We recently saw first part of a teardown of the new 24 inch iMac from iFixit, and they have now completed the process of taking the device apart. This comprehensive teardown allows us to understand how easy or difficult it is to repair the new iMac.
As we mentioned in the previous article, the new Apple iMac is incredibly thin, with all the components housed at the bottom in the chin below the display. This design choice has significant implications for the device’s repairability.
iFixit’s Repairability Score
The team over at iFixit assigns devices a repairability score ranging from 1 to 10. A score of 1 indicates that a device is extremely difficult to repair, while a score of 10 means it is very easy to repair. The 24 inch iMac only managed to score 2 out of 10, indicating that the new Mac is not an easy device to repair.
One of the primary reasons for this low score is the difficulty in removing the display. The display is glued to the frame, making it challenging to access the internal components without specialized tools and expertise. Additionally, the storage and memory are soldered onto the motherboard, meaning they cannot be replaced or upgraded easily. This is a significant departure from older iMac models, where users could upgrade RAM and storage with relative ease.
Internal Components and Design Choices
The teardown revealed several interesting aspects of the iMac’s internal design. The M1 chip, which powers the new iMac, is a highly integrated system-on-chip (SoC) that combines the CPU, GPU, and RAM into a single package. This integration contributes to the device’s thin profile and improved performance but also makes repairs and upgrades more challenging.
The iMac’s cooling system is another point of interest. The device uses a pair of small fans to keep the M1 chip cool. These fans are relatively quiet and efficient, but their small size means they may not be as effective at dissipating heat as larger cooling solutions found in other desktop computers. This could potentially impact the device’s performance under heavy workloads.
The power supply is also integrated into the iMac’s chin, which helps maintain the device’s sleek appearance. However, this design choice means that any issues with the power supply will require a complete disassembly of the device to address.
Another noteworthy aspect of the teardown is the iMac’s modular ports. The USB-C and Thunderbolt ports are mounted on a separate board, which means they can be replaced independently of the main logic board. This is a small but welcome concession to repairability in an otherwise tightly integrated device.
You can find out more details on what was found inside the 24 inch Apple iMac over at iFixit at the link below.
Source iFixit
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