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Mid 2010 Model A1278 / 2.4 or 2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo processor

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Need help upgrading to mid 2012 i5 or i7 logic board

I’ve heard around this forum that its POSSIBLE but requires some extra work. I would love to figure out what it takes to upgrade this logic board so I can make this tank of a laptop last for a while. A friend gave it to me from her garage, and honestly I was hoping to turn it into an “impressive” decade-old machine. It’s the same model as my very first macbook pro that I had when I started college so I’d love to restore the excitement I had in 2010 into this freebie. I’ve heard the heatsink needs to be replaced with the corresponding 2012 model, but most of the fittings can still work fine. I’ve also heard the battery connection orientation needs to be switched? or use a battery that is flipped? I’m not really sure. Hopefully someone can help!

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Hello, please help me understand, you're trying to fit either 2012 i5 or i7 logic board into 2010 MacBook body right?

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@pomikoli Correct. I've seen in one post that it has been done by someone once. it's an A1278 board going into an A1278 chassis, but there are a few differences so it isn't a 1:1 transfer. I've just read that it's POSSIBLE with some extra headache. This is a project mac for me so I'm down for the headache.

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As long as you’re transferring 2012 unibody motherboard into 2010 unibody it should be possible as the motherboards are almost completely the same and so are the screw holes. Screens are the same too, not sure about the ports. One thing to look out for is the screen connector which is further down and tilted. You should refer to these 2 guides for more details:

NOTE: I haven’t done this before but you might have to replace the trackpad and battery due to compatibility issues, battery connectors look the same

MacBook Pro 2010 13” unibody (See step 17 for motherboard picture):

MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Mid 2010 Logic Board Replacement

MacBook Pro 2012 13'“ unibody (See step 16 for motherboard pictures):

MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Mid 2012 Logic Board Replacement

MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Mid 2010 Logic Board Image

Guide

MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Mid 2010 Logic Board Replacement

Difficulty:

Moderate

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1 - 3 hours
MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Mid 2012 Logic Board Image

Guide

MacBook Pro 13" Unibody Mid 2012 Logic Board Replacement

Difficulty:

Difficult

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45 minutes - 1 hour

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9 Comments:

I'm still looking for a cheap logic board, from a screen damaged 2012 macbook pro, etc. I'm going to get the macbook running with upgraded ram and ssd before i go that route. thank you for your help

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@oktrev I believe these 13" MacBook Pros did not have any gpu and processors weren't the best, you can't upgrade the ram properly since the hardware only supports max 16gb and your ssd speed will be limited. I don't believe upgrading the logic board is worth it in 2020. Besides who wants to look at 1300x700 you know what I mean.

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so would you recommend just doing the 16gb ram upgrade, ssd upgrade, for cheap and leave it at that?

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The 2012 model uses a different SO-DIMM type so you won't be able to transfer the RAM over.

If you go with a SSD upgrade you'll also need to upgrade the HD SATA cable with the new drive.

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@oktrev Yeah, 2010 or 12 you won't be able to play games or anything, for regular stuff just buy more ram and ssd.

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Trev Burnham will be eternally grateful.
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