11 Best Motherboard for Hackintosh In 2023 | To Taste Mac On PC

1
4167
Best Motherboard for Hackintosh

When you first start to build your Hackintosh, the one component that is absolutely essential is the motherboard. Without it, there’s no way for any of your other components to communicate with each other. Luckily, there are many different motherboards on the market these days that can work well with Hackintoshes. 

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the best motherboard for Hackintosh and explained why each one is worthy of consideration.

Top 11 Best Hackintosh Motherboard To Buy In 2023

The market has flooded with cheap products which are of bad quality. So, It’s really difficult for a buyer to choose the best motherboard which is compatible with almost all operating systems without any problem.

We have tested many Hackintosh motherboards and after extensive research, we find that these 11 boards are the best Hackintosh motherboard on market.

1. GIGABYTE Z370N WIFI Mini-ITX Motherboard

Key Features:

  • Supports 8th Gen Intel Core Processors
  • Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4
  • Intel Optane Memory Ready
  • Supports PCIe x16 slot bifurcation
  • Integrated HDMI 2.0 Support

The GIGABYTE Z370N WIFI Mini-ITX Motherboard is designed for users who value compatibility and flexibility over raw performance. It’s a relatively low-cost motherboard that supports both Windows and macOS, but the fact that it lacks features like SLI support means it isn’t currently one of our top picks.

The motherboard is very compact and easy to install, which makes it a great option both for those new to building their own computer as well as experienced users who don’t need lots of extra features. 

It doesn’t have an RGB header so you won’t be able to sync your LEDs with other hardware, but the motherboard does support a wide range of cases, fans, and even water cooling systems.

The GIGABYTE Z370N WIFI Mini-ITX Motherboard is compatible with both macOS and Windows out of the box, which makes it an attractive option for anyone looking to build their own Hackintosh. It’s also a very future-proof motherboard that supports Coffee Lake processors, meaning you won’t need to upgrade for several years.

Pros:

  • Triple M.2 with Thermal Guard
  • Server-Class Digital Power Design
  • RGB Fusion Lighting
  • Multi-Way Graphics Support
  • Easy to overclock

Cons:

  • Nothing was found while testing

2. GIGABYTE Z390 UD ATX Intel Motherboard

Key Features: 

  • Supports up to 95W CPU
  • Supports DDR 2666 Memory
  • Intel Z390 Chipset
  • Features hybrid fan headers
  • Comes in atx form factor

The gigabyte z390 UD is the perfect motherboard for anyone looking to run an LGA 115x CPU. It can support overclocked CPUs up to 95W in TDP without any issues or minimum voltage requirement and has a range of memory speeds it supports from DDR 2666 through the latest DDR 4600

This is especially important when building a Hackintosh because you want your system to be able to run at the best speeds possible, and this motherboard has no problem doing that.

The z390 chipset also offers many more features than your typical LGA 115x board including integrated Wi-Fi support, Smart Fan control for better cooling performance, USB ports capable of charging high powered devices even when PC is turned off (note: this feature is not supported by all USB ports), and many more.

The motherboard provides great expansion options, including three PCIe x16 slots for graphics cards (only one will run at full speed if you are using SLI/Crossfire). There are also two M.21 drive connectors capable of supporting multiple NVMe drives in RAID configurations, allowing you to achieve blazing-fast storage speeds.

Last but certainly not least, the motherboard supports up to six SATA drives and eight USB ports (four of them are USB Type-C for next-gen devices). There is even a legacy PS/² port if you still have peripherals that require it.

In conclusion, this board will be perfect for anyone looking to build a high-end gaming or workstation PC and has no problem supporting overclocked CPUs.

3. ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero ATX Gaming Motherboard with onboard WiFi

Key Features: 

  • Perfect for Hackintosh setups
  • Intel Optane Memory compatibility
  • Features an injection molding process
  • Industry-leading 8-channel HD audio
  • Addressable RGB header

This motherboard is a dream come true for any PC builder who wants to build a high-end gaming computer. It has support for overclocking and SLI, so it’s ready for heavy-duty use right out of the box. 

This board also comes with built-in WiFi which is perfect if you want a more aesthetically pleasing setup that doesn’t have extra wires and cables everywhere.

The ROG Maximus X Hero is a great choice for any high-end Hackintosh build and it’s perfect if you want to save some money on an expensive Thunderbolt board. If your not looking for extreme overclocking options, this motherboard will give everything else that most users would need at half the price of boards that are more focused on overclocking.

This motherboard has tons of features, so it’s perfect for any Hackintosh user who wants to have a setup that is ready for anything. 

You won’t find another board with the quality and performance this one offers at such an affordable price point. If you want something high-end but don’t have the budget for an extreme motherboard, this is a great option.

4. ASRock LGA2011-v3/ Intel X99 Taichi ATX Motherboard

Key Features: 

  • Supports Intel Core i7 and Xeon 18-core processors
  • DIGI power, 12 power Phase design
  • 3 PCIe 3.0 x16, 2 PCIe 2.0 x1
  • Supports AMD 3-Way Crossfire
  • Supports purity sound 3 & DTS connect

The ASRock X99 Taichi is an ATX board that will look nice inside your PC case and has a ton of features that make it a great motherboard for Hackintosh. It also supports Thunderbolt, which is good if you plan on connecting external devices to the computer. 

However, it is a little pricey and not as feature-rich as some of the other ones on this list that are better suited to be used with macOS Sierra or High Sierra. 

In terms of expansion, the ASRock X99 Taichi supports up to 128GB Quad Channel DDR RAM at speeds of up to 3300+(oc)/3000(oc)/2800(oc)/2666/2400/2200. 

It has a total of 14 USB ports, six SATA III connectors, and seven PCI Express x16 slots with support for both SLI and CrossfireX multi-graphics configurations. In addition to that, it also supports Intel Core i processors (Socket 2011) as well as 3000 Series Core i processors (Socket 115) for Xeon 18 cores.

It also supports Thunderbolt technology, which is super convenient if you plan on connecting an external device that uses the standard to your computer. 

However, it does come at a hefty price and there are some other boards on this list that might be more suitable for use with macOS Sierra or High Sierra.

5. MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge AC ATX Gaming Motherboard

Key Features: 

  • Comes with LGA 1151 socket
  • Supports dual-channel DDR4 Memory
  • ATX form factor ready for multi-GPU
  • Comes with addressable headers
  • Built for high-performance gaming

This motherboard was definitely made with PC gamers in mind, but would also be a great choice for Hackintosh builders. It has everything that you could want from a motherboard, and more.

The MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge Wifi is one of the best boards on the market today. I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for their next motherboard purchase.

The MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge Wifi has a very sleek and professional design that would look good in any build. The metal cover on the chipset heatsink looks great, as well as the RGB LED lighting embedded at different locations around the board. 

It was definitely designed to allow for much better cooling than previous generations of motherboards which is an advantage for PC gamers.

The MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge Wifi is a great motherboard that has all of the features you would want from an Intel chipset, and more. It’s almost guaranteed to work flawlessly with Hackintosh installs, so if you are looking for a new board I would definitely consider this one first.

6. ASUS ROG Strix Z370-F Gaming ATX Motherboard

Key Features: 

  • Exclusively designed for 8th generation processors
  • Dual M.2 ports 
  • 5-Way Optimization
  • AURA Sync RGB lighting
  • Industry-leading 8-channel HD audio
  • Perfect for building gaming PC

The ASUS ROG Strix Z370-F Gaming motherboard is a  great choice for building a Hackintosh computer. This motherboard is compatible with the Intel Core I series processors, including the latest Coffee Lake CPUs. 

It comes with an on-board M.I.B X BIOS that fully supports macOS High Sierra and also supports memory modules up to DDR4000 MHz frequency speed; it has dual PCIe Gen III slots which allows you to install graphics cards (up to SLI/CrossFireX configuration). 

You can easily connect your peripherals using multiple USB ports. There are also unique features like Dimensional Display-II which supports three monitors simultaneously; it comes with dynamic fan control and onboard thermal sensors that intelligently adjust fans speeds based on how hot your system is running.

And if you are looking to overclock your CPU, the ASUS ROG Strix Z370-F Gaming motherboard allows you to adjust BCLK and Multiplier ratios for improved performance. It also comes with gaming audio that delivers studio-grade sound quality through its SupremeFX technology. Overall, it is one of the best motherboards for Hackintosh.

7. GIGABYTE Z370P D3 ATX Motherboard

Key Features: 

  • Supports 8th Gen Intel Core Processors
  • Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4 Memory
  • Intel Optane Memory Ready
  • Easy to install hackintosh 
  • 2-Way Crossfire Multi-Graphics Support

The GIGABYTE Z370P D3 is the best motherboard for Hackintosh in my opinion.  It is compatible with both Coffee Lake six-core CPUs and the previous generation Skylake CPU. 

The GIGABYTE Z370P D20 offers a clean build, allowing you to install macOS High Sierra without any problems once it’s configured correctly.

This board offers many great features including an M.I.T section with full control of the motherboard, USB Type-C support, and a dedicated sound card from Realtek ALC1220 codec that supports up to 600ohm Headphones as well as HiFi Audio creation.

This is my go-to board for building Hackintosh Computers because it offers everything needed in order to make a stable Hackintosh Computer.

8. GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS PRO ATX Gaming Motherboard

The GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS PRO is a perfect fit for your next Hackintosh builds. Not only does it have everything you need to get started, but also has plenty of room to expand and grow into the future with all features that matter.

GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS PRO ATX Gaming Motherboard: $299 at Amazon This motherboard is a great choice for your Hackintosh build. It has all you need and more to get started.

The Gigabyte Z390 AORUS Pro is compatible with both 8th and 9th-gen Intel processors right out of the box because it is based on the Z390 chipset. It doesn’t support the previous-gen Intel processors, but if you’re looking for a high-end build, you should line this one up with a processor like Core i9-9900K. 

The Z390 Aorus Pro is one of the most attractive motherboards on the market because it has a black exterior and orange lights. The chrome plating on top of the slots adds to the beauty of the board. This one is definitely worth your time and money if you are building a clean setup and looking for a suitable motherboard.

9. ASUS Prime Z390-A Motherboard

The Asus Prime Z390-A is an excellent motherboard option for creating your custom-built Hackintosh. 

This board offers support for both Coffee Lake and Kaby Lake Intel CPUs, upgradable memory up to 32GB RAM in dual channel mode, five PCIe slots (four x16 and one x16 or two x16, two x0), six SATA ports (one from the chipset, five from an ASMedia controller) with RAID support on some chipsets.

The 8th and 9th-gen Intel processors with quadruple DIMM slots that support up to 64 gig ofDDR4 RAM memory speed 2400 MHz will be supported by the Prime Z390-A.

It is possible to find a rear I/O panel that is compatible with both the 2.1 and 3.0 standards. When it comes to the looks, the icy-white exterior of the Prime Z390-A is a sight to behold and it works well with every case. 

One of the best choices for you is the Prime Z390-A, if you are on a quest to find a motherboard that offers flawless performance, it is one of the best choices that you can make. If you have a limited budget, I want to tell you that this is one of the best boards for Hackintosh.

10. MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus Gaming Motherboard

The MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus Gaming Motherboard is a great motherboard for Hackintosh if you’re looking to build an iGPU-only setup. This board does not have Thunderbolt, but it has just about everything else.

Even though it is designed for hardcore gaming, the MSI MPG Z490 is still a very decent option for Hackintosh. You can install 10th-gen Intel processors right out of the box, thanks to the specification of this motherboard. 

This board can’t be lined up with previous-gen processors because it’s not backward-compatible. Compared to other high-end motherboards on the market with Z490, the MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus is relatively cheaper and offers the best bang for your buck. 

You will never have to worry about laggy and slow operations with 4x DIMM slots that support up to 128 gigs of RAM with a memory speed of 4800Mhz. The aesthetic of the MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus is even better than the specifications suggest. 

The MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus is a treat for your eyes because it has a matt-black exterior with RGB fusion LEDs right next to the PCIe slot. The good value can be attributed to the pre-installed I/O panel with all kinds of the latest tech, which is located on the rear panel of the board. 

The only thing that isn’t great about the MSI MPG Z490 is that it doesn’t have any of the features that you’d expect from a board of this caliber. There isn’t anything else wrong with the motherboards.

However, you should be aware of the fact that MSI’s MPG Z490 Gaming Plus is not perfect and it doesn’t look as premium as other high-end boards.

11. ASUS ROG Strix H370-I Gaming ITX Motherboard

The ASUS ROG Strix H370-I Gaming  ITX Motherboard is the best motherboard for Hackintosh. It has Intel Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and DDR memory compatibility which are some of the most important things to look for in a Hackintosh compatible board or card. 

It also supports up to 32GB RAM as well as NVME M.2 SSDs like the Samsung 970 EVO. It has an M.2 SSD slot and two USB-C Gen II ports for added connectivity options. 

It also supports modern Intel processors like the iX Coffee Lake CPUs, which is great news if you want to upgrade your existing Hackintosh or build a new one with this motherboard in 2019 and beyond.

There are no issues with the features of Macintosh with that out of the way. There is one feature that is malfunctioning. Normally, it should not be an issue for people who don’t use the feature, but the easiest way to solve this problem is to buy a 3rd party card.

What is a Hackintosh and why do people use them?

A Hackintosh is a computer built to run Mac OS X. It’s not made by Apple and does not come with a Mac warranty, although you can upgrade some parts of the system just as you would on a real Mac. The benefit of running macOS rather than Windows or Linux means that it will be faster for certain tasks such as gaming and video editing.

You can also get more performance out of your Hackintosh than you would with a Mac because Apple will limit what parts are compatible in order to keep costs down on their computers. With the right hardware choices, this means that certain components such as the CPU or graphics card will be able to run at higher speeds than if they were running macOS natively.

How to choose the best motherboard for your Hackintosh build?

First, make sure it has enough support slots to hold all your components, this is not only necessary but also makes the build look cleaner and neater. Check for compatibility with older CPU generations in case you plan on upgrading in the future. The presence of Thunderbolt and USB-C ports will be good if you plan on using them yourself or simply want to future-proof your build.

Things to consider before buying:

  • CPU compatibility
  • RAM compatibility(dual channel)
  • Number of PCI express ports/slots for adding expansion cards such as graphics card, sound card, and wifi adaptor. 

To add a GPU you will need at least one 16x PCIe slot or more if using multiple GPUs in SLI/Crossfire mode. For USB-C you will need at least one USB-C port.

Advantages and Disadvantages of using Hackintosh

Hackintosh is a version of Macintosh running on non-Apple hardware. This can be achieved by various methods, such as changing the motherboard or replacing the original operating system with macOS. In this article we will review some motherboards that you could use for your Hackintosh build and why they might be beneficial to you:

  • Up to 32GB RAM
  • Thunderbolt connection for fast data transfer.
  • Ability to connect through Wi-Fi or Ethernet Connection without any issues with macOS Sierra.
  • Supports the latest generation of multicore Intel processors including Core i Series Processors and Xeon E Series Processor.

There are many benefits in using Hackintosh build, but there are also some disadvantages. The most important thing to remember is that you should not expect all the same functions as a real Mac computer. It would be best if you use your Hackintosh build for web browsing, office work, and other things like this.

Tips on how to make your own Hackintosh work better than it would with an off-the-shelf MacBook pro or air

Frequently Asked Questions

How are Hackintosh Compatible Motherboards Made?

Hackintosh-compatible motherboards are made to be more forgiving when it comes to compatibility with macOS. This is done by disabling specific components or features that can cause compatibility issues.

For example, some Hackintosh-compatible motherboards don’t include an onboard graphics chip, which can help avoid problems with graphics drivers. Certain motherboard makers also design their boards specifically for use with macOS, which can also help improve compatibility.

What do I need to install macOS?

You will need a Mac computer with an existing version of macOS on it. That’s all.

What is the best motherboard for Hackintosh?

There are many different motherboards that work well as a platform for building your own PC and making it into a Hackintosh, but there are some key features that you’ll want to look for in your motherboard.

What about the technical stuff?

It’s all covered on this page, Check out our Hackintosh build guide here.

Does the motherboard matter Hackintosh?

Yes, it does. Some motherboards are better than others for building Hackintosh PC.

Yes, a Hackintosh is 100% legal. There’s no need to worry about going against any rules or regulations by creating a Hackintosh PC yourself.

Is a Hackintosh stable?

If the hardware is compatible with OS X, then it should work well. However, there can always be some glitches that may result in an unstable computer or device. Your best bet to avoid this would be to pick a motherboard with mostly positive feedback from other Hackintosh users since they are more likely to have experienced problems before you do or know how to fix them.

Final words

They are easier to install on a desktop than a laptop, which is a constant feature of Hackintosh. The reason for this is that it is easy to get all the hardware you need in a place. A hundred percent guarantee to work is what these motherboards have. If you use the guide of the best motherboard for Hackintosh, you can be sure that you are getting the best quality.

Also Read:

Best Motherboard for Music Production

Kelly Smith is a Senior Editor at Provaat. She has a special affinity for gaming peripherals, laptops and virtual reality. Before, Kelly covered technology terms, including hardware, software, cyber security and other IT happenings on our community.

1 COMMENT

  1. I’d like to build my own Hackintosh with the ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero. I’ve planned to add 2x 16 GiB RAM on it along with i9 9000k.

Comments are closed.