[Guide] Mojave on Gigabyte Z370N + i7 8700K + Radeon RX 580

[jimpalompa 2]

Introduction

This is my third hackintosh build. The first one came from trying a HP 6300 build. I had a couple of those HP models laying around and had to see what all the fuzz was about. From that build, I understood how the hackintosh process works, the basics at least. So, I gave my workstation pc a try and most of the stuff worked. For the third build I decided to buy a more compatible motherboard with two ssd's, for using dual OS boot like I do. I'm from a Windows environment so I still need to use that OS from time to time. I'd like to share this build with you (and myself for future reference), and I will try to update the guide as good as I can.

 

Hardware

Fractal Design Define Nano

Corsair RM750X 750W

Gigabyte Z370N WiFi Mini-ITX (Bios version F10) specs

Intel Core i7-8700K 3,7GHz Socket 1151-2 (Cryorig H7 Cooler)

Gigabyte Radeon RX 580 Gaming 8GB

Corsair Vengeance LPX Black DDR4 2133MHz 2x16GB

Samsung 970 EVO M.2 SSD 500GB (x2)

Western Digital Red 3TB (x2)

 

LG 27UK850 (3840x2160)

Logitech Craft Wireless Keyboard

Logitech MX Anywhere 2S

 

Software used in this guide

macOS Mojave 10.14.2

Tinu 2.1

Clover EFI Bootloader 2.4k r4844

Clover Configurator 5.3.2.0

 

What works so far

• Audio
• Bluetooth
• Ethernet (only bottom port)
• Graphics
• iMessage/FaceTime
• USB ports (not as they should)

 

What does not work

• USB-C port
• USB ports on LG 27UK850 display (through DisplayPort on dedicated GPU)
• WiFi (Intel on-board module)

 

To-do list

• Fix all USB ports
• Fix USB-C port
• Fix USB ports on display
• iGPU acceleration
• Upgrade WiFi to Apple module
• Fix second Ethernet port (not necessary)

 

Start here

 

1. Create a bootable USB Installer

Download macOS Mojave from App Store using a Mac. When it's downloaded, an installation window will appear, close it and exit App Store.

 

Grab a USB drive that you're not using and connect it to the same Mac you downloaded macOS on. Download and run Tinu, choose to Create a bootable macOS installer, the rest is self explanatory. You may have to enter your password during the process. Quit Tinu when the process is complete.

 

 

Download Clover EFI Bootloader and Clover Configurator, unzip and save them on your USB drive, in a subfolder named Post-install (you can call it what you want of course).

Run the Clover EFI Bootloader installer by rightclicking and choose open, this will bypass any security prompts. Click continue until you get to the Installation Type, you need to change the location to your newly made USB Installer, then click Continue. Back at Installation Type, click Customize. Check Clover for UEFI booting only, and under UEFI Drivers check AudioDxe-64, DataHubDxe-64, FSInject-64, SMCHelper-64, VBoxHfs-64, ApfsDriverLoader-64, AptioMemoryFix-64 (see screenshots below). Click install and let the installation complete. Close the installer.

 

 

For easier configuration, open Clover Configuratior, then open the EFI disk on your desktop. Navigate to EFI > CLOVER > config.plist and rightclick, Open With > Clover Configurator. Choose Kexts Installer, for OS Version choose Other. Select Lilu, WhateverGreen, AppleALC, FakeSMC and click on Download. When an Install prompt appears, check all Sensors and click Install. After downloads are complete, quit Clover Configurator. The Kexts will be downloaded to EFI > CLOVER > kexts > Other. For your Ethernet you will also need IntelMausiEthernet. Download the latest version and unzip the kext file to the same location as the other kexts you just downloaded with Clover Configurator.

 

 

Go to this webpage and at the bottom of the page click sample config.plist. On the github file page, click on Raw, and then rightclick anywhere on the page, choose Save Page As... and save to EFI > EFI > CLOVER > config.plist, replacing the original file (if you're using Safari, select Format: Page Source). Open the new config.plist file with Clover Configurator, choose SMBIOS, for Product Name choose iMac18,3.

 

 

Save the file and exit Clover Configurator. The bootable USB Installer is now complete, you may now eject it from you Mac.

 

2. BIOS

Enter BIOS on your Gigabyte computer by pressing DEL during startup. Update BIOS if necessary. Confirm/change the following settings:

• Save & Exit > [Load Optimized Defaults]
• M.I.T. > Advanced Memory Settings > Extreme Memory Profile(X.M.P.) > [Profile1]
• System > System Date > [Set current date]
• System > System Time > [Set current time]
• BIOS > Fast Boot > [Disabled] (by default)
• BIOS > LAN PXE Boot Option ROM > [Disabled] (by default)
• BIOS > Storage Boot Option Control > [UEFI] (by default)
• Peripherals > RGB Fusion > [Off] (personal preference)
• Peripherals > Trusted Computing > Security Device Support > [Disable]
• Peripherals > USB Configuration > Legacy USB Support > [Auto]
• Peripherals > USB Configuration > XHCI Hand-off > [Enabled]
• Peripherals > Network Stack Configuration > Network Stack > [Disabled] (by default)
• Chipset > VT-d > [Disabled]
• Chipset > Internal Graphics > [Disabled]
• Chipset > Wake on LAN Enable > [Disabled]
• Chipset > IOAPIC 24-119 Entries > [Enabled] (by default)
• Save & Exit > [Save & Exit Setup]

 

Turn off your computer and disconnect all drives except the one you plan to install macOS on.

 

3. Install macOS Mojave

Connect the USB Installer you created earlier. Turn on your computer and press the hotkey [F12] to select boot device and choose UEFI: USB. At the Clover boot screen, choose Boot macOS Install from Install macOS Mojave. When you arrive at the Installer, choose your preferred language.

 

At the macOS Utilities, choose Disk Utility. In the top menu bar, choose View > Show All Devices. Highlight your target drive for the macOS installation in the left column and click Erase.

Name: Macintosh HD

Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

Scheme: GUID Partition Map

Click Erase and close Disk Utility when the erase process is complete.

 

Now choose Install macOS and when the installer asks you where to install, choose your newly erased Macintosh HD. Your computer may restart a couple of times. Be patient. Choose Boot macOS Install from Macintosh HD at the Clover boot screen until you get the option Boot macOS from Macintosh HD.

 

Complete the macOS installation.

 

4. Install Clover EFI Bootloader

You should now be logged in on your new hackintosh, but to let your hackintosh computer boot without the USB Installer you need to install Clover EFI Bootloader on the same disk as your macOS is installed on. Navigate to your Post-install folder you created earlier on your USB Installer and copy the folder to your desktop for easier further on. You may also copy Clover Configurator to your Applicatons folder since it will be used to configure your system from time to time.

 

Run the Clover EFI Bootloader installer again, but this time from your hackintosh computer. Click continue until you get to the Installation Type, this time confirm you are installing it to you Macintosh HD instead of the USB Installer, then click Continue. Back at Installation Type, click Customize. Select the same options as you did in Step 1 and click install. Let the installation complete and close the installer. Your hidden EFI partition on your Macintosh HD should now be visible in finder.

 

Open Clover Configurator and under Tools choose Mount EFI, then mount your USB installer partition. Both your hidden EFI partitions should now be visible in finder. Go to the Macintosh HD EFI partition and delete the EFI folder, then replace it with your EFI folder from your USB Installer.

 

 

With your EFI folder replaced with the one from your USB Installer you can Eject and unplug your USB Installer. Restart your hackintosh and enter BIOS by pressing DEL during startup. In BIOS > Boot Option #1, make sure it is your UEFI OS if using dual OS. Save & Exit Setup.

 

At the Clover boot screen choose Boot macOS from Macintosh HD.

 

If everything is working as it should, turn off you computer and connect the other drives you want to use. You now have a functional macOS on your Gigabyte Z370N computer.

 

The end

 

Optional installations

 

Clover Configurator

Run Clover Configurator and go to TOOLS > Mount EFI > Mount Partition > Open Partition (choose your macOS drive)

Open /EFI/EFI/CLOVER/config.plist with Clover Configurator

 

With config.plist open in Clover Configurator, change the following settings:

• Boot > Arguments > Verbose (-v) > Uncheck (hides the wall of text during startup)
• Boot > Timeout > 30 (need the time to select OS in Clover)
• Gui > Mouse > Speed > 4 (changes mouse speed in Clover)
• Gui > Scan > Uncheck all except Entries (I only want to show macOS and Windows)
• Gui > Hide volume > Click on the + and type Preboot in the added empty line (hides the Preboot boot entry)
• Gui > Hide volume > Click on the + and type Recovery in the added empty line (hides the Recovery boot entry)
• Gui > Custom Entries > Click on the + and double click the New Custom Entry. Select the Volume disk you want to change title on from the Volume dropdown menu. You can confirm it's the right one by pressing the spacebar on the entry at the Clover boot menu during startup. Fill in you preferred title under Title / FullTitle and check it (in my case I am using macOS and Windows as titles for my two boot entries thats left after I've hidden the rest). Select OS under Type and also select your VolumeType, most likely it's Internal. Repeat this process for each Volume you wish to change name on. (changes the title for the boot entries)

 

Save file, close Clover Configurator and restart computer.

 

iMessage/FaceTime

Everything seemed to work fine from the get go, but some messages were not synced, so I followed this guide and everything worked:

How to Fix iMessage FaceTime iCloud on Hackintosh

 

Conclusion & feedback

There is still many configurations left to do, so any feedback is more than welcome because my goal is to optimize this hackintosh. I will try to update and simplify this guide as often and good as I can.

 

Credits

Thanks to these guides, I was able to build my own hackintosh. Cheers!

Getting Started - /r/Hackintosh Vanilla Desktop Guide

Build a Perfect Hackintosh - Beginners Tutorial

Gigabyte Z370N WiFi ITX Hackintosh Guide 4K HTPC Build

Edited January 12 by jimpalompa

[mas31550 1]

I have similar specs and was struggling upgrading from HS to Mojave - your guide saved the day! Thank you!

[gizlin 0]

I have very similar specs but having black-screen and flcikering issues. Any idea how to fix it?

[ITzTravelInTime 622]

thanks a lot for making a guide using TINU, you are one of the very first people to do that, thanks again

 

I have also installed mac on a lot of similar systems and it's quite easy and works quite well on those, only problems may be to make some optimization, but those are really solid hackintosh machines, and also almost the same clover settings works with most of the gigabite motherboards from the same series, just change little things like the ethernet driver or some motherboard-specific stuff.

 

If you need a better efi folder or clover configuration and kexts setup let me know, i have perfected my efi folders by installing it on dozens of similar systems.

 

For efi partition mounting try the integrated tool in tinu (the use EFI partition mounter in the first screen), is designed to be way more easy to understand than the clover configurator's one and works just as well.