MacBook 2008 Unibody Logic Board Upgrade

[mryingster]

I was just gifted a 2008 MacBook 2008 Unibody that has sustained some water damage. I looked up the part number to see about replacing the logic board and found that the 13" 2009 and 2010 MBP models have the same model number (a1287). Does anyone know if the logic boards from these MBP models would drop into the MacBook Unibody shell without issue?

 

[retta283]

I was just gifted a 2008 MacBook 2008 Unibody that has sustained some water damage. I looked up the part number to see about replacing the logic board and found that the 13" 2009 and 2010 MBP models have the same model number (a1287). Does anyone know if the logic boards from these MBP models would drop into the MacBook Unibody shell without issue?

I doubt it. The ports on the MBPs are different, and the battery is connected differently. The board would be blocked by the area with the HDD and battery. Perhaps the board does not extend this far outs

 

[mryingster]

Indeed you are correct. I wonder why they retained the same model number...

 

[retta283]

Indeed you are correct. I wonder why they retained the same model number...

I'd assume it's just because the casing is pretty much the same and it's a 13". Definitely makes it harder to find parts for.

 

[bunnspecial]

Not even a remote chance.

The 13" MBPs with this model designation all have an SD slot, single audio jack, and a firewire port. Also, the battery is "permanently" mounted in the case. The 13" aluminum unibody Macbook has separate audio in and out, no FW or SD, and a removable battery.

If you get into the unibody MBPs, there is SOME cross model compatibility, but even that gets iffy. I was given an early '11 13" with a dead lobo, and opted to put a mid-2012 in it. That WAS a drop in, and of course got me a newer generation of processor(ivy bridge vs. sandy bridge), USB 3.0, and a better GPU(HD4000 vs. HD3000). It can also run Mojave natively.

The LoBo swaps have to be looked at case-by-case though.