Featured

Featured Guide

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

6

Time Required

                          5 - 25 minutes

Sections

3

  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Battery Connection
  • 2 steps
  • RAM
  • 2 steps

Flags

1

This guide has been found to be exceptionally cool by the iFixit staff.

  • BackMacBook Pro 13" Unibody Early 2011

  • Full Screen

  • Options

  • History

  • Save to Favorites

  • Download PDF

  • Edit

  • Translate

  • Get Shareable Link

  • Embed This Guide

  • Notify Me of Changes

  • Stop Notifications

Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Lower Case
  • Remove the following ten screws:
  • Three 14.4 mm Phillips #00 screws
  • Three 3.5 mm Phillips #00 screws
  • Four 3.5 mm shouldered Phillips #00 screws
  • When replacing the small screws, align them perpendicular to the slight curvature of the case (they don’t go straight down).

Remove the following ten screws:

Three 14.4 mm Phillips #00 screws

Three 3.5 mm Phillips #00 screws

Four 3.5 mm shouldered Phillips #00 screws

When replacing the small screws, align them perpendicular to the slight curvature of the case (they don’t go straight down).

1024

Step 2

  • Use your fingers to pry the lower case away from the body of the MacBook near the vent.
  • Remove the lower case.

Use your fingers to pry the lower case away from the body of the MacBook near the vent.

Remove the lower case.

Step 3

              Battery Connection
  • Use the edge of a spudger to pry the battery connector upwards from its socket on the logic board.
  • It is useful to pry upward on both short sides of the connector to “walk” it out of its socket. Be careful with the corners of the connectors, they can be easily broken off.

Use the edge of a spudger to pry the battery connector upwards from its socket on the logic board.

It is useful to pry upward on both short sides of the connector to “walk” it out of its socket. Be careful with the corners of the connectors, they can be easily broken off.

Step 4

  • Bend the battery cable slightly away from its socket on the logic board so it does not accidentally connect itself while you work.

Bend the battery cable slightly away from its socket on the logic board so it does not accidentally connect itself while you work.

Step 5

              RAM
  • Pull the two RAM retaining arms away from the center of the RAM chip.
  • The RAM chip should “pop” up slightly from its socket.

Pull the two RAM retaining arms away from the center of the RAM chip.

The RAM chip should “pop” up slightly from its socket.

Step 6

  • Pull the RAM stick out of its socket.
  • Repeat this process to remove the second RAM chip.

Pull the RAM stick out of its socket.

Repeat this process to remove the second RAM chip.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      344 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 8 other contributors 


                    Andrew Bookholt

575,478 Reputation

                                      618 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       47







                                                        +44 more badges

Jason Moon - Aug 9, 2012

Reply

What kind of ram should I buy? DDR2 or DDR3?

oakdragon12 - Oct 13, 2012

It takes only DDR-3 RAM.

C Eyzag - Mar 17, 2014

Reply

Is a 8gb early 2011 macbook pro maxed out, or can I upgrade to 16?

I’m asking because I read in http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs…. that it can actually take 16gb. Thanks!

Drew Dittmann - Feb 10, 2017

Yup! I upgraded to a 16 GB DDR3 Corsair mac memory kit from Newegg and it works like a charm. I got this kit: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a…

screenshots below:

http://i.imgur.com/IqEbFES.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/a2azyuV.jpg

Steve K - Sep 11, 2016

Reply

Question - my MBP currently has 4GB RAM. Is there a 2nd RAM slot that will allow me to increase my RAM by adding 4GB or 8GB. Or do I need to replace the current 4GB with a new 8GB module?