iFixit exposes the insides of the new iMac and finds nothing very different … besides its Retina 5K screen

Whenever Apple launches new hardware, iFixit is there to carry out its traditional disassembly (teardown) in order to know the insides of the product. Like New iMacit was no different.

Before going into the details, check out some photos of the process:

Disassembling the iMac with Retina 5K screen (iFixit)

Disassembling the iMac with Retina 5K screen (iFixit)

Disassembling the iMac with Retina 5K screen (iFixit)

Disassembling the iMac with Retina 5K screen (iFixit)

Disassembling the iMac with Retina 5K screen (iFixit)

The Retina 5K screen is something entirely new, obviously, but the rest of the iMac has hardly changed compared to the 2013 model.

The highlights are:

  • As with the 27-inch iMac without a Retina display, the RAM slots in the new are completely and easily accessible by users. They originally support up to 32GB of 1,600MHz DDR3 memory.
  • At least in the model purchased by iFixit, the display was manufactured by LG.
  • The Intel Core i5 / i7 processor is not soldered on the logic board, which means that, at least theoretically, it can be replaced.
  • The same cannot be said about the AMD Radeon R9 graphics chip.
  • The flash memory found inside the machine was a PCIe SSD from SanDisk, exactly the same as the MacBooks Pro with Retina display released in late 2013.
  • The machine's hard drive (when configured with a Fusion Drive) is also accessible and replaceable.
  • The AirPort / Bluetooth card is Broadcom's BCM94360CD, the same as last year (Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0).

Although some internal components are replaceable, opening the iMac itself is a very complicated process that requires the removal of special adhesives responsible for attaching the screen (which is fused to the glass) to the computer housing. For this reason, iFixit gave a 5/10 “repairability” score for this new iMac.

Check out the video prepared by them:

Who would have the courage to do the same?

(via AppleInsider)