[GUIDE] Installing Ventura 13.3.1 on Legacy 775 Asus P5Q-E + Intel Q9650 + GeForce GT 710

[Wannabe Hacker]

 

 

 

This is a legacy build which has been a favorite of mine for many years.  The Asus P5Q-E was released in 2008. It is based on the the Intel P45 chipset and uses the LGA 775 socket.  The Q9650 (also released in 2008) is a Penryn quad-core processor based on the Yorkfield architecture.  I am using an MSI NVIDIA GeForce GT 710  graphics card which I have had for many years and has been kept alive thanks to the work of the OpenCore Legacy Patcher team.  I have been installing macOS on this system for the past 10 years. Ventura will probably be the last.  

 

I initially accomplished running Monterey and Ventura on this system by performing the installation on a more modern system (Gigabyte Z490 Vision G / Intel i5-10600k) and then transferring the disk.  This actually works quite well and is probably the easiest approach.  This basically requires using the CryptexFixup kext with the -crypt_force_avx boot argument to force installation of the Rosetta Cryptex.  This CPU lacks support for the AVX2.0 instruction set.

 

I recently saw this post by @fusion71au describing a solution for the "Error preparing software update" that I had previously encountered while attempting to perform a clean installation.  This motivated me to make another attempt on my system. This is a modification of his approach.  Although many might find this a worthless exercise, I believe that there are still enough Intel Core 2 Duo/Quad enthusiasts out there that might find this useful or at least interesting.   

 

Let me state for the record that I am not a programmer or have any formal training on computer systems.  I'm just a wannabe user sharing his experience.  If any of my instructions, statements or descriptions sound novice or uninformed they probably are.  Feel free to criticize and correct but,  please be kind. 

 

For those who just want to get on with it, you can download my EFI files below:

 

Install  EFI  download here

 

Post-Install EFI download here

 

 

 

Software Used

 

1. gibMacOS

1. OpenCore 0.9.1

2. OCAuxillaryTools as my Plist editor

3. OpenCore Legacy Patcher (OCLP) 0.6.5

 

First, let me start by saying that doing a clean install on a system this old is very tricky.  The smallest of things will cause it to fail. I have done my best to include important details but I'm sure I've failed to mention something.  I am happy to field questions but my technical knowledge is very shallow. 

 

Hardware Setup

 

I strongly recommend the following:

 

1. Disconnect all (and I mean ALL) unnecessary parts and devices including PCI-e boards, SATA and USB devices.  The only PCI-e device which you should have installed is your graphics card, the only SATA device your install SSD and the only USB devices attached should be your keyboard/mouse (more on that below) and installation USB flash-drive.
2. Use a USB Hub to connect your keyboard/mouse. Ventura no longer supports UHCI/OHCI USB 1.1 which is required on this board to support your USB mouse/keyboard. This is easily remedied by using a USB hub which forces the use of USB 2.0. I am using a Belkin F5U234 which is USB 2.0 hub.  I have not tested a USB 3.0 hub,  but I assume it should work as well.  

 

BIOS Setup

 

I strongly suggest that you start by using the CMOS jumper to clear all BIOS and NVRAM settings. Turn off or disconnect the power supply, move the CMOS jumper, wait at least 30 seconds, return the jumper, then restore power to the board.   This motherboard does have native NVRAM but it is not fully functional with respect to macOS.  It does, however, store many OpenCore and system settings and needs to be cleared.  I have also discovered that using OpenCore's CleanNVRAM utility alone is not sufficient, at least during installation.   Powering up after clearing the CMOS will force you to press [F1] to enter the BIOS. Start by going to [EXIT] and selecting [Load Setup Defaults].   Then select [Exit and Save Changes]. 

 

Spoiler

 

On restart, re-enter the BIOS by pressing the DELETE key.  Enter the following changes in the BIOS settings:

 

Main  > Legacy Diskette A  > [Disabled] (macOS does not support Floppy disks)

Main  > Storage Configuration  > Configure SATA as  > [AHCI] (recommended for SSD)

Advanced  > CPU Configuration  > Intel C-STATE Tech  > [Disabled]   (Critical!!)

Onboard Devices Configuration  > Marvell LAN2  > [Disabled]  (Unable to enable this LAN)

Onboard Devices Configuration  > LSI Firewire  > [Disabled]  (probably optional but I don’t need)

Onboard Devices Configuration  > Serial Port1 Address > [Disabled]  (generally recommended during installation unless using to debug)

Power  >  Repost Video on S3 Resume  >  [Yes]  (Can’t remember why I enabled this)

Power > ACPI 2.0 Support > [Enabled]  (Useful for making SSDT’s)

Boot > Boot Device Priority  > 1st Boot Device > [USB: Your Installation Flash-Drive]

Boot > Hard Disk Drives  >  1st Drive > [USB: Your Installation Flash-Drive]

Boot > Boot Settings Configuration  > Quick Boot [Disabled]  (Critical!!)

Boot > Boot Settings Configuration  > Full Screen Logo > [Disabled]  (Optional)

Tools > Drive Xpert Control > [Disabled] (Optional)

Tools > Express Gate > [Disabled] (Optional but no-one uses)

 

Screen shots of my BIOS are below:

 

Spoiler

 

 

After entering the above BIOS settings, save them under [Tools]  >  [Asus O.C Profile]  > [Save to  Profile 1 or Profile2]

 

 

Spoiler

 

A few notes on the BIOS settings:

 

1. It is very important that you [Disable]  Intel C-State Tech as OpenCore (unlike Clover) is unable to adjust for Intel's C/ P states. For the purist out there, there is a work-around described in this post.  I did not feel that enabling this feature was all that important, particularly since this is really just a "for play" build.
2. You really do need to [Disable]  [Quick Boot].  For a long time I was unconvinced that this really mattered but it does.
3. I also found it very convenient to insert the USB flash-drive that you will be using for the installation while changing your BIOS settings and select it as the primary boot device.  Your saved settings will remember your USB flash-drive as the primary boot device obviating the need to manually enter into the boot menu which is F8 on this board. 
4. Every time you need to start this installation over,  I recommend you go through the following process:  turning off the power supply, clearing the CMOS using the jumper, turning on the power supply, re-enter the BIOS and loading your saved BIOS settings.

 

Creating the USB Flash-Drive Install Disk

 

1. I used gibMacOS to download the most recent version of Ventura which, as of this writing, is 13.3.1.  

2. Your USB flash-drive should be at least 16 GB. I am using a Sandisk Ultra 32 GB.

3. I detailed tutorial of using gibMacOS to download and create the Install USB is nicely described in this tutorial. After completion, your USB flash-drive will be renamed Install macOS Ventura 

4. After completing the above, you need to open the EFI partition of your USB flash-drive and copy the Install EFI  file  and rename it to  EFI.   You also need to install the OpenCore DuetPkg to your EFI partition as described here (Scroll down this page and open the Spoiler labeled “Setting up Legacy Boot”). Your USB install flash-drive will not boot without the DuetPkg installed as this is not a UEFI board. 
    

Notes about My OpenCore Settings:

 

1. I am using SMBIOS iMacPro 1,1 both during installation and post-installation.  Although the hardware of this system most closely resembles iMac 10,1, this SMBIOS appears to work quite well and is still supported by Ventura.  The Q9650 is recognized as a Xenon processor and is actually closely related to the Xenon X3360.

 

      2.  I have included serial numbers which are the same for both installation and post-installation files.  I’m not using them but you will probably want to change.

 

      3.  The following boot arguments are used:

 

• -no_compat_check - despite the fact that SMBIOS iMacPro 1,1 is compatible with Ventura, this boot argument was critically important during installation.  However, its was not necessary post-installation and thus is omitted from my post-installation file.
• amfi_get_out_of_my_way=0x1 - necessary to allow OCLP to install graphics acceleration patches. Seems to also be necessary on post-installation. Note that the correct value for Ventura is “0x1” not “1”.
• -amd_no_dgpu_accel - necessary to disable graphics acceleration and avoid panic until OCLP can be applied. This is removed on post-installation.
• keepsyms=1 - I really don’t understand this one.  Based on my reading, I thought this was only necessary for debugging but this installation fails without it.  Maybe someone can explain it to me.  Removed on post-installation.
• alcid=7 - used to enable on-board audio. Only included on post-installation.

 

       4.  Kexts used:

 

• AAAMouSSE.kext - provides SSE4.2 instruction set emulation which this CPU lacks. Critical!  System not will not load without it. 
• AppleALC.kext - used with alcid=7
• AppleMCEReporterDisabler.kext - Critical! Will panic on boot without it
• FakeSMC.kext - preferred over VirtualSMC for legacy systems.  Also provides for better monitoring.
• Lilu.kext - Routine
• AppleYukon2_88E8056.kext - Enables on-board Marvell ethernet controller.  This kext was created by me with the help of @Slice
• NoAVXFSCompressionTypeZlib-AVXpel.kext - critical!  Disabling causes immediate panic on boot
• telemetrap.kext - Critical to boot!
• USBInjectAll.kext - Only used for install.  Ports mapped post install
• USBMapLegacy.kext - Port mapping created by USBMap and used post-install
• WhateverGreen.kext - Not really sure this is needed as OCLP seems to take care of graphics support for the GT 710.  Including it doesn’t seem to create any conflicts
• IntelCPUMonitor.kext - Use with HWMonitorSMC
• GeForceSensor.kext - Use with HWMonitorSMC

 

      5.  ACPI Files:

 

• SSDT-EC - Disables native embedded controller
• SSDT-XPTS - Fixes shut-down
• SSDT-HPET - Patches out legacy IRQ’s 0, 2 and 8

 

The Installation

 

1. After you have created and saved your BIOS settings, I suggest that you start over by turning off your power supply and again clearing the CMOS using the jumper. At this point, make sure to attach your SSD. I used a Samsung 840 PRO 128 GB attached to SATA1. Insert your installation USB flash-drive directly into a back panel USB port of the motherboard. Do not use a USB hub. Turn the power supply back on, select F1 to enter the BIOS and then load your saved BIOS settings under [Asus O.C. Profile].  Enter [Exit and Save Changes] which will cause reboot.  From this point, the installation should take place without powering off your computer.  Your computer will shutdown several times, but do NOT disconnect or turn off the power supply. Doing so during the installation seems to change saved settings and will produce a different outcome.
2. After restart, you should boot into the OpenCore menu if you have selected your installation USB flash-drive as the primary boot device in your BIOS settings.  Alternatively, you can select F8 during post.  You will be greeted with OpenCore's spartan menu sans OpenCanopy as per the Dortania guide recommendations. I suggest initially selecting option [CleanNvram.efi].  Although clearing the CMOS with the jumper (performed above) should have also cleaned the NVRAM, I do it again just to make sure. You will then need to reboot by selecting option [Restart].
                                     
   Spoiler

   

    

3. After re-booting and again being presented with the OpenCore menu, select option [1. Install macOS Ventura (external)]   This will bring up the Apple's install/recovery menu. Start by selecting  [Disk Utility] to erase and format your SSD.  Note, make sure to select the dropdown under the [View] button and select [Show all Devices] so that you erase and format the entire disk and not just a container.
4. After closing out Disk Utility, select [Install macOS Ventura]. This will walk through the usual "agreement menu" and eventually to the target disk menu where you select your SSD.  Stage 1 installation will then begin. If everything goes well, installation occurs over 5 stages with 4 reboots. Getting through the first stage should be uneventful.
                         
   Spoiler

   

   

    

5. After completion of Stage 1, system will auto-reboot into the OpenCore menu.  Select [2. macOS Installer] to begin Stage 2.  Getting through Stage 2 is the most difficult part of this installation.  The culprit is the CryptexFixup.kext that produces “An error occurred preparing the software update" :

 

Spoiler

           

           I have performed this installation over 50x and have had a few occasions where I have managed to get through Stage 2 without producing this error.  Unfortunately, I have been unable to identify conditions where I can faithfully reproduce this result.  If you are successful in getting through Stage 2, then the rest of this installation will likely complete without incident.  You can skip directly to Step 7 below.  If you encounter this error during your first attempt, I suggest that you try repeating the installation several times before moving on to Plan B:

                                

      6.  PLAN B: The good news is that all may not be lost if you encounter the above error during stage 2. As described by @fusion71au in this post, the installation may be salvageable as long as the dyld cache file (os.dmg) has been written to the pre-boot partition.  Unlike his experience, however, I did not find it necessary to identify and add msg-product-url.  This might have something to do with the fact that this motherboard does have some form of native NVRAM. I am unable to confirm this, however, as performing a dump of all NVRAM values after Stage 1 using dmpstore does not seem to identify msg-product-url as a stored value.  Regardless, identification and manual installation of msg-product-url did not appear to affect the success or failure of the installation in my experience using this board. What was successful, however, is copying the dyld cache file os.dmg from the SSD preboot partition, re-running stage 2 and 3 with CryptexFixup disabled, then copying back the os.dmg file to the pre-boot partition of the SSD and re-enabling CryptexFixup for stages 4 and 5.

 

           @fusion71au gets full credit for describing this technique.  The one thing I did differently was, rather than re-booting into an older macOS within the same system, I disconnected my installation SSD and USB install flash-drive and attached it directly to a 2nd working hackintosh . I did this because I did not want to change or delete any stored NVRAM values by booting into another macOS version.  I also saved the os.dmg file to my desktop rather than my USB flash-drive in the interest of transfer speed.  I have repeated this installation numerous times and needed a quicker work-flow.  Re-running the second stage with CryptexFixup disabled was 100% successful in getting through Stage 2 in my experience.  Here is my description of that process:

 

• After encountering the above error, do a controlled shutdown by exiting out of the error message and selecting [Shut Down] from the Apple menu (top left).  This EFI contains an SSDT that fixes shutdown.

 

• Disconnect both the installation SSD and USB flash-drive and attach them to a second mac or hackintosh.  Do not turn off the power supply to the Asus P5Q-E board. I then attached the install SSD directly to a SATA port on my Gigabyte Z490 Vision G system also running Ventura.  Using a USB to SATA adapter or enclosure also works but is slower.

 

           You now need to identify the pre-boot partition of your install SSD.  Open terminal and enter:

    diskutil apfs list

          Look for a pre-boot volume that is greater than 4 GB.  This confirms that CryptexFixup has extracted the necessary non-AVX 2.0 shared dyld cache.  If the pre-boot volume is about 1.8 GB then the necessary cache files were not extracted and this installation as described will not be successful. If this occurs, again all is not lost as you can obtain the necessary cache file using the method described in this post.  I should state that I do not have any experience with this.

           Mount the target pre-boot partition using the following terminal command:
 

   diskutil mount <preboot diskXsY>

 

           Now make note of the UUID associated with the Ventura - Data partition.

 

           Example in the spoiler below:

 

Spoiler

 

• Using finder, go to folder /Volumes/Preboot/<UUID Ventura -Data Partition>/cryptex1/proposed where you will find the necessary os.dmg file.  Simply right-click copy and paste to your desktop

 

         

Spoiler

 

       

• Mount the EFI partition of your USB Install flash-drive and open the config.plist file using your plist editor. I am using OCAuxillaryTools.  Disable the CryptexFixup kext, save, close and eject. Also eject your install SSD.

 

           

Spoiler

 

 

• Re-connect your SSD and USB flash-drive to your Asus P5Q-E system and reboot into the USB flash-drive OpenCore menu. Again select [2. macOS Installer].  Stage 2 will be attempted again. Because CryptexFixup is now disabled, this will cause the pre-boot partition to be over-written, deleting the os.dmg file that we need.  This is why it was saved to our desktop.  If everything goes as planned, Stage 2-repeat should complete successfully then auto reboot.
• After the OpenCore menu loads, again select  [2. macOS Installer] from the OpenCore menu to begin Stage 3.  Allow Stage 3 to complete and auto-reboot back into your OpenCore menu.  This time select [Shutdown].  After shutdown is complete, again disconnect both your SSD and USB flash-drive (WITHOUT turning off your power supply) and reconnect to your second mac/hack.
• We are now going to transfer back the os.dmg file that we previously saved to the desktop of our second hack/Mac.  Identify and mount your pre-boot partition as described above.  Again make note of the UUID of the volume now labeled Ventura - Data - Data.  Transferring back the os.dmg file requires use of the following terminal command. You cannot simply copy and paste.

sudo cp ~/Desktop/os.dmg /Volumes/Preboot/<UUID>/cryptex1/current/os.dmg

See my example:
                                                  

Spoiler

 

 

• You also need to again mount and open the EFI partition of your USB install flash-drive, open config.plist, and re-enable the CryptexFixup kext. 

 

            

Spoiler

 

• Eject the SSD and USB flash-drive, reconnect to your Asus system and reboot.  This time select [2. Ventura - Data] which will begin the start of the relatively short 4th Stage with auto-reboot back into the OpenCore menu.

           

Spoiler

 

7. After OpenCore menu reloads, select [2. Ventura  - Data] again to begin the fifth and final stage which should lead you to the joyous Apple macOS “Select Your Country or Region” menu.  When I made my first attempt to make my way through the selections, I thought that my system was frozen.  As it turns out, because graphics acceleration is turned off, advancing through the menu selections is painfully slow due to a massive response lag.  Eventually you should reach your final destination which is your desktop.  You can identify that graphics acceleration is not enabled by the black border surrounding the dock icons. 
8. At this point, you can enable graphics acceleration by installing the Open Core Legacy Patcher v0.6.5.  You will need internet access for this program to function so connect an ethernet cable to the lower LAN port (see pic below under post-installation).  This port is enabled using the AppleYukon2_88E8056 kext included with the Install EFI.   After opening the program, select [Post-Install Menu].  You will be given the option of installing two patches, one for your legacy graphics card (in my case a Kepler based GT 710) and enabling Legacy USB 1.1.  In my experience using this board, installing these patches successfully enabled graphics acceleration but did NOT restore USB 1.1 for the mouse/keyboard. 

 

Spoiler

 

    9.   Rebooting after installing the OCLP patch should confirm enabling of GPU acceleration         

 

Spoiler

             

 

Post Installation

1. Mount and open the EFI partition of your SSD and copy and paste the Post Install EFI file.   Remember to rename it to EFI.  Remember to also install the DuetPkg as was described above for your USB Install flash-drive or it will not boot.
2. Emulated NVRAM:  As I eluded to earlier, this board does have a form of native NVRAM but it is not fully functional.  In my post-install config.plist I have selected settings to activate emulated NVRAM as per instructions in the Dortania guide.  Note, you will need to run the LogoutHook program from terminal on your system to make it functional.  Details are in the linked Dortania guide. 
3. Ethernet: This board has two Marvell Yukon Gigabit LAN controllers, the 88E8056 and 88E800. Only the 88E8056 is usable and is made functional using the included AppleYukon2_88E8056.kext
   Spoiler

   

    

4. Audio: This board uses the ADI AD2000B audio chipset which is still supported by the AppleALC.kext using the alcid=7 boot argument.  Interestingly, attempting to use layout-id in device properties as recommended in the Dortania guide does not work. I have no explanation for this.
5. USB: Ports on this board were mapped using USBMap  producing the USBMapLegacy.kext which is included in the Post Install EFI.  I’m not sure that mapping is really necessary as the number of ports easily falls below Apple’s 15 port limit.
   
   As stated above, USB ports on this system use USB 1.1 for HDI devices like mouse/keyboard which is no longer supported in Ventura.  Also as I noted above, Open Core Legacy Patcher was not successful in enabling USB 1.1 on my system.  Your experience may differ.  What did work was using a USB 2.0 hub which I chose to use.
   
   Earlier versions of the Open Legacy Patcher created conflict with PCI-e USB-3.0 cards but, starting with version 0.6.5, this has been corrected. For those interested in inserting a USB 3.0 PCI-e card, I recommend one that is natively supported.  I am using an Inateck KT4006 which uses the  Fresco Logic FL1100 chipset. It has been supported by macOS for quite some time and continues to be so under Ventura.  It works very well on this system.
6. Wifi/Bluetooth:  I am using  this PCI-e card which uses the Broadcom BCM94360CD chip. This is another card with native support.  This card has a 9-pin female USB motherboard header connector which is necessary for Bluetooth to work.  I discovered that connecting this to the board’s internal USB headers did not work. What did work is using this cable to connect to either my USB 2.0 hub or to my USB 3.0 PCI-e card.
7. Graphics: As I noted above, I am using a MSI GT 710 which I have have had for many years.  OCLP 0.6.5 does a nice job of enabling graphics acceleration. Be careful attempting to use anything more modern like a RX 580 as many of these cards require UEFI and will not work on Legacy BIOS boards.
8. Power Management:  As best I can determine, a SMBIOS of iMacPro 1,1 seems to provide good power management for this CPU without the need for any additional kexts.  On stock speeds it idles at about 2.00 GHz and appropriately ramps up to 3.00 GHz with demand.  With a modest overclock to 4.03 GHz, idle sits at about 2.6 GHz.  For anyone interested in my overclock settings and RAM info see spoiler below:
   Spoiler

   

    

9. Hardware Monitoring: The Post Install EFI contains kexts for board monitoring using HWMonitorSMC.  Note, the newer version of this program HWMonitorSMC2 does not work on this board.
10. Sleep: I have never been able to get sleep working on this system. I also have never made it a priority to fix as I don’t really use it.
11. Services: Apple services such as iMessage, FaceTime, Airdrop, handoff and continuity (including camera) seem to work.  I can also make and receive calls through my iPhone.
12. Performance:  As you might expect, a system this old is not going to be competitive with modern systems but I have found it be surprisingly functional for basic tasks such as internet browsing, music streaming, word processing and coding. I am currently employing an overclock of 4.03 GHz. You certainly would not want to attempt audio/video editing or modern gaming. Still, I am amazed at how well this CPU/motherboard has held up.
    
    For those interested, I am including Geekbench scores below:
    
                                    
    Spoiler

    

     

Closing Comments:

As you might have already surmised, maintaining this system has been a labor of love.   This was my first hackintosh and feels like a close friend.  I have several hackintosh builds which are far more capable, but there is a certain joy and satisfaction which I derive that is unique to this system. I have a lot of good memories attached to using it and will be sad to see it finally retired. In a certain way, this post represents my requiem to this loyal system and to the eventual sunsetting of the hobby that I have come to love.

 

 

Update 8/8/23:  I have successfully updated to Ventura 13.5 via online updates.  In order to receive this update you have to enable Secure Boot in OpenCore. I used Misc -> Security -> SecureBootModel -> j137.  I am still on OpenCore 0.9.1 with the same kexts. This update will delete the changes made by OpenCore Legacy Patcher thus disabling graphics acceleration.  My system successfully booted back into my login screen with VGA graphics.  You then need to disable Secure Boot in OpenCore to re-install OCLP 0.6.5 which will re-enable graphics acceleration. 

 

 

Edited January 20 by Wannabe Hacker
Update

[AppleBreak]

Nice build! It's good to see another LGA775 system maintainer to this date.

[Allan]

That's a real guide! 😃

 

Congrats for all the hard working

[Rocky12]

Wonderful such a excellent GUIDE Good luck happy hackintosh 👍

Edited May 12, 2023 by Rocky12

[PippoX0]

Very good tutorial :-)
Thanks

[Capsule]

Great stuff, I love these old builds.

 

Have you considered enabling C-States with ASPP-Override, AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement and AppleIntelCPUPowerManagementClient?
That works great on X56XX Xeons

[Wannabe Hacker]

On 11/26/2023 at 7:03 PM, Capsule said:

Great stuff, I love these old builds.

 

Have you considered enabling C-States with ASPP-Override, AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement and AppleIntelCPUPowerManagementClient?
That works great on X56XX Xeons

No, haven't really concerned myself too much with enabling C-states.  I've seen some solutions but haven't bothered with it as I am pretty happy with my current power management.  Appreciate the info and thanks for sharing. 🙂  Might help someone else.

[ArcaneRhapsody]

Thanks for the guie! Do you have any tips for those who might be new to hackintoshing but are inspired to try out something similar with legacy hardware?

[Wannabe Hacker]

On 12/14/2023 at 10:17 AM, ArcaneRhapsody said:

Thanks for the guie! Do you have any tips for those who might be new to hackintoshing but are inspired to try out something similar with legacy hardware?

Depends very much on your hardware.  What are you working with?  Specifically, what motherboard, CPU and graphics card?  Happy to help if I can but, like I mentioned in my writeup, I'm just a layman.

 

Best advice I can give you is to do a lot research.  Search all the hackintosh forum sites.  There is a wealth of info there.  I can assure you that almost any problem you might have has been experienced by at least one other person.  

[ArcaneRhapsody]

On 12/17/2023 at 9:26 AM, Wannabe Hacker said:

Depends very much on your hardware.  What are you working with?  Specifically, what motherboard, CPU and graphics card?  Happy to help if I can but, like I mentioned in my writeup, I'm just a layman.

 

Best advice I can give you is to do a lot research.  Search all the hackintosh forum sites.  There is a wealth of info there.  I can assure you that almost any problem you might have has been experienced by at least one other person.  

My current setup includes a motherboard from an older iMac, paired with an Intel Core i5 processor and a NVIDIA GTX 960 graphics card. I realize this combination might present unique challenges, especially with driver compatibility in macOS. Thanks again for taking the time to guide a newbie in the Hackintosh world!

[Wannabe Hacker]

1 hour ago, ArcaneRhapsody said:

My current setup includes a motherboard from an older iMac, paired with an Intel Core i5 processor and a NVIDIA GTX 960 graphics card. I realize this combination might present unique challenges, especially with driver compatibility in macOS. Thanks again for taking the time to guide a newbie in the Hackintosh world!

 

If you are trying to get older Mac hardware to run a more recent version of macOS, I think your best approach is to start with OpenCore Legacy Patcher. This project has done an amazing job maintaining legacy Mac hardware that Apple no longer supports.  

Edited December 19, 2023 by Wannabe Hacker