Installing MacBook Core 2 Duo Logic Board

Prerequisite Only

Prerequisite Only

This guide is only used as a prerequisite for other guides and is not a complete or useful guide when viewed independently.

  • Author: iRobot
  • Difficulty: Difficult
  • Add Note x
  • x 3

How to reach the logic board.

Sections
Tools
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Add Note Edit Step 1 — Battery  ¶ 

  • Use a coin to rotate the battery-locking screw 90 degrees clockwise.

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Add Note Edit Step 2  ¶ 

  • Lift the battery out of the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 3 — Memory Cover  ¶ 

  • Unscrew the three evenly-spaced Phillips screws from along the rear wall of the battery compartment.

  • The screws are captive to the metal memory cover so you cannot lose them.

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Add Note Edit Step 4  ¶ 

  • Rotate the L-shaped memory cover so it clears the battery compartment opening and lift it up and out of the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 5 — Upper Case  ¶ 

  • Remove the following 3 screws:

    • One 11 mm Phillips#00 in the middle of the case. (Head: 5mm dia. x .75mm thick)

    • Two 14.5 mm Phillips #00 (Head: 5mm dia. x .75mm thick)

  • If the screws stick in the case, you can use a magnetized screwdriver to draw them out.

  • The shorter of the three screws goes in the middle.

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Add Note Edit Step 6  ¶ 

  • Remove the following 3 screws from the rear wall of the battery compartment:

    • One 3 mm Phillips #0. (Head: 2.75 mm. dia.)

    • Two 4 mm Phillips #0 on the either side. (Head: 2.75mm dia.)

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Add Note Edit Step 7  ¶ 

  • Remove the two Phillips screws from either side of the right wall of the battery compartment (not the ones closest to the battery connector).

    • Two 6.25 mm Phillips #000. (Head: 4 mm. dia. x .5mm thick)

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Add Note Edit Step 8  ¶ 

  • Remove the four indicated Phillips screws from the front wall of the battery compartment. When working from the left, remove the 2nd, 4th, 7th and 9th screw.

    • Four 3.25 mm Phillips #000. (Head: 4 mm. dia. x 4mm thick)

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Add Note Edit Step 9  ¶ 

  • Remove the following 4 screws from the back of the computer:

  • The longer screws go on the inside, shorter screws on the outside.

    • Two 11 mm Phillips #00, with Shank (2.2mm dia. x 2 mm len.) (Head: 3.2 mm. dia. x .5mm thick)

    • Two 7.25 mm Phillips #00, with Shank (2mm dia. x 3.75 mm len.) (Head: 3.2 mm. dia. x .5mm thick)

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Add Note Edit Step 10  ¶ 

  • Remove the two Phillips screws from the optical drive side of the computer.

    • Two 5.2 mm Phillips #00, with Shank (2.3mm dia. x 3.5 mm len.) (Head: 3.2 mm. dia. x .5mm thick)

  • It is not necessary to remove the similar screws on the other side of the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 11  ¶ 

  • There's a trackpad and keyboard ribbon connecting the upper case to the logic board, so don't pull the upper case off entirely just yet.

  • Starting near the display and working around to the front of the computer, pry up on the upper case. A plastic opening tool or a medium hard guitar pick may help you to do this.

  • The upper case is likely to stick at the connection above the optical drive. If this is the case, first free all other sides, then proceed to pull upward on the upper case from either side of the optical drive opening.

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Add Note Edit Step 12  ¶ 

  • While holding up the upper case, pull up the black tab of the silver cable away from its connector.

  • If there is no black tab, you can also use a spudger to gently pry the connector from its housing. This connector is tall, so be sure to pry straight up.

  • If you happen to break your upper case cable when removing the upper case, we stock the cable individually and we have a guide that makes replacing it easy.

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Add Note Edit Step 13 — Left I/O Frame  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the MagSafe board cable from the logic board by pulling the snap-in connector out (to the right).

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Add Note Edit Step 14  ¶ 

  • Remove the single 9 mm Phillips screw securing the left speaker to the lower case.

  • Lift the left speaker out of its housing and set it to the side.

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Add Note Edit Step 15  ¶ 

  • Remove the following 3 screws:

    • Two 9 mm Phillips from either end of the left I/O frame.

    • One 7.5 mm Phillips from the middle of the left I/O frame.

  • Remove the small black plastic spacer at the bottom of the left I/O frame.

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Add Note Edit Step 16  ¶ 

  • Lift the left I/O frame up and out of the computer. Pay attention to the thin metal EMI fingers, as they may catch as you remove the left I/O frame.

  • The speaker wire may be hooked onto the I/O frame. Lift it out of the catch and don't forget to put it back when you are reversing the procedure.

  • The part of the shield you are removing is attached to other part by little hooks underneath that are hard to see until you have it apart. They're located over the headphone jack and the firewire port

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Add Note Edit Step 17 — Logic Board  ¶ 

  • Peel up the foil tape between the fan and the optical drive.

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Add Note Edit Step 18  ¶ 

  • Use a spudger to move the gray display data and black speaker cables to the right. This will reveal a silver screw securing the fan housing to the lower case.

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Add Note Edit Step 19  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the orange optical drive ribbon cable from the logic board.

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Add Note Edit Step 20  ¶ 

  • Peel up the small black rubber cover from the right side of the heat sink.

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Add Note Edit Step 21  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the black fan connector and two temperature sensor connectors from the logic board.

  • If you have a MacBook Core 2 Duo Santa Rosa/Penryn/Early 2009, there is only one temperature sensor.

  • The heat sink in early 2009 MacBooks may look slightly different.

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Add Note Edit Step 22  ¶ 

  • Remove the following 6 screws:

    • One 3 mm Phillips on the right side of the fan.

    • One 6 mm Phillips on the left side of the fan.

    • Four 9 mm Phillips securing the heat sink to the lower case.

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Add Note Edit Step 23  ¶ 

  • Hold the heat sink with one hand and the fan with your other hand, and lift the heat sink and fan assembly out of the computer. The fan is attached to the heat sink only with a strip of black felt tape, so be sure to remove both parts as a unit

  • If you need to mount the heat sink back into the laptop, we have a thermal paste guide that makes replacing the thermal compound easy.

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Add Note Edit Step 24  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the three antenna cables from the Airport card, and the black inverter cable from the logic board.

  • If you have a MacBook Core 2 Duo Santa Rosa/Penryn/Early 2009, there are only two antenna cables and the black inverter cable is in a different location.

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Add Note Edit Step 25  ¶ 

  • Remove the following 2 screws from the Airport card:

    • One 3 mm Phillips from the left side.

    • One 8 mm (with a large 2 mm head) Phillips from the right side.

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Add Note Edit Step 26  ¶ 

  • Grasp the Airport card at its top and slide it toward the screen and out of the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 27  ¶ 

  • Use a spudger to disconnect the left speaker connector from the logic board.

  • Lift the left speaker out of the computer.

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Add Note Edit Step 28  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the display data cable by pulling up on the black plastic pull-tab. If there is no pull-tab on the top of the connector, it may be helpful to use a spudger to disconnect this connector.

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Add Note Edit Step 29  ¶ 

  • Disconnect the newly-revealed hard drive cable from the logic board.

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Add Note Edit Step 30  ¶ 

  • Use a spudger to disconnect the speaker connector and bluetooth connector from the logic board.

  • If you have a MacBook Core 2 Duo Santa Rosa/Penryn, disconnect the PRAM battery cable.

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Add Note Edit Step 31  ¶ 

  • Use a spudger to carefully disconnect the microphone cable from the logic board. You'll want to work from side to side, and slowly wiggle the connector out of its socket.

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Add Note Edit Step 32  ¶ 

  • Deroute the microphone cable from the silver metal clip just above the right RAM slot.

  • This metal clip may not be present on some Santa Rosa/Penryn models.

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Add Note Edit Step 33  ¶ 

  • Use a spudger to carefully pry the battery connector up and disconnect it from the logic board.

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Add Note Edit Step 34  ¶ 

  • Remove the three 3 mm Phillips screws securing the logic board to the lower case.

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Add Note Edit Step 35  ¶ 

  • Lift the logic board up from the right side, and slide it up and out of the computer.

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

For more information, check out the MacBook Core 2 Duo device page.

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