Setting Up macOS on HP Compaq Elite 8300 with GTX 650 – A Hackintosh Guide

Guide Step-by-Step:

This guide will walk you through installing macOS on your HP Compaq Elite 8300 (i5-3470, GTX 650, 8GB RAM). Given your setup, macOS Mojave or High Sierra are good choices as they provide native support for the GTX 650. You’ll use your Mojave VM to prepare the bootable installer.

1. Preparing a Bootable macOS USB Installer

• macOS Version: Download macOS Mojave or High Sierra installer from your Mojave VM's App Store.
• USB Drive: Use a USB drive of at least 16GB, and format it as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) with GUID Partition Map.
• Create Installer:
  • Open Terminal in your Mojave VM and use CreateInstallMedia to make the bootable USB:

    bash
    Copy code
    sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Mojave.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/YourUSBDrive
    

• Download Clover bootloader and mount it on your Mojave VM.

2. Download Required Kexts

Place the following kexts in EFI/CLOVER/kexts/Other on the USB drive:

• Lilu.kext and WhateverGreen.kext for graphics and compatibility.
• AppleALC.kext for audio support.
• RealtekRTL8111.kext for Ethernet support on the HP Compaq Elite 8300.
• VirtualSMC.kext (essential for booting macOS).

3. Configure BIOS Settings

• Enter BIOS by pressing F10 on startup.
• Disable Secure Boot.
• Enable Legacy Boot (this can improve compatibility on older hardware).
• Set SATA Mode to AHCI.
• VT-d: Disable it if possible (may prevent certain kernel panics).
• Integrated Graphics: Set to Auto or disable it if you’re using the GTX 650.

4. Configure Clover Bootloader (config.plist)

• Open config.plist in Clover Configurator or ProperTree and make these adjustments:

  PlatformInfo

  • Set SystemProductName to iMac14,2, which is a good match for the i5-3470 and GTX 650.
  • Use GenSMBIOS to generate a serial number and UUID to use in PlatformInfo > Generic.

  Boot Arguments

  • Under Boot > Arguments, add the following:

    text
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    -v nvda_drv=1
    

    • -v: Enables verbose mode to troubleshoot boot issues.
    • nvda_drv=1: Ensures NVIDIA drivers are loaded for the GTX 650.

  Graphics

  • WhateverGreen.kext will handle your GTX 650, but double-check that Inject NVIDIA is enabled in Graphics settings.
  • Disable Intel graphics injection, as the GTX 650 will be your primary GPU.

5. Finalise Clover EFI Folder Structure

• Your EFI folder on the USB should look like this:

  arduino
  Copy code
  EFI
  └── CLOVER
      ├── ACPI
      │   └── Patched
      ├── drivers
      │   └── UEFI
      ├── kexts
      │   └── Other
      │       ├── Lilu.kext
      │       ├── WhateverGreen.kext
      │       ├── AppleALC.kext
      │       ├── RealtekRTL8111.kext
      │       └── VirtualSMC.kext
      └── config.plist
  

6. Boot and Install macOS

• Insert the USB drive into the HP Compaq Elite 8300 and boot from the USB.
• When the Clover menu appears, select Boot macOS Install from Install macOS.
• Open Disk Utility in the installer, format the target drive as APFS with a GUID Partition Map, and complete the installation.

7. Post-Installation

• Once macOS is installed, copy the Clover EFI from the USB to the EFI partition on your macOS drive.
• Audio and Network: Verify sound and Ethernet functionality in System Preferences. Adjust alcid (audio layout ID) in config.plist if audio doesn’t work.
• NVIDIA Drivers: Install the latest NVIDIA Web Drivers compatible with Mojave or High Sierra. Ensure nvda_drv=1 is added to your boot arguments.

8. Troubleshooting Common Issues

• No Graphics Acceleration: Recheck nvda_drv=1 boot argument and confirm NVIDIA Web Drivers are installed.
• Kernel Panics: Use verbose mode (-v) to identify errors. Disabling VT-d and XHCI Hand-off may resolve certain panics.
• USB Issues: If USB ports aren’t working, use USBInjectAll.kext temporarily, and map USB ports later with USBMap or Hackintool.

With these steps, you should be able to install macOS on your HP Compaq Elite 8300 using the GTX 650. Let me know if you need further assistance with any step!