Featured
Featured Guide
Difficulty
Easy
Steps
5
Time Required
10 minutes
Sections
3
- Lower Case
- 2 steps
- Battery Connector
- 2 steps
- RAM
- 1 step
Flags
1
Featured Guide
This guide has been found to be exceptionally cool by the iFixit staff.
BackMacBook Pro 15" 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 securing the lower case to the upper case:
- Three 13.5 mm (14.1 mm) Phillips screws.
- Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.
- When removing these screws, note how they come out at a slight angle. They must be reinstalled the same way.
Remove the following ten screws securing the lower case to the upper case:
Three 13.5 mm (14.1 mm) Phillips screws.
Seven 3 mm Phillips screws.
When removing these screws, note how they come out at a slight angle. They must be reinstalled the same way.
1024
Step 2
- Using both hands, lift the lower case near the vent to pop it off two clips securing it to the upper case.
- Remove the lower case and set it aside.
Using both hands, lift the lower case near the vent to pop it off two clips securing it to the upper case.
Remove the lower case and set it aside.
Step 3
Battery Connector
- For certain repairs (e.g. hard drive), disconnecting the battery connector is not necessary but is recommended as it prevents any accidental shorting of electronics on the motherboard. If you do not disconnect the battery connector, please be careful as parts of the motherboard might be electrified.
- 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.
For certain repairs (e.g. hard drive), disconnecting the battery connector is not necessary but is recommended as it prevents any accidental shorting of electronics on the motherboard. If you do not disconnect the battery connector, please be careful as parts of the motherboard might be electrified.
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.
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
- Release the tabs on each side of the RAM chip by simultaneously pushing each tab away from the RAM module.
- These tabs lock the chip in place and releasing them will cause the chip to “pop” up.
- After the RAM chip has popped up, pull it straight out of its socket.
- Repeat this process if a second RAM chip is installed.
Release the tabs on each side of the RAM chip by simultaneously pushing each tab away from the RAM module.
These tabs lock the chip in place and releasing them will cause the chip to “pop” up.
After the RAM chip has popped up, pull it straight out of its socket.
Repeat this process if a second RAM chip is installed.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
Cancel: I did not complete this guide.
211 other people completed this guide.
Author
with 8 other contributors
Walter Galan
682,038 Reputation
1,203 Guides authored
Badges:
54
+51 more badges
dashbran1 - Jul 10, 2017
Reply
Dustin - Feb 8, 2018
Reply
Hi,
thanks for the guide, I plan to upgrade my 15” early 2011 2.3 GHz MBP today. I am changing my 750GB HDD to a Firecuda 2TB SSHD (can’t afford the SSD I wish I could get into currently), and I plan to upgrade my RAM from the 8GB to 16GB as well to give my 2011 a little sprucing up. I have performed a full time machine backup to my 2TB WD passport pro external HD (It’s set up as a RAID 0 device and has a thunderbolt 1 interface, which I was glad for bc a USB 2.0 interface would have taken like 3 days or blown up my computer.
My questions are:
Is there a preferred order to switch out the internal hard drive and memory? Do I need to switch out one first then boot up and shutdown, or can you safely upgrade the HD and RAM at the same time?
Is there anything else I need to do before upgrading the HD besides a time machine backup? Do I need a “bootable OS?” Whatever that is? Thanks!
jayfish - Feb 2, 2020
Reply
I completed this several years ago, sorry for just now giving credit. I was able to upgrade my MacBook Pro 15” Early 2011 with 16GB of RAM. It has been running great ever since. Probably 4 years now maybe longer?? Thank you!