Hackintosh or 2012 Mac Book Pro...

[mroctopus]

So I am in need of a new computer...
For most of my life I have been a Mac user. The last two years however, I have been using a Lenovo entry model dual core net book running Windows 7. It does everything I need it to do right now, but next year I will be starting graduate school in industrial design and will need an upgrade so I can run the software I will be learning (3D modeling, Adobe CS6 etc.). I have been trolling on this site for a while thinking about building a hackintosh but really haven't needed a new computer until now. So now comes the decision.

I have about $1000 so spend and I would like to either put it towards a speedy desktop hackintosh and continue to use my netbook for my portable needs or get a pre-retina display Mac Book Pro. I like the retina display, but I really don't like how they have now started to solder their RAM to the motherboard and seal the battery. I like to tinker and want the ability to upgrade later and although I love the OSX operating system I am disappointed with the decisions Apple has made regarding their newer line of products.

So here are my two choices as I am thinking about:

Desktop: i5 quad-core Hackintosh

Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core (or possibly i7...)

Gigabyte GA-Z87MX-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard

Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory

Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive

Asus GeForce GTX 650 Ti 2GB Video Card

TP-Link TL-WDN4800 802.11a/b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter

Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer

Case: Fractal Design Define Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply

Total: $850


or

Refurbished i5 or i7 dual core Mac Book Pro (2012)

2.5 GHz Dual-core Intel Core i5

4GB (2x2GB) of 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM; supports up to 8GB

500GB Serial ATA, 5400 rpm

Intel HD Graphics 4000

Wi-Fi (based on IEEE 802.11n specification)2 Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology

8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)

Total: $1000

The hackintosh will have more power and ability to run resource hungry software and is cheaper, while the only real benefit of the MBP is its portability. In a perfect world I could afford both, but as it is I need to choose. The truth is I really want to build the hackintosh because I love to make things and tinker, but part of me feels the right move would be to get the more portable MBP as I wouldn't be stuck to at my desk. I guess it comes down to whether or not I need the faster hardware to run the software I know I will be using while in school and beyond. I think I will, and that my netbook should be adequate for everything that isn't graphic and 3D related, but I wanted to get the input of folks that use hackintoshes on a regular basis before I make the jump. Is there any reason I shouldn't build one and just get the MBP? If I do the build using the parts I listed above will there be any stability issues? Are there any difficulties I will experience during upgrades? Thanks for any thoughts and advice!

 

[HackintoshMan]

I was considering buying a laptop, but I am really glad that I went with a hackintosh. I am in graphic design and I use Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, ect. and they all work perfect. I have Intel HD4000 and my new monitor is coming in tomorrow, but I will be getting a dedicated graphics card next.

Both computers will run your programs very well, but it is up to you weather or not you want portability or greater performance. Sometimes I wish I could bring my computer over to a friends house or to school, but then if I got a $600 laptop (I paid $600 for my hack) then I wouldn't want to bring it to a friends house

I think you should go for a Hackintosh. 4 years from now when you laptop is outdated what will you do? Buy another laptop? Sure but then thats another $1000. With my hack I just have to replace the Motherboard and CPU. No big deal.

I hope this was helpful, I know most of this just came from the back of my brain

Good luck,
-HackintoshMan

 

[comma1234]

I think you need to decide how important the portability factors are in your computer needs. Maybe a netbook or maybe even a chromebook will suffice for your portability needs, but only you can determine that.

 

[mroctopus]

Thanks for the input! I think the real determining factor is whether or not I need the portability with a slight improvement in the power department. It would be great to finally have a computer that is quick and responsive! I haven't ever owned a powerful computer and its always a pleasure working on a fast machine.

I'm wondering how much a power improvement the i5 dual core would be over my current computer's chip set (AMD E-450 APU 1.65GHz Dual Core with Radeon HD Integrated Graphics) in terms of usability in photoshop and if it would really be worth the $1,000. Really what I want is both!

HackintoshMan, what parts did you use on your build to get it down to only $600? Have you had any difficulties when it comes to OS upgrades? Also, how do you find the integrated graphics without a discreet GPU?

 

[warjack]

If you're interested in playing around and if you want so save as much money as possible, get a mackintosh.
If you're looking for a stable Mac and money does not matter, get a MacBook!

 

[comma1234]

I'm wondering how much a power improvement the i5 dual core would be over my current computer's chip set (AMD E-450 APU 1.65GHz Dual Core with Radeon HD Integrated Graphics) in terms of usability in photoshop and if it would really be worth the $1,000. Really what I want is both!

I think either option would "feel" faster than your current setup. Its one of those things...speed is relative. If you don't know what you're missing, you probably won't miss it. The general feeling either route will probably be one of "wow, this is faster."

If you want my advice, as a grad student, where life can get very busy, just go with the real mac for now. Save up and get both later. The Macbook Pro should give you a comfortable speed boost in the interim. It also relieves you of any "hackintosh" worries in terms of compatibility, stability, etc. Then, by the time you can save up for your hackintosh, who knows what amazing stuff will exist that will blow the socks off your macbook.

If you build the hackintosh now and get a 2012 Macbook later (sans all the thing you hate about the newer generations); it may feel a bit sluggish compared to what you would have then gotten used to.

And from my experience...netbooks suck at everything. Even web browsing feels sluggish. And compared to the hackintosh you want to build, it'd probably feel even worse.

 

[mroctopus]

Thanks for the sound advice comma. I've been doing a lot of humming and hawing and have come to the same conclusion. I will have both at some point, and over the next few years I think the portable system is going to be a huge asset. If I really need a powerful desktop I will figure out a way to come up with the funds to do so.