MacBook Air Upgrades

This page covers all the upgrades we sell for the MacBook Air ultraportable laptops, made between 2008 and the present. Choose the type of upgrade you are looking for from the tabs below. (Not the right Mac? See here for more MacBooks and MacBook Pros, or here for all Macs.)

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If you want specific upgrades for your exact model, choose it from the Model ID links below, or enter your serial number here:


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History

The ultraportable MacBook Air was introduced in July 2008. All MacBook Airs have had no internal optical drive, fixed (non-upgradeable) RAM, and a 1.8" form factor SSD or hard drive. The original MacBook Air had a 13" screen, a 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, and used 1.8" IDE type drives. Apple's specs here.

With the second revision in October 2008, the range moved to a SATA type 1.8" drive. The screen size was 13" and there were 1.6GHz and 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo CPU options. Apple specs here.

The line was refreshed in June 2009, with CPU options increasing to 1.86GHz and 2.13GHz Core 2 Duo. Apple specs here.

With the October 2010 revision, Apple introduced the smaller 11" screen model while still selling the 13". The 11" model had 1.4GHz and 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo CPU options, while the 13" had 1.86GHz and 2.13GHz. Apple specs here for the 11" and here for the 13".

The July 2011 moved to 1.6GHz Core i5 and 1.8GHz Core i7 options on the 11" and 1.7GHz Core i5 and 1.8GHz Core i7 for the 13". Apple specs here.

There was an Education only model released in early 2012, but the next full revision was June 2012 which saw a 1.7GHz Core i5 and 2.0GHz Core i7 for the 11", and 1.8GHz Core i5 and 2.0GHz Core i7 for the 13". Apple specs here.

In June 2013 new revisions were introduced. The headline specs were similar to the previous revision with both the 11" and 13" having dual core 1.3GHz Intel Core i5 CPUs as standard, with a dual core 1.7GHz Core i7 as a Build to Order option. Both models had 4GB of RAM as standard with an 8GB option - not upgradeable after purchase. But internally there were significant changes, with upgraded graphics and much extended battery life. Also the SSD was changed from a SATA type to PCI Express, allowing for performance gains on drive of 2x - 2.5x. Apple specs here for the 11" and here for the 13".

In April 2014 the line was refreshed with slightly faster CPU speeds, with both 11in and 13in models sold with a 1.4GHz Core i5 processor, with a 1.7GHz Core i7 Build-To-Order option. Apple specs here for the 11in, and here for the 13in.

Another refresh in March 2015 kept the same case design, but had significant upgrades to CPU and GPU architecture, and the Thunderbolt ports upgraded to Thunderbolt 2. Both 11in and 13in revisions were shipped with a 1.6GHz Core i5 CPU, with a 2.2GHZ Core i7 available as a Build-To-Order option. Apple specs for the 11in here, and the 13in here.

How to Identify these Machines

The MacBook Air ultraportables are unique with their extremely thin form-factor and light weight. They also do not have an internal optical (CD/DVD) drive.

Memory Upgrades

The memory for these machines is fixed to the board and not upgradeable.

We do not have RAM available for these Macs.

CD/DVD/Blu-ray Drive Upgrades

The MacBook Air does not have an internal optical drive.

External USB 2.0 CD/DVD-RW Drive - Bus PoweredStock: Available£29.00 + vat (£34.80)

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Internal Hard Drive & SSD Upgrades

We have drives available for MacBook Airs. There are different ranges of drives available for different revisions.

We no longer have drives for the original (Early 2008) revision.

If you don't want to fit a new hard drive yourself, you can take advantage of the MacUpgrades Installation Service. Add the installation service from the list below to your cart along with your chosen hard drive. We can also clone your existing hard drive onto the new one, simply add the Clone Original Hard Drive service below to your cart.

Once you have booked the service, send your machine to us, we will carry out the work and return it to you. Alternatively, we do offer a Collection Service with our courier, please see here for details.

Installation Services

INSTALL SERVICE - Internal Drive in a MacBook/MacBook ProStock: Available£29.00 + vat (£34.80)
INSTALL SERVICE - Clone Original Internal DriveStock: Available£25.00 + vat (£30.00)
INSTALL SERVICE - Fit Customer Supplied PartStock: Available£17.50 + vat (£21.00)

SSDs for Late 2010 and Mid 2011 MacBook Airs

OWC Mercury Aura Pro & Envoy Enclosure MacBook Air L10/M11 - 240GB SSDStock: Special Order£96.84 + vat (£116.21)1
OWC Mercury Aura Pro & Envoy Enclosure MacBook Air L10/M11 - 480GB SSDStock: Special Order£125.08 + vat (£150.10)1
OWC Mercury Aura Pro & Envoy Enclosure MacBook Air L10/M11 - 960GB SSDStock: Special Order£192.02 + vat (£230.42)1

SSDs for Mid 2012 MacBook Airs

OWC Mercury Aura Pro MacBook Air 2012 SSD - 240GBStock: Special Order£70.89 + vat (£85.07)2
OWC Mercury Aura Pro MacBook Air 2012 SSD - 480GBStock: Available£104.47 + vat (£125.36)2
OWC Mercury Aura Pro MacBook Air 2012 SSD - 1TBStock: Special Order£170.60 + vat (£204.72)2

SSDs for Mid 2013 and Later MacBook Airs

OWC 240GB Aura Pro X2 SSD (with Tools & Enclosure) for MacBook Air 2013 - 2017 and MacBook Pro Retina Mid 2013 - 2015Stock: Special Order£163.28 + vat (£195.94)3
OWC 480GB Aura Pro X2 SSD (with Tools & Enclosure) for MacBook Air 2013 - 2017 and MacBook Pro Retina Mid 2013 - 2015Stock: Available£195.85 + vat (£235.02)3
OWC 960GB Aura Pro X2 SSD (with Tools & Enclosure) for MacBook Air 2013 - 2017 and MacBook Pro Retina Mid 2013 - 2015Stock: Available£273.38 + vat (£328.06)3
OWC 2TB Aura Pro X2 SSD (with Tools & Enclosure) for MacBook Air 2013 - 2017 and MacBook Pro Retina Mid 2013 - 2015Stock: Available£416.94 + vat (£500.33)3
1For MacBook Air Late 2010 and Mid 2011 revisions. Note the included Envoy enclosure is for the original Apple supplied SSD only, fitting the new OWC SSD into it will damage it.
2For MacBook Air Mid 2012.
3Requires 10.13 High Sierra or later. For MacBook Airs from the Mid 2013 model and onwards. Note the included Envoy enclosure is for the original Apple supplied SSD only, fitting the new OWC SSD into it will damage it.

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

See OWC installation videos here.

Graphics Cards and Displays

The graphics chipset is not upgradeable on these machines. We do have some fixed-price repair services for some models.

REPAIR SERVICE - Replacement LCD Panel for MacBook Air L08/M09 - Fitting & PartStock: Available£119.00 + vat (£142.80)1
REPAIR SERVICE - Replacement Hinges for MacBook Air E08/L08/M09 - Fitting & PartStock: Available£119.00 + vat (£142.80)1
REPAIR SERVICE - Replacement LCD Panel for MacBook Air 11in 2010/11 - Fitting & PartStock: Available£169.00 + vat (£202.80)2
REPAIR SERVICE - Replace Display Assembly for MacBook Air 13in 2013 - 2017 (Fitting & Part)Stock: Available£280.00 + vat (£336.00)3
1For MacBook Air Late 2008 and Mid 2009 revisions.
2For MacBook Air Late 2010 and Mid 2011 revisions with 11in screen.
3For MacBook Air with 13in display, revisions from 2013 to 2017 inclusive.

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Expansion Card Upgrades

The MacBook Air does not have any expansion slots.

There are none available.

Keyboards & Mice

Standard desktop keyboards and mice can be connected to the MacBook Airs via USB.

REPAIR SERVICE - Replace Keyboard on MacBook Air 2010 - 2017 - Fitting & PartStock: Available£135.00 + vat (£162.00)1
REPAIR SERVICE - Replace Trackpad on MacBook Air 2010 - 2017 - Fitting & PartStock: Available£85.00 + vat (£102.00)1
Trust 3 button USB Optical MouseStock: Available£6.75 + vat (£8.10)
Cherry Strait 3.0 USB Keyboard - UK Mac LayoutStock: Available£32.00 + vat (£38.40)
1For MacBook Air 2010 - 2017.

Power Supplies & Batteries

We do not have any power supplies available for the MacBook Air.

Apple 85W AC Magsafe 1 for MacBook/MacBook ProStock: Available£55.00 + vat (£66.00)1
Apple 85W AC Magsafe 1 for MacBook/MacBook Pro (without plug adaptor)Stock: Available£49.00 + vat (£58.80)1
Apple 85W AC MagSafe 2 MacBook Air/MacBook Pro RetinaStock: Available£55.00 + vat (£66.00)2
Apple 85W AC MagSafe 2 MacBook Air/MacBook Pro Retina (without plug adaptor)Stock: Available£49.00 + vat (£58.80)2
Battery for MacBook Air 2008 and 2009 with ToolsStock: Special Order£59.00 + vat (£70.80)3
Battery for MacBook Air 11in 2011 - Early 2015 with ToolsStock: Available£69.00 + vat (£82.80)4
Battery for MacBook Air 13in Late 2010 - 2017 with ToolsStock: Available£80.00 + vat (£96.00)5
1For the MacBook Air 2010 and 2011 models only.
2For MacBook Air 2012 - 2017 revisions.
3Compatible with models up to and including the Mid 2009 revision - models with the family number A1237 or A1304.
4For MacBoook Air 11in 2011 - 2015 models.
5For MacBook Air 13in revisions from 2010 to 2017.

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Cables & Tools

Listed below are power cables, tools and related products we supply for this Mac.

Cables & Adaptors

USB-C to USB 3 (Type A) M/F AdaptorStock: Available£5.00 + vat (£6.00)1
USB 3 (Type A) to USB-C M/F AdaptorStock: Available£6.00 + vat (£7.20)2
i-tec Adaptor/Hub USB-C to 3 x USB 3 Type A + 1 x Gigabit EthernetStock: Available£20.53 + vat (£24.64)3
Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 AdapterStock: Available£49.00 + vat (£58.80)1
Thunderbolt 2 Cable (White) - 1mStock: Unavailable£31.78 + vat (£38.14)4
USB 3 to 2.5in SATA Drive Cable (for accessing a 2.5in SATA drive via USB)Stock: Available£6.49 + vat (£7.79)5
Mini DisplayPort - VGA M/F Video AdaptorStock: Available£15.72 + vat (£18.86)6
Mini DisplayPort - DVI M/F Passive Video AdaptorStock: Available£12.50 + vat (£15.00)6
Mini DisplayPort - DVI M/F Active Video AdaptorStock: Available£28.00 + vat (£33.60)6
Mini DisplayPort - HDMI M/F Passive AdaptorStock: Available£14.00 + vat (£16.80)6
Mini DisplayPort - HDMI M/F Active AdaptorStock: Available£26.15 + vat (£31.38)6

Tools

Precision Screwdriver Set, 31 Piece - Phillips/Torx/TR6Stock: Available£12.50 + vat (£15.00)
Pentalobe ScrewdriverStock: Available£4.75 + vat (£5.70)7
Anti Static Wrist StrapStock: Available£8.50 + vat (£10.20)
1For models with Thunderbolt 3.
2For models with USB Type A ports - 2017 and earlier.
3Works with any Mac with a USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 connection - also can be used on one with USB 3 Type A with an adaptor.
4Only suitable for models with a Thunderbolt port.
5This can be connected to this models that have a USB Type-A connector, to access a 2.5in SATA drive. But this Mac does not use a 2.5in SATA drive internally.
6For models with a Mini DisplayPort video output port.
7Needed to open MacBook Airs from the Late 2010 revision onwards. Also in some cases when Apple did warranty work on earlier models they have replaced the standard Phillips type screws with Pentalobe ones.

External Drives & Enclosures

The MacBook Air has a single USB port, which can be used for an external hard drive. All the drives we list are full-sized desktop type ones that require mains power.

3.5" USB 3 External Drives

SanDisk Extreme Portable 1TB USB-C & USB 3 External SSDStock: Available£146.19 + vat (£175.43)1
SanDisk Extreme Portable 2TB USB-C & USB 3 External SSDStock: Available£297.85 + vat (£357.42)1
WD Elements USB 3 (USB 2 compatible) 3.5in External HDD - 4TBStock: Available£89.72 + vat (£107.66)
WD Elements USB 3 (USB 2 compatible) 3.5in External HDD - 6TBStock: Available£141.51 + vat (£169.81)

2.5" USB 3 External Drives

Seagate 1TB Portable 2.5in USB 3 External Hard DriveStock: Available£42.50 + vat (£51.00)
Seagate 2TB Portable 2.5in USB 3 External Hard DriveStock: Available£59.28 + vat (£71.14)

Thunderbolt Enclosures

OWC Thunderbay 4 - Thunderbolt 3 Enclosure for 4 x 2.5in or 3.5in Drives - JBOD, RAID 0 and 1Stock: Special Order£339.68 + vat (£407.62)2
OWC Thunderbay 4 - Thunderbolt 3 Enclosure for 4 x 2.5in or 3.5in Drives - JBOD, RAID 0, 1, 4, 5, and 10Stock: Special Order£397.49 + vat (£476.99)2
OWC ThunderBay Flex 8 Thunderbolt 3 Enclosure (0 Drives)Stock: Special Order£908.59 + vat (£1090.31)2

3.5" USB Enclosures

Startech USB 3.0 Enclosure for 3.5in SATA DrivesStock: Available£34.94 + vat (£41.93)3

2.5" USB Enclosures

Startech USB 3.0 (USB 2 compatible) Enclosure for 2.5in SATA Drive with UASPStock: Available£17.27 + vat (£20.72)4

Enclosures for Apple PCIe SSDs

OWC Envoy Pro Enclosure for PCIe SSDs from Select MacBooks, Mac Pros, iMacs and Mac MinisStock: Special Order£90.11 + vat (£108.13)5
1Only compatible with models with a USB 3 or USB-C port.
2Fully compatible with models with Thunderbolt 3, will work with an adaptor and at reduced speed with models with Thunderbolt 1 or 2.
3This can be connected to models which have a USB Type-A connector, to access a 3.5in SATA drive. But this Mac does not use a 3.5in SATA drive internally.
4This can be connected to this models that have a USB Type-A connector, to access a 2.5in SATA drive. But this Mac does not use a 2.5in SATA drive internally.
5Compatible with Apple-supplied SSDs from MacBook Air Mid 2013 - Early 2015 revisions (excluding those manufactured by Toshiba).

Any fitting information below is intended as a guide before purchase ONLY, when fitting these products you should refer to the original manual for your computer, and any instructions that come with the item. Please see this page for more information, or here for information on our fitting service.

Complete Machines - Refurbished

Any complete machines of this type or similar that we have for sale are listed here. Please note that these are refurbished models with a 3 month warranty, and that delivery is likely to take 3 - 5 working days. These can be purchased online with the standard website courier delivery charge for the mainland UK only. Please contact us for a quote on shipping to other areas.

There are none available.

Repair Services for this Mac

Here are the various repair services we offer for this Mac. You can have us take the machine in for evaluation, or book a fixed-price repair if you already know what the fault is and the service is listed below (for services without parts, please see the relevant tab on this page for compatible parts that we sell). If you know what the fault is, but we don't have a fixed-price repair listed below, please contact us for a quote.

Evaluation Services

Mac Repair - Evaluation ServiceStock: Available£39.00 + vat (£46.80)

Repair Services

Mac Laptop Logic Board Repair Service - NO FIX, NO FEE!Stock: Available£150.00 + vat (£180.00)1
Apple Mac Logic Board Connector ReplacementStock: Available£150.00 + vat (£180.00)
REPAIR SERVICE - Replacement LCD Panel for MacBook Air L08/M09 - Fitting & PartStock: Available£119.00 + vat (£142.80)2
REPAIR SERVICE - Replacement Hinges for MacBook Air E08/L08/M09 - Fitting & PartStock: Available£119.00 + vat (£142.80)2
REPAIR SERVICE - Replacement LCD Panel for MacBook Air 11in 2010/11 - Fitting & PartStock: Available£169.00 + vat (£202.80)3
REPAIR SERVICE - Replace Display Assembly for MacBook Air 13in 2013 - 2017 (Fitting & Part)Stock: Available£280.00 + vat (£336.00)4
REPAIR SERVICE - Replace Keyboard on MacBook Air 2010 - 2017 - Fitting & PartStock: Available£135.00 + vat (£162.00)5
REPAIR SERVICE - Replace Trackpad on MacBook Air 2010 - 2017 - Fitting & PartStock: Available£85.00 + vat (£102.00)5

Installation Services (parts not included)

Collection ServiceStock: Available£24.68 + vat (£29.62)
INSTALL SERVICE - Internal Drive in a MacBook/MacBook ProStock: Available£29.00 + vat (£34.80)
INSTALL SERVICE - Clone Original Internal DriveStock: Available£25.00 + vat (£30.00)
1We currently offer services for models up to and including the 2018 revisions.
2For MacBook Air Late 2008 and Mid 2009 revisions.
3For MacBook Air Late 2010 and Mid 2011 revisions with 11in screen.
4For MacBook Air with 13in display, revisions from 2013 to 2017 inclusive.
5For MacBook Air 2010 - 2017.