Apple TV 4K teardown reveals a repairable fan and 3GB RAM

We already saw the insides of the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular). It was missing the Apple TV 4K, the same? Well, not anymore.

THE iFixit already disassembled the new set top box from Ma!

Apple TV 4K disassembly by iFixit

According to them, this is not a completely new box but there are, yes, good differences between the fourth and fifth generation models. In fact, I don't even have to open Apple TV 4K to notice two big differences: a redraw from the bottom for a much more efficient thermal ventilation and the removal of the USB-C port points we commented on in our unboxing.

Apple TV 4K disassembly by iFixit

Opening Apple TV is much simpler and easier than an iPhone or an Apple Watch, thanks to repair-friendly plastic clips that protect the bottom panel (that's right, no glue, stickers, or proprietary screws).

Apple TV 4K disassembly by iFixit

One of the internal differences that Apple apparently merged the new fan with the fourth generation model EMI heatsink / shield, combining them to form a single cooling solution is worth noting that the fan, fixed by Torx screws, fully repairable / replaceable.

Apple TV 4K disassembly by iFixit

The Apple TV 4K logic board, like its predecessor, is easily removed. There are the A10X Fusion chip, the Broadcom Thunderbolt Gigabit Ethernet Plus USB 3.0 chip (BCM57762), 3GB RAM, the Apple Memory Controller (343S00150, with a very similar ID to the 2015 MacBook), the Wi-Fi module. / Bluetooth Murata (339S00381), Toshiba's 32GB flash memory (THGBX6G8D2LLDXG) and Megachips DisplayPort 1.4 to HDMI 2.0 converter (MCDP2920A4).

Apple TV 4K disassembly by iFixit

Just like the fourth generation Apple TV, in this it seems that the power is transmitted to the logic board by the heat sink screws. By comparison, the new model has a 12V at 1.083A power supply, compared to 12V at 0.917A from the old one.

Apple TV 4K earned an 8 out of 10 grade in “reparability”; good points include easy-to-open plastic clips, modular components for easy disassembly and repair, modular power supply (which has a removable AC input socket), and Torx screws (which are industry standard) . On the downside, we have only the fact that the main components are soldered to the logic board, which means that repairing something requires board level welding or a replacement of the entire board.