Is it possible to swap/transfer the board from a M1 MBP to an identical one?

HWTech wrote:

The other concern which affects any used Apple Logic Board or used Mac is the Logic Board may be locked or disabled by a previous owner (or could be disabled by them if the previous owner did not relinquish control before selling the Mac). Sometimes this external management may not be readily apparent. If you end up accidentally locking/disabling the Mac, then you probably will never be able to re-enable it since you won't be able to prove you are the legitimate owner since Apple requires valid proof of purchase (notes from a seller or receipt from an unauthorized seller won't be enough).

I believe the OP is trying to use a believed good logic board with full access in a chassis where the logic board is essentially disposable with the intent of replacing that with the "good" board.

y_p_w wrote:

I believe the OP is trying to use a believed good logic board with full access in a chassis where the logic board is essentially disposable with the intent of replacing that with the "good" board.

Yes.

I had a little bit of time and did discover that it probably will work. I don't know if there will be any other side effects from not having all the components paired. Since the OP already has the spare system, I guess we may find out. Actually looking forward to the results of this transfer.

I forgot that the OP will also need to transfer the TouchID button from the other laptop since TouchID functionality is paired between the TouchID and the Logic Board. If another TouchID button is used with the Logic Board, then TouchID fingerprint recognition will not work. If it is anything like an iPad, then the OS may pop up notifications about TouchID not being available when powering on the device. The on/off function of the TouchID will still function though as it is still just a basic switch.

I don't think it will work since Apple needs to pair the various parts on the 2018+ models much like they do with the iPhones. Even if it would "work" (notice the quotes), some functionality may be reduced such as TrueTone, HDR, and possibly some macOS features may not work due to "security issues" because everything is not paired (HD streaming services, ApplePay/Wallet, etc.). I have yet to try swapping a Logic Board on a 2018+ Mac, but these would be my concerns.

There is no way for anyone (even Apple or AASP) to properly pair the parts except when the tech purchases the parts directly from Apple through a service account...even then there are limitations & restrictions.

If you were dealing with 2017 or earlier models, then there would be no problems except for the system serial number not matching.

Since you have already purchased another broken laptop, I guess you are committed if you are not going to pay for an official repair. If you attempt this transfer, please let us know how it goes.

The other concern which affects any used Apple Logic Board or used Mac is the Logic Board may be locked or disabled by a previous owner (or could be disabled by them if the previous owner did not relinquish control before selling the Mac). Sometimes this external management may not be readily apparent. If you end up accidentally locking/disabling the Mac, then you probably will never be able to re-enable it since you won't be able to prove you are the legitimate owner since Apple requires valid proof of purchase (notes from a seller or receipt from an unauthorized seller won't be enough).

andook wrote:

Hello guys, good afternoon. I have a question about whether it is possible to transfer the Mainboard of an M1 MBP to another identical one. Context: I have an M1 MBP and had an accident involving alcohol, in which the equipment suffered only cosmetic damage (the screen has moisture marks and parts of the keyboard, including the touch bar, do not turn on but still work). I managed to get an identical one (which doesn't boot from the disk due to some unknown problem), with the same specifications and in excellent cosmetic condition (everything works: screen, keyboard, touch bar).

My question is, is it possible to transfer the chip from the working cosmetic damaged MacBook to the other one good state, non-booting? Would it work the same? Or I would like to know what other options I have.

Thanks in advance!!

The board would have to be flashed to match the serial number of the existing Mac, registered to your AppleID, warranty etc. I suspect Apple would refuse the job...

no way to guarantee anything...

It seems not prudent approach on a Mac that has an unknown issue to begin with:

" an identical one (which doesn't boot from the disk due to some unknown problem)"

In reality you have two Macs with board issues.

Apple certainly won't do it. The board is one unit and removing chips from it is generally a bad idea - especially with the way Apple does encryption from the flash memory to the CPU.

You might be able to find a third party shop to do it. Not sure they could guarantee that it would work though because they have no way of knowing if all the parts they would put together actually work. But if you have one board that you're sure is good and a chassis where you know everything is good other than one board component, it might be worth a try. Apple doesn't support anything like that and would probably reject any hardware service if the serial number on the chassis doesn't match that on the logic board. Even if it works, you probably wouldn't be able to get something as basic as a battery replacement service from Apple.