After some time, certain MacBook features will not be enough to feel comfortable working on the laptop. Upgrading the hardware allows a modernizing of performance and abilities of a notebook. So, let’s consider how to upgrade a MacBook and what ways are available for that.
How to Upgrade a MacBook Pro and MacBook Air
Upgrading is relatively painless for both models of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air; there are just a few screws to unscrew on the back, and voilà. You have access to components such as RAM, HDD/SSD, and even the optical drive that you can swap out with an additional storage bay.
Close to none are the upgradeability options available for the 12-inch MacBook, manufactured between 2015 and 2017; it’s just too thin and small to allow for any serious component replacement on your own.
Upgrading a MacBook Pro
What is upgradable in the 15- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models: replaceable SSD, logic board, and optical drive, which can be replaced by an additional storage slot; screen upgrade—the matte screen is installed with better resolution.
For the 13- and 14-inch models, the possibilities of upgrade depend on the year of manufacture. Generally, newer models are less repairable.
Upgrade the MacBook Air.
The earliest MacBook Air models, dated up to 2017, are much more upgradable than the new ones. For instance, the A1465 and A1466 models produced between 2012 and 2017 allow the following components to be changed: SSD, logic board, battery, and even keyboard with the trackpad.
For example, in A1932 (2018-2019) and A2179 (2020), in addition to the battery, it is possible to change the speakers and USB-C ports. However, the latest models, in fact, have even fewer upgrade options: A2337 and A2681, 2020-2022 release.
Upgrading Other MacBook Models
Older-generation MacBooks, such as the A1342, manufactured from 2009-2010, have the most different sets of upgrade options in RAM, HDD/SSD, optical drive replacement with an additional storage slot, and many other components. Meanwhile, in the new generation, A1534 from 2015-2017, it is possible to replace the battery, speakers, and the USB-C ports, thus rendering them almost irreparable compared with their ancestors.
Any upgrade to a MacBook should be carried out with original Apple components. If an upgrade is done wrong, it can kill the device, so if you are unsure of what to do, then better not to do it at all, or seek professional help in doing so.