How to check your Mac
Open System Information, copy the Model Identifier, then compare it with the supported families below.
Also note RAM, GPU family, T2 status, and the macOS version you want. Sequoia, Sonoma, Ventura, Monterey, and Tahoe do not share the same risk on every model.
- Model Identifier matters more than marketing year alone.
- Unsupported does not always mean impossible, but it raises breakage risk.
- Apple Silicon and PowerPC Macs sit outside this workflow.
Supported Mac families
Open System Information, note the Model Identifier, and compare it with these Intel Mac families before you continue.
- MacBook, including many 2008 through 2017 Intel models
- MacBook Air, with model-specific notes from 2008 through native-supported Apple models
- MacBook Pro, including many pre-Retina, Retina, Touch Bar, and newer Intel generations
- Mac mini, including 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018, and Apple-supported Intel entries
- iMac and iMac Pro entries with model-specific GPU and T1/T2 notes
- Mac Pro and Xserve entries, including important GPU, USB, and Windows caveats
macOS target range
The project FAQ describes OpenCore Legacy Patcher as targeting macOS Big Sur 11.x through macOS Sequoia 15.x. Other versions may boot in a broken state, and support outside that range is limited.
Big Sur and Monterey
Older non-Metal and wireless hardware may need root patching. Some Monterey systems can keep full SIP depending on model and patches.
Ventura and Sonoma
Ventura and newer removed USB 1.1 support on certain older Macs and tightened graphics and CPU compatibility constraints.
Sequoia
Sequoia support exists in OCLP 2.0.0 and newer, but T2 MacBookAir8,x models remain unsupported.
Tahoe
Read the Tahoe page and current release notes before you attempt macOS Tahoe.
Hardware caveats to know
- Models with 2GB RAM cannot install Sonoma or Sequoia normally, and Sequoia may be unable to boot.
- Non-Metal GPUs are generally found in Macs older than 2012, with exceptions for upgraded GPUs.
- iPhone Mirroring requires a T2 chip and will not work on OCLP patched systems.
- Apple Intelligence requires a Neural Engine found only in Apple Silicon chips.
- Some applications may crash with illegal instruction errors on CPUs that lack AVX or AVX2 instructions.
Marketing names like MacBook Pro or iMac are not enough. Always check the exact identifier, such as MacBookPro11,3 or iMac14,2.