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This teardown is not a repair guide. To repair your MacBook Unibody Model A1278, use our service manual.

  1. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown, MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 1, image 1 of 1
    • Apple boasts that, "The new MacBook packaging is 41 percent smaller than the previous generation" and is made from recycled material.

    • Smaller packaging, they say, means fewer planes to transport the same number of products.

    • Follow our updates on twitter.

  2. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 2, image 1 of 1
    • It looks like a MacBook Air from the top, but it's about 25% thicker than the thickest part of the Air, and almost 6 times thicker than the thinnest part.

    • To be fair, though, it's about 12 percent thinner than its predecessor (0.95 in vs. 1.08 in) and 10 percent lighter (4.5 pounds vs. 5 pounds).

  3. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 3, image 1 of 1
    • In the box:

    • 85-page user's manual

    • Restore DVDs

    • 60-watt AC adapter

    • AC adapter extension cable

    • Cleaning cloth

    • As with previous MacBooks, there's no video adapter included. There's an empty spot in the box where it would fit nicely, but there's no adapter to be found. Apple offers the DisplayPort adapter for $29 extra.

  4. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 4, image 1 of 1
    • There's a new Mini DisplayPort (fourth from the right), and a complete lack of a FireWire port.

    • It may be hard to tell from the image, but there are now 8 lights on the battery indicator, and it's conveniently located where you can actually see it.

  5. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 5, image 1 of 1
    • Opening the battery latch.

    • For those hurt by the financial crisis, a coin is no longer required.

  6. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 6, image 1 of 1
    • The hard drive is on the left, and the battery is on the right.

    • The new MacBook uses the same hard drives as previous MacBook models.

    • Shameless plug: If you're not ready for a new machine, you can upgrade the hard drive in any Apple laptop. We have free guides for most models that make hard drive replacements easy.

  7. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 7, image 1 of 1
    • The battery is 45 watt-hours compared to 55 on the previous generation. It's also almost 20 percent lighter (302 g vs. 402 g).

    • Still, Apple claims that you'll get 5 hours of wireless productivity (with the display brightness set to 50 percent).

  8. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 8, image 1 of 1
    • The hard drive is held down by a single Phillips screw.

    • Like the last black MacBook, the standard hard drive on the 2.4 GHz model is 250GB SATA and 5400 rpm.

  9. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 9, image 1 of 1
    • Disconnecting the hard drive.

    • To replace the hard drive, you'll need a T6 Torx screwdriver to transfer the hard drive mounting screws to the new drive.

  10. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 10, image 1 of 1
    • The bottom panel is attached by 8 screws:

    • One 3 mm Phillips in the top left corner.

    • Four 3.5 mm Phillips along the bottom.

    • Three 13.8 mm Phillips along the top.

  11. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 11, image 1 of 1
    • Removing the bottom panel provides access to the RAM, optical drive, display hinge, fan, and logic board.

    • It looks like the only really hard part to replace will be the upper case and keyboard.

  12. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 12, image 1 of 1
    • Removing the RAM

    • 2GB (two 1GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM are included. Apple will upgrade the RAM to 4GB for an extra $150.

    • Apple claims this machine maxes out at 4GB RAM, but the Montevina chipset appears to support up to 8GB.

    • Shameless plug: You can upgrade your existing MacBook or MacBook Pro to 4 GB. We'll also be offering the RAM for the new Unibody machines in the near future.

  13. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 13, image 1 of 1
    • We've now exhausted the installation instructions Apple printed on the back of the battery cover.

    • Disconnecting the subwoofer and optical drive cables.

  14. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 14, image 1 of 1
    • The optical drive is held in by the following 4 screws:

    • Three 2.5 mm Phillips.

    • One 3.7 mm Phillips.

    • Apple gives the following specification: 8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW).

  15. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 15, image 1 of 2 MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 15, image 2 of 2
    • The optical drive, now SATA.

    • The optical drive shows a manufacture date of October 2008. That drive sure got from the factory to us fast!

  16. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 16, image 1 of 1
    • Removing the logic board.

    • This may be the most beautiful laptop we've disassembled. Apple has a right to be proud of their engineers and manufacturing team.

  17. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 17, image 1 of 3 MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 17, image 2 of 3 MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 17, image 3 of 3
  18. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 18, image 1 of 1
    • The bottom of the logic board.

    • Part numbers found thus far:

    • Cypress PSoC Mixed-Signal Array CY8C24794-24L FXI 0831 A 04 KOR CYP 637569

    • Realtek HD Audio Codec ALC885 87J24A1 G83283

    • TDK 6T213HF 0838 d

    • ISL95O4 BHRZ H0832BB49

    • APP001 928 3T 0829A

    • SN 802043 TI 87K JR7C G4

  19. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 19, image 1 of 2 MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 19, image 2 of 2
    • Removing the right speaker and subwoofer.

    • The new MacBook received a welcome speaker upgrade. In the second image, the old plastic MacBook's speakers are on the left, and the new MacBook's speakers are on the right.

  20. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 20, image 1 of 1
    • The elegant new glass and Aluminum display assembly.

    • Amazingly, the new display assembly weighs slightly less than the previous MacBook's plastic display assembly.

  21. MacBook Unibody Model A1278 Teardown: step 21, image 1 of 1
    • All major components - only 4.5 pounds, not bad for a full-featured, metal laptop.

    • Looking for more pictures? We've also disassembled the new MacBook Pro.

7 Comments

My comp turns on and the screen turns white and stays white. If I hook it up via hdmi it works fine through my tv. Need help on what it could be

Joey c - Reply

Apple will help you. Simply ask them (Customer Service) for a reply.

Ethan Zuo -

While disassembling my MacBook 2008-11 model as seen in these pictures, I was careful to lay out and label each part to reassemble after attempting to repair from water damage. When I lifted the hard drive a small black rectangular bracket about 1/2 wide with a small square on the back and an extruding piece against the black hollow square tha appears would go over a screw hole; dropped to the floor. It has part number ZYI-4 as best I can make out. Does anyone know where this goes? I cannot figure it out. Thanks!!!!

Sara - Reply

Hi Label beetween keyboard a lil bit part i dont see in my macbook. This part is ? Because my macbook dont turn on.

Iovany Gabriel - Reply

Great help with this post and a couple of others here at ifixit.com helped me in around 90 minutes to replace the thermal paste.

Thanks ifixit.com !!!

ioannisk - Reply

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