LATEST UPDATE (November 30, 2012): Updated article to reflect 2012 pricing updates to the Mac product line.
Mac Mini vs. CustoMac Mini
| Mac Mini (2012) | CustoMac Mini (2012) | |
Processor
| Intel Core i5-3210M (2.5 GHz) | Intel Core i3-3225 (3.3 GHz) |
| Graphics Card | Intel HD 4000 | Intel HD 4000 |
| 4 GB RAM (1333 MHz) | Corsair 8GB RAM (1333 MHz) | |
| Hard drive | 500 GB hard drive (5400-rpm) | Seagate Barracuda 1 TB (7200-rpm) |
| Motherboard | Unspecified | Gigabyte GA-H77N-WIFI |
Computer case
| Mac Mini case | APEX MI-008 + 250W power supply |
Power supply
| Unspecified | Unspecified (included with case) |
DVD drive
| Not included | Sony Optiarc |
| WiFi | Airport Wireless | Not included |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.0 | Not included |
| Total Cost | $600 | $460 |
Cost-wise, it's pretty clear that tonymacx86's popular CustoMac Mini build is the winner here. The CustoMac Mini is about $150 cheaper, and even though it's not as small as the incredibly thin Mac Mini, it's still pretty compact in its own right.
However, these two mini computers are actually more closely matched than they look. The CustoMac Mini doesn't include WiFi and Bluetooth by default, so if you need either of those features, it'll cost you an extra $50 to buy the right adapters (check out our lists of compatible WiFi adapters and compatible Bluetooth adapters). This closes the price gap between the two considerably.
But don't forget that the CustoMac Mini has better performance than the Mac Mini. The base model of the Mac Mini uses a laptop-level Intel i5 processor, which is actually weaker than the desktop-level i3 processor used in the CustoMac Mini. In addition, the Mac Mini has a rather slow 5400-rpm hard drive, and only 4 GB of RAM. Meanwhile, the CustoMac Mini is pretty capable all-around, with 8 GB of RAM and lots of opportunities for upgrades. It even includes a DVD drive (if that's important to you). Of course, if the CustoMac Mini doesn't suit you, you can always check out our lists of other cheap Hackintosh builds or recommended mini-ITX motherboards.
iMac (21.5-inch) vs. CustoMac Budget
| iMac (21.5-inch) | CustoMac Budget (2012) + GT 640 + Monitor | |
Processor
| Intel Core i5-3330S (2.7 GHz) | Intel Core i3-3225 (3.3 GHz) |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GT 640M | NVIDIA GT 640 |
| 8 GB RAM (1333 MHz) | Corsair 8 GB RAM (1333 MHz) | |
| Hard drive | 1 TB hard drive (5400-rpm) | Seagate Barracuda 1 TB (7200-rpm) |
| Motherboard | Unspecified | Gigabyte GA-Z77-DS3H |
Computer case
| iMac case | Corsair Carbide 300R |
Power supply
| Unspecified | Corsair CX V2 430W power supply |
DVD drive
| SuperDrive (8x) | Sony Optiarc |
| WiFi | Airport Wireless | Not included |
| Webcam | FaceTime HD Camera | Not included |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.0 | Not included |
| Mouse/Keyboard | Apple Wireless Keyboard + Magic Mouse | Not included |
| Monitor | 21.5-inch screen (1920x1080) | Any 21.5 monitor (1920x1080) |
| Total Cost | $1300 | $750 |
Long story short, this comparison is a complete rout. Building a Hackintosh is over $500 cheaper than buying a comparable 21.5-inch iMac. Even when you add a webcam, WiFi adapter, Bluetooth adapter, keyboard, and mouse to the Hackintosh build, you can still come out a cool $300 dollars ahead.
In terms of performance, the CustoMac Budget holds up very well against the base model of the 21.5-inch iMac. Though the i3 processor in the CustoMac might seem a bit week, the i5 processor in the iMac is pretty much the lowest-end model in the whole class, so there's actually not much difference between the two. Otherwise, this build will match the iMac's performance very well. In fact, the GT 640 and 7200-RPM hard drive in the Hackintosh actually perform a bit faster than their iMac counterparts. And unlike the iMac, you can upgrade any computer part in a Hackintosh that you want.
iMac (27-inch) vs. CustoMac Pro
| iMac (27-inch) | CustoMac Pro + Monitor | |
Processor
| Intel Core i5-3470S (2.9 GHz) | Intel Core i5-3570K (3.4 GHz) |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GT 650M | NVIDIA GT 640 |
| 8 GB RAM (1333 MHz) | Corsair 16 GB RAM (1600 MHz) | |
| Hard drive | 1 TB GB hard drive (7200-rpm) | Seagate Barracuda 1 TB (7200-rpm) |
| Motherboard | Unspecified | Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H |
Computer case
| iMac case | Corsair Carbide Series 500R |
Power supply
| Unspecified | Corsair HX650 650W power supply |
DVD drive
| SuperDrive (8x) | Sony Optiarc |
| WiFi | Airport Wireless | Not included |
| Webcam | FaceTime HD Camera | Not included |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.0 | Not included |
| Mouse/Keyboard | Apple Wireless Keyboard + Magic Mouse | Not included |
| Monitor | 27-inch screen (2560x1440) | Any 27 monitor (2560x1440) |
| Total Cost | $1800 | $1640 |
Surprise, surprise. When doing a price comparison between the 27-inch iMac and a comparable Hackintosh build, the two are very closely matched.
This is mainly thanks to the excellent screen of the 27-inch iMac; at 2560x1440, this screen has a higher resolution than pretty much any other mainstream prebuilt computer. It costs nearly $800 to buy a monitor at that resolution from a major manufacturer*, meaning that the monitor alone essentially doubles the price of the CustoMac Pro build.
However, not everybody needs a 27-inch monitor. If you're okay with using a smaller 23 or 24-inch monitor for your Hackintosh, the price of the CustoMac Pro decreases to a mere $1100 (or less!), making it far cheaper than the iMac. And of course, the performance of the CustoMac Pro easily exceeds that of the 27-inch iMac (thanks to the CustoMac's powerful i5-3570K processor and the extra RAM).
To summarize, the 27-inch iMac is a surprisingly good deal, but only if you need its high-resolution 27-inch screen. Otherwise, the CustoMac Pro will likely be a better choice, in terms of both cost and performance.
*NOTE: The price of 27-inch monitors varies widely. Though most established manufacturers price their monitors in the $700+ range, smaller manufacturers like Nixeus and Auria often sell monitors for under $500. Buying a sub-$500 monitor lowers the estimated cost of the CustoMac Pro to about $1500, beating out the iMac noticeably. However, these monitors are rather hard to find in the retail market.
Mac Pro vs. CustoMac Pro
| Mac Pro | CustoMac Pro | |
Processor
| Intel Xeon W3565 (3.2 GHz) | Intel Core i5-3570K (3.4 GHz) |
| Graphics Card | AMD Radeon HD 5770 | NVIDIA GT 640 |
| 6 GB RAM (1333 MHz) | Corsair 16 GB RAM (1600 MHz) | |
| Hard drive | 1 TB hard drive (7200-rpm) | Seagate Barracuda 1 TB (7200-rpm) |
| Motherboard | Unspecified | Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H |
Computer case
| Mac Pro case | Corsair Carbide Series 500R |
Power supply
| Unspecified | Corsair HX650 650W power supply |
DVD drive
| SuperDrive (18x) | Sony Optiarc |
| WiFi | Airport Wireless | Not included |
| Mouse/Keyboard | Apple Wireless Keyboard + Magic Mouse | Not included |
| Total Cost | $2500 | $1100 |
When you analyze its cost versus its performance, the Mac Pro is pretty much a joke. The base model of the Mac Pro costs $2500, yet it barely even matches the performance of the iMac, much less that of the CustoMac Pro.
If you're thinking about buying a base model Mac Pro, then you should seriously consider building your own Hackintosh instead. Granted, it's not a perfect comparison. The Mac Pro uses parts designed for servers, while the CustoMac Pro uses parts made for normal desktop computers. But that doesn't change the fact that the Mac Pro is outdated. The CustoMac is pretty much brand new in comparison, and it's less than half the price, too. If you can handle the setup process, there's almost no reason why you should ever choose a Mac Pro over a self-built Hackintosh.
The only exception is if you're buying a Mac Pro that has been upgraded far beyond the base model (think $5000+). Few people build Hackintoshes with server motherboards and other high-end components, so if you're looking to buy a really expensive Mac, a Hackintosh might not even be an option. There are always exceptions, but as a general rule, most Hackintosh builds can't match a super high-end Mac Pro.
In Conclusion:
- If you're looking to buy cheapest Mac possible, the CustoMac Mini will probably be a better choice. However, adding Bluetooth and WiFi to the CustoMac Mini can make it noticeably more expensive.
- The 21.5-inch model of the iMac costs several hundred dollars more than a comparable Hackintosh. You'll probably want to go for the Hackintosh.
- If you like its high-resolution screen, the 27-inch model of the iMac is probably the best deal in Apple's entire product line. However, if you're willing to compromise on the screen, a Hackintosh can still be much cheaper.
- The base model of the Mac Pro is a ripoff. Unless you're upgrading your Mac Pro like crazy, build a Hackintosh instead.
This article does not provide a perfect comparison. For starters, Macs are known for their unmatched build quality; there's no way that you could build a computer as thin as the new iMac, for instance. And in one noticeable omission, while all of the Hackintosh builds above have USB 3.0, none of them have Thunderbolt ports. While Thunderbolt technically works on Hackintoshes for basic data transfer, it is exorbitantly expensive, and many of the extra features of Thunderbolt (such as video and audio transfer) are not yet supported.
Of course, we're not considering the unquantifiable advantages (and disadvantages) of building a Hackintosh. For instance, building and setting up a Hackintosh takes time. The real question is: how much time are you willing to put into your computer?
Of course, we're not considering the unquantifiable advantages (and disadvantages) of building a Hackintosh. For instance, building and setting up a Hackintosh takes time. The real question is: how much time are you willing to put into your computer?
I don't see a dual socket mainboard in your Mac Pro competitor, or hot swap drives, or 2 processors, or perfect Build quality. You don' sinply compare hardware specifications. (I have both Hackintosh and Mac, so i didn't Flame, just wanted to tell :))
ReplyDeleteHe didn't show a dual socket Mac Pro though did he? Besides, unless you have money for the $2000 a CPU (remember you need two) 8 core Xeons, a overclocked single core 3930k will pretty much destroy any dual socket Mac out there. I built one just now for a lil under £1000 (including the value of older parts from my previous hackintosh) and at 4.6Ghz it can't be matched by even the $13k fully specced out Mac Pro.
DeleteThe 27" comparison is a joke. The Hackintosh has a faster CPU, more/faster RAM, an ATX case, and a larger drive.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous about the "french smell"... open a pack of 3M Post-it notes: same smell.
ReplyDeleteI think it would do well to compare notebook computers as well. there is a rather large community of laptop hackintoshers.
ReplyDeleteYes, it would be helpful to compare notebook computers, but many more people are beginning to use high tech gadgets and the Hackintosh is a much faster and bigger device that allows more help for people.
ReplyDeleteThe question is how much headache do you get by saving a few hundred bucks :)
ReplyDeleteDepends how much research you do before you take the plunge.
DeleteNext comparison you write, you might want to include the Dell E-series laptop of OSXLatitude.com as well.
ReplyDeleteBluetooth in my HackPro was a $10 usb adapter about the size of my thumbnail.
ReplyDeleteYou can buy a 27" monitor with 2560x1440 resolution on ebay from one of the Korean suppliers for around $300. Just lookup Catleap Q270 or Achieva Simian on ebay. These monitors are made by LG and are the same panels used in the Appule 27" display.
ReplyDeleteYou want to see a true comparison then go here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=277433
Read everything and you'll quickly realize that the last comment made by this writer isn't true.
"Few people build Hackintoshes with server motherboards and other high-end components, so if you're looking to buy a really expensive Mac, a Hackintosh might not even be an option."
Actually when building an expensive Hackintosh - IT'S THE BEST OPTION, because it's still less than 1/3 the price (STILL) and is 40% FASTER !!! AND YOU CAN UNDERCLOCK IT !!! ;-)
I've been wondering actually if you can overclock a hackintosh. I saw a video by NewEgg on YT where they overclocked a 2.6GHz Core i7 (Sandy) to no less than 5.2GHz, w/ fans! I could live with that! They were doing a demo on a new mobo by MSI that comes with software that allows you to tweak the speed (and more) with a simple fader, without you having to go into the bios. The sofware starts before anything else when you boot, so it doesn't look like it's related to any particular OS, but what do I know? Do you think that those changes would be recognized by Mac OS X?
DeleteYes, you can. And the OP is talking out of his backside. I have a 3930k OC'd to 4.8Ghz. That's 6 cores, 12 threads and 64GB of RAM.
DeleteSupermicro sell boards that you can Hackintosh, but you can't OC Xeons (Mac or not, they are locked) so it's almost always pointless as you will get better performance out of an overclocked single socket 2011 i7 processor than you will out of two core locked Xeons, and for far less money.
I'm a Mac user since 1990 and a Hackintosh fan since the early days. But your comparison between the Mac Mini vs. CustoMac Mini misses one important point:
ReplyDeletepower consumption.
How's the CustoMac faring there? Apple's Mac mini uses next to nothing (15-20 watts under normal load), I'd like to see how that compares. Especially when looking at power cost over 1 year, or 2, or 3, with the machine running 24/7. Saving money goes a lot further than just buying cheaper parts.
I've got both a Mac mini and a Hackintosh pro (i5 3.43ghz IB, 8GB RAM, Nvidia GT640). Running 10.8 ML and I really love the speed of my Hackintosh pro. I can't afford $2500. if I could I still would pay $600. that I did for my customac. I can add up to 32GB of RAM without paying Apple a small fortune, I can put a 3TB hard disk in again not kicking lots of cash back to Apple, install an i7 CPU, and bump the video card up to a GT 680 if I choose. I would still come out under the price of a basic Mac pro. I bought OS 10.8 from Apple no downloads or torrents. Apple still get my money I purchased iLife, iWork, and Aperture 3 from the app store. However why does Apple need my thousands of hard earned dollars for something I can do with a little DIY know how. I'm using the same Chinese parts that Apple is Foxconn makes Gigabyte motherboards ( iPhone & iPad are made by Foxconn FYI ). I use the same corsair Mac compatible RAM, Ivybridge Intel CPU, Seagate Hard disks, and Nvidia video cards. So I guess the fools are the ones paying for all of the designed in the USA manufactured in CHINA. I'm an Apple fanboy too I own an iPhone & iPad if I had the capacity to build one on my own I would if it was half the price or less. But Apple still has that cost effective enough to buy from them. So now pull your head out of the sand and try it for yourself. I think you'll find building and using a Hackintosh more satisfying than forking over large amounts of money to Apple for no reason.
ReplyDeleteI don't think you're using the term "complete wash" correctly. When comparing 2 items, and you say "it's a complete wash", that means that it makes no difference which one you pick. But that's not what you want to say, above.
ReplyDeleteA minor point, but just trying to help.
The Author is obviously biased.
ReplyDeleteI hope your Hackintoshes are reliable.
Let's wait for atleast 2-3 years then let's compare your hackintoshes.
I have a Hackintosh. All of its hardware is compatible with OSX.
I also have a Mac Pro.I built my Hackintosh last 2011. And I bought my Mac Pro before I built my Hackintosh. Man. Hackintosh was faster than my Mac Pro but the problems are.They are not completely reliable.Driver problems.If it got broken, Can you go back to work ASAP? Atleast on a Mac Pro they can easily replace it with a new one. But with my hackintosh, No.
You buy an Apple product.
You buy Software.You buy name.You buy awesome customer service.You buy QUALITY HARDWARE.
Apple has that. QUALITY HARDWARE.Guess what? In atleast 2-3 years your hackintosh will be pretty much slow and would be near broken. And your Mac will be still running flawless.
I dropped my Macbook Pro once.I got only a dent.
I dropped my HP Envy 15 once. I got a dent,loose screws,etc.
If you really want a Mac.Then save money and buy it.It's worth your money.
Don't go buy some "imitation" crap. Don't build some pc and put Macintosh on it.
I removed my OSX on my Hackintosh and i'm now running on Win 7 x64. And my pc is loving it. OSX86 has many troubles.
Sorry for my bad English.
Not my primary language.
You're obviously biased too.
DeleteYes, my Hackintoshes are reliable.
Not everyone can afford a Mac. Look at the Mac Pro vs Hackintosh.
For laptops, granted, Macs are best. For desktops, Hackintosh all the way.
Obviously you save money with a hackintosh, but you gain headaches to totally make it work.
DeleteAfter a long search i found a bt dongle that works with my hackintosh (i couldnt find any of these listed on "Best Hackintosh Bluetooth Adapters" on my country), but i still have a no vga video out, and no wifi connection T.T
If you have good hardware compatibility they are very stable. My hackintosh costs £100 on amazon and that comes with a 22" screen and it runs like my £1,200 macbook pro. Yes it will never be as good as a mac, but It cost £100!! and it runs all the apps well and stays up for months on end. Not something to sniff at considering its pretty much unusable with windows on it.
ReplyDeleteCan you provide more info on the hardware? Model? Cost?
DeleteProbably a Dell Mini 10, google them.
DeleteI've got a hackintosh and the power consumption is really good. I think it is definitely the best computer investment I've made.
ReplyDeleteA three year old Mac is still worth roughly 50% of its new price. Your hackintosh hopefully 20% but most likely less than that. If you take this into account Macs are not too expensive at all!! Plus the design. Plus the suberbe build quality.
ReplyDeleteBut surely, getting an hackintosh to work is fun to the max!
Depends on how your upgrades go. Once you have your system set up you can bump the CPU, GPU, etc up at a cheaper rate vs selling your old mac and buying a new one. You wouldn't have to rebuy the case, motherboard(sometimes), power supply ram etc each time so by re-using parts the total cost would be lower year to year.
DeleteOne thing I'd like to note though, when you're comparing the iMac low end with the Hackintosh, you're carefully omitting a few details:
ReplyDelete1) If you add wireless, bluetooth and a comparable webcam, the total ends up at around 1000$, which is a little bit less far off.
2) You're comparing two devices with an entirely different form factor. You might as well compare a desktop to laptop and go: "See? The laptop is way less performant and much more overpriced. Laptops are a joke."
I can see why you might actually consider it as an advantage to have a case, or consider the all-in-one approach of the iMac less favorable, but that argument cannot be used to go "Hey! Macs are sooo overpriced!". Forgive me the expression, but you're comparing apples with oranges here :).
The Mac Pro, however, does not have the same convenient excuse as it comes in a "normal" case -- Apple actually uses a non-standard case which means custom components which means higher price. As far as I know they don't have a good reason not to use a standard case, making the Mac Pro a significantly overpriced toy and essentially the reason why people think Apple products are overpriced. It seems though that the Pro-line is being phased out and is now mainly server-focused.
Conclusion: you probably don't get that much of an advantage of building your own Mac (about a 10-20% lower price; the same as with other manufacturers); plus you have to take the total cost of ownership into account: a Hackintosh needs to be assembled, does not come with any support, and requires some hacking before OS X can boot. Add that to the Mac's price and you probably get to the figure listed by Apple.
Unless you really need a case where you can replace components ad libitum, go with the iMac. I made the calculation a while ago, and the Hackintosh solution only became significantly cheaper when I added a RAID5 to my configuration. And the iMac comes right out of the box and works; the Hackintosh needs assembly and tinkering to run OS X.
You are wrong on so many points. A comparable wireless card/dongle, bluetooth and webcam don't add up to $250 and many motherboards from Gigabyte come with Wi-Fi built in anyway. You claim that an iMac is a different form factor and I can see what you're trying to state but they are functionally the same. You put em on your table. The whole screen being attached to the case is an overrated gimmick to make you buy a new screen everytime you upgrade and nobody likes the idea of laptop parts in their machines anyway. What matters is how they are used, and as desktop Macs both of them are used in precisely the same way.
DeleteAlso, you want to completely copy the iMac inch for inch but you forget that some people don't want/need everything the iMac has. For example, I have my desktop right next to my router so why bother with wireless? I have two 27" screens so why do I want another built into my iMac? I have a webcam, backup graphics card, spare case etc etc, but I could never go to Apple and have them take all those bits out of the iMac to make it appropriately priced for my needs. And this is before we start talking about upgrades and how much of a new iMac that comes out is exactly the same thing as the old one but you are still forced to re-buy.
If you think that building a PC, then downloading a small app that coverts your Installer for use with a PC, then buring that to a USB/DVD and installing it like you would Windows or a fresh OSX is too hard, you probably shouldn't be commenting anyway. Support is a $150 premium too so your iMac hasn't got any either (AppleCare wasn't in that price figure)
http://www.microcenter.com/product/384780/EQ276W_27_IPS_LED_Monitor
ReplyDeletego ahead and recuce thee price on the 27" hackintosh by $400.
@Frank Erens The reason people build hackingtoshes isnt to clone Apple hardware or form factor or good looks, it's purely to get access to Apple's excellent software, so whatever it takes.
ReplyDeleteOff the shelf parts are never going to be a good comparison to this type of consumer product, whether it be from Apple, Sony, Asus or Lenovo. Give hackers access to the smaller form factors and custom components and I'm sure they'll have a go.
For the challenge and sense of achievement alone, Hackingtoshes are great.
We could also say the time spent hacking, would be better off put down as overtime at work and just buying the top end Apple hardware with the hours and hours of extra money earnt.
As for depreciation, the savvy builder can resell and upgrade parts periodically and not lose too much. Some of the most popular 'last years' components fetch good money at auctions and if Apples are so great, why even entertain the idea of selling to get 50% back?
I doubt very much the average hackingtosher would ever need any support from Apple bar hardware failure and the most popular motherboards come with 2 more years warranty than Apple offer. Perhaps Apple's extra warranty cover should be added to the calculation. Thats almost the price of a spare motherboard and hard disk for hackingtosh insurance.
It's this simple:
ReplyDelete- If you can buy a Apple Products, Good for you then.
- and if you can't, go for Hackintosh. :)
For the customac mini the Gigabyte GA-H77N-WIFI motherboard specified comes with a wif/bluetooth card according to the specs on newegg
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I would like to know...
ReplyDeleteHow good is the Hackintosh with running Final Cut Pro X and Motion 5?
Is there problems with editing video as that's what I will use it mostly for.
i love Apple but i despise their prices. $200 upgrade from 8 gig to 16 ram? you kidding me? the reason people get hackintoshs is simple, choice and flexibility in for the future, i think the imac is awesome starting at 1799, but what happens if i want to buy a new video card for a game? you are basically screwed. in 2 years time i want to upgrade my iMac, but why should i have to buy an entirely new iMac? with the hackintosh you have full control of your hard earned money!
ReplyDeleteIf you put Wireless HD camera Bluetooth and keybs + mouse ( a good one because Mac's are very good ) your iMac 27" will cost far more than this hackintosh.
ReplyDeleteAnd here is my hackintosh configuration:
MB: GA-EX58-UDP4
CPU: Intel Quad Xeon W3520
CPU cooler: Rosewill FORT 120
Memory: Kingston 1066 6x5GB = 24 GB
VGA: Gigabyte nVidia GTX 285 ( wroking CUDA)
1xSSD Corsair Force 3 120G , 1xSSD Corsair F-60 60GB , 3x500GB Seagate ( 2x500 in ZFS mirror), 1x1000GB ( For not important data) Seagate , 1x80GB Seagate ( for tests )
PSU: Corsair TX850W
Case: Cooler Master Elite 335
Monitor:27" Dell UltraSharp U2713HM
Now take that as a example