Xps 13 9370 Hackintosh _best_ -
The Dell XPS 13 9370 Hackintosh journey is a classic tale of trial, error, and ultimate technical triumph. When the 9370 first debuted in early 2018, it was hailed as a powerhouse but feared by the Hackintosh community due to its soldered-down Killer Wi-Fi card, which initially seemed to doom users to a life of dongles. The Quest for a "Perfect" Portable Mac
Early adopters were drawn to the 9370 for its incredibly compact "InfinityEdge" display and Thunderbolt 3 ports, seeking to create a cheaper, more powerful alternative to the MacBook Air.
The Initial Struggles: Early builds on macOS Mojave faced significant hurdles. Standard issues included "finicky" trackpads, broken sleep/wake cycles, and the inability to use the left-side USB-C ports without a pre-boot device plugged in.
The Hardware Swap: Many users found that replacing the stock SSD with a WD Blue or Black NVMe and adding thermal pads improved performance significantly, allowing the aluminum chassis to act as a massive heat sink. The Evolution: From Clover to OpenCore
As bootloader technology shifted from Clover to OpenCore, the "story" of the 9370 changed from a partial success to a "nearly perfect" daily driver.
Success with Ventura: By 2023, developers had refined OpenCore (v1.0.0) enough to run macOS Ventura almost natively.
The Touchscreen Breakthrough: One of the most satisfying "chapters" for owners was getting the 4K touchscreen to work with multi-touch gestures, a feature Apple's own MacBooks famously lacked. Current "State of the Art"
Today, a fully configured 9370 Hackintosh is often described as running better than Windows 11 on the same hardware.
What Works: CPU power management, internal speakers/microphones (with the right ALC3271 layout), and even iMessage/FaceTime (if serial numbers are properly generated).
The Final Bosses: The fingerprint reader remains non-functional, and users still grapple with "hotswapping" issues on specific USB-C ports unless their ACPI patching is perfect.
You can find modern, community-tested configurations for this specific model in repositories like the ngfuong XPS 9370 GitHub or comprehensive forum threads on InsanelyMac.
Are you planning to start a fresh install on a 9370, or are you looking to fix a specific bug like sleep issues or iMessage? tonyu124/DELL-XPS-13-9370-Hackintosh - GitHub xps 13 9370 hackintosh
The Dell XPS 13 9370 Go to product viewer dialog for this item.
is widely considered a "legendary" target for the Hackintosh community. Its sleek design, 8th-gen Intel architecture, and "InfinityEdge" display make it a near-perfect physical stand-in for a MacBook Air or Pro.
As of early 2026, while Apple’s transition to Silicon is complete, the 9370 remains a viable budget project for running macOS Ventura (13.x) and potentially Sonoma (14.x) or Sequoia (15.x) with the right patches. The Hardware: What Makes it Work (and What Doesn't)
is built on the Kaby Lake R platform, which is natively supported by macOS because Apple used similar chips in their 2017-2019 MacBook lineups.
CPU/GPU: The Intel Core i7-8550U and UHD 620 graphics work with full hardware acceleration using the Lilu and WhateverGreen kexts.
Display: Both the 1080p and 4K panels work beautifully. The 4K touchscreen is a rare "pro" feature that even real MacBooks lack, though macOS touch support is limited to basic pointer emulation.
Audio: The Realtek ALC3271 codec is supported via AppleALC (layout-id 56 or 57 is common).
The "Killer" Catch: The stock Killer/Qualcomm Wi-Fi card is notoriously difficult. Many users find it easier to use AirportItlwm for Intel cards or swap the hardware if they have a rare non-soldered variant, though on the
, Wi-Fi is often soldered, making software patches your only choice. Installation Strategy: OpenCore is King
While older guides mention Clover, OpenCore is the modern standard for stability and security.
BIOS Tweaks: You must set SATA Mode to AHCI (not RAID), disable Secure Boot, and disable Fast Boot. If possible, set DVMT Pre-Allocated memory to 64MB via UEFI shell commands to avoid graphics glitches. The Dell XPS 13 9370 Hackintosh journey is
The EFI Folder: Do not simply download a pre-made EFI from GitHub. Use them as a reference, but build yours using the Dortania OpenCore Install Guide to ensure your unique serial numbers are set. Key Kexts: VirtualSMC: For emulating the Apple SMC.
VoodooI2C & VoodooI2CHID: Essential for making the precision trackpad feel "Mac-like."
USBToolBox: Required to map your USB-C ports correctly for sleep/wake functionality. The Reality Check: Known Issues
Battery Life: Expect a 20-30% hit compared to Windows or Linux. macOS is not optimized for Dell’s power management firmware. Sleep/Wake : This is the "final boss" of the
Hackintosh. It often requires complex ACPI patching (SSDTs) to prevent the laptop from waking up in your bag.
Thunderbolt: The ports work for data and video, but "Hot Plug" (plugging in a device after the laptop is already on) can be flakey without specific BIOS and SSDT modifications. Why Do It in 2026? XPS 13 Hackintosh! | The $200 MacBook Pro
Transforming the Dell XPS 13 9370 into a Hackintosh The Dell XPS 13 9370 is widely regarded as one of the best candidates for a "MacBook Pro" alternative due to its premium build, thin bezels, and Intel-based architecture. Transforming this machine into a Hackintosh allows you to run macOS natively, offering a high-performance experience at a fraction of the cost of Apple hardware. Hardware Compatibility & Specifications
The 9370 features 8th Gen Intel Kaby Lake R processors, which have native support in macOS through the MacBookPro15,4 SMBIOS.
CPU: Intel Core i5-8250U or i7-8550U (Native power management supported).
Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 (Full metal acceleration via WhateverGreen).
Display: Both the 1080p FHD and 4K UHD touch panels work well with HiDPI scaling. ⚠️ Disclaimer This is for educational purposes
Audio: Realtek ALC3271 (ALC299) codec, compatible with AppleALC.
Storage: Most NVMe drives work, though Samsung PM981 models may require specific patches or replacement for stability. The Wifi Challenge: Soldered Components
Unlike previous models, the 9370 has a soldered Wi-Fi card (typically Killer 1435 or Qualcomm QCA6174A).
Internal Wifi: The stock QCA6174A card is historically incompatible with macOS. However, newer Intel-based versions can use OpenIntelWireless with the HeliPort app to gain connectivity.
Workarounds: If your internal card is unsupported, you must use a USB Wi-Fi dongle or an external adapter. Installation Overview
Here’s a concise guide for Hackintosh on the Dell XPS 13 9370 (late 2017–early 2018 model, 8th gen Intel Kaby Lake R / Whiskey Lake).
⚠️ Disclaimer
This is for educational purposes. Hackintoshing violates Apple’s EULA. Compatibility might break with macOS updates. Back up data and BIOS settings before proceeding.
The Good (Works OOB - Out of Box)
- CPU: Intel Core i5-8250U / i7-8550U (Kaby Lake R). These are natively supported as MacBookPro15,2.
- iGPU: Intel UHD Graphics 620. Fully accelerated with proper Framebuffer patching. No dGPU to worry about.
- RAM: Soldered LPDDR3 (8/16GB). Works fine, though you cannot upgrade it.
- Storage: NVMe SSDs (Toshiba/Kioxia or Samsung PM961). Note: Some SK Hynix drives cause kernel panics and should be replaced.
- Audio: Realtek ALC3271 (similar to ALC299). Works with AppleALC.
- Trackpad: I2C HID (Precision Touchpad). Works with VoodooI2C (supports gestures).
- USB-C/Thunderbolt 3: The 9370 has only USB-C ports (no legacy USB-A). With proper mapping, these work for data, charging, and DisplayPort alt-mode.
2. BIOS Settings (Crucial!)
Enter BIOS (F2 on boot) and set:
- System Configuration → SATA Operation →
AHCI - Security → Absolute → Disable (if present)
- Security → TPM 2.0 → Disable
- Security → Intel Software Guard Extensions (SGX) → Disable
- Security → VT for Direct I/O (VT-d) → Disable (can re-enable later with
DisableIoMapperquirk) - Security → Intel Platform Trust Technology → Disable
- Boot → Secure Boot → Disable
- Boot → Boot List Option →
UEFI - Power Management → Block Sleep → Disable (keep default)
- POST Behavior → Fastboot →
Thorough
Save & exit.
Technical Assessment: macOS Compatibility on the Dell XPS 13 9370
Subject: Feasibility and Implementation Guide for installing macOS (Monterey/Ventura/Sonoma) on the Dell XPS 13 9370.
Date: October 26, 2023 Author: AI Technical Compilation
4. Installation Process Overview
- Download macOS: Use the
gibMacOSscript or the App Store on a real Mac to download the macOS image. - Create USB: Use a tool like Rufus (Windows) or
balenaEtcherto write the macOS recovery image to your USB drive. - Mount EFI: Mount the USB drive's EFI partition and place your configured OpenCore EFI folder there.
- Boot: Plug the USB into the XPS. Press F12 at boot and select the USB drive from the boot menu.
- Installer: Select "Install macOS." It will take several reboots. Ensure you always boot from the USB drive until the installation is complete.
- Post-Install: Once on the desktop, mount your internal SSD's EFI partition and copy the USB's EFI folder to it. Now you can boot without the USB.
3. Touchpad Gestures
With VoodooI2C, you get native macOS gestures:
- Three-finger swipe up (Mission Control).
- Two-finger back/forward in Safari.
- Force Touch is obviously missing (no haptic engine), but tap-to-click works.
2.1 Processor & Graphics
- CPU: Intel Core i5-8250U / i7-8550U (Kaby Lake-R).
- Status: Native Support. These CPUs are natively supported by Apple's
AppleCpuPmandX86PlatformPluginkexts. No Kernel patches are required for CPU power management.
- Status: Native Support. These CPUs are natively supported by Apple's
- iGPU: Intel UHD 620.
- Status: Native Support. Requires device property injection (
DeviceProperties) to setdevice-idto a supported platform (e.g., simulating a UHD 630 or using the native mobile platform ID). - VRAM: The DVMT-prealloc is set to 32MB in the BIOS, which is sufficient for macOS. (Older models like the 9360 often required BIOS modification; the 9370 generally does not).
- Status: Native Support. Requires device property injection (
