Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

8

Time Required

                          20 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

3

  • Lower Case
  • 2 steps
  • Battery Connector
  • 2 steps
  • Heat Sink
  • 4 steps

Flags

0

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Introduction

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

              Heat Sink
  • Insert the flat end of a spudger underneath the rubber heat sink cover on the right fan.
  • Slide the spudger underneath the length of the cover, releasing the adhesive.
  • Lift the cover and rotate it off of the heat sink.

Insert the flat end of a spudger underneath the rubber heat sink cover on the right fan.

Slide the spudger underneath the length of the cover, releasing the adhesive.

Lift the cover and rotate it off of the heat sink.

Step 6

  • In the same manner described above, release the adhesive and flip back the heat sink cover on the left fan.

In the same manner described above, release the adhesive and flip back the heat sink cover on the left fan.

Step 7

  • Remove the following six screws securing the heat sink to the logic board:
  • One 5.5 mm silver raised head T5 Torx screw
  • Four 3.5 mm T5 Torx screws
  • If your model uses discrete graphics, you may have more screws to remove.
  • One 3.8 mm silver T5 Torx screw

Remove the following six screws securing the heat sink to the logic board:

One 5.5 mm silver raised head T5 Torx screw

Four 3.5 mm T5 Torx screws

If your model uses discrete graphics, you may have more screws to remove.

One 3.8 mm silver T5 Torx screw

Step 8

  • Grasping the heat sink from one side, lift the heat sink off of the MacBook Pro, pulling it free from the computer.
  • The thermal paste may make it difficult to remove the heat sink. Pull the heat sink off gently but forcefully to avoid damaging any components on the logic board.
  • When installing the new heat sink, do not forget to replace the thermal paste underneath the heat sink. See our Applying Thermal Paste guide for further instructions.

Grasping the heat sink from one side, lift the heat sink off of the MacBook Pro, pulling it free from the computer.

The thermal paste may make it difficult to remove the heat sink. Pull the heat sink off gently but forcefully to avoid damaging any components on the logic board.

When installing the new heat sink, do not forget to replace the thermal paste underneath the heat sink. See our Applying Thermal Paste guide for further instructions.

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

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                                      with 3 other contributors 


                    Walter Galan

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semioniy - Dec 11, 2016

Reply

Half of photos are with mac that has only integrated graphics, half with one that has discrete GPU. This frustrates.

Because of fact that this is about heatsink, it’s kinda important to point the difference out.

Eduardo Melean - Oct 9, 2018

He could at least just add a note on the heatsink screw photo.

tipoo - Dec 13, 2016

Reply

Are the denser fan blades in some of the pictures from a different model year? iirc my 2014 one had denser fan blades, but not that metallic inner fan part.

Matthew De Leon - Aug 8, 2018

Reply

do one with the discrete gpu and integrated graphics please

JoeyLovesTrains - Dec 28, 2018

For the discrete GPU, there are 4 screws surrounding a square copper plate, just unscrew those 4 and follow the steps above. It’s very similar to the integrated graphics board, but with 4 extra screws.