- Upgrade the memory of nearly any iMac, MacBook Pro, Mac Pro, or Mac mini. Save money by trading in your original memory chips for a cash rebate.
- How do you upgrade or replace the storage in the 'Mid-2013,' 'Early 2014' and 'Early 2015' and '2017' MacBook Air models? Is it even possible? Note that EveryMac.com provides storage upgrade instructions for earlier MacBook Air models - the original, 'Late 2008,' and 'Mid-2009,' 'Late 2010 and 'Mid-2011,' and 'Mid-2012' lines, too.
- Upgrade Macbook Air 2013 Ram
- Upgrade Ram Macbook Air 2013
- Replacing Macbook Air 2013 Battery
- Ssd Replacement Macbook Air 2013
- Replacement Keyboard Macbook Air 2013
- Upgrade Macbook Air 2013
Retina Display MacBook Pro FAQ @ EveryMac.com
Revision Published January 28, 2021
Also see: MacBook Pro Specs | All Mac Q&As
EveryMac.com's 'Retina Display' MacBook Pro Q&A answers questions about the 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 MacBook Pro models that are crafted from a single piece of aluminum and have a 13-Inch or 15-Inch 'Retina Display.'
Upgrade Macbook Air 2013 Ram
Testing conducted by Apple in October 2020 using preproduction MacBook Air systems with Apple M1 chip and 8-core GPU, as well as production 1.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7-based MacBook Air systems with Intel Iris Plus Graphics, all configured with 16GB RAM and 2TB SSD. Tested with prerelease Shapr3D 3.45.0 using a 288.2MB model.
These notebooks do not have a name on the display bezel (they only have 'MacBook Pro' text on the bottom of the notebook). They also lack an optical drive, so collective identification is possible by these two points alone. However, they additionally can be spotted by model numbers A1398, A1425 and A1502.
Questions range from 'How do you upgrade or replace the storage in the Retina Display MacBook Pro models? Is it even possible?' to 'Is there a 'hack' to switch between graphics processors on the Retina Display MacBook Pro models manually?' and include everything in between.
Please note that all Retina Display MacBook Pro models have been discontinued.
The previous 'Unibody' MacBook and MacBook Pro systems have 'MacBook' or 'MacBook Pro' text on the bottom display bezel and have internal optical drives.
These 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch notebooks are model numbers A1278, A1286, and A1297, respectively.
EveryMac.com offers separate 'Unibody' MacBook Q&A and 'Unibody' MacBook Pro Q&A that cover these earlier models.
EveryMac.com covers earlier 'pre-Unibody' MacBook Pro models, sold from 2006 until 2008, in the Original MacBook Pro Q&A as well as later 'Touch Bar' MacBook Pro models, sold from 2016 to 2021, in the 'Touch Bar' MacBook Pro Q&A and current MacBook Pro models in the 'Apple Silicon' MacBook Pro Q&A.
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Most Frequently Asked Retina Display MacBook Pro Q&As:
What are all the differences between the 13-Inch 'Early 2015' Retina Display MacBook Pro models? What are the differences between these models and the 'Mid-2014' models replaced?
How do you upgrade or replace the storage in the 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models? Is it the same storage and process as the 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? Is it possible?
How can you 'force' or 'hack' the Retina Display MacBook Pro models to run at the native resolution or otherwise fit more on screen than by default?
What are all the differences between the 13-Inch 'Early 2015' and the 15-Inch 'Mid-2015' Retina Display MacBook Pro models?
How do you upgrade or replace the storage in the 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models? Is it even possible?
How fast are the 13-Inch 'Early 2015' MacBook Pro models compared to one another? How fast are they compared to the models replaced?
What are all the differences between the 15-Inch 'Mid-2015' Retina Display MacBook Pro models? What are the differences between these models and the 'Mid-2014' models replaced?
What are the major differences between the 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro, the 'regular' 13-Inch MacBook Pro, and the 13-Inch MacBook Air?
Is there a 'hack' to switch between graphics processors on the Retina Display MacBook Pro models manually?
How fast are the 15-Inch 'Mid-2015' MacBook Pro models compared to one another? How fast are they compared to the models replaced?
Software Compatibility Q&As:
What version of OS X is pre-installed on the Retina Display MacBook Pro models?
Can the Retina Display MacBook Pro run Mac OS X software written for the PowerPC processor?
How do you install software on the Retina Display MacBook Pro without an optical drive?
How do you restore the operating system on the Retina Display MacBook Pro models?
Can the Retina Display MacBook Pro run iPad apps?
Can the Retina Display MacBook Pro run Windows or Linux?
Comparison & Performance Q&As (15' Mid-2015):
What are all the differences between the 15-Inch 'Mid-2015' Retina Display MacBook Pro models? What are the differences between these models and the 'Mid-2014' models replaced?
What are all the differences between the 13-Inch 'Early 2015' and the 15-Inch 'Mid-2015' Retina Display MacBook Pro models?
How fast are the 15-Inch 'Mid-2015' MacBook Pro models compared to one another? How fast are they compared to the models replaced?
What are the 'pros and cons' of the 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models? Is one right for me?
Comparison & Performance Q&As (13' Early 2015):
What are all the differences between the 13-Inch 'Early 2015' and the 15-Inch 'Mid-2015' Retina Display MacBook Pro models?
What are all the differences between the 13-Inch 'Early 2015' Retina Display MacBook Pro models? What are the differences between these models and the 'Mid-2014' models replaced?
What are the major differences between the 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro, the 'regular' 13-Inch MacBook Pro, and the 13-Inch MacBook Air?
How fast are the 13-Inch 'Early 2015' MacBook Pro models compared to one another? How fast are they compared to the models replaced?
What are the 'pros and cons' of the 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? Is it for me?
Comparison & Performance Q&As (13' & 15' Mid-2014):
What are all the differences between the 13-Inch and 15-Inch 'Mid-2014' Retina Display MacBook Pro models?
What are all the differences between the 'Mid-2014' Retina Display MacBook Pro models and the 'Late 2013' models replaced?
What are the major differences between the 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro, the 'regular' 13-Inch MacBook Pro, and the 13-Inch MacBook Air?
How fast are the 13-Inch and 15-Inch 'Mid-2014' MacBook Pro models compared to one another? How fast are they compared to the models replaced? How fast are they compared to the MacBook Air?
What is the 'real-world' battery life of the 'Mid-2014' 13-Inch and 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? How does the battery life compare to earlier models?
What are the 'pros and cons' of the 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? Is it for me?
What are the 'pros and cons' of the 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models? Is one right for me?
Comparison & Performance Q&As (13' & 15' Late 2013):
What are all the differences between the 13-Inch and 15-Inch 'Late 2013' Retina Display MacBook Pro models?
What are all the differences between the 'Late 2013' Retina Display MacBook Pro models and the 'Early 2013' models replaced?
What are the major differences between the 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro, the 'regular' 13-Inch MacBook Pro, and the 13-Inch MacBook Air?
How fast are the 13-Inch and 15-Inch 'Late 2013' MacBook Pro models compared to one another? How fast are they compared to the models replaced? How fast are they compared to the 13-Inch MacBook Air?
What is the 'real-world' battery life of the 'Late 2013' 13-Inch and 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? How does the battery life compare to earlier models?
What are the 'pros and cons' of the 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? Is it for me?
What are the 'pros and cons' of the 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models? Is one right for me?
Comparison & Performance Q&As (13' & 15' Early 2013):
What are all the differences between the 13-Inch and 15-Inch 'Early 2013' Retina Display MacBook Pro models?
What are all the differences between the 13-Inch 'Early 2013' Retina Display MacBook Pro models and the 'Late 2012' models replaced?
What are all the differences between the 15-Inch 'Early 2013' Retina Display MacBook Pro models and the 'Mid-2012' models replaced?
What are the major differences between the 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro, the 'regular' 13-Inch MacBook Pro, and the 13-Inch MacBook Air? Which is best for me?
How fast are the 13-Inch and 15-Inch 'Early 2013' MacBook Pro models compared to one another? How fast are they compared to the models replaced? How fast are they compared to the 13-Inch MacBook Air?
What is the 'real-world' battery life of the 'Early 2013' 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? How does the battery life compare to the 15-Inch Retina Display and 13-Inch 'Mid-2012' non-Retina Display MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models?
What are the 'pros and cons' of the 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? Is it for me?
What are the 'pros and cons' of the 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models? Is one right for me?
Comparison & Performance Q&As (13' Late 2012):
What are all the differences between the 13-Inch 'Late 2012' Retina Display MacBook Pro models?
What are the major differences between the 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro, the 'regular' 13-Inch MacBook Pro, and the 13-Inch MacBook Air?
What are all the differences between the 13-Inch 'Late 2012' Retina Display MacBook Pro and the 15-Inch 'Mid-2012' Retina Display MacBook Pro?
How fast are the 13-Inch Retina Display 'Late 2012' MacBook Pro models compared to one another? How fast are they compared to the 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro, 13-Inch non-Retina Display MacBook Pro, and 13-Inch MacBook Air 'Mid-2012' models?
What is the 'real-world' battery life of the 'Late 2012' 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? How does the battery life compare to the 15-Inch Retina Display and 13-Inch 'Mid-2012' non-Retina Display MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models?
What are the 'pros and cons' of the 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? Is it for me?
Comparison & Performance Q&As (15' Mid-2012):
What are all the differences between the 15-Inch Retina Display 'Mid-2012' MacBook Pro models?
What are all the differences between the 'Mid-2012' regular MacBook Pro and 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro?
How fast are the 'Mid-2012' 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models compared to one another? How fast are they compared to the 'regular' Mid-2012 MacBook Pro and the models replaced?
How fast is the graphics performance of the 'Mid-2012' 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models compared to the models replaced?
What is the 'real-world' battery life of the 'Mid-2012' 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? How does the battery life compare to the 'regular' Mid-2012 MacBook Pro and the models replaced?
What are the 'pros and cons' of the 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models? Is one right for me?
Upgrades & Expansion Q&As:
What custom processor options are available for the Retina Display MacBook Pro models? Do they have a processor that can be upgraded?
How do you upgrade the RAM in the Retina Display MacBook Pro models? What type of RAM do they use? How much RAM do they actually support? Is it even possible to upgrade the RAM?
How do you upgrade or replace the storage in the 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models? Is it even possible?
How do you upgrade or replace the storage in the 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models? Is it the same storage and process as the 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? Is it possible?
Is it possible to add a second SSD or hard drive to a Retina Display MacBook Pro?
Which SD card storage solution is best for the Retina Display MacBook Pro? Which models are compatible? Is this type of storage safe?
What kind of expansion slots are provided by the Retina Display MacBook Pro models?
Display & Video Q&As:
How can you 'force' or 'hack' the Retina Display MacBook Pro models to run at the native resolution or otherwise fit more on screen than by default?
What type of video processor is provided by the Retina Display MacBook Pro models? Is it 'dedicated' or 'integrated' memory? Is it upgradable?
Is there a 'hack' to switch between graphics processors on the Retina Display MacBook Pro models manually?
How many external displays can the Retina Display MacBook Pro models support? What is the maximum supported resolution of each? Are adapters required?
What is 'Thunderbolt'? Is it an industry standard? What advantages does it offer? Are there any disadvantages?
Battery, Power & Connectivity Q&As:
What is the 'real-world' battery life of the 'Late 2013' and 'Mid-2014' 13-Inch and 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? How does the battery life compare to earlier models?
What is the 'real-world' battery life of the 'Mid-2012' and 'Early 2013' 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? How does the battery life compare to the 'regular' Mid-2012 MacBook Pro and the models replaced?
What is the 'real-world' battery life of the 'Late 2012' and 'Early 2013' 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? How does the battery life compare to the 15-Inch Retina Display and 13-Inch 'Mid-2012' non-Retina Display MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models?
How do you replace the battery in the 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? Is it even possible?
How do you replace the battery in the 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro? Is it more or less difficult than the 15-Inch Retina Display models? Is it possible?
What is the difference between the 'MagSafe 2' power connector on the Retina Display MacBook Pro and the 'MagSafe' power connector on earlier MacBook Pro models? Are they interchangeable?
How is it possible to physically secure the Retina Display MacBook Pro without a security port?
What is 'Thunderbolt'? Is it an industry standard? What advantages does it offer? Are there any disadvantages?
What is HDMI?
What is 802.11n? How is it different from 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a?
What is 802.11ac? How is it different from 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11c, 802.11g, and 802.11n?
Design, Configuration, & Purchasing Q&As:
Who designed the Retina Display MacBook Pro?
Where can I buy a Retina Display MacBook Pro?
What are the custom configuration options for the Retina Display MacBook Pro models?
What are the 'pros and cons' of the 13-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models? Is one for me?
What are the 'pros and cons' of the 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models? Is one right for me?
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EveryMac.com is provided 'as is' without warranty of any kind whatsoever. EveryMac.com, and the author thereof, shall not be held responsible or liable, under any circumstances, for any damages resulting from the use or inability to use the information within. For complete disclaimer and copyright information please read and understand the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy before using EveryMac.com. Use of any content or images without expressed permission is not allowed, although links to any page are welcomed and appreciated.
MacBook Air Q&A
Update Published January 27, 2021
All Mac Q&As >>MacBook Air Q&A (Home) | Also See: All MacBook Air Specs
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How do you upgrade or replace the storage in the 'Mid-2013,' 'Early 2014' and 'Early 2015' and '2017' MacBook Air models? Is it even possible?
Note that EveryMac.com provides storage upgrade instructions for earlier MacBook Air models -- the original, 'Late 2008,' and 'Mid-2009,'Late 2010 and 'Mid-2011,' and 'Mid-2012' lines, too.
By default, the 'Mid-2013,' 'Early 2014,' and 'Early 2015' and '2017' MacBook Air models all shipped with 128 GB or 256 GB of SSD storage. Some configurations could be upgraded to 512 GB of SSD storage at the time of purchase for an extra US$300, but Apple does not intend for one to upgrade the SSD module after purchase.
Nevertheless, the SSD is a removable module and it is quite possible for a technical user to upgrade the SSD himself or herself.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Left - 11' MacBook Air, Right - 13' MacBook Air)
Identification Help
As these MacBook Air models share Model Numbers with other lines, so this identifier is not suitable for the purpose of upgrading the SSD.
However, these models can be readily identified externally via EMC Number and in software by Model Identifier.
To locate the model identifier in software, select 'About This Mac' under the Apple Menu on your computer and click the 'More Info...' button. If the iMac is running OS X 10.7 'Lion' or later, you will need to click the 'System Report' button after clicking 'More Info...' as well. As always, EveryMac.com has carefully hand documented each EMC number and model identifier for your convenience.
The identifiers for each of these MacBook Air models follow:
MacBook Air | Subfamily | Model ID | EMC |
Mid-2013 | |||
Mid-2013 | |||
Mid-2013 | |||
Mid-2013 | |||
Early 2014 | |||
Early 2014 | |||
Early 2014 | |||
Early 2014 | |||
Early 2015 | |||
Early 2015 | |||
Early 2015 | |||
Early 2015 | |||
Early 2015 | |||
2017 | |||
2017 |
EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Lookup feature -- as well as the EveryMac app -- also can uniquely identify these models by their Serial Number, which is listed on the underside near the EMC number and within the operating system alongside the model identifier. More details about specific identifiers are provided in EveryMac.com's extensive Mac Identification section.
SSD Storage Details
As first reported by AnandTech, the 'Mid-2013' MacBook Air models all use a PCIe-based SSD rather than a SATA-connected one like earlier SSD-equipped MacBook Air models. The 'Early 2014' MacBook Air models are practically identical to their predecessors and use the exact same internal storage.
More specifically, AnandTech shared that the SSD in these lines use a custom Apple design with a 'PCIe 2.0 x2 interface, capable of a theoretical maximum of 1 GB/s in each direction.'
The 11-Inch 'Early 2015' MacBook Air models (MacBookAir7,1) also use the same PCIe 2.0 x2 interface, but as documented by site sponsor OWC, the 13-Inch 'Early 2015' and '2017' models (MacBookAir7,2), on the other hand, have a faster PCIe 2.0 x4 interface and provide significantly faster drive speeds as a result.
Upgrade Ram Macbook Air 2013
Storage Installation Instructions
Apple has used less common 'Pentalobe' or 'Five Point Torx' screws to make access more difficult, but with the correct screwdriver, upgrading the SSD is a straightforward procedure.
Site sponsor Other World Computing has helpful videos that covers upgrading the storage in these models, too:
11-Inch MacBook Air (Mid-2013 - Early 2015)
Replacing Macbook Air 2013 Battery
13-Inch MacBook Air (Mid-2013 - 2017)
This video covers how to install the original PCIe SSD from your MacBook Air in OWC's convenient 'Envoy Pro' external case to repurpose it as an external drive:
By watching the videos for the MacBook Air above, you should be able to determine if you feel comfortable performing this upgrade yourself or if you would instead prefer to hire a professional.
SSD Purchase Options
In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells compatible SSDs as well as other upgrades for MacBook Air models.
In the UK and Ireland, site sponsor Flexx sells MacBook Air compatible SSDs with free shipping. The company provides flat rate shipping to France, Germany, and Switzerland and inexpensive shipping for all of Europe, too.
In Canada, site sponsor CanadaRAM sells MacBook Air SSDs with guaranteed compatibility, fast shipping, and no customs duties to worry about.
In Australia, site sponsors Macfixit and Upgradeable sell MacBook Air compatible SSDs with fast shipping, a money-back guarantee and more.
In New Zealand, site sponsor Upgradeable New Zealand sells MacBook Air SSDs with fast delivery to all corners of the country, precise compatibility, a lifetime warranty, and a money-back guarantee.
Also see:
- How do you replace or upgrade the hard drive in the original, 'Late 2008' and 'Mid-2009' MacBook Air models? Can you swap the hard drive for an SSD?
- How do you replace or upgrade the storage in the 'Late 2010' and 'Mid-2011' MacBook Air models? Is it even possible?
- How do you replace or upgrade the storage in the 'Mid-2012' MacBook Air models? Is it even possible?
- Which SD Card Slot storage solution is best for the MacBook Air? Which models are compatible? Is this kind of storage safe?
Ssd Replacement Macbook Air 2013
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Replacement Keyboard Macbook Air 2013
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Upgrade Macbook Air 2013
EveryMac.com is provided 'as is' without warranty of any kind whatsoever. EveryMac.com, and the author thereof, shall not be held responsible or liable, under any circumstances, for any damages resulting from the use or inability to use the information within. For complete disclaimer and copyright information please read and understand the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy before using EveryMac.com. Use of any content or images without expressed permission is not allowed, although links to any page are welcomed and appreciated.