Lmst

Upgrading An Old Macbook With an Old Processor https://hackaday.com/2026/02/08/upgrading-an-old-macbook-with-an-old-processor/
#Computerhacks #MacHacks #Coreduo #Core2duo #Desoldering #Firmware #Heat #Hotplate #Macbook #Macbookpro #Processor #Soldering #Upgrade

Upgrading An Old Macbook With an Old Processor

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/02/08/upgrading-an-old-macbook-with-an-old-processor/

<div><img alt="" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="450" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/core2duo-upgrade-main.png?w=800" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" width="800" /></div><p>The Core Duo processor from Intel may not have been the first multi-core processor available to consumers, but it was arguably the one that brought it to the masses. Unfortunately, the first Core Duo chips were limited to 32-bit at a time when the industry was shifting toward 64-bit. The Core 2 Duo eventually filled this gap, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bEsigp_oG4" target="_blank">[dosdude1] recently completed an upgrade to a Macbook Pro</a> that he had always wanted to do by replacing the Core Duo processor it had originally with a Core 2 Duo from a dead motherboard.</p>
<p>The upgrade does require a bit more tooling than many of us may have access too, but the process isn’t completely out of reach, and centers around desoldering the donor processor and making sure the new motherboard gets heated appropriately when removing the old chip and installing the new one. These motherboards had an issue of moisture ingress which adds a pre-heating step that had been the cause of [dosdude1]’s failures in previous attempts. But with the new chip cleaned up, prepared with solder balls, and placed on the new motherboard it was ready to solder into its new home.</p>
<p>Upon booting the upgraded machine, the only hiccup seemed to

Meine billige Entloetpumpe ist gerade kaputt gegangen, der Metall Stab ist aus dem Plastik "Stoessel" gerutscht und Ende. Ich will keine Entloetstation kaufen. Ich hätte aber gerne eine Pumpe die mehr als 25 Lötstellen schafft bevor sie auseinander fällt. Tips? #retrocomputing #repairs #desoldering #entloeten Also ... pinging @janbeta? 😉

My first attempt at desoldering a BGA chip and it worked really well. Chip cleaned up nicely as well.

Disclaimer: I don't plan on using this chip or board again. So, I don't need it to work at the end.

#retrocomputing
#desoldering

picture of the board without the CPU. lots of little solder balls show where it used to be.

the underside of an UltraSPARC chip with lots of left over solder blobs in it.

an UltraSPARC chip sitting on a silicone mat seperate from the processor board. the top is all dirty from where the heatsink was attached.

an UltraSPARC chip all cleaned up and looking shiny. it's propped up against the edge of a metal plate to dry.

I tried desoldering using my Hakko FR-300, but the tight holes made it a difficult process, and I destroyed a (nonessential) pad even after reflowing it. After doing some research, I found that adding low-temperature solder (here, ChipQuik SMDLTLFP, melting point 138C/281F) did the trick. I was able to set the desoldering gun at its lowest setting, and ended up with clean holes.

Occasionally I'd have to go onto the component side of the board and reflow one of the power pins again, but in the end it was pretty smooth. Wiggle the pins a bit to unstick them, and they come out with only a little persuasion.

#AppleII #retrocomputing #desoldering

Closeup of the solder side of the board for a 16-pin chip, showing the original soldering job.

Closeup of the solder side of the board for a 16-pin chip, showing ChipQuik solder having been added, but not yet reflowed.

Closeup of the solder side of the board for a 16-pin chip, showing the solder joints reflowed with low-temperature solder.

Closeup of the solder side of the board for a 16-pin chip, showing the result of desoldering. Clean holes!

Finally got a Hakko FR301; Japanese version that I am going to convert to the US version cheaply. VERY excited to use this.

#Soldering #Desoldering #DIY #Maker #electronics #tools

Why is #desoldering so much harder than #soldering?

New video! The pump in my ZD-915 desoldering station stopped working! Let's investigate and try to fix it!

YouTube: https://youtu.be/QP5PTcFVfT4
PeerTube: https://makertube.net/w/g2iCf6nb8ZMmDwwf14FC6U

#ZD915 #DesolderingStation #VacuumPump #Repair #Mechanics #Pump #Desoldering #SolderSucker #Moo

Thumbnail for my video. My desoldering station (with the lid of the case opened), my multimeter (with the leads attached to the desoldering station pump motor) and a random C64 circuit board on my workbench. The overlayed text reads "I LOST MY MOO-JO!" and a cow emoji is pictured next to the text.

Flying to Hotlanta today for a conference. Decided not to bring a radio and to just tune around on websdr. If I have any free time, priorities will be learning about WSPR, WSJT-X & Olivia and desoldering SMD IC chips.

I’m receiving WSPR signals but my tx is not being spotted. Got a qrz-unknown callsign on a boat just north of Dominican Republic on the tropic of cancer yesterday!

#wspr #websdr #smd #desoldering #olivia

map showing two green dots north of islands in the Bahamas

This seems like an awful lot of work just to upgrade an old #XBox, but the process of #desoldering an old #CPU and #resoldering is fascinating!

It's like watching Bob Ross paint, he makes it look so easy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqeXik2hBMw

#electronics #soldering #repair #hardware

.. so I was getting irritated that I'm no good at #desoldering large circuit board components, and one thing lead to another, and now I'm the happy owner of a relatively cheap #Chinese #WEP948 de-soldering station. To my surprise, it's not complete crap - it's actually pretty decent. Let the #vintagecomputing repairs begin! 🙂

#electronics #soldering

Stock photo of the W.E.P 498 de-soldering station.

DIY FYI: Desoldering Header Pins

https://makertube.net/w/8yimUa2GDVez7GB5Lpf15Q

Comparing #desoldering tools via Hackaday #soldering #electronics

https://hackaday.com/2024/04/07/comparing-desoldering-tools/

A little bit of success, I was able to unsolder this 9 pin switch #desoldering #soldering

I'm going to go flux crazy. I love to solder, but desoldering has been my down fall, and solder flux is the answer #soldering #desoldering

https://youtu.be/Vou2xlJkuoU?feature=shared

Leaky SMD Electrolytics? Try These Brute Force Removal Methods https://hackaday.com/2023/11/12/leaky-smd-electrolytics-try-these-brute-force-removal-methods/ #electrolytic #RepairHacks #desoldering #destructive #bruteforce #capacitor #recapping #smd

When you're too lazy to turn on the hot air station, but need to desolder some SMT chip: https://youtu.be/5vvSg-I8Ymw

#soldering #desoldering

So I have a couple of ICs to remove from my #bbcmaster 128 PCB. These are bog standard through hole components. I was toying with the idea of using my hot air station, but is it advisable to use this on old PCBs? I had an issue before with a #commodore #vic20 PCB that seemed to bubble and warp with very little heat... #desoldering

After I have seen the gear of @svenpetersen191, I decided to up my desoldering game and got me this desoldering gun. The SS-331H is basically the same as the ZD-915. It's a fairly cheap Chinese product. But I noticed a lot of other people working on vintage gear use it.

So far I've used a suction pump, solder wick and a heat gun, which got me through. The heat gun works well for SMD stuff. But it's a beast and am always scared of using it on old hardware. #RetroComputing #Electronics #Soldering #Desoldering

#desoldering

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