Considering now there is a workaround for AMD APU under macOS, will there be a workaround for Nvidia Optimus Laptop in the future?

We've seen a lot of workaround improvement especially in the GPU workaround lately in the Hackintosh community, starting from the supported Pascal GPU >High Sierra, and many other legacy GPU under OCLP. Now workaround for AMD APU by WhateverRed, something we might say "impossible" before unless either or both party (Intel,AMD,Nvidia and Apple) added support

We know that WhateverRed now support patching AMD iGPU, from what i saw is it patches AMD dGPU kext to be able to drive the iGPU(APU).

Some Optimus GPU are also supported on macOS natively (such as Kepler based GPU). But just because the Optimus configuration makes them won't work..Also most macBook Pro have dual graphics too on their laptop, it's just different with Nvidia's Optimus

What do u guys think? will there be any possibilities of Getting Optimus supported? By patching macOS' dual graphics configuration maybe?(i'm not a pro)

P.S. other currently unsupported GPU discussion such as RTX, Intel >10th are also allowed. But i doubt they will work☹️ because of the different architecture, who knows.


SOLUTIONS:

The macOS hackintosh community, including projects and tools like iATKOS, OpenCore Legacy Patcher (OCLP), WhateverGreen (referred as WhateverRed in the context), and others, has been incredible in its resilience and creativity. They've managed to get macOS running on hardware configurations Apple never intended.


Regarding Nvidia's Optimus technology: Optimus is a technology primarily designed for Windows laptops to save power by allowing the system to switch between an integrated Intel GPU and a more powerful Nvidia GPU. Apple's approach to dual-GPU setups in macOS is entirely different from Optimus. Here are some thoughts and challenges related to getting Optimus to work on macOS:


1. **Different Mechanisms**: Apple's dual GPU handling involves using both GPUs in tandem, with one designated as primary for system tasks and the other available for high-performance tasks. The OS doesn't "turn off" one GPU and "turn on" the other like Optimus does.


2. **Software Challenges**: macOS would need extensive patches to recognize and utilize Optimus. This could be a very complicated process, considering the deep integration and communication required between the GPUs and the OS.


3. **Hardware Communication**: How the two GPUs communicate at the hardware level may differ between Apple's design and typical Optimus configurations. Apple's dual-GPU systems have a shared memory design, which may not be the case for Optimus setups.


4. **Driver Support**: macOS has dropped support for Nvidia GPUs beyond the Kepler architecture. This makes driver-level modifications for newer Nvidia GPUs quite challenging. Tools like WhateverGreen modify existing drivers to work in unsupported configurations, but they still require a foundation to build upon.


5. **Future Uncertainties**: As of my last training data in September 2021, macOS has been focusing more on Apple Silicon and less on broad Intel or GPU support. The future of hackintoshing is uncertain, especially with the shift to Apple Silicon.


Regarding other GPUs like RTX and Intel >10th gen: 


- **RTX**: Without official Nvidia drivers for macOS, supporting RTX is a massive challenge. The architecture differences between RTX and previous GPUs (like the CUDA cores, ray tracing cores, tensor cores, etc.) mean that entirely new drivers would likely be needed.

  

- **Intel >10th gen**: While more feasible than RTX, this still depends on Apple adding or maintaining support for Intel GPUs, especially as they move to Apple Silicon.


In conclusion, while there are many talented individuals in the hackintosh community, there are significant challenges to overcome. If Optimus or newer GPU support becomes a reality, it will be a testament to the community's skill and persistence. However, as macOS continues its shift towards Apple Silicon, the challenges for hackintoshing are likely to grow.




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