DIY MacBook Pro 15 Heat Sink Replacement Guide

– Gently nudge those battery release tabs away from the battery with your fingers, and then lift the battery out of your computer like a champ.

– Unscrew those three identical 2mm Phillips screws holding the memory door in place. You’ve got this!

– Gently lift the memory door just enough to get a good grip, then slide it towards you to pop it off the casing. Easy peasy!

– Pop out the two 2.8 mm Phillips screws in the battery compartment near the latch. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair

– Time to jazz up the party with screw removal! Get ready to say goodbye to 6 screws:

– Time to unleash your inner repair ninja and bid farewell to those four pesky 3.2 mm PH00 Phillips screws chilling on the port side of the computer!

– Give your computer a nifty 90-degree twist and pop out those two 3.2 mm Phillips screws from the back. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.

– Give your computer a little twist and turn it 90 degrees once more! Now, let’s tackle those four 3.2 mm Phillips screws on the side. Time to show them who’s boss!

– Alrighty! Lift up at the rear of the case and work your fingers along the sides like a pro, freeing the case as you go. Once the sides are free, you might need to rock the case up and down a bit to loosen the front of the upper case.

– Here’s the deal: There are four plastic clips above the DVD slot, and another one above and to the left of the IR sensor. These clips can be a bit tricky to disengage without some gentle prying. Putting them back during reassembly can also be a bit challenging.

– Pro Tip for Reassembly: Firmly press down on the tip of the top case above each clip location until you hear a satisfying snap to secure them in place.

– Pro Tip for Reassembly: The two center DVD clips might need a little extra help to snap back into place properly. Instead of just applying pressure and risking frame deformation, support the frame by gently inserting a plastic spudger into the DVD slot directly beneath the clip location until it fits snugly. Then, press down until you hear that satisfying snap.

– Time to party with your repair—start by saying see ya later to the trackpad and keyboard ribbon cable from the logic board, removing tape as needed.

– Now, give the upper case a little lift and send it on its way.

– Grab your trusty spudger and gently pry off the orange SuperDrive ribbon cable from the logic board. Don’t forget to peel away any tape that’s holding it down. You’ve got this!

– Pop out these 4 screws:

– Lift the optical drive up and slide it out of the computer.

– Unplug the hard drive and ExpressCard connectors from the left side of the logic board. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair

– Gently disconnect the iSight and display data cables from the logic board by sliding them straight back out of their connectors, and feel free to remove any tape if needed.

– Pop off those eight connectors by sliding a spudger under the wired side and lifting up. Easy does it! If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.

– Gently peel off the foam bumper located at the top of the right hinge of the display.

– Get ready to say goodbye to the silver 9.5 mm T6 Torx screw that’s keeping the ground loop in the display data cable snugly attached to the casing.

– Pop out that single black 6 mm T6 Torx screw holding the upper part of the logic board to the lower case.

– Now it’s time to peel back the cool orange Kapton tape that’s keeping the right thermal sensor cable safe and snug on the logic board.

– Alright, let’s get to it! Start by taking out these 15 screws:

– With one hand, keep the logic board steady while your other hand lifts the left fan out of its cozy spot. There’s a sneaky piece of black tape holding the left fan to the heat sink—gently peel it away as you lift the fan up.

– Now, give the right fan a little lift and carefully peel off the tape that’s keeping it snug against the heat sink.

– Once you’ve done that, go ahead and remove the right fan from the computer.

– Gently lift the left side of the logic board and unplug the gray and black power cable from the bottom. Easy peasy!

– Hold onto the logic board at the left side and the thin section, then give it a little twist to pop it out of the lower case. You’ve got this!

– If you removed the heatsink from the motherboard earlier, it’s time to clean off that old thermal compound from the chips on the back of the logic board. Check out our Applying Thermal Paste Guide to get those processor and heat sink surfaces ready for action!

– Carefully hoist the heat sink out of your computer like it’s a treasure chest!

– Peel back the orange Kapton tape to unveil the secret thermal sensor beneath.

– Use a spudger to gently persuade the middle thermal sensor to detach from the heat sink.

– Voila! The heat sink is free!