My Covid MacBook Retina Project

[pigoo3]

This was my first time repairing keys on the newer MBP.

I've done this before...pretty nasty the stuff that can accumulate under the keys!

I'm always a little fearful when popping off the key caps...that either the key cap itself will break/crack...or the key mechanism itselfwill get damaged (takes a fair amount of upward force to pop the key caps off).

- Nick

 

[pigoo3]

This is my 2.0GHz retina after rebuilding it:

Is this MacBook Pro #1 completed...of the two MacBook Pro rebuild project?

If so...it looks really great. Nice job!

- Nick

 

[iggibar]

Sure!

This is the kit that I have:
iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit

I just like having a uniform set, but you don't really need all the extra parts.
This bare kit will do just fine as well:
iFixit Mako 64 bit kit

 

[iggibar]

The 2.2GHz is the first one I started building, and the 2.0GHz is the second one(the one that got chewed up by the St Bernard LOL).

I completed the the 1st one,, swapped in the SSD that already had OSX installed so I can boot and test it. Everything was fine, so I set it aside to finish #2. However, after finishing #2, I went back to #1 and tried to install a new OS. Unfortunately, I am getting stuck in the OS install loop. Have never had this issue before. I've tried ALL my OSX USB flash drives, and they all lead to the same problem. I also swapped the 970 with the stock SSD and still the same problem. Right now, I have the stock SSD just to rule out any extra issues going forward, and have it attempting to install Catalina but is in a boot loop. I'm just going to let it sit until some magic happens.

The 2.0GHz is completed, and is running on Catalina. I swapped the 970 EVO into it and is running...FAST...SUPER SUPER FAST!!


I got something new in though:

13" Early 2014 Macbook Air that my bud's girlfriend smashed on the table lol






The screen somehow still works perfectly fine somehow!

 

[PGB1]

I hope you beat this virus with minimal problems. (Or, preferably, no problems at all!)
Your FrankenMac project is very interesting and your documentation is quite informative.

If you get stuck for parts, I've always had very good luck buying from PowerBookMedic. The prices are good, the service great and they have repair manuals free.

Paul

 

[pigoo3]

I got something new in though:

13" Early 2014 Macbook Air that my bud's girlfriend smashed on the table lol

OMG...I can just imagine (mental picture) what she did to that MacBook Air. I'm gonna have nightmares tonight!!!

- Nick

 

[iggibar]

So I ended up having a bit of good luck. I kept the 2.2GHz MBP in the Catalina installation boot sequence on its own to see if it maybe just needed to reboot a lot of time.
Well, after countless disk wipes, confirming disk permissions and repairing it a few times, it seems Catalina has been installed! Yeeeessssss! Not sure why it took so long, but I have a feeling it was a combination of a couple things related to SMC. Resetting the SMC was the most recent thing I did before letting it sit alone, and it installed without issue.

This is the keyboard. The blue doesn't really show up well in photos, but looks sweet in person


They are now 100% working and on Catalina!

 

[iggibar]

Now owning FOUR Macbook Pro 15" retina models, I thought it would be interesting to compare the disk speed tests, along with my 'trash can' Mac Pro. Results are a little surprising. I used BlackMagic Disk Speed Test on all of them.

NONE of them compare to the amount of CONSTANT use I get out of the Mac Pro. It's never shut off! I'll donate a limb before I give up my Mac Pro.

I tried to make the photos as uniform as possible, and shrinking/compressing the photos to fit on here kind of made them fuzzy, but still ok.

Starting with the Mid 2014 15" 2.2GHz Retina MBP that's using a Samsung 970 EVO nVME SSD. Results are pretty good. Spikes around 1500MB/s and comes down after a while of testing. Normal for Blackmagic.


Up next is the Late 2013 15" 2.0GHz Retina MBP. This is using a standard issue 128gb SSD from Apple. Results are...abysmal in my opinion, but that's ok because this is not a computer intended for any kind of heavy use. However, the one next is interesting.


This is my Late 2013 15" 2.3GHz Dual Graphics 15" Retina MBP. It is also using a standard Apple SSD, but the write speed is noticeably higher. This is my work computer, and it's PERFECT! Wouldn't change a thing on it.


This is my '2018' 15" 2.2GHz MBP. This is a beast! Goes HAM on everything! LOVEITLOVEITLOVEIT!!!


And my work horse- my Late 2013 with upgraded 10-core processor, stock SSD, and upgraded 64gb OWC ram. I think because this is always kept on, and it has so much ram, you don't really notice the 'slower' SSD performance. The number is slow on paper, but if I'm not complaining, I'm not changing out SSDs for nothing. Most of the data I store is either tied into my WD Cloud or connected HDDs, which is can't really improve on speed anyways.


I thought this was an interesting comparison. Still annoyed that I can't get the pics to be in higher resolution though.
Hint hint hint guys...up the max allowed resolution lol

 

[iggibar]

I hate to report this, but I had a horrific issue happen with the 2.0GHz MBP that I have ALWAYS been fearing since MagSafe was first introduced.

I've been in bed resting a lot lately, and I was using the 2.0GHz MBP. Everything was running SUPER smooth. I was designing and planning a basement room addition so I can have a room where I do electronics repairs. After a while, the battery dipped below 20%, and I went to plug it in. As soon as I plug the MagSafe in...."POPPP sissss". I yanked the MagSafe out and pulled it off the wall outlet. The computer turned off, but kept hissing and smelling. I got up and rushed to take the computer outside. What surprised me even more is that the MBP kept making noise and smelling like it was burning for about a few minutes(long enough to leave my room upstairs and make it outside to the deck. What I had not realized was that a very small tiny piece of metal, which kind of looked like the end of a broken staple, had gotten magnetized to it, and made contact with the connections when I went to plug it in. With no easy way to remove all power from it, it pretty much just kept frying itself. After I opened it up, I noticed the charging board showed burn damage, a voltage controller chip was FRIED, and the CIRRUS audio area that stems from that same voltage controller was damaged as well. The voltage controller chip burned the whole area down to the board. The CIRRUS chip looks ok after removing it, but everything around it got heated to the point the solder flowed around the capacitors into balls! That's hot!

This kind of damage blew my mind! And the MagSafe pins are now black! For a short on the MagSafe port to travel this far into the logic-board is NOT SAFE AT ALL! If this would have gone just a bit further down to the battery, it easily could have cause a lithium fire!
I'm going to try to repair this board, but only as an experiment. I ordered a replacement board to put back into the computer.

 

[chscag]

Hey Iggy:

Glad you're okay and was able to stop the damage before it cause a Lithium fire.

Lithium fires are super dangerous. Around 20 years ago a FedEx 747 carrying Lithium batteries out of Saudi Arabia was brought down with the loss of the crew, aircraft, and cargo because of a Lithium battery fire in the cargo hold. Saw the whole saga of the accident on the Smithsonian channel awhile back.

 

[pigoo3]

...a very small tiny piece of metal, which kind of looked like the end of a broken staple, had gotten magnetized to it, and made contact with the connections when I went to plug it in.

This unfortunately would seem to be a weakness with the Magsafe system. Even though the magsafe port & magsafe connector on the cord seem to be designed to minimize larger pieces of metal from interfering/cross-contacting 2 or more magsafe pins...I guess nothing is perfect & it can happen.

I've actually had some similar concerns with my MacBook Air. Unlike my MacBook Pro's...on my MacBook Air...one of the USB ports is right next to the MagSafe port. And since the USB connector is similar in shape & size to the magsafe connector...I have a few times (without looking) accidentally tried to plug a USB device into the magsafe port.

The USB cable connector fits perfectly inside the opening for the magsafe port...and when the metal USB connector gets close enough to the magsafe port...the strong magnet inside the magsafe port will "pull" (via magnetism)...the metal USB connector right into the magsafe port.

On the positive side...it would seem that this is a VERY rare event. Since this is the very first time I've ever heard someone's Apple portable computer get damaged in this way. I'm sure if I scoured the internet...I could find more examples...but in everyday interactions with Apple users (in person or internet forum)...this is the first time ever hearing of this.

Sorry to hear your MacBook Pro got damaged iggbar...definitely a great reminder to all of us to be VERY careful with metal around a magsafe port or magsafe cord connector!

Thanks,

- Nick

 

[iggibar]

This unfortunately would seem to be a weakness with the Magsafe system. Even though the magsafe port & magsafe connector on the cord seem to be designed to minimize larger pieces of metal from interfering/cross-contacting 2 or more magsafe pins...I guess nothing is perfect & it can happen.

I've actually had some similar concerns with my MacBook Air. Unlike my MacBook Pro's...on my MacBook Air...one of the USB ports is right next to the MagSafe port. And since the USB connector is similar in shape & size to the magsafe connector...I have a few times (without looking) accidentally tried to plug a USB device into the magsafe port.

The USB cable connector fits perfectly inside the opening for the magsafe port...and when the metal USB connector gets close enough to the magsafe port...the strong magnet inside the magsafe port will "pull" (via magnetism)...the metal USB connector right into the magsafe port.

On the positive side...it would seem that this is a VERY rare event. Since this is the very first time I've ever heard someone's Apple portable computer get damaged in this way. I'm sure if I scoured the internet...I could find more examples...but in everyday interactions with Apple users (in person or internet forum)...this is the first time ever hearing of this.

Sorry to hear your MacBook Pro got damaged iggbar...definitely a great reminder to all of us to be VERY careful with metal around a magsafe port or magsafe cord connector!

Thanks,

- Nick

Yeah, stuff happens I guess. I'm not really mad about anything though. I still would prefer to have MagSafe over the USB that the new MBPs have. The replacement logicboard came in this morning and I installed it. Everything is back to working order with the 2.0GHz. I also bought a digital microscope to learn with. Thought it was about time I learn to use one since my eyes aren't getting any better. Everything came in today...felt like santa came early opening up a bunch of new boxes LOL. I'm still going to attempt to fix the burned logic board. I feel as though the voltage chip can be rewired with jumper wire, but I took off the Cirrus chip and found some of the pathways to be stripped which could cause a short. Either way, I think I have another board for donor parts.

I've learned from life...things don't always go well if you stick things somewhere unexpectedly

Hey Iggy:

Glad you're okay and was able to stop the damage before it cause a Lithium fire.

Lithium fires are super dangerous. Around 20 years ago a FedEx 747 carrying Lithium batteries out of Saudi Arabia was brought down with the loss of the crew, aircraft, and cargo because of a Lithium battery fire in the cargo hold. Saw the whole saga of the accident on the Smithsonian channel awhile back.

I think I know the flight you're talking about. There's a video of it going down in front of a car driving by that I remember seeing a few years ago if it's the same flight. I used to build batteries, and haven't done so for about 5 years now. Have had a few close calls with batteries that taught be to react very quickly when something feels wrong with a battery. We had a lithium battery on a Toyota towmotor that 'caught on fire' after someone thought it was a good idea to wash the tow-motor down with a hose. And it was a newer tow-motor that is foot and joystick controlled. A $50k tow-motor destroyed by water and a battery. The fire lasted almost all day!! It got so hot that we wrapped a chain around the thing and had to yank it away from the building for safety with help from the fire department. The metal housing/back crevice that the battery sits in had gotten warped from the crazy heat.