Z87X-OC - how far can I go on versions?

[pizzaguy]

I've had a good run on this board, and have just upgraded to Catalina. I was wondering if other Z87X-OC board owners could say if they've been able to install the more recent OS versions? I'd like to get more current but I'm not interested in spinning around something that won't work; I'd rather just buy another board and go from there... or even pick up a Mac Mini which is starting to look like it makes sense now. I love the 27" screen but I can't pay the Apple price for their Studio Display - $1300 even at Costco??? Good LORD. Yes, it is a gorgeous monitor but I'm not a movie producer so I guess I don't need that level of greatness... I just need a decent display which I now have in my Monoprice 27" display port screen.

 

[wstrohm]

Someone is running Monterey on a Z97 motherboard using SMBIOS Macmini7,1. I believe others are running Big Sur using similar boards using SMBIOS iMac17,1. My "Mini-ITX 1" (listed below) is "stuck" on High Sierra because I will not give up my nVidia GT 1030, and my "Mini-ITX 3" below is similarly stuck on High Sierra with its nVidia GTX 1050 TI OC.

But now you have me started on "why upgrade Mac OS?" Mac Mojave will run 32-bit and 64-bit apps. Catalina lost 32-bit app capability. Computers are there to run apps. Mojave's OS installer is 6.05 GB, Catalina's is 8.24 GB. Big Sur (11.7.3) is 12.45 GB in size, and Monterey is about the same. As of Big Sur, Apple is accommodating both Intel CPUs and their M-series in-house ARM hardware, so the operating systems are quite large. If you want to run Shadow of the Tomb Raider on a MacOS, you have to run at least Catalina. But if you want to run Cyan's Myst IV or V, Uru, or Uru online, you cannot run MacOS beyond Mojave.

IMHO you need to take a serious look at "I'd like to get more current but I'm not interested in spinning around something that won't work" in terms of not only whether your board will run an OS version, but also whether MacOS will run your apps. I've been on Big Sur and my "Mini-ITX 2" Skylake computer is still on Monterey 12.6.3, but I'm seriously considering "down-dating" it back to Mojave. YMMV.

 

[trs96]

I'd like to get more current but I'm not interested in spinning around something that won't work; I'd rather just buy another board and go from there

As wstrohm said, you can run Monterey with iGPU HD4600 but must change to Macmini7,1 and generate all new serials. Some people go as far as Ventura but then you'd need a newer, Ventura supported AMD card. What matters most is: do you need the newer macOS version to run specific software like Xcode or do you need to run older apps that aren't updated for newer macOS versions ? That's what your choice should be based upon.

 

[pizzaguy]

As wstrohm said, you can run Monterey with iGPU HD4600 but must change to Macmini7,1 and generate all new serials. Some people go as far as Ventura but then you'd need a newer, Ventura supported AMD card. What matters most is: do you need the newer macOS version to run specific software like Xcode or do you need to run older apps that aren't updated for newer macOS versions ? That's what your choice should be based upon.

The app that started this is HR Block tax software which I love... even though it's a once-a-year event it still works very well for me but they don't support Mojave any more so I had to move to Catalina... and I figured ok if I'm giving up 32 bit anyway, how hard would it be to get really current so I don't have to deal with this again in a couple of years... I really have a hard time moving away from this board though as it is just solid as a rock... you couldn't ask for more, and it's fast as well. And it's such a PITA going back to figuring out why this doesn't work, that doesn't work... I'd probably rather not. Everything works on this one except sleep which I don't really care about.

 

[wstrohm]

... and I figured ok if I'm giving up 32 bit anyway, how hard would it be to get really current so I don't have to deal with this again in a couple of years...

Since Apple is in the middle of a transition from Intel to their own CPUs, in a few years there won't be a new version of MacOS that will accommodate Intel CPUs anyway (since there won't be any new Macs that use Intel). IMHO, it is likely that perhaps Ventura will be the last MacOS that can be used on a Hackintosh. What H&R Block will do at that point as a developer, and for that matter what any other developers will do, is presently unknown. Sorry, I know this doesn't help...

 

[phunguss]

The app that started this is HR Block tax software

I have been using their online website the last couple of years. Not sure how much of the desktop app differs but you could definitely take a look at that. If you are a US veteran, it is free.