Macbook Pro 15 Retina Display Late 2013 Ssd Replacement Repair Guide

Featured

Featured Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

6

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 1 hour            

Sections

3

• Lower Case
• 2 steps
• Battery Connector
• 2 steps
• SSD
• 2 steps

Flags

1

Featured Guide

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

• BackMacBook Pro 15" Retina Display Late 2013

• Full Screen

• Options

• History

• Save to Favorites

• Download PDF

• Edit

• Translate

• Get Shareable Link

• Embed This Guide

• Notify Me of Changes

• Stop Notifications

Introduction

Before you perform this repair, if at all possible, back up your existing SSD. Then, either familiarize yourself with internet recovery or create a bootable external drive so you’ll be ready to install macOS onto your new drive and migrate your data to the new SSD.

Finally, we strongly recommend installing macOS 10.14 Mojave (or a later macOS) before replacing the original SSD from your MacBook Pro. Most new SSDs require updated storage drivers not found in versions of macOS prior to macOS 10.14 Mojave.

What you need

Step 1

              Lower Case               

• Remove the following P5 pentalobe screws securing the lower case to the MacBook Pro:
• Eight 3.0 mm
• Two 2.3 mm

Remove the following P5 pentalobe screws securing the lower case to the MacBook Pro:

Eight 3.0 mm

Two 2.3 mm

1024

Step 2

• Lifting from the edge nearest the clutch cover, lift the lower case off the MacBook Pro.
• Set the lower case aside.

Lifting from the edge nearest the clutch cover, lift the lower case off the MacBook Pro.

Set the lower case aside.

Step 3

              Battery Connector               

• Peel back the warning label covering the battery connector.

Peel back the warning label covering the battery connector.

Step 4

• Using the flat end of a spudger, gently pry the battery connector straight up out of its socket on the logic board.
• Bend the battery cables back and out of the way, ensuring that the battery connector doesn’t accidentally make contact with the logic board.

Using the flat end of a spudger, gently pry the battery connector straight up out of its socket on the logic board.

Bend the battery cables back and out of the way, ensuring that the battery connector doesn’t accidentally make contact with the logic board.

Step 5

              SSD               

• Remove the single 3.1 mm T5 Torx screw securing the SSD to the logic board.

Remove the single 3.1 mm T5 Torx screw securing the SSD to the logic board.

Step 6

• Slightly lift the rightmost side of the SSD and firmly slide it straight away out of its socket on the logic board.

Slightly lift the rightmost side of the SSD and firmly slide it straight away out of its socket on the logic board.

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

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      83 other people completed this guide.                                             

Author

                                      with 8 other contributors 

                    Andrew Optimus Goldheart                     

Member since: 10/17/2009

491,689 Reputation

                                      411 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       44







                                                        +41 more badges                           

Team

                       iFixit                        

                                                  Member of iFixit 



                    Community                     


                                            141 Members                     


                                            15,767 Guides authored                     

Levi - Feb 24, 2016

Reply

According to Everymac (http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/ma…) this would not be possible for late 2013 15" retina models, with PCIe based SSD. So, will these steps also apply to that model? Just want to be really sure!

Levi

Abbas Mustafa Bhaijibhai - Mar 12, 2016

I read the whole article, and from what you have written i hope you meant about this part.

“Specifically, the “Mid-2012” and “Early 2013” models use a 6 Gb/s SATA-based SSD whereas the “Late 2013” and “Mid-2014” models use a PCIe 2.0-based SSD. These SSD modules are neither interchangeable nor backwards compatible.”

If so it means you can not use an SSD meant for “Mid-2012” and “Early 2013” for a laptop of “Late 2013” and “Mid-2014” or vice-versa, they are still removable and replaceable but please do make sure that the replacement is intended for the model that you have.

Liz - Aug 1, 2016

Reply

I have 1 TB solid state drive and I need more space if you can believe it. Hate working with externals. Is there a 2TB SSD even available for the mac that I could replace on my late 2013 15" MBP retina?

Nicole - Jul 16, 2018

Samsung makes a 2tb and 4tb internal SSD. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078DPCY3T/ref…

Make sure you’re backing up your system to either an external drive or backblaze since you’re storing so many valuable files. Keeping it all in once place is an easy way to lose it should your drive fail or your computer need to be reset. I’ve lost all the info off my mac twice due to it needing to be reset at apple.

Simon Anthony - Mar 21, 2017

Reply

I wish I had read this BEFORE getting a hybrid 2TB replacement drive. I had no idea an SSD was so thin. There is simply no space for even a laptop Hybrid drive. I cleaned my computer a lot though, so all was not lost - and I have an external bootable backup.