What parts do I switch between two Macbooks?

[hjf]

This is a bit long, so please hang with me. I have used this forum for advice many, many times, but I have never posted.

So I have two 13.3 Macbooks that are pretty much the same.

Macbook A:

This I bought in 2007, used for a few months, and then spilled coffee on it. It was dead for years, and my son used it as a toy keyboard. Then, miraculously, it started up again. I have been using it to hook up to my TV to watch Netflix or to let my son play games on, but I guess I also kept it around to mine for parts.

Model Identifier: MacBook1,1
Processor Name: Intel Core Duo
Processor Speed: 1.83 GHz

Macbook B:

Model Identifier: MacBook2,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2 GHz

Bought immediately after spilling coffee on the other one in summer of 2007. Has worked swimmingly, until I managed to put a dent in the screen this morning by dropping my phone on it.


I am wondering what is the easier and cheapest way to give myself the best operating computer. Do I switch out the screens? If I did that, could I do that by myself? Would it be cheaper to just buy a new display and put it in myself?

Could I put the GB hard drive in this older macbook and try to run leopard on this slower processor? Is it possible to switch out the processor and HD instead of the display?

The only hardware experience I have is switching out a a HD, so the idea of swapping displays is a little scary, but less scary than calling apple and paying the cost of a new computer to replace a screen.

Anyway, if you have any advice on the easier solution, please offer!

Thanks in advance.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

You cannot switch the processors as they are soldered directly to the board. You can switch the HDDs just fine.

I imagine that the screens should be able to be switched without issue. I can't guarantee it, but they use the same screen and GPU, so I would think the connector would be the same.

 

[Serenity64]

I do similar repairs like the one you need to as a part time job so talking from experience, your safest and best bet is to fit the working screen from the older machine to the new machine with the cracked LCD. They are interchangeable, just make sure to be careful as the flex-cable and screen assembly are very fragile and the cable rips easily.

With that in mind, head over to ifixit's webpage and find an appropriate tutorial if you need it. I strongly recommend it though, especially since you have not done this repair before.

As for the liquid damaged machine, If the LCD top case is in better condition than the one with a broken LCD, you can exchange that as well if you feel the need to. I wouldn't do it though if it is not moderately damaged.