ID'ing logic board parts

d2moffice

Is there any software that will tell you the part number on a macbook pro logic board?
I think I saw one in a youtube video once but was a quick glance, maybe industry secret?

John

Hi! Thanks for the post! There's no software that I have ever seen, although it's possible it could exist. All the OS will tell you is "late 2010", etc., and you can take that info and determine what board was most likely used in that production era. However, knowing that can be difficult and most often comes with repairing hundreds of laptops and having firsthand experience. It would be great if someone would come up with some kind of chart, but I've never found one, and I'm not confident enough in my own knowledge to make one and declare that it is accurate.

You can also look the serial number up everymac.com/ultimate-mac-lookup/ and it will give you all the info that the OS gives you, although, again, no board part number unfortunately. If you have the computer in your possession you can just open it up and get the model number off the board. If you are looking to buy a board, you can always buy one from someone who certifies that the board is "late 2010 MacBook Pro 13" or whatever, and as long as your laptop fits that description, you should be safe, because generally Apple will only use one model board for one model laptop during that production era.

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think Apple keeps it this way so that us non-certified techs have a more difficult time. I say that because it could be really easy, but it's just not, and the decision to make it a pain in the ass must have been deliberate.

Thanks!

John