Change core components

Don’t trash it… upgrade it! Here’s how

By now you should have a good idea of which parts of your current setup are coming under the greatest strain – but don’t run off to the Apple Store just yet. Although you might consider your Mac to be a sealed device, it’s not, and there are plenty of upgrades you can effect yourself.

If you don’t have confidence to crack open the case personally, an Apple Authorized Service Partner will be able to help. You can look up your closest outlet at locate.apple.com. Bear in mind it doesn’t need to be an official Apple Store, either; the third-party stores recommended through that link are all authorized and overseen by Apple itself.

getting the goods

You can source components from a wide range of mainstream outlets, including Amazon and Newegg, or head for specialist Apple-focused component shops. iFixit ( ifixit.com) can identify compatible parts when you enter your serial Apple maintains a comprehensive list of Authorized Service Partners who can help with more challenging upgrades. number. You’ll find this engraved on the case or on the About this Mac pane (open this from the menu). It will also point you to its huge number of free online guides and problem-solving techniques for your specific model.

If you only need an SSD or memory upgrade, check out Crucial’s system scanner ( crucial.com). It’s free to download, and any components bought on the back of its recommendations are guaranteed to be compatible.

One final note: bear in mind that in many systems Apple has made performing aftermarket upgrades impractical, by soldering the memory and storage directly onto the motherboard – effectively making them impossible to remove. So you may find that some of our recommendations below aren’t available for your model.