MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Teardown

Introduction
We got our hands on a MacBook Pro 13" Unibody and decided to compare it to a MacBook Unibody -- from the inside! Follow us on twitter to get all the latest updates as we're doing the teardown!
Tools used in this guide
Teardown
Teardowns provide a look inside a device and should not be used as disassembly instructions.
Featured Guide
This guide has been found to be exceptionally cool by the iFixit staff.
Paginated Single Page Steps

Step 1
—
Teardown
This just in: the new MacBook Pro 13" Unibody!
We'll be comparing it to the MacBook Unibody throughout the teardown.
We have a feeling it will be very similar in most regards.
Check out our MacBook Unibody repair guides if you'd like to answer any of your repair-related questions!
Would you like to write teardowns like this? Show the world what's inside your gadgets with our new user-contributed teardown platform!

Step 2
Contents of the box:
User's manual
Restore DVDs
60-watt AC adapter
AC adapter extension cable
Cleaning cloth
No video adapter, as usual.

Step 3
Some comparisons to the MacBook Unibody:
No access door for the battery on the bottom.
The addition of an SD card slot (and the omission of digital/mic port) is readily apparent.
FireWire is back!
Computer lock is now on the other side.
The SD card sticks out almost .5"! This is a cheeseball design for a MacBook "Pro" if you ask us.

Step 5
...It's almost exactly the same as our old, "lesser" MacBook Unibody.
The battery compartment is identical to the one we uncovered in the MacBook Pro 17" Teardown. We'll venture a guess that it looks the same in the updated 15" Pro as well.
Remove two tri-wing screws and the battery is suddenly replaceable. The sticker comes right off, just as in the 17" Pro -- because it's adhered to just the battery and midwall, not to the optical drive.

Step 6
7-hour battery specifications:
Model A1322
10.95V
60Wh
"This battery contains no mercury (Hg)."
When working on all machines that have internal batteries, disconnect the battery first to cut off power to the entire device.
Apple does offer battery replacement service for $129. If you're not near an Apple Store or service provider, you'll be without your machine 3-4 business days.
Although the batteries look similar, they're definitely not interchangeable. The MacBook Pro's battery is too large (and different in shape) to fit into the older MacBook Unibody.

Step 7
Removing the hard drive...
It's still considered user-replaceable by Apple, but replacement does require removing 10 more screws than on the MacBook Unibody.
First thing we'd do is replace the 160 GB Hitachi with something more meaty.



Hi, need some advise from you experts.
I have the older MacBook Unibody 13" and waiting for the arrival of this MacBook Pro 13".
1) Can I just interchange my 500GB hard-drive in the old machine to this new machine ? Will both still function ?
2) Both Mac OS is the same 10.5.7 ?
3) When will iFixIt sell 4GB RAM for this new Unibody ? Apple upgrade is really expensive.
Thanks guys.
No! I just through my 500gb drive from my unibody macbook pro into my brand spanking new 13" macbook pro, and when i booted, I am not able to get sound (internal speakers is missing in control panel) and also i noticed the firewire 800 port is not working. I dont know if the firewire port was working before the swap, but i KNOW i got sound. I'm PRAYING that i didn't screw something up because the cover did seem to stick on something in the back-right corner when i lifted it off, but i'm thinking its probably just the drivers. The build number is different even though both drives had 10.5.7 on them.
Re-installing 10.5.7 on the 13" now (with CD's that came with it) and will let you know what happens.
-Dave
Thanks Dave, hope it's gonna be alright for you !
Could someone please list the exact model # of the build-in hard drive (the one that come with the laptop) in the new MacBook? Also, if you also have the part # for the memory it would be much appreciated too. Thanks.
I have the Macbook unibody and can't stand the screen - does anyone know if I can just buy the 13" MacBook Pro top panel and replace the screen? (i.e. same dimensions, connector etc??)
I swapped in a 500GiB drive with 10.5.7 from another MacBook, and it booted fine - but as Dave said, the iPhone-style combo audio port wasn't available. I archived-and-reinstalled the OS from the DVD that came with the MBP and have had no problems since.
The built-in speakers are really nice, btw.
The drive is labeled: Hitachi 5K500.B-160, HTS545016B9SA02, type TS5SAA160. In smaller print it also has the following label: D33373 HTB-TS5SAA500(B). 5V, 700mA. May-09.
Below, Apple labels it: HDD Firmware 2008, 160GB, 2.5inch, AT 9.5mm, P/N: 0A70461, MLC DA3031 A845221.
Apparently not. I called Apple and they will not replace the screen even if you pay for it. I also called several top Mac shops and the cost was prohibitive. In the end I sold my 2 month old 2.4/4 UMB for $975. In the end it cost me $300 to upgrade to a 2.26/4 MBP. I lost .14 GHz but gained firewire, a much nice screen, an SD card slot and new batter technology, so the cost was worth it to me.
What kind of Ram and hard drive can you recommend from newegg?
I'm buying the lowing end 13inch MBP and want to upgrade the ram from 2 to 4gb, and the hard drive from the 160gb to a 500gb. Any recommendations? Links to newegg maybe?
散热管太水了
is it possible for me to sell back my 4-6 month old macbook unibody 13'' back to apple or something so i can buy this? If someone could help me with this that would be great!
normally i would be fine with another apple update but i really need the upgraded battery, ram limit, cpu, firewire and sd card slot... and saving $200 and pro status would be nice also...
I hadn't noted the loss of the microphone port. Arghhh. Tradeoff to get firewire back is worth it, but still very unfortunate for some folks.
Actually, I think the mic port is still there... it's just integrated into the same port as the headphones, like the iPhone's is.
Will this battery work in the 13 inch macbook?
The battery will not be of same specification. That is why now it is only accessible by taking apart the entire outer enclosure, that way allowing for an increase in overall battery life.
I don't really get the issue with the SD card sticking out -- seems like a normal design to me. You want to be able to have enough sticking out to grab onto to pull it out! If you had a flush mount you would need some sort of spring mechanism with a catch (like my digicam internals) or a spring and release button (kind of like the old pcmcia card slots). More mechanics/moving parts == more things that can break down IMHO.
Even my plugin USB SD card reader has this exact same clearance and I've never had an issue with it. Not like you would (should) be porting around your mac in your laptop case while you had an SD card plugged in. (although I know people who leave CD's in all the time but I think that's kind of dumb too.)
Ok but if the aluminun botton cover could be replaced as well... would´t it be a solution to replace the old battery to the new MBP 13 battery?
What? No, definitely not.
By the way: you will loose your waranty by taking out the battery of the new MacBook Pro 13". There is label inside stating this.
---
solomo gutschein http://solomo-gutschein.blogspot.com/
It's not just a mic port, really. It's a generic audio in-port, for any audio source.
Yeah, having the SD card stick out isn't a bad design. If it inserted flush, then you have to use a fingernail to push it in to activate the eject mechanism (and sometimes it's not easy to push it in far enough). And anyone who has dealt with SD cards knows, they can jam inside the slot, and become difficult to remove without tools.
With it sticking out, a firm grasp will remove it. The only issue I see is RS-MMC cards which if the adapter fails to catch the RS-MMC card, you can be stuck with it inside the slot.
RTFM. The Tech Specs on the product page clearly indicate that it is a combination input/output that is user selectable. It is also worth noting that it supports the Apple stereo headset with microphone.
Agree, agree, agree.
My 15" MBP has had an SD ExpressCard adapter in since day one.
It works the same way. Very durable. Cards go in and out multiple times daily.
My Lexar "Professional" USB SD/CF reader hooked to my Mac Pro works the same way.
Good riddance to spring-loaded card slots.
[quote|solomo] By the way: you will loose your waranty by taking out the battery of the new MacBook Pro 13". There is label inside stating this.
Any ideas how to change the harddisk ("still considered user-replaceable by Apple") without voiding the warranty?
I would need to disconnect the battery before replacing the harddisk, right?
iFixit Staff
The label does not indicate that your warranty will be void by removing the battery. However, you don't need to remove the battery to replace the hard drive -- you can just unplug the battery.
You will not void your warranty unless you break something.
good grief, a sticky-out sd-card...
Even my eee-pc does better than that..
I'd just use a USB microphone. The rockband one's are actually pretty nice.
I have used a #00 Philips screwdriver. Even using the angles here in http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/MacB... page number 38 in this manual, I was unable to unscrew the small screws near the opening latch (the ones on the sides and the long ones work btw).
Does anyone have a solution for this? I don't want to break the screws or damage the cover.
Im unscrewing all screws counterclockwise.
Actually, the battery will cost exactly the same amount as any user-replaceable battery--$129. Apple will likely offer (like they do with the iPod, iPhone, and 17" MBP) a battery replacement program that only charges the cost of the battery. They will have to take it away from you for 24 hours, but they certainly aren't getting more money from the new setup. Just setting facts straight.
Is there any Bluray drive to replace the CD/DVD optical drive?
Do you have to unplug/remove the battery in order to replace the RAM? Otherwise worded: if you remove the RAM with the battery still plugged in, could it damage the computer?
iFixit Staff
"Warning: We'd really appreciate it if you'd pay us a bunch of money to replace your battery instead of just replacing it yourself!"
I'd love to see "uprated" user-replaceable batteries for older unibodies!
I'd love it, too! It might have a way to solve this!!!
Could you PLEASE tell me the dimensions of this battery, as well as the one for the 17" model? I was thinking of modding my pre-unibody 15" to accept one of these batteries, but I need to know the proper dimensions first. Thank you!
> When working on all machines that have internal batteries, disconnect the battery first to cut off power to the entire device.
Do you mean I have to remove the battery before to unplug the magsafe plug, cutting out power?
This means I had to remove the back cover with MacBook shutted off but powered.
Has the MacBook Pro 13.3" a backup battery?
Ps: nice teardown!
I want to change the HD only, do i need the tri-wing screw driver to remove the battery? Or i can simply to unplug the power to cut the power?
Hey, does this void the warranty? Replacing the ram and the HDD on the old unibody MacBooks didn't but this may be a different case.
I second Raaza's question; and I'll add my own. I want to upgrade the HD (I Think) to the 500GB 7200 Drive you linked to, but I'm concerned about heat and noise issues. is there a huge performance boost between the offered 500 GB 5400 Drive? I am planing on buying the 1400 version so I get the 4GB RAM and the faster processor to start with. Is that worth the price?
iFixit Staff
You don't have to remove the battery. You can just unplug it before removing the hard drive.
iFixit Staff
To answer both your and Raaza's questions:
1. Replacing the RAM and HD does not void your warranty.
2. 5400 vs. 7200 RPM is debatable. The upgraded performance will be most noticeable on disk-intensive processes, but you probably won't notice much improvement by just normally using the MacBook.
Wait a second, so what screwdrivers do I need to upgrade my HDD and RAM again? It seems like Philips through and through but I keep hearing about T6 as well.
Does the hard drive removal require a #6 Torx like earlier MBPs? Or is it a Phillips screw?
iFixit Staff
You need a #00 Phillips screwdriver to upgrade the RAM, and you need both the Phillips screwdriver and a T6 Torx to upgrade the HD.
A spudger may also come in handy to unplug the battery, but is not absolutely necessary.
Quick question: Does it look like there might be enough room for 12.5 mm drive in the 13" MBP?
FYI.. here is the Official Apple Hard Drive Replacement Manual: http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/MBPR...
Also, its a PH #00 screwdriver, not a #0. You also don't need to disconnect the power to replace the hard drive. I wish I would had known the screwdriver was in fact #00.. glad I took it easy on the &!&$ screws.
I would like to get myself a macbook pro 13", but i would like to have a 7200 rpm harddrive. In the apple-store it is not possible to configure this and i would like to know if there is a technical reason for this? Is it because the 7200rpm hd gets to hot and the and macbook pro can´t handlethanks it? - I wouldn´t want to put the hd in it if it´s going to break down :-) then i´d rather go for the 15". Thanks...
Thanks for the link that is really useful. But why do Apple forget (again) to say you need a T6 Torx for the guide screws on the drive?
Which makes/sizes of solid state drive (SSD) are compatible with the new 13' MBP unibody, and are the steps for replacing the HDD the same to swap in a SSD?
So, to install a hard drive on the new 13 Inch macbook Pro I will need a #00 Phillips Screwdriver and a T6 Torx, is that right?
iFixit Staff
You are correct sir!
To answer my own question: Yes, you can! I just tried it and it worked quite well. :-)
OMG... Subwoofer?
As most Mac laptops have had since the Powerbook days, yes, there's a subwoofer.
Firewire Chipset - Can you tell me what brand is being used here? I am hoping for T.I. for external f.w. recording device. Thank you.
Has anything been said about the chip used for the firewire? I was told on RME forum that the new chip works well with their sound card. Just wondered if you had any more good news. D
Do you have anymore info on the Audio system?
Can you tell what devices they are using to drive the speakers?
Any info on the speakers, or headphone Amplifier?
Are they using a wolfson or cirrus codec? Any info you have along that line would be awesome.
Thanks