When macOS 27 drops next month, Apple will officially say goodbye to its Intel-based Macs. The only Macs that will be able to update to macOS Golden Gate next month will be the ones with an Apple-made chip (including the A18 Pro on the MacBook Neo). Yet while Apple hasn't sold an Intel Mac in quite some time, there are still plenty of them in existence. You might even still use an Intel Mac as your daily driver.While I can't say enough good things about Apple silicon, I also strongly believe in using your tech as long as it keeps working for you. As such, if you're rocking one of Apple's older Macs, whether that's a MacBook, a Mac mini, or an iMac, you should check out these hacks and tips to get the most out of your machine—and, hopefully, put off having to upgrade it for quite some time. Use OpenCore Legacy Patcher to update to the latest possible OSYour Intel Mac may support Apple's latest software version as of this writing, which is macOS 26. But if you've had it a while, it likely doesn't—in fact, it may not natively support the last two or three macOS versions prior to that. That's where OpenCore Legacy Patcher comes in. This project bypasses Apple's restrictions to install macOS versions on devices the company no longer officially supports. The idea isn't to force an aging Mac to struggle to run a newer version of macOS, either: Many machines are perfectly capable of running macOS versions that Apple doesn't officially support, so users may be pleasantly surprised by their performance. Unfortunately, OpenCore Legacy Patcher is itself becoming a legacy product. Now that Apple has dropped Intel, it might not be possible for a system like OpenCore to hack macOS 27 onto your Mac. At this time, macOS Sequoia is the latest version OpenCore supports, so you can't upgrade to macOS 26 Tahoe or macOS 27 Golden Gate. Still, you can use the platform to get your Mac running something a bit more recent, which may increase both third-party software support as well as your security. Your experience will depend on your specific Mac model, so follow OpenCore's instructions to get started.The good news is, even if you can't run the latest version of macOS on your machine, you may still be able to run the latest versions of the apps that really matter: Apple is still updating the Safari app for older versions of macOS, as are many third-party app developers. What's more, Apple still releases security patches for some older macOS versions, so even if your Intel Mac doesn't have all the latest features, it may still be protected against the latest vulnerabilities. Clean your fans to improve thermal performanceIf your Intel Mac has fans, and if you've never cleaned them, fix that. Your Mac's fans are designed to keep its internal components cool by pushing hot air away from your machine. The longer it can keep components from heating up too much, the longer you can push your Mac without running into performance throttling—or, in other words, the longer your Mac can run at peak performance. Over time, dust works its way inside your fans, reducing their ability to move air properly. After years, your fans might not be able to move hot air efficiently. Luckily, this isn't hard to fix. To clean your Mac's fans, you'll need to open up your machine to access them. How you do this will depend on your specific Mac model. (iMacs can be particularly difficult to open, as you need to remove the display entirely.) To find instructions for your model, look up your specific device on iFixit, as the site will likely have both walkthroughs as well as the tools you'll need to perform the operation. Use Macs Fan Control to push your fans to their limitsOnce they're clean, make sure your fans are cooling your Mac to its fullest. While macOS sets fan speeds on its own based on how you use your Mac, you can install a program like Macs Fan Control to unlock direct control of your Mac's fans. You can push them to their limits if you want maximum cooling, or simply monitor your Mac's overall temperatures. I used to use this program all the time to maintain high performance on my Intel MacBook: Without it, I noticed my Mac slowing down during more intense sessions. With it, I was able to push it much harder. Upgrade the RAM and SSD to give your Mac a new lease on lifeIf your Mac is very old, you might actually be able to "hack" it to make it work better. For the past 14 years or so, Apple has had an obsession with gluing and soldering all its components together, making it impossible to upgrade any of them individually. But older machines used to come with modular parts that users could upgrade themselves. Notably, that included the RAM and the hard drive. If you install extra memory, your Mac may be able to run more programs and processes at once without slowing things down; if your Mac has a physical hard drive, adding an SSD will massively boost startup and loading times. Of course, prices for those components may have increased beyond financial viability thanks to the global memory crisis.Still, if your MacBook or iMac falls into this category, you should definitely look into upgrading it. The newest MacBook that supports upgradable RAM is from 2012, but the latest iMac is only from 2020. You'll find Apple's official instructions at both of those links. The company doesn't appear to have support guides for replacing Mac hard drives these days, but Google your Mac model, and, if one exists, you should find replacement guides from sources like iFixit.Replace your battery to extend the lifespan of your MacBookIf you're rocking an Intel-based MacBook and you've never replaced its battery, it's likely time for an update. Lithium-ion batteries don't last forever, and as they degrade, their overall capacity diminishes. Let's say your battery currently has a maximum capacity of 75%. That means once you charge it up to 100%, it's like you only charged it to 75% relative to when it was new. By replacing your battery, you're giving your MacBook its life back—at least, its battery life. Now, how easy your battery replacement is will depend on your MacBook's model. Again, very old MacBooks are much easier to work on, so your biggest challenge may just be finding a replacement battery. If your old MacBook is on the newer side, you might find a battery more easily, but replacing it may be more difficult. As such, it might make sense to take it to a repair shop—assuming the cost of repair isn't comparable to the cost of a new MacBook. For this hack, search the web for your specific MacBook model and battery replacement—a site like iFixit almost assuredly has a guide, including parts you can purchase. Use TurboBoostSwitcher to save on battery lifeInstalling a new battery isn't the only way to keep your old Mac up and running for longer. Even if your Mac doesn't support an official Low Power Mode, you can download TurboBoostSwitcher to save on power. Here's how it works: Intel chips have what's called "Turbo Boost," which kicks in when the system thinks you need more power than usual. That's great for performance, but bad for your battery life—especially if you prioritize your battery over power. In addition, too much Turbo Boost can cause your Mac to run hot, which may cause the system to throttle performance to cool things down—defeating Turbo Boost's purpose entirely. TurboBoostSwitcher gives you a manual switch to disable Turbo Boost when you want to save on power. When you do, the chip never pushes itself in times of stress—so while you may notice things running a bit more slowly, you should also notice your battery lasting a bit longer. This was my go-to back when my Intel MacBook was my main machine, and I'm happy to see it's still available.Install Windows via Boot Camp for dual OS accessIf you need access to Windows for work or personal use but only have an Intel Mac lying around, you don't need to go out and buy a new PC. Because your Mac has an Intel chip, you can actually install and run Windows natively on your machine, through an official Mac process called Boot Camp. With Boot Camp, you "partition" a selection of your Mac's hard drive for Windows: Perhaps you give it 100GB, enough to install the OS as well as store files on the system itself. Whatever you choose, when you boot up your Mac, you'll be able to select either macOS or Windows, and boot into it. While Apple hasn't sold an Intel Mac for years, it still has an official Boot Camp guide you can follow to get started. Use BetterTouchTool to customize your Touch BarI'll always have a soft spot for the Touch Bar. While I admit the company could have made some better choices with it—including adding a row of physical function keys below it—I always like the Touch Bar, and I enjoyed using it to adjust controls. The few apps that actually took advantage of the Touch Bar's functionality were useful too, but for the most part, the feature felt underbaked or even counterintuitive. Still, if your MacBook has a Touch Bar, there are ways to "hack" it to your advantage. There are system settings to adjust, but you can go further than Apple's own settings (which the company has long moved on from). Using an app called BetterTouchTool, you can customize how your Touch Bar looks and works, and add functions like widgets and gestures. The app lets you customize a host of things on your Mac beyond the Touch Bar, but I was originally introduced to it for the purposes of Touch Bar hacking. If your Mac has a Touch Bar, give it a shot. Use your Mac as an external driveStorage is a precious commodity. Hard drives are more expensive than ever, so taking advantage of any available storage should be a priority. As such, if you don't need to use your old Mac for much these days, treat it like an external drive. Depending on your Mac model, you may have as much storage as you'd buy with a dedicated drive. My old Touch Bar MacBook, for example, has a 512GB drive, so I use it as a backup for some of my important files—especially videos. Sure, you could recycle your old Mac to save on clutter, but if you need an external drive anyway, you may already have one in your machine. Use Plex to turn your old Mac into a media serverIf you don't intend to use your Mac as intended any longer, don't give it away. Instead, you can use it passively to power a home media server. These servers effectively let you customize your own Netflix: You add the digital media you own (movies, shows, music, photos, etc.), then set up the server on your Mac. Done properly, you'll be able to access your content from any device, from anywhere you have an internet connection. You can watch shows on your TV streamed from your Mac, or listen to music while on a trip, remotely connecting back to your machine at home. To get started, you can use a service like Plex. However, Plex is just one of many such platforms; others include Emby, Jellyfin, and Kodi.