Macbook Pro Retina 15" A1398 (Late 2013, i7, GT 750M) Disassembly, Cleaning, Re-assembly

Tools needed:
Pentalobe 1,2mm or 1,4mm screwdriver
T4 or T5 hexagonal screwdriver
Tweezers
Thermal paste
Optional for claning:
99% isopropyl-alcohol
Q-Tips
Toothbrush
Compressed air in a can
Video includes:
Taking out the logic board and IO board from the machine
Cleaning Dust underneeth and fan disassembly for cleaning
Putting it back together
Thumbs up for the zombie voice! ಠ_ಠ

[@anselmedonato9409]

FINALLY someone filming the re-building and not just saying "ok folks do the same things backward" thank u

[@Alterrabeirut]

but 99% its the same procedure in reverse!

[@anselmedonato9409]

@@Alterrabeirut But I don't know how to play the video backwards

[@dazultra100]

Brilliant tutorial! I have just done it all, also replaced my broken speakers, fixed broken fans, new battery and it’s working perfect, doesn’t overheat anymore, thank you! 😁

[@maguro-_-otoro]

I have watched almost all the A1398 disassembly videos and this is hands down the most comprehensive one. And the only one to clean the insides of the fan. I just can't stand it when people reinstall a filthy fan. Hope you make more videos like this!

[@Beyonder1881]

Thank you sir for doing this service to the community. I used this guide to clean coffee spill in my dads old macbook pro late 2013. Following your instructions tutorial here I was able to successfully revive the computer. Now I have this 15 inch 8gb 1tb SSD macbook pro and also an old mid 2012 13 inch unibody with 16gb ram and 500 gb ssd. Both are great old computers and I dont know which one I should keep!

[@liwang3406]

每当国内没有清晰的拆机教程时，我就想起了油管，国外的各种教程真多，感谢播主分享！

[@citylights2765]

30 seconds in and I already know this video is gonna be way better than the others. I figured out the long way that it’s called a pentalobe screwdriver but so glad you actually mentioned the tools. Thanks!

[@techworkshop7242]

Thanks! I put some effort into the video in order to make it complete and for beginners.

[@citylights2765]

So funny you commented today, I’m actually just about to disassemble my MacBook for the very first time today and clean it because I fear roaches may have gotten inside. Wish me luck!

[@citylights2765]

Using your video as my only guide

[@techworkshop7242]

@@citylights2765 Good luck! I'm sure you can do it. For the basic maintenance just clean the fans, air intakes and replace the thermal paste. No need to take the whole board out.

[@ezoray]

My MacBook's fans were choked and it was running hot so I cleaned them out with a fine paint brush and replaced the thermal paste. All back to normal now, thanks for the video.

[@davidhhorsburghgmailcom]

Brilliant video. I’ve been putting off cleaning my MacBook for, well since new it’s never been opened and cleaned. This video gave me the confidence to do it, many thanks. I’ll add another update once my machine is running nice and cool.

[@soyluisrueda]

this is magnificent! I haven´t tryed it yet but the tutorial and notes throughout the process makes me feel very confident I will be able to nail it, thanks brother!

[@techworkshop7242]

Yes, everyone should be able to do it with this guide - that's what I was going for.

[@XLessThanZ]

You need a new thumbnail, "MOST DETAILED TEARDOWN - MacBook A1398". I've bookmarked this video for when I work on my sister's MacBook. Great work on the computer and the video. 👍👍

[@josephstewart2439]

Excellent tutorial easy to follow, thanks! I was able to change charging port. I am grateful/blessed to live in an area of smart people with great skills sharing their expertise/knowledge. I broke my right speaker connector, I can do without that though and use headphones instead. Thanks again.

[@jonaskeusch]

Thank you for this very informative video. I did everything exactly as you said and my laptops performance almost doubled!

[@techworkshop7242]

Amazing! In couple of weeks I will release a video to improve the thermals even further and some benchmarks.

[@j0nahtan]

Wow Bro, you are very talented to do this, what a miss that you don’t make more video’s

[@DjReaLo]

You just saved a DJ macbook a lot of dancers are gonna thank you :) 🕺

[@meepeepo]

Thank you for your video, after changing thermal paste didn't mounted webcam cable fully, thank you that mentioned which one it was!

[@jezohare3013]

Thank you!!! Successfully replaced the magsafe board on my 2012 machine..

[@joecrak249]

great video absolutely excellent content, couldn't find the link to the other video on improving the thermals

[@SardineAudio]

Thanks for the video! I could follow your footsteps, now my mac is like new

[@walshmagic]

Thermal modifications?! Hold on a minute.. I think i've found the right place!! :D Subscribed!

[@techworkshop7242]

Sorry mate, no time to make the video now. What I did was putting the liquid metal on the CPU and then put thermal pads on the heatsink so it touches the bottom panel. This helps a lot especially if you slightly lift the macbook on the desk so the air can go under. After that I had no thermal throttling even if I overclocked by +200mhz in windows. Still running cool after 6 months since I did that.

[@walshmagic]

@@techworkshop7242 Thank you for your Gentleman's response! :) Picked up 3 x 2013's. Loving them!! Wishing you the best, your video really helped when swapping the logic boards over. 10/10

[@techworkshop7242]

@@walshmagic You can never have enough of 2013 :D. Still enough for my Logic Pro X and Final cut projects.

[@serialdad33]

Tech Workshop what year were these models built?? late 2013 to ??? and what about the next model. same, better, „worse“?? thx edit. just saw it was until mid 2015 (what about later models? worse?) as I am planing to have an E-GPU and the thermal mod)

[@techworkshop7242]

@@serialdad33 late 2013/mid 2014 has Nvidia GPU option and then there is mid 2015 with AMD graphics (not necessarily better) and slightly improved CPU (still the same generation). So late 2013- mid 2015 is basically the same machine. If you're going to get E-GPU then the best option is mid 2015 with integrated graphics. From 2016 they come with only thunderbolt 3 ports which will be better with E-GPU but also come with more problems and butterfly keyboard (1st gen) wich is very unreliable

[@DrBrianLCarpenter]

Thank you for you very clearly explained video! I used it to install a new logic board on my 2013 Macbook pro A1398. I agree with you that it's one of the best computers Apple has made.

[@isrraelramirez6740]

My logic board bit the dust recently- memory ram module 2 is toast and Apple considers this laptop "vintage" and can't fix it any longer. Do you mind sharing where you got your new logic board (A1398) from? Thanks.

[@MrTheog1989]

Great video! Any updates on the thermal improvement one? Thanks! :D

[@haraldgrasdahl130]

Just a thanx for this very informative and "self-helping" video! Really helped me!

[@techworkshop7242]

Cheers mate :)

[@HopeHugs]

Thank you very much. I was able to replace my port successfully by using your video!

[@techworkshop7242]

Happy to help

[@edapl898]

Hi, great video. I have not experience, i use to change and update some of my macbooks. I have this model, i changed the battery but now the fan speed is at maximum and the mac is really slow. Do you have any idea of how i can fixed it? Thanks in advance

[@arturopaz8051]

Great tutorial, the only thing and maybe I missed something but it looks like on the fan to the left watching the video, on the right side close to the heat sink, you missed a screw.

[@iRichardi]

Where’s the video about thermal modifications you’re mentioning in the beginning please?

[@sunsky2279]

Thanks man! This is really detail and helpful. By the way, If I want to change the charging port(magsafe board), what parts have to be unplugged?

[@techworkshop7242]

I belive you have to take out the whole board because the connector is underneeth

[@sunsky2279]

@@techworkshop7242 Thank you, sir. I have already fixed it.

[@richardpressinger3375]

Excellent! but appears to be one misstatement. After removing most parts, you stated the 4 last screws holding the motherboard were the same size. Unless somebody made a mistake on mine - those 4 screws were different size

[@bogdanconstandache8836]

well done! how can I identify the SMC Controller IC Chip ? my charger doesn't work and I want to measure the Voltage on pins. thank you

[@miket362]

Just found this video, and i am very interested in the video you mentioned about cooling modifications.

[@jhill4071]

Very well done tutorial. Might be the perfect time to swap out the SSD for one with more capacity

[@einarjungmann273]

Is this model 2013 reliable according to graphic card? We know some issue about gt650

[@xelerator2398]

No i cant use gpu on that unit thanks to nvidia and apple , even on windows 10 gpu is not exist in device manager and nvidia drivers wont able to reconize gt750m on that unit

[@mr.niceguy9066]

Дякую! Дуже корисне відео

[@nachonieto1741]

Thank you very much for the tutorial. Very handy. My Macbook is like new

[@Beyonder1881]

you said something about how you had another vdo where you did some thermal modifications to reduce the heat of the graphics chip could you share that vdo?

[@syedhamid3730]

Thanks a lot man can’t explain in words but I relied on ur video and get the job done.😃thanks again.

[@Rubr1k]

Where can I see this "other video" with thermal modifications? Sounds very interesting!

[@techworkshop7242]

Sorry mate, no time to make the video now. What I did was putting the liquid metal on the CPU and then put thermal pads on the heatsink so it touches the bottom panel. This helps a lot especially if you slightly lift the macbook on the desk so the air can go under. After that I had no thermal throttling even if I overclocked by +200mhz in windows. Still running cool after 6 months since I did that.

[@tufotostudio]

My 2013 A1398 is having problem with a 3-beep error, got a second hand board and put everything back together only to find out trackpad not working, neither when I hooked up a USB mouse, there was no startup chime either, but I do get warning sound when press the keyboard too long, what could be wrong? what do I need to look for to correct the problems? thanks!

[@onegreenev]

I didn't see you remove the MagSafe 2 Board. Bummer.

[@zzmegadano]

Thanks Man! That saved me loads of time.

[@kurtstein7631]

Thanks for the vid do you know the size of the screws that hold the battery in on this model, cheers.

[@techworkshop7242]

It's glued in place really hard. Use isopropyl alcohol and a thin guitar striing to cut under.

[@lcdmvdoact]

Thank you for the detail video. I am also planning to do the similar work on my MacBook Pro mid 2015. It needs new speakers and since I am at it I will replace the batteries as well. Please suggest any pointers because this video is about a year old. You may have encountered many other gotchas.

[@techworkshop7242]

Hi mate, first check if there is an Apple recall for your battery. The was one for the 2015 15" and they would replace the battery for free. If not you can do it yourself. I just had a bad experience with aftermarket battery which started great but after 150 cycles went down to 85% capacity. I suggest to try to get an original one or at least something tested like ifixit offers. Disassembly and changing the speakers is almost the same - it's still a A1398 model. You should be able to do that if you follow this video. For the battery glue removal I use a trick with the thinnest guitar string attached to screw driver cutting the glue underneeth - that's the hardest part in the process.

[@lcdmvdoact]

@@techworkshop7242Hi Tech Workshop, Thank you for the feedback on the battery. There was a recall last December on this model. I need to take it to Apple for the free replacement.

[@techworkshop7242]

@@lcdmvdoact Free stuff is good :)

[@MEZHGANO]

Thanks, good video But why ports must be overlapping at 12:50? These ports not overlapping in beginning of your video and in other disassembly videos around

[@romo111213]

i have the same exact question...did it work out alright for you?

[@MEZHGANO]

romo111213 i did not overlap these ports and seems like everything is fine

[@techworkshop7242]

It's just the hint how to allign it properly. The path of the minimal resistance is the way to go. Glad that it worked for you.

[@LittleMopeHead]

It should not overlap. It goes underneath the metal body. It's like that on the HDMI side, and I didn't take the board on that side out at all.

[@osmarfernandes]

Thanks man ! Is it worth to take out the keyboard to clean as well?

[@techworkshop7242]

I don't think so. It's a huge paint to remove the whole keyboard and you can't really clean it much better afterwards. If you have some dirt underneath the keys you can blow them out with a compressed air or a compressor. Just flip the laptop facing keyboard down and blow the dirt out one key at a time. Cheers.

[@f.i.l.d.e.p.s]

ram soldered to the logic board am i right?

[@mistergreenofficial]

Thanks, this video is a must watch before the process and in between, really helping!!!!

[@jimmayhem990]

Guys, be careful when putting back i/o data cable back (the black Z-shaped cable on top of the right fan). I accidentally placed mine wrong side, which caused short circuit and sparks. Mac works fine but the right side ports (usb, hdmi and card reader) are not working. Now I'm wondering if it will affect the rest of the system

[@Max-dp5fv]

Looking for the screw in location for the two short and black t3 screws. Any ideas?

[@wheelchairboy57]

Do you need to go through all of this to change the speakers? Or, can you unhook the battery and access them directly? Thank you.

[@techworkshop7242]

Yes, unfortunatelly you can't replace the right speaker without taking out the whole board. Taking out the battery wouldn't help as the cable goes in the board compartment. Anyway the battery is glued to the chassis so it's even more work then taking out the board.

[@egidioblasi932]

Grazie, ottimo video, molto bello.

[@alessandrofiorentino697]

In this model RAM isn’t upgradable right ?

[@seasidegalaxystreet]

Thank you so much for this.

[@TaquitoTuesday]

Hi, do you know what's the size of those pentalobe screws 0:26 in the bottom panel? I'm trying to find a replacement for the ones on my razer blade stealth and these ones probably match my needs

[@techworkshop7242]

Size 1,2 works the best for me but anything like 1,0 to 1,6 would probably work too.

[@TaquitoTuesday]

@@techworkshop7242 Hi, the bolts were noticeably shorter, but they worked well enough to cover the issue. Thanks a lot for replying!

[@tomseditajr2004]

Question If I were to remove the wifi/bluetooth card and not reinstall one will my MacBook power on and work normally with the missing hardware.

[@techworkshop7242]

Yes, it will turn on. Why would you want to do that?

[@Ray-hammer]

How about if my keyboard works but my keyboard light do not come on

[@abel1309]

What type of SSD can I use as an upgrade?

[@nairobi203]

I have tiny vertical bars on the right side of my macboork pro screen. It did not fall or suffer any shock... Any idea what it could be? Would like to avoid being convinced I need to buy a new computer.

[@techworkshop7242]

I think the signal that goes into the screen is either all or nothing so it's probably a faulty screen, Hopefully you can test to rule out the other posibilities like a bad connection. If external screen does not do the same, it's probably the screen itself.

[@MaxOstilio]

My MacBook starts with a black screen and eventually a flashing file icon with a question mark. Was intermittent for a month or so but now permanent.

[@techworkshop7242]

Probably an ssd failure. Try reset smc and oprom and if it does not help, connect an external drive and install Mac OS on it. If it works after that then you know it's the ssd issue and you can replace it afterwards

[@wangldn]

Hi, where can I see the other video where you do thermal modifications for this laptop, which you mention during this video?

[@techworkshop7242]

Hi mate, I have recorded everything, just need to edit it now. Expect it in about a week :)

[@adi0ne]

@@techworkshop7242 i am waiting alsow

[@effexts]

The longest week ever! :)

[@techworkshop7242]

@@effexts ​ I'm so sorry guys. It's on the list as soon as I got some free time alone. It's gonna be great!

[@techworkshop7242]

I'm so sorry guys. It's on the list as soon as I got some free time alone. It's gonna be great!

[@erickpanccioni2926]

SSD of 2tb work on this mac?

[@burhanbirinci5223]

Thank you, very good video ,

[@techworkshop7242]

Thanks mate, glad to have helped.

[@BlackTreasureMap]

Thanks for the video. Can anyone tell me on this model where the RAM is? if I want to replace from 8 to 16 GB. Have not found a video to replace the RAM on this model. Thanks

[@mosesantonio5949]

Unfortunately you can't upgrade ram in this model

[@supersaki9415]

Thank you!!!

[@jvictor429]

Does anyone know if this MacBook is good for image editing programs?

[@maptone1870]

Best

[@pshmps1836]

Wheres is your thermal modification video?

[@techworkshop7242]

In progress mate, will let you know here when it's ready.

[@TheVeganPlumber]

Still waiting for that video. Come on!

[@TheVeganPlumber]

I might beat you to it at this rate ;)

[@pshmps1836]

Tech Workshop 6 month and i still waiting

[@AL-fi2us]

Has anyone done this? I want to clean my MacBook Pro mid-2015 15 inch, any tips on opening it for the first time?

[@techworkshop7242]

It's the same model as this one. Just follow the guide

[@acesin-et7pp]

You mac looks like you had been using it for over 50 yrs.

[@techworkshop7242]

thanks mate, It was just about a year since last cleaning. The amount of dust it accumulated is insane.

[@keepmovn8039]

SCREWS you apple!

[@waseemfarazbutt]

Hi same model, SSD stopped being detected in disk utility, I'm stuck in a continuous loop installing Mojave. Is there anything I can do?

[@Studijko]

I would try to install Mac OS on an external SSD to see if anyhing else is wrong. If that works then it's hard to tell if it's a SSD failure or the logic board. Try cleaning the constacts and resetting the OPROM.

[@waseemfarazbutt]

@@Studijko Thanks for replying, I'll have to see how it goes