Heat Sink on MacBook Pro (mid 2012)

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Heat Sink on MacBook Pro (mid 2012)

I recently acquired a mid-2012 MacBook Pro that is in need of repair. The device was advertised by the seller as needing repair, and I wanted to experiment in repairing such a problem.

The MBP suffered the symptoms of a failed logic board - no power, LEDs don't light up on either the side of the Mac or the MagSafe Adapter. Per the tutorial on Ifixit.com, I took a look inside the laptop and was able to safely remove the logic board. As I examined the heat sink and the thermal paste connecting it to the processor, I found that the paste had completely dried up. In other words, as I completed part 3 of Step 27 ("Carefully remove the heat sink from the processor."), the heat sink could be removed immediately after I unscrewed it from the logic board - no need to use the spudger to loosen the paste. While examining the interior, the battery also seemed to have signs of wear (the screw tab closest to the optical drive appears cracked); no damage/leakage of battery cells detected.

What are my options at this point? Will it be worth it if I try to clean the old paste from the heat sink & processor, then reapply as instructed (on ifixit.com or other reputable DIY repair sites)? Or, because the battery is slightly damaged in addition to the lack of processor-to-heat sink connectivity, would it be easier/better in the long run to make an appointment at my nearest Apple Store for a Genius Bar consultation?

Thanks for any advice & comments!

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Sep 18, 2013 7:16 PM

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Answer 1

Sep 18, 2013 7:42 PM in response to Bludhound3

And why again are you worried about re-applying thermal paste to the heat sink to CPU on logic, ...since youve already indicated the logic board is fried....?

I assume you got a new logic and are asking about grabbing some white thermal paste off Ebay.....or?

😊

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Answer 2

Bludhound3 Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 18, 2013 9:06 PM in response to Bludhound3

Re: Heat Sink on MacBook Pro (mid 2012)

created by PlotinusVeritas in MacBook Pro - View the full discussion

This solved my question

This helped me

And why again are you worried about re-applying thermal paste to the heat sink to CPU on logic, ...since youve already indicated the logic board is fried....?

I assume you got a new logic and are asking about grabbing some white thermal paste off Ebay.....or?

😊

... or I'm basically seeking the opinions of more experienced members of the Community (such as yourself 😀) that can verify my attempt to personally fix the device are not worth it, and are better left to Apple's Geniuses.😝

Actually, I haven't gotten a new logic board yet. More or less, I was taking it apart for inspectional purposes only. I wasn't intending to remove the heat sink, but the thermal paste was already worn out. I am not sure if the logic board is fried, though after examining the whole laptop some more, the previous owner may have tried to do some fixing/upgrading and failed (foam missing, a bracket for the HDD missing also). I was examining the logic board to determine if there have been any liquid damages to the machine - none found, to the best of my knowledge.

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