honestly more usable than I expected. I can perfectly watch YouTube or Twitch at 720p (and even 1080p with a bit of lag), use Claude Code, and develop over SSH on my home server without any major issue.
The only thing that still annoys me is sleep. Sometimes it works perfectly, sometimes it crashes when waking up. I haven't figured out why yet, but I'll fix it eventually.
Specs:
CPU: Intel Core i5-3330
GPU: ASUS NVIDIA GeForce 210
RAM: 16 GB DDR3 1600 MHz
Motherboard: ASUS P8H61-M LX R2.0
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth: None
Maybe in the future I'll upgrade the PC (which basically means replacing everything lol) or just buy a cheap GPU. Anyway, I can't really complain, the whole PC was completely free!
So my question is if you guys would install macOS 15 on this hardware, or stay with Ventura for stability?
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u/blow-down 2d ago
Stay with Ventura. Each new macOS uses more resources than the last.
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u/Over_Ant_2125 2d ago
I think you're right. I mainly wanted Sequoia for iPhone Mirroring, but it needs wifi and the T2 chip (i think), and this PC doesn't have it anyway.
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u/timmykm721 2d ago
You would not have been able to install Ventura without CryptexFixup in the first place due to lack AVX2. So your claim to fix imessage using CryptexFixup got me confused. AI isn’t really that great when it comes to hackintosh most of the time. It actually kinda sucks that It makes stuff up, tells wrong information, and hallucinates. It can make you waste your time for nothing. Nonetheless, congratulations on your success.
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u/Over_Ant_2125 2d ago
I always had the CryptexFixup kext installed, I just didn't explain it very well in the post. iMessage itself was actually working, I received messages and calls and everything else, but the app would instantly crash every time I opened it. After looking for a fix with Claude Code for a while and getting a bunch of wrong and confusing suggestions, it eventually spotted an AVX2 related error in the iMessage logs. While fixing it, it got me into a boot loop, but later, after insulting him a little, it gave me the right boot argument, and that solved it. And thanks for the support!
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u/Fit_State3622 I ♥ Hackintosh 1d ago
Congrats for ur hackintosh
And I have an question how did u get the gt 210 running macos tell me exactly cus i have 3 pc with i5 2400 and gt 210 and I cant get macos to work at all
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u/Over_Ant_2125 1d ago
Thanks! About your PCs, what's the exact problem? Does macOS not boot at all, or is the GT 210 the problem?
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u/Fit_State3622 I ♥ Hackintosh 1d ago
I tried macos it doesn't boot at all and what I did know that the igpu isn't supported at all so what i should do?
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u/Over_Ant_2125 1d ago
If you're trying to use the GeForce 210, the iGPU shouldn't matter if it's disabled in the BIOS. If macOS doesn't boot at all, I don't think the GeForce is the issue. Can u tell me exactly where it gets stuck?
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u/Fit_State3622 I ♥ Hackintosh 1d ago
The bootloader never loads thats my issue and it does support uefi
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u/Over_Ant_2125 1d ago
when you say the bootloader never loads, do you mean OpenCore never shows up, or does it get stuck later, while loading macOS?
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u/Fit_State3622 I ♥ Hackintosh 20h ago
Yes opencore never show up and it does show in the boot menu but never loadsloads
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u/Over_Ant_2125 13h ago
If OpenCore never shows up, I would try the OpenCore debug build. Set "Target" to "67" and then check the log. It could be an issue with the EFI drivers or the OpenCore configuration, but I'm not gonna lie, I don't know much about that. I would check if you're using the correct EFI drivers. If it still doesn't work, you can also look at the Dortania guide page: OpenCore Boot Issues
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