Crashes/ Performance macOS

[dark]

Hello,

I’m encountering several issues with my Hackintosh setup that prevent me from using it daily:

1. Very slow performance overall, including app startups and constant freezing/loading. (Switching to Shaneee patches has improved performance slightly.)
2. Crashes when opening PDFs or images, possibly related to the Preview app

I’ve attached my OpenCore configuration files (config.plist and kexts) for your reference.

Thank you for your help!

 

[Edhawk]

Which version of macOS are you running?

 

[dark]

Latest, macOS Sequoia 15.1.1

 

[Edhawk]

Where is the rest of your EFI folder?

 

[dark]

Here it is. I thought the .plist file and /Kexts folder would be enough.

 

[Edhawk]

No, they don't tell the whole story for an OC setup. There are too many other aspects that need to be correct for macOS to run on an AMD system.

I will have a look at your EFI and get back to you tomorrow.

 

[Edhawk]

I've had a quick look and would make the following comments:

EFI folder contents.

Your ACPI folder contents is a mess. I would recommend you delete all the SSDT's and your system DSDT from this folder, keeping just the SSDT-EC-USBX-DESKTOP.aml table. As the rest will probably cause you more issues than they are worth.

I would recommend deleting the following kexts:

1. AMDRyzenCPUPowerManagement.kext
2. FeatureUnlock.kext
3. SMCAMDProcessor.kext

None of the three are needed for macOS to run.
Kexts 1 & 3 are know to cause issues.
Kext 2 isn't supported in Sequoia.

You should have ResetNvramEntry.efi in your Drivers folder.
Alternatively you should have ResetSystem.efi alongside ClearNvram.efi in your Tools folder.

The ResetNvramEntry.efi driver will clear NVRAM and reboot the system.
If you use ClearNvram.efi and don't use ResetSystem.efi afterwards, the likelihood is that the NVRAM won't be cleared for the next boot.

I will have a look at your config.plist tomorrow.

 

[AMDPUSH]

I would recommend deleting the following kexts:

1. AMDRyzenCPUPowerManagement.kext
2. FeatureUnlock.kext
3. SMCAMDProcessor.kext

Hi, since wich version of macOs or OC these kexts would be removed ?

 

[Edhawk]

FeatureUnlock.kext initially had issues in Sequoia, this may have changed since it was updated 8 October 2024. But using an older version of the kext is likely to cause unnecessary issues in the latest macOS release.

I have had issues with the two AMD Sensor kexts since Monterey & Ventura, so I don't recommend or use them on any of my AMD hacks (5 x AMD Hacks).
They are not essential kexts for an AMD hack.
Removing them from your OC setup can only eliminate any issues they may cause.
This may be because I use NootedRed and NootRX kexts in 3 of my 5 x AMD Hacks and the AMD sensor kexts are known to clash with these graphics kexts.

 

[dark]

I've had a quick look and would make the following comments:

View attachment 15693 EFI folder contents.

Your ACPI folder contents is a mess. I would recommend you delete all the SSDT's and your system DSDT from this folder, keeping just the SSDT-EC-USBX-DESKTOP.aml table. As the rest will probably cause you more issues than they are worth.

I would recommend deleting the following kexts:

1. AMDRyzenCPUPowerManagement.kext
2. FeatureUnlock.kext
3. SMCAMDProcessor.kext

None of the three are needed for macOS to run.
Kexts 1 & 3 are know to cause issues.
Kext 2 isn't supported in Sequoia.

You should have ResetNvramEntry.efi in your Drivers folder.
Alternatively you should have ResetSystem.efi alongside ClearNvram.efi in your Tools folder.

The ResetNvramEntry.efi driver will clear NVRAM and reboot the system.
If you use ClearNvram.efi and don't use ResetSystem.efi afterwards, the likelihood is that the NVRAM won't be cleared for the next boot.

I will have a look at your config.plist tomorrow.

Thank you for your response!

I followed your advice and deleted all the SSDTs, keeping only the SSDT-EC-USBX-DESKTOP.aml.
Additionally, I disabled the suggested kexts. I had been using FeatureUnlock.kext specifically to enable Sidecar on macOS.
So far, the crashes related to Preview App seems to be resolved. However, the app startups and constant loading remains the same, and I’ve noticed that the sleep functionality has stopped working.

 

[Edhawk]

OK, I have gone through your config.plist, removed the SSDTs, DSDT and kexts mentioned above.

1. I have added the latest release of FeatureUnlock.kext (v1.1.7) back to your OC Kexts folder, hopefully this will work with Sequoia.
2. I have added the missing Drivers and Tools, as recommended above.
3. I have removed the RestrictEvents.kext boot argument and replaced it with 3 x NVRAM entries in the Add and Delete sections.
4. I have removed the 2 x Shikigva boot arguments, as they are now obsolete and you shouldn't need them with your AMD setup.
5. I have cleaned up the config.plist, removing any unnecessary entries, so it is easier to read and know what is going on with your setup.

I have created this revised OC EFI from the 1.0.2 release, not a nightly Build release.

Testing Revised EFI:
Assuming you want to try this revised EFI, simply add your Serial Number, MLB, ROM and SystemUUID data to the revised config.plist.
Don't make any other changes to the setup.

• Rename the 'EFI-revised' folder as 'EFI'.
• Copy the revised EFI folder to the EFI partition on a spare USB pen drive and boot from the pen drive to test the EFI.
• Don't replace your current EFI until you are sure the revised EFI works and boots without any issues.

You will need to use the ResetNvramEntry.efi option before you boot with this revised OC setup.

• Simply boot from the USB pen drive, press the Spacebar when you arrive on the OC boot screen (GUI),
  • This will unhide the tools and drivers contained in your OC setup.
• Select the ResetNvramEntry.efi and the system should automatically reboot.
• Select your USB pen drive from the system Boot Menu again, and
  • This time boot in to macOS using the revised EFI.

Let me know how you get on and if this helps fix the App issues.

Should the EFI kernel panic, take a photo of the Verbose text and post a copy here.

 

[dark]

Thank you again, and apologies for the delayed response! I've been using the system with this OpenCore configuration for about a week now.

I had to change ResizeAppleGpuBars from -1 to 0 to get it to boot properly. The crashing issue with the Preview app is resolved, but the performance could still use some improvement. I’m considering upgrading the SSD where macOS is installed and the RAM, as those might be affecting the overall performance.

 

[Edhawk]

The memory not so, as 16Gb should be sufficient for most general usage. If you are undertaking memory intensive work then by all means double the RAM. But I would check how much RAM is being used by the system, before going to the expense of buying any more for your system. Use Activity Monitor in macOS to see how much RAM is being used. Example below from my X570 system that contains 64GB RAM, but currently only 15GB is being used, as I am just browsing, editing OC EFIs etc.

macOS > Utilities > Activity Monitor - Memory Tab.

The M.2 NVMe is definitely a limiting factor, as the 120Gb drive probably has a low end controller, that limits throughput. your will normally find that the larger capacity drives have the better controllers, i.e. 1TB and above.

Before you go buying the latest and greatest M.2 drive, check that your B350 motherboard can support it. As the PCIe 3.0 NVMe connectors on your motherboard may be limited due to the older chipset it uses, compared say to a B550 or B650 motherboard.

Storage configuration for your MSI B350 board.