A Swollen Battery Doomed My 2013 MacBook Pro, But It's Been Resurrected as a Server!
My Old MacBook, I Removed the Swollen Battery.
My 2013 13-inch MacBook Pro was running as a simple home server, but over time, the battery started to swell. The bottom panel was bulging, the trackpad wouldn't click properly, and even the speakers failed; the situation was serious. At first, I thought about letting it go, but then I had the idea that I could remove the battery and use it as a server.
Battery Removal and Speaker Replacement
First, I opened the bottom panel, disconnected the battery cable, and then removed the battery by peeling off the double-sided tape. After removing the old battery, the bottom panel became flat again. Next, I replaced the problematic speaker with a new one purchased from AliExpress. I was skeptical if the power would turn on without a speaker, but fortunately, the power turned on normally when I connected the MagSafe.
Performance Issues with a Battery-less MacBook
However, the MacBook with the battery removed had a critical problem. The system itself limited the CPU clock speed to about half. This is because macOS considers the state without a battery to be an abnormal environment and lowers performance for hardware protection purposes. As a result, it became slow enough that even normal tasks were impossible.
Solution Found on Reddit: OpenCore Legacy Patcher
I searched the internet to solve this problem and found various solutions on Reddit. However, most of the methods were difficult to follow because they required complicated processes such as building with Xcode. Then, I found information that OpenCore Legacy Patcher (OCLP) could bypass hardware limitations through the "Disable Firmware Throttling" function.
OCLP is a tool that supports installing the latest macOS on older devices, and I was very attracted to the fact that it is possible to install the latest operating system in addition to simply removing performance restrictions.
Installing macOS Sequoia and Restoring Performance
After installing OpenCore Legacy Patcher, I enabled the "Disable Firmware Throttling" option. Thanks to this setting, the CPU clock speed returned to normal, and the MacBook regained its original performance. In addition, I was able to update to the latest version of macOS, Sequoia through OCLP. Despite being an old device, the Sequoia OS worked surprisingly stable. (Currently, I am writing this blog on an old MacBook.)
Root Patching Issues and Rollback to an Older Version
Of course, not all processes were smooth. When I applied the root patch with the latest version of OpenCore Legacy Patcher, the system got stuck in an infinite loading loop. To resolve this, I rolled back to an older version of OCLP and reconfigured it, after which I was able to use it stably.
Conclusion: A MacBook Reborn as a Wired Server
Now, the 2013 MacBook Pro with the battery removed only works when plugged in, but it has been revived as a fully usable device. Thanks to OpenCore Legacy Patcher, I was able to restore the latest macOS and original performance, and I am using it as a server or for simple tasks.
If you also have an old MacBook or a device with a faulty battery, try removing the battery and using OpenCore Legacy Patcher. It is a waste to just throw it away. It might bring new life to your device. Just in case, I searched for the same model on Karrot Market, and you can purchase one in the low 100,000 KRW range. If it is an i5, SSD, 8GB RAM device that can install (forcibly) the latest macOS in the low 100,000 KRW range, I think it is a very attractive option.
