Lenovo ThinkPad E490 (20N8) Hackintosh (macOS Monterey + OpenCore 1.0.4)

Disclaimer
I am not responsible for any damage, data loss, or malfunction that may occur on your device.
If you do not fully understand the process, please do not proceed.
Use at your own risk.

Important: On this specific Lenovo E490 model (maybe other ThinkPad models too), performing an NVRAM reset may cause the system to fail to boot permanently, potentially requiring motherboard repair or replacement.
Avoid NVRAM reset unless you fully understand the consequences.

💻 Lenovo ThinkPad E490 (20N8) Hackintosh (macOS Monterey + OpenCore 1.0.4)

macOS Version: Monterey (12.x)
OpenCore Version: 1.0.4
Model: Lenovo ThinkPad E490 (Type: 20N8)
Status: Fully working daily-driver configuration

Show project on GitHub

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📦 Device Specifications

Component	Details
Model	Lenovo ThinkPad E490 (Type: 20N8)
CPU	Intel Core i7-8565U (Whiskey Lake, 4C/8T, 1.8GHz Base / 4.6GHz Turbo)
iGPU	Intel UHD Graphics 620 (1536MB VRAM)
dGPU	AMD Radeon RX 550X
RAM	16GB DDR4 2400MHz
Storage	512GB NVMe SSD + 1TB SATA HDD
Display	14” FHD (1920x1080) IPS
Wi-Fi / BT	Intel Wireless-AC 9260
Audio	Realtek ALC257
Touchpad	Synaptics TrackPad + TrackPoint
Camera	Integrated 720p Camera
Keyboard	Backlit ThinkPad Keyboard

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🛠️ Kexts Used

Kext Name	Version	Purpose
AirportItlwm	2.3.0 (For Monterey)	Intel Wi-Fi
AppleALC	1.9.5	Audio support
BlueToolFixup	2.7.1	Bluetooth fix for Monterey+
BrightnessKeys	1.0.3	Brightness control keys
CPUFriend	1.3.0	CPU power management
CPUFriendDataProvider (BalancedQuiet)	1.0	Custom CPU power profile (Balanced + Quiet)
ECEnabler	1.0.6	Embedded controller fix
IntelBluetoothFirmware	2.4.0	Intel Bluetooth
IntelBTPatcher	2.4.0	Bluetooth patching
Lilu	1.7.1	Core patching framework
NoTouchID	1.0.3	Disable Touch ID check
NVMeFix	1.1.3	NVMe SSD optimizations
SMCBatteryManager	1.3.7	Battery status
SMCProcessor	1.3.7	CPU sensors
SMCSuperIO	1.3.7	Fan & temperature sensors
VirtualSMC	1.3.7	SMC emulator
VoodooPS2Controller	2.3.7	Keyboard, TrackPad, TrackPoint
VoodooInput	1.1.6	Input support
VoodooPS2Keyboard	2.3.7	PS/2 keyboard
VoodooPS2Mouse	2.3.7	PS/2 mouse
VoodooPS2Trackpad	2.3.7	PS/2 trackpad
WhateverGreen	1.7.0	GPU support / patching
RealtekRTL8111	2.5.0	Ethernet driver
UTBMap	1.1	Custom USB port map
USBToolBox	1.1.1	USB mapping utility

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✅ What Works

• Intel UHD 620 Graphics (full acceleration)
• Audio (internal speakers, microphone, headphone jack)
• Brightness control (Fn keys)
• Wi-Fi (AirportItlwm)
• Bluetooth (IntelBluetoothFirmware + BlueToolFixup)
• Keyboard (including Fn keys)
• TrackPad & TrackPoint
• Sleep/Wake
• Battery status
• USB ports (mapped)
• Ethernet (RealtekRTL8111)
• Integrated Camera
• CPU power management (with CPUFriend profiles)

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⚠️ Known Issues

• None — everything works as expected
  (Balanced+Quiet CPUFriend profile slightly reduces performance for quieter operation.)
• AMD Radeon RX 550X disabled for compatibility reasons.
• Windows shutdown/restart issue — If Windows fails to fully shutdown or restart when dual-booting, disable Fast Startup in Windows:
  1. Open Control Panel → Hardware and Sound → Power Options
  2. Click Choose what the power buttons do
  3. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable
  4. Under Shutdown settings, uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended)
  5. Click Save changes and reboot

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📄 SSDTs

All SSDTs were custom-extracted and compiled for this device:

• SSDT-EC.aml – Adds Embedded Controller
• SSDT-RTCAWAC.aml – Fix system clock/timers (RTC/AWAC patch)
• SSDT-USBX.aml – USB power properties
• SSDT-PLUG.aml – CPU power management
• SSDT-PNLF.aml – Backlight control

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⚙️ CPUFriendDataProvider Profiles

Two variants are included in /OC/Kexts:

1. CPUFriendDataProvider.kext.stock – Stock macOS power management
2. CPUFriendDataProvider.kext.balanced – Slightly reduced turbo boost for quieter fan and lower temps

Switching:

• In /OC/Kexts, rename the desired profile by removing .stock or .balanced from the end, so it becomes CPUFriendDataProvider.kext
• Delete the other unused profile

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🚀 Installation Instructions

1. Clone this repo OR download latest release from releases
2. Copy EFI to your USB’s EFI partition
3. Use GenSMBIOS:

   1 (Select config.plist)
   3 (Type: MacBookPro15,4)
   

4. Replace SMBIOS info in config.plist with generated values
5. Boot from USB and test before installing to internal disk

📝 Notes

Tested with macOS Monterey 12.x

Built with OpenCore 1.0.4

All SSDTs extracted & patched manually

Wi-Fi & Bluetooth use Intel kexts — already included

Balanced+Quiet profile recommended for daily use