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There have been plenty of updates and variations on laptops since the very start. From different operating systems to different kinds of looks, everything has been tried on laptops. One of the essential things on a laptop is an operating system.
People have different preferences among the most famous Windows OS, Linux OS, and Apple’s macOS.
Windows and Linux are very readily available and can be installed on any device. However, if we talk about Mac OS, then it is only possible with Apple’s laptops.
Sometimes people are used to Apple’s OS, but for other reasons, they have to go with ordinary laptops. While sometimes, people want to try macOS but cannot afford a MacBook. Well, these problems have been solved. You can try the modified version of macOS on ordinary laptops now. This version is most commonly known as Hackintosh. One thing to note here is that not every laptop is compatible with Hackintosh.
There are specific laptops whose hardware is made to be compatible with Hackintosh. We have made a list of some of the best Hackintosh laptops, so you would not have to search a lot.
Also, if you are wondering what does Hackintosh means, then it a mixture of two words, “Hacking” and “Mackintosh.”
Best Hackintosh Laptops
- DELL XPS 15 – 9550
- Acer Predator 17 Gaming Laptop
- Razer Blade 15
- Acer Aspire 7 Casual Gaming Laptop
- Acer Aspire E 15 Laptop
- ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA-DS51T
- Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 1
7 Best Hackintosh Laptops
1. DELL XPS 15 – 9550
From the start of their production, dell has been producing quality products. These quality products are reliable as well as affordable.
This is precisely the case with DELL XPS 15 – 9550. It is a high tech machine with all the newest features and updates yet very much affordable for the specs it has to offer. And now, with being adaptable to Hackintosh, this laptop has left MacBook Pro or Air very much behind.
The slim structure is the pure aluminum body. As you open the lid, the palm rest is made up of carbon fiber. A laptop’s lightweight may trick you into thinking it has a delicate screen, but it is made up of gorilla glass.
Moreover, the touchpad is accurate than ever. DELL XPS 15 – 9550 is known as the lightest 15-inch laptop. It is also 59% thinner than a MacBook Pro. Some customers have even reviewed that it works even better than their MacBook.
Hackintosh works very well with it because of its amazing features, such as the fantastic screen.
The screen can be considered the very best in the market. The hardware of this laptop is quite robust.
DELL XPS 15 – 9550 does not only have great thermals, but the laptop is upgradable to. It is even said to be good for gaming. Now, if it is suitable for gaming, then you can suppose there must be no lagging on this laptop.
The keyboard on this laptop is as smooth as it can get. You can type swiftly with its perfect keys, having a suitable distance between then and adequate bounce.
One thing you to remember is that problems do arise with Hackintosh systems.
However, they can be easily solved with multiple guides available on the internet for dell. So you should not freak out if it happens.
Specifications
| Processor | Intel Core i7 |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 512 GB Solid State Drive |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M |
| Screen Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display | Ultra HD |
| Weight | 3.9 pounds |
| Processor Speed | 3.5 GHz |
2. Acer Predator 17 Gaming Laptop
Has Acer ever disappointed its customers? The majority would say no. This is why Acer Predator is also not here to disappoint you in any way.
It is a massive machine that comes with extensive, amazing features. It isn’t the most attractive gaming laptop, but it is fierce.
The matte soft black touch material is what is found in most gaming laptops and is loved by gamers. Logo on its lid with a hint of red on the edges of the lid adds to the fierce look. When you open the lid, there’s a massive keyboard in front of you. A soft-touch panel surrounds the keyboard. Triangular power button above the console will give you the gamer feels before you even start it.
The touchpad is also quite large, and it has a power button beside for input devices. The vents at the rear of the laptop are there to let anyone know it’s not an ordinary laptop.
When you run Hackintosh on this laptop, it will not be as fast as a MacBook, but it is better than most laptops in the market. The speed, however, will still be enough. An ample space it has to offer will make the experience even better for you.
The machine is quite bulky, so the portability is not that great. If the machine heats, then there are advanced cooling capabilities that will cool it down in minutes. There are four USB 3.0 ports along with others like an SD card reader and a headphone adaptor.
Screen colors are as sharp as anyone would want in a gaming laptop. The G-sync technology syncs the screen with graphics card for an excellent performance.
Overall the computer is more than fabulous at multitasking, so it sure can handle the Hackintosh. Acer Predator 17 has a total of four speakers and dual subwoofers. These all are part of Acer’s SoundPound 4.2 system.
Specifications
| Processor | Intel Core i7 |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 1 TB Hybrid Drive |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 |
| Screen Size | 17.3 inches |
| Display | Full HD |
| Weight | 9.26 pounds |
| Processor Speed | 3.8 GHz |
3. Razer Blade 15
Razer Blade 15 was released just last year. This is the more affordable version, also known as the base model. It is accessible to the advanced one.
The Blade has a pretty attractive aluminum body. It sure is a bit bulky than the other Razer laptops, but it is no less in features. It has a full black frame with a three-headed serpent logo in the center of the screen.
Any gamer would surely want this bad-ass look on their laptop. Now here comes the amazing thing, not only can you run Hackintosh on it, but the laptop’s body is also very much comparable to MacBook. You will wonder how? Well, it is very minimalistic and has a unibody metal chassis. You will get a complete MacBook to feel with Blade at a much lower price.
It is much lightweight than the usual gaming laptops. This base model also has all the ports you need for gaming. There are ports to connect to multiple monitors and even other devices.
The Razer Blade 15 is also said to be the one from the most powerful laptops for Hackintosh. The display of this laptop is as amazing as it can get. The colors you will see will be bright but not too bright. They will be vivid and clear.
The keyboard on Razer Blade 15 is impressive with its backlit feature however not quite suitable for gaming. It is a thick laptop, and that is why we should not have had such shallow keys. For typing, though, the bounce of keys is good enough. Touchpad here is massive. Even the touchpad also gives competition to MacBook with its size and smoothness.
There are dual top firing speakers installed on Blade 15’s deck. Blade 15 is not only high for gaming but multitasking too. You can open multiple tabs on it, and it still won’t lag.
The battery time this laptop provides is also much more than the usual gaming laptop. However, it has two drawbacks, dim screen and running hot after heavy-duty tasks.
Specifications
| Processor | 8th gen Intel Core i7 6 Core |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 128GB SSD (SATA) + 1TB HDD |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB) |
| Screen Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display | Full HD |
| Weight | 4.48 pounds |
| Processor Speed | 2.2 GHz |
4. Acer Aspire 7 Casual Gaming Laptop
Here comes another one of the Acer. This is from the Acer aspire series. It is a powerful gaming laptop that is why very much suitable for Hackintosh.
The RAM and its storage are appropriate for Hackintosh that too at this price. It is a deal which you don’t get offered quite often. Aspire’s seven design is wholly renewed; however, it takes a little from its predecessors, E and F lines. For the functions Aspire 7 has to offer, it is compact and also lighter than its competitors. This makes it easily portable, a quality that is hard to find in high functioning laptops. The laptop is full black made up of two things; black brushed aluminum and hard black plastic.
This full black design with no LEDs or different color mixtures is very much, unlike other gaming laptops. However, this absence of colors can work in your favor. You can use this laptop in work environments, too, where a colorful laptop will look indecent. One thing to be careful about is its sharp edges.
The keyboard is a lot like E15 and F15 laptop. The keys are adequately spaced with some keys very small such as the directional keys. Numpad has a little less space between them than other keys. The touch and stroke of keys is something to appreciate.
The keyboard and touchpad are both backlit. The illumination is bright because there aren’t multiple levels to adjust it. The touchpad is large with a frame that will be easy for you to find in the dark. It is smooth and also has got the fingerprint reader function.
The screen is a matte IPS panel. The display offers you very well uniformity and contrast. However, brightness isn’t up to the expectations. Aspire seven also deals with heating. It doesn’t get much heated, as you would see in its competitors.
Specifications
| Processor | Intel Core i7 |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 1TB HDD |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (4GB) |
| Screen Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display | Full HD |
| Weight | 5.18 pounds |
| Processor Speed | 4.1 GHz |
5. Acer Aspire E 15 Laptop
It seems like Acer won’t stop leaving us surprised with its brilliant products. Aspire E15 yet another powerful machine to run Hackintosh OS. With power, it is also one of the most pocket-friendly machines in the market.
The design is like most of the 15 inches laptops. It is simple and complete black. The deck is made up of plastic, which is covered by the brushed metal appearance. The lid is dark gray with an Acer logo on it. It is heavier than the other 15 or 14 inches laptop. For a budget laptop, it has all the ports one would need.
Along with USB ports, it also has a DVD player as well as a headphone jack. Note that the display is non-touch. The screen provides you enough details that you would need in a budget laptop.
The keyboard on this laptop is fun to type on with just the right amount of bounce. The primary keys are equally and appropriately spaced except the Numpad part. The touchpad is large and smooth. Perform all your finger gestures very smoothly.
Audio provided by Aspire 15 is loud enough, but the quality of sound is not up to the mark. Multitasking will be effortless and smooth on this laptop with its good RAM and excessive storage. You can open multiple tabs, videos, and whatnot, there will only be a little chance that it will lag.
The battery life is promising at this price. Aspire 15 also doesn’t get hot very quickly. So you know you can run heavy tasks. Overall, Acer Aspire 15 is one of the best budget laptops you can get for Hackintosh OS.
Specifications
| Processor | Intel Core i5 |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 256 GB Flash Memory Solid State |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce MX150 |
| Screen Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display | Full HD |
| Weight | 5.27 pounds |
| Processor Speed | 1.6 GHz |
6. ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 UX461UA-DS51T
Generally, it is not suitable to go for laptops for more than two-year-old if you want high functioning qualities. However, Asus ZenBook is an exception and just couldn’t be left behind.
The ZenBook has an overall aluminum surface. It has a smoky-gray lid that isn’t found commonly on laptops. The lid has an Asus logo right at the center with concentric circle design. When opening the lid, you will find a pretty metallic deck for your wrists.
ZenBook is only 0.5 inches thick and very light, which makes it a quite good competitor of MacBook. Once you setup the Hackintosh OS on it, it will be hard to realize if you’re using ZenBook or MacBook.
The only difference worth mentioning will be then the price. ZenBook has a much lower cost than a MacBook. On the left side, you will find two USB 3.0 ports along with the volume and power button. While on the right site, there are multiple other ports with a headphone jack.
ZenBook also features biometric security through the IR webcam and fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint sensor is found on the top right corner of the touchpad.
The display is a touch-screen. It provides you bright and vibrant colors just as one would want.
The touch screen will operate without any lag or hindrance. The keys are shallow, but the bounce is suitable enough.
The touchpad on a laptop is large, smooth, and very classy. The ZenBook also comes with a pen, which will work great if the front is put directly against the screen.
Speakers on the laptop are Harman/Kardon branded. They aren’t loud enough, but the quality of sound is fantastic. Even with excessive multitasking, you will face no lags here.
The only drawback is the absence of Thunderbolt 3 ports. In short, it is a full package of design, quality, heavy-duty work, and speed.
Specifications
| Processor | Intel Core i5 8250U |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR3 |
| Storage | 256 GB Flash Memory Solid State |
| Graphics Card | Intel Integrated Graphics |
| Screen Size | 14 inches |
| Display | Full HD |
| Weight | 3.1 pounds |
| Processor Speed | 3.4 GHz |
7. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 1
It is a shame not to include Lenovo’s laptop in the best Hackintosh laptops. From the very start of their business, Lenovo has been producing some great laptops.
ThinkPad X1 is just one example of it. The whole X series is excellent overall. If we talk about the X1 extreme, then it may look like a heavy, bulky laptop by its name. However, it’s a thin and sleek laptop. It is also pretty lightweight. All of these features may make it look like an ordinary one, but it’s, in fact, a business laptop.
It is made for all the multitasking your work requires. With the specs ThinkPad X1 extreme has to offer, Hackintosh OS will run quite smoothly. This is not the case with every Hackintosh laptop, but Lenovo brings you that.
The chassis is wholly built of carbon fiber with a soft-touch finish. You will find the logos on the top left corner and bottom right corner.
When you open the lid, you will see the deck is made exactly like the lid. The soft surface of the deck can have fingerprint spots, which are also hard to clean. It is much portable due to its lightweight.
It has multiple ports, including thunderbolt three ports. The ports are enough for a range of connections. It may be thin and lightweight, but X1 is exceptionally durable.
The laptop will handle all kinds of weather conditions, be it extremely hot or cold, and even the dusty surroundings. The display provided by Lenovo is tough to find at this price. That is why if battery life isn’t of much concern for you, then you should go with this laptop.
Specifications
| Processor | Intel Core i7 |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 512 GB Flash Memory Solid State |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce |
| Screen Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display | Full HD |
| Weight | 6 pounds |
| Processor Speed | 2.2 GHz |
Conclusion
Now that you have gone through the Hackintosh laptops, you know what to choose. You should make sure that the laptop you are choosing is fulfilling all your requirements. Yes, sometimes you like the design of one more than others, but it’s not worth compromising your needs. This will not work well for you in the long run.
All of these laptops are of top-notch quality. These may be expensive, but there isn’t any way you’re going to be disappointed in them. The MacOS system will run in them without any significant disturbance. You will not feel much different while using Hackintosh.
One thing that you should remember is to learn all about Hackintosh if you are going to spend your money on any of these laptops. There are also other laptops in the market; however, you will have to search for them quite much. That is why, for the time being, it is better to go on with our list.
Mark Chard, holding a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Florida, is the go-to expert at LaptopsGeek for all things tech. With a robust history of reviewing laptops, tablets, smartphones, and more, Mark has developed an astute sense for identifying the essential ingredients that define the perfect laptop. He brings a personal touch to his work, having personally reviewed and extensively used the laptops featured on LaptopsGeek.com.