Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

28

Time Required

                          45 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

6

  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Battery Connection
  • 2 steps
  • Fan
  • 3 steps
  • Logic Board
  • 12 steps
  • Left Speaker
  • 4 steps
  • Logic Board
  • 5 steps

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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

              Fan
  • Use the edge of a spudger to gently pry the fan connector up and out of its socket on the logic board.
  • It is useful to twist the spudger axially from beneath the fan cable wires to release the connector.
  • The fan socket and the fan connector can be seen in the second and third pictures. Be careful not to break the plastic fan socket off the logic board as you use your spudger to lift the fan connector straight up and out of its socket. The layout of the logic board shown in the second picture may look slightly different than your machine but the fan socket is the same.

Use the edge of a spudger to gently pry the fan connector up and out of its socket on the logic board.

It is useful to twist the spudger axially from beneath the fan cable wires to release the connector.

The fan socket and the fan connector can be seen in the second and third pictures. Be careful not to break the plastic fan socket off the logic board as you use your spudger to lift the fan connector straight up and out of its socket. The layout of the logic board shown in the second picture may look slightly different than your machine but the fan socket is the same.

Step 6

  • Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the logic board:
  • One 7.2 mm T6 Torx screw
  • Two 5.3 mm T6 Torx screws

Remove the following three screws securing the fan to the logic board:

One 7.2 mm T6 Torx screw

Two 5.3 mm T6 Torx screws

Step 7

  • Lift the fan out of its recess in the logic board, minding its cable that may get caught.

Lift the fan out of its recess in the logic board, minding its cable that may get caught.

Step 8

              Logic Board
  • Use the tip of a spudger to pull the right speaker/subwoofer cable out from under the retaining finger molded into the upper case.
  • Pull the right speaker/subwoofer cable upward to lift the connector out of its socket on the logic board.

Use the tip of a spudger to pull the right speaker/subwoofer cable out from under the retaining finger molded into the upper case.

Pull the right speaker/subwoofer cable upward to lift the connector out of its socket on the logic board.

Step 9

  • Disconnect the camera cable from the logic board.
  • Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board. Pulling the cable upward may damage the logic board or the cable itself.

Disconnect the camera cable from the logic board.

Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board. Pulling the cable upward may damage the logic board or the cable itself.

Step 10

  • Disconnect the following four cables:
  • AirPort/Bluetooth cable
  • Optical drive cable
  • Hard drive cable
  • Trackpad cable
  • To disconnect the cables, use the flat end of a spudger to pry their connectors up from the sockets on the logic board.

Disconnect the following four cables:

AirPort/Bluetooth cable

Optical drive cable

Hard drive cable

Trackpad cable

To disconnect the cables, use the flat end of a spudger to pry their connectors up from the sockets on the logic board.

Step 11

  • Use your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard ribbon cable ZIF socket.
  • Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself.
  • Use the tip of a spudger to pull the keyboard ribbon cable out of its socket.
  • The cable may be difficult to insert. If you are having trouble, temporarily attach a piece of tape to the cable to help you guide the cable into the socket.

Use your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard ribbon cable ZIF socket.

Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself.

Use the tip of a spudger to pull the keyboard ribbon cable out of its socket.

The cable may be difficult to insert. If you are having trouble, temporarily attach a piece of tape to the cable to help you guide the cable into the socket.

Step 12

  • If present, remove the small strip of black tape covering the keyboard backlight cable socket.

If present, remove the small strip of black tape covering the keyboard backlight cable socket.

Step 13

  • Use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard backlight ribbon cable ZIF socket.
  • Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself.
  • Pull the keyboard backlight ribbon cable out of its socket.

Use the tip of a spudger or your fingernail to flip up the retaining flap on the keyboard backlight ribbon cable ZIF socket.

Pull the keyboard backlight ribbon cable out of its socket.

Step 14

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the sleep sensor/battery indicator connector up from its socket on the logic board.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the sleep sensor/battery indicator connector up from its socket on the logic board.

Step 15

  • Grab the plastic pull tab secured to the display data cable lock and rotate it toward the DC-In side of the computer.
  • Pull the display data cable straight out of its socket on the logic board.
  • Do not lift up on the display data cable, as its socket is very fragile. Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board.

Grab the plastic pull tab secured to the display data cable lock and rotate it toward the DC-In side of the computer.

Pull the display data cable straight out of its socket on the logic board.

Do not lift up on the display data cable, as its socket is very fragile. Pull the cable parallel to the face of the logic board.

Step 16

  • Remove the following nine screws:
  • Five 3.6 mm T6 Torx screws
  • Two 4.3 mm T6 Torx screws
  • Two 7.2 mm T6 Torx screws
  • In some models the screws may be slightly shorter as follows:
  • Five 3.0 mm T6 screws
  • Two 3.6 mm T6 screws
  • Two 6.7 mm T6 screws

Remove the following nine screws:

Five 3.6 mm T6 Torx screws

Two 4.3 mm T6 Torx screws

Two 7.2 mm T6 Torx screws

In some models the screws may be slightly shorter as follows:

Five 3.0 mm T6 screws

Two 3.6 mm T6 screws

Two 6.7 mm T6 screws

Step 17

  • Remove the following two screws:
  • One 8.6 mm Phillips screw
  • One 5.5 mm Phillips screw
  • Remove the display data cable retainer from the upper case.

Remove the following two screws:

One 8.6 mm Phillips screw

One 5.5 mm Phillips screw

Remove the display data cable retainer from the upper case.

Step 18

  • Use the tip of a spudger to gently peel the microphone off the adhesive securing it to the upper case.

Use the tip of a spudger to gently peel the microphone off the adhesive securing it to the upper case.

Step 19

  • Minding the many connectors near its edges, lift the logic board from the end nearest the optical drive.
  • Without flexing the board, maneuver it out of the upper case, minding the flexible connection to the DC-In board that may get caught in the upper case.
  • Remove the logic board.

Minding the many connectors near its edges, lift the logic board from the end nearest the optical drive.

Without flexing the board, maneuver it out of the upper case, minding the flexible connection to the DC-In board that may get caught in the upper case.

Remove the logic board.

Step 20

              Left Speaker
  • De-route the microphone cable from its slot molded into the left speaker enclosure.

De-route the microphone cable from its slot molded into the left speaker enclosure.

Step 21

  • Remove the small piece of black tape covering the left speaker connector.

Remove the small piece of black tape covering the left speaker connector.

Step 22

  • Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the left speaker connector up from its socket on the logic board.
  • Pry up from beneath the wires.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the left speaker connector up from its socket on the logic board.

Pry up from beneath the wires.

Step 23

  • Carefully pry the left speaker off the foam adhesive securing it to the logic board.
  • Remove the left speaker.

Carefully pry the left speaker off the foam adhesive securing it to the logic board.

Remove the left speaker.

Step 24

              Logic Board
  • Remove the piece of black tape covering the microphone connector.

Remove the piece of black tape covering the microphone connector.

Step 25

  • Pull the microphone cable upward to lift its connector out of the socket on the logic board.
  • Remove the microphone.

Pull the microphone cable upward to lift its connector out of the socket on the logic board.

Remove the microphone.

Step 26

  • Pull the MagSafe DC-In board cable toward the heat sink to disconnect it from the logic board.
  • Remove the DC-In board.

Pull the MagSafe DC-In board cable toward the heat sink to disconnect it from the logic board.

Remove the DC-In board.

Step 27

  • Remove the three 8.4 mm #1 Phillips screws securing the heat sink to the logic board.
  • Don’t lose the springs held under each of the screws.
  • Carefully remove the heat sink from the processor.
  • If the heat sink seems to be stuck, it may be helpful to gently pry it off the processor with a plastic spudger. Be careful not to break any surface mount components on the processor while prying.
  • Be sure to clean off the old thermal paste and apply a new layer before you reinstall the heat sink. We have a guide that makes it easy.

Remove the three 8.4 mm #1 Phillips screws securing the heat sink to the logic board.

Don’t lose the springs held under each of the screws.

Carefully remove the heat sink from the processor.

If the heat sink seems to be stuck, it may be helpful to gently pry it off the processor with a plastic spudger. Be careful not to break any surface mount components on the processor while prying.

Be sure to clean off the old thermal paste and apply a new layer before you reinstall the heat sink. We have a guide that makes it easy.

Step 28

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

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 RAM stick out of its socket.

Repeat this process to remove the second RAM chip.

Logic board remains.

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

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                    Phillip Takahashi

Member since: 08/22/2011

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fasthans - Dec 8, 2014

Reply

Great Guide thank you Phillip for providing it here. I could not have brought my MacBook Pro back to life without it! I used it to swap logic boards from a case damaged, but working MC724 into a water damaged MD313 with a pristine case.

guillaume polizzi - Jun 20, 2016

Reply

Hello guys,

I have a question for you : if i need to change my macbook pro early 2011 logic board (the one with the core i5 2.3ghz) with a late 2011 logic board (core i5 2.8Ghz). will it work ? thanks a ton for any input on that matter !

Philip settimi - Sep 19, 2016

Reply

Should be fine Guillaume, things to note are: The serial number will give the old info of the old main board. Also the CPU cooler my be different, on 1 I noticed the cooler has 2 fans on the 2.3Mhz it has 1. Assuming you have both cases in front of you, I don’t see to much of an issue.

I would advise taking the memory out sooner then the last step, as while your trying to maneuver everything around it seems the sticks could get in one’s way or even worse break off the retaining tabs for the memory.

Philip settimi - Sep 20, 2016

Reply

i lol @ the spudger !

felil_boss101 - Mar 23, 2022

Reply

Hey guys, I changed my logic board but now I’m not getting any audio. The headphones nor the speakers seems to be working. Can anyone assist me or suggest what can be done to fix this?