Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

15

Time Required

Suggest a time??

Sections

2

  • Logic Board Assembly
  • 12 steps
  • PRAM Battery
  • 3 steps

Flags

1

Member-Contributed Guide

An awesome member of our community made this guide. It is not managed by iFixit staff.

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What you need

Step 1

              Logic Board Assembly
  • Remove the 2.6 mm T6 screw securing the SATA cable connector bracket.

Remove the 2.6 mm T6 screw securing the SATA cable connector bracket.

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Step 2

  • Remove the SATA cable connector bracket.

Remove the SATA cable connector bracket.

Step 3

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the SATA cable connector up off of its socket on the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to lift the SATA cable connector up off of its socket on the logic board.

Step 4

  • Use the tip of a spudger to disconnect the IR sensor cable connector by prying it straight up from its socket.

Use the tip of a spudger to disconnect the IR sensor cable connector by prying it straight up from its socket.

Step 5

  • The following three steps only apply to Mac minis equipped with a PCIe SSD. Skip the next three steps if your Mac mini only has a hard drive.
  • Remove the two 2.6 mm T6 screws securing the PCIe SSD cable bracket.

The following three steps only apply to Mac minis equipped with a PCIe SSD. Skip the next three steps if your Mac mini only has a hard drive.

Remove the two 2.6 mm T6 screws securing the PCIe SSD cable bracket.

Step 6

  • Remove the PCIe SSD cable bracket.

Remove the PCIe SSD cable bracket.

Step 7

  • Lift the PCIe SSD connector up off its socket.

Lift the PCIe SSD connector up off its socket.

Step 8

  • Remove the single 16 mm T6 screw securing the logic board.

Remove the single 16 mm T6 screw securing the logic board.

Step 9

  • To remove the logic board, the two cylindrical rods of the Mac mini Logic Board Removal Tool must be inserted into the holes highlighted in red. Inserting instruments into any logic board holes other than the ones highlighted in red may destroy the logic board.
  • Insert the Mac mini Logic Board Removal Tool into the two holes highlighted in red. Be sure the rods make contact with the case under the logic board before proceeding.

To remove the logic board, the two cylindrical rods of the Mac mini Logic Board Removal Tool must be inserted into the holes highlighted in red. Inserting instruments into any logic board holes other than the ones highlighted in red may destroy the logic board.

Insert the Mac mini Logic Board Removal Tool into the two holes highlighted in red. Be sure the rods make contact with the case under the logic board before proceeding.

Step 10

  • Carefully pull the tool toward the I/O board. The logic board and I/O board assembly should slightly slide out of the outer case.
  • Cease prying when the removal tool makes contact with the opening in the rear case.
  • Remove the Mac mini Logic Board Removal tool.

Carefully pull the tool toward the I/O board. The logic board and I/O board assembly should slightly slide out of the outer case.

Cease prying when the removal tool makes contact with the opening in the rear case.

Remove the Mac mini Logic Board Removal tool.

Step 11

  • Pull the DC-In cable connector straight out of its socket on the logic board.

Pull the DC-In cable connector straight out of its socket on the logic board.

Step 12

  • Carefully slide the logic board assembly out of the Mac mini, minding any cables that may get caught.

Carefully slide the logic board assembly out of the Mac mini, minding any cables that may get caught.

Step 13

              Peel tape
  • Now the logic board is removed, turn the board over.
  • Peel the tape

Now the logic board is removed, turn the board over.

Peel the tape

Step 14

              Remove old battery
  • Use a spudger or small screwdriver to push the battery to the side and it will flip out

Use a spudger or small screwdriver to push the battery to the side and it will flip out

Step 15

              Put the tape back
  • Insert the replacement battery
  • Put the tape back the best you can

Insert the replacement battery

Put the tape back the best you can

While you can use the CR2032 the BR2032 is recommended as it has a higher heat tollerance and the type fitted by Apple. The chemical make up is also different. To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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                    Tom

Member since: 05/04/2014

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Jordan - Apr 1, 2019

Reply

I can’t find a way to contact you anywhere on your site but your fix for installing windows on a mac worked for me. I had been trying to get it to work for 2 days. Deleted my OSX install and everything. Deleting the second EFI partition is what it was. Nowhere else said that but your blog. So man, thanks and keep it up.

Tom - Apr 25, 2019

Nick - Mar 9, 2021

Reply

Thanks! This guide helped a lot! To folks doing this replacement, the tape covering the battery comes up fairly easy if you first use your tweezers to gently lift the three tabs on the sides of the battery housing, then it should come off in one piece.