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psanchez04

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 6, 2021
3
0
Hey, I know this looks like a stupid question but it's something I've genuinely been curious about. I have several 17" MBPs from 2006 that are pretty much useless due to their internal hardware, but I really love the design, size, and keyboard of those pre-unibody Macs.

I was thinking of removing all the internals, converting the trackpad/keyboard assembly to a USB connection: https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY/comments/1cj97n , and getting an adapter to convert the display panel into an HDMI input: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832856929475.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt&_randl_shipto=US

I was then planning on purchasing a used M1 MBA logic board off of eBay (along with a battery) and connecting the 'peripherals' to the logic board via a small usb c hub that could fit into the original housing. Hopefully there's a way to contain everything inside the 17" MBP.

The only issue that I'm currently facing is that there's no one online (that I can find) that has attempted something similar to this in a MacBook. Luke Miani tried something similar with a 2011 iMac, but my goal with this project is to utilize the original keyboard and trackpad along with the display.

I wanted to ask here to see if this is even possible. I'm sure there's one problem I haven't thought about yet, and I also want to know if anyone here has seen anyone attempt something like this online. I'm totally fine with figuring stuff out as I go, but a guide or two could be helpful along the way.

My last concern is that the logic board will reject the screen or keyboard, or just refuse to turn on. I don't know if M1 Macs are similar to iPhones where they can't handle part swapping, so any advice or knowledge regarding this would be appreciated.
 
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