Late 2011 17 inch Anti-Glare MBP M1 Swap

[Late2011MBPFan]

Hi, I've been a fan of your forum for sometime, but this is my first time posting. I've seen videos where YouTuber's upgrade their older imacs to M1 and I was wondering how difficult it would be to upgrade a Late 2011 MBP 17 Anti-Glare to M1?

My Late 2011 MBP is in incredible shape, I love the 17 inch anti-glare screen, and it thankfully hasn't had major graphics card issues. I was thinking if an M1 swap is possible, I might be able to extend the life of this laptop another 5 to 10 years, and 15-20 years from a laptop is incredible if you ask me.

Thanks,

Andrew

 

[chscag]

I'm a bit confused by your post. Upgrading an Intel iMac to a M1 might mean that the person purchased a new M1 iMac in place of their Intel machine. Or are you referring to an actual hardware upgrade of an Intel iMac to M1?

My advice concerning your 2011 17" MBP is to keep it and when Apple announces new silicon MacBook Pros this Summer, to purchase one. That way you can still have a machine (your 2011 MBP) which will be able to run Windows and macOS plus a silicon machine to use for newer programs.

I didn't think it was possible to upgrade an Intel iMac to a M1. Please post the video you are referring to.

 

[Late2011MBPFan]

How to build your own DIY Apple Silicon iMac!​

 

[Late2011MBPFan]

iMac G5 upgraded to iMac M1 using a MacMini M1 logic board

 

[Late2011MBPFan]

My initial thoughts, if this is possible, is to purchase a donor 13 inch M1 MacBook Pro board and adapt the keyboard, screen, touchpad, speakers, etc. to the M1 board.

 

[chscag]

Thanks for the videos. I didn't think it was possible but it appears you can build an M1 Hackintosh or maybe we should call it a "Frankentosh".

Good luck on finding a donor 13' M1 MacBook Pro logic board and fitting it to your iMac or 2011 17" MBP. Looks to be a major project.

 

[Fishrrman]

Even if this could be done, by the time you got it working, you'd probably spend more than a brand-new replacement.

Wait until late in the year when the m-series MacBook Pro 16" comes out.
Buy one of those instead.

 

[Late2011MBPFan]

This is the the biggest drawback for me, which is why I'd like to find a damaged M1 and use the internals if they can be saved. Paying full price doesn't make sense, if I can find a monitor damaged M1, that would be a great donor. Obviously this would be a huge pain the you-know-what to figure out, but it would also be a super cool project if completed. Weighing my options. Thank you.