Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

9

Time Required

                          20 minutes

Sections

3

  • Disable Auto Boot
  • 1 step
  • Lower Case
  • 7 steps
  • Cooling optimization
  • 1 step

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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Introduction

“For your safety, discharge your MacBook Pro’s battery below 25%” before you begin. A charged lithium-ion battery, if accidentally damaged, can start a dangerous and uncontrollable fire.

After the repair, my MacBook Pro’s (2.2GHz 6-core i7 & Radeon Pro 555X 4GB) performance under full load improved from a falling 3.1GHz-2.6GHz at 100°C to a continuous 3.2GHz at 95°C.

What you need

Step 1

              Disable Auto Boot
  • Before starting this procedure, you must disable your Mac’s Auto Boot feature. Auto Boot powers on your Mac when you open the lid, and may be accidentally triggered during disassembly. Use this guide or follow the abbreviated instructions below to disable Auto Boot. This command may not work on all Macs.
  • Power on your Mac and launch Terminal.
  • Copy and paste the following command (or type it exactly) into Terminal:
  • sudo nvram AutoBoot=%00
  • Press [return]. If prompted, enter your administrator password and press [return] again. Note: Your return key may also be labeled ⏎ or “enter.”
  • You can now safely power down your Mac and open the bottom case, without it accidentally powering on.
  • When your repair is complete and your Mac is successfully reassembled, re-enable Auto Boot with the following command:
  • sudo nvram AutoBoot=%03

Before starting this procedure, you must disable your Mac’s Auto Boot feature. Auto Boot powers on your Mac when you open the lid, and may be accidentally triggered during disassembly. Use this guide or follow the abbreviated instructions below to disable Auto Boot. This command may not work on all Macs.

Power on your Mac and launch Terminal.

Copy and paste the following command (or type it exactly) into Terminal:

sudo nvram AutoBoot=%00

Press [return]. If prompted, enter your administrator password and press [return] again. Note: Your return key may also be labeled ⏎ or “enter.”

You can now safely power down your Mac and open the bottom case, without it accidentally powering on.

When your repair is complete and your Mac is successfully reassembled, re-enable Auto Boot with the following command:

sudo nvram AutoBoot=%03

1024

Step 2

              Lower Case
  • Completely power off and unplug your MacBook Pro before you start. Close the display and flip the entire laptop upside-down.
  • Use a P5 Pentalobe driver to remove six screws securing the lower case, of the following lengths:
  • Four 4.7 mm screws
  • Two 6.6 mm screws
  • Note how the screws come out at a slight angle—you must reinstall them the same way.
  • Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your device.

Completely power off and unplug your MacBook Pro before you start. Close the display and flip the entire laptop upside-down.

Use a P5 Pentalobe driver to remove six screws securing the lower case, of the following lengths:

Four 4.7 mm screws

Two 6.6 mm screws

Note how the screws come out at a slight angle—you must reinstall them the same way.

Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your device.

Step 3

  • Press a suction handle into place near the front edge of the lower case, between the screw holes.
  • Pull up on the suction handle just enough to open a small gap under the lower case.

Press a suction handle into place near the front edge of the lower case, between the screw holes.

Pull up on the suction handle just enough to open a small gap under the lower case.

Step 4

  • Slide the corner of an opening pick into the gap you just created underneath the lower case.
  • Slide the opening pick around the nearest corner and then halfway up the side of the MacBook Pro.
  • This releases the first of the hidden clips securing the lower case. You should feel and hear the clip pop free.

Slide the corner of an opening pick into the gap you just created underneath the lower case.

Slide the opening pick around the nearest corner and then halfway up the side of the MacBook Pro.

This releases the first of the hidden clips securing the lower case. You should feel and hear the clip pop free.

Step 5

  • Repeat the previous step on the other side, using an opening pick to to release the second clip.

Repeat the previous step on the other side, using an opening pick to to release the second clip.

Step 6

  • Lift the front edge of the lower case (the side opposite the display hinge) enough to slide your fingertips underneath and get a good grip on it.
  • Two additional hidden clips near the middle of the cover should pop free at this point, if they haven’t already.
  • Don’t lift more than an inch or so, and don’t try to remove the lower case yet.

Lift the front edge of the lower case (the side opposite the display hinge) enough to slide your fingertips underneath and get a good grip on it.

Two additional hidden clips near the middle of the cover should pop free at this point, if they haven’t already.

Don’t lift more than an inch or so, and don’t try to remove the lower case yet.

Step 7

  • Pull firmly to slide the lower case towards the front edge of the MacBook (away from the hinge area) to separate the last of the clips securing the lower case.
  • Pull first at one corner, then the other.
  • Pull to the side—not up.
  • This may require a lot of force.

Pull firmly to slide the lower case towards the front edge of the MacBook (away from the hinge area) to separate the last of the clips securing the lower case.

Pull first at one corner, then the other.

Pull to the side—not up.

This may require a lot of force.

Step 8

  • Remove the lower case.
  • To reinstall the lower case:
  • Set it in place and align the sliding clips near the display hinge. Press down and slide the cover toward the hinge. It should stop sliding as the clips engage.
  • When the sliding clips are fully engaged and the lower case looks correctly aligned, press down firmly on the lower case to engage the four hidden clips underneath. You should feel and hear them snap into place.

Remove the lower case.

To reinstall the lower case:

Set it in place and align the sliding clips near the display hinge. Press down and slide the cover toward the hinge. It should stop sliding as the clips engage.

When the sliding clips are fully engaged and the lower case looks correctly aligned, press down firmly on the lower case to engage the four hidden clips underneath. You should feel and hear them snap into place.

Step 9

              Cooling optimization
  • Cut the thermal pad to fit the CPU and GPU.
  • Dimensions: 50 mm x 50m x 0.8 - 1 mm
  • Remove the first protective film from the pad and carefully place it on the two visible areas (CPU and GPU) and press it down lightly.
  • After the pad is pressed down and fits snugly, remove the second side of the protective film.

Cut the thermal pad to fit the CPU and GPU.

Dimensions: 50 mm x 50m x 0.8 - 1 mm

Remove the first protective film from the pad and carefully place it on the two visible areas (CPU and GPU) and press it down lightly.

After the pad is pressed down and fits snugly, remove the second side of the protective film.

Work through the steps in reverse order to reassemble your device.

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                                                                                      14 other people completed this guide.                                             


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                    Pascal Keinath

Member since: 10/22/2020

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macisgr8 - Feb 13, 2022

Reply

Thanks for the instruction on how to make this MBP run cooler

Paul Jackson - Feb 21, 2022

Reply

It would be useful to mention the thermal pad and thermal paste at the beginning.

Please provide specifications for the thermal pad and thermal paste, or suggestions for each.

Some One - Mar 28, 2022

Reply

0,5 mm thermalpad was to thin for me, I used it in two layers, 50x50mm was enough for that

Brian Franklin - Jun 18, 2022

Reply

This guide was also useful when just wanting to take everything apart to clean the fans.

Daniel Scharkov - Aug 31, 2022

Reply

Amazing! Thank you for this safe ’n easy guide. I mean that is a difference… Twitter post