How to Replace MacBook Pro 15 Heat Sink – DIY Guide

– Gently nudge the battery release tabs away from the battery using your fingers, then lift that battery out like you’re lifting a crown from a pillow!

– Unscrew the trio of identical Phillips screws securing the memory door. Party on!

– Keep track of which screws come from where—it’s a puzzle you’ll appreciate solving during reassembly!

– Gently lift the memory door just enough to get a good grip, then slide it toward you and away from the casing like you’re pulling a tablecloth in a magic trick!

– Unscrew the dynamic duo of Phillips screws chilling near the latch in the battery compartment.

– Alright, let’s dive into it! Unscrew the following 6 screws:

– Unscrew the fabulous four Phillips screws chilling on the port side of your computer.

– Twist your device a cool 90 degrees and whip out those two Phillips screws hanging out at the back. Easy peasy!

– Twist your computer 90 degrees once more and unleash those four Phillips screws on the side. You’re doing awesome!

– Start by lifting the rear end of the case, and wiggle your fingers along the sides to loosen it up. Keep moving around the case until the sides are free. You might have to give it a little jiggle up and down to release the front part of the upper case. Hang in there—this part can be a bit of a workout! Watch out for those sneaky tabs above the DVD reader; they like to slide out vertically.

– Heads up for the two little tabs on the front left of the upper case—they might get a bit bent out of shape during removal. When you’re putting it all back together, they might need a gentle persuasion to fit back into the slots on the lower case.

– Unplug the trackpad and keyboard ribbon cables from the logic board, peeling off any tape that’s in the way.

– Lift off the upper case and set it aside.

– Unhook the zesty orange SuperDrive ribbon cable from the logic board, peeling off any tape that’s in the way.

– Unscrew the following 3 screws:

– Hoist that optical drive out of its comfy nest in the computer. You got this!

– Unplug the hard drive and ExpressCard connectors from the left side of the logic board. It’s a breeze!

– Unplug the eight connectors pointed out on the logic board, peeling away any tape that gets in your way.

– Grab your spudger and give a gentle flip to the brown plastic flap on the logic board. This little guy is holding down the left ambient light sensor cable.

– Now, nudge that left ambient light sensor cable to the left and slide it out of its connector like a smooth dance move.

– Unscrew the shiny silver T6 Torx screw that’s holding down the ground loop on the display data cable to the casing. You’ve got this!

– Unscrew the single silver T6 Torx screw that’s holding down the clear plastic shield over the right ambient light sensor. You’ve got this!

– Now, gently lift off the clear plastic shield from the right ambient light sensor. Awesome job!

– Gently peel away the zesty orange Kapton tape that’s holding the right thermal sensor cable to the logic board.

– Unscrew the following 16 screws and gently move any cables that are in the way:

– Slide the display data cable to the right, and peel off any tape that gets in your way.

– Gently lift and remove the orange foil shield near the right speaker. Let’s keep it neat!

– Give that speaker a groovy twist! Rotate it clockwise about 30 degrees until it pops right off the logic board.

– Gently detach the gray and black speaker wires from the top of the logic board, peeling off any tape that gets in your way. Let’s keep those wires happy and free!

– Gently detach the iSight and inverter board cables from above the left fan—like peeling a banana!

– Keep the logic board pinned down with one hand, and with your other hand, give the left fan a lift from its cozy home. You’ll spot some black tape gluing the fan to the heat sink; go ahead and peel it off as smoothly as you lift the fan.

– Just pop the fan right above the Airport card. No need to pull it out completely—let’s keep it simple!

– Hoist the right fan upwards while gently detaching the tape that anchors the fan to the heat sink. It’s like peeling a banana!

– Wave goodbye to the right fan as you lift it out of the computer.

– Gently hoist up the left side of the logic board and unplug the snazzy multi-colored power cable from beneath the board. You’re doing great!

– Grab the logic board gently on the left side and the skinny part, and swing it out of the lower case like you’re opening a treasure chest.

– Unplug the right thermal sensor cable from the logic board near the DVI port. It’s just chilling there at the bottom, waiting for you!

– Gently peel away the snazzy orange Kapton tape to uncover the left thermal sensor. It’s hiding!

– Grab a spudger and gently coax the left thermal sensor off its cozy heat sink perch.

– Hoist that heat sink right out of your computer, champ!