Introduction
Le nouvel iMac M1 est-il juste un iPad M1 surdimensionné, un MacBook M1 détaché de son clavier, un Mac Mini M1 aplati au rouleau à pâtisserie ? Nous le saurons seulement en explorant son intérieur, aussi ardue que soit la tâche. L'heure du démontage a sonné.
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Ce dont vous avez besoin
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Profitez de cette vue éclatée dans la couleur de votre souhait, à condition que ce soit violet. Nous avons choisi le modèle à configuration milieu de gamme avec les spécifications suivantes :
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Puce M1 Apple avec processeur 8-core (quatre pour la performance et quatre pour l'efficacité énergétique) et Neural Engine 6-core
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Processeur graphique intégré M1 Apple
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8 Go de mémoire unifiée
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Écran True Tone de 23,5 pouces (diagonale) avec une résolution de 4480 sur 2520 pixels et capable d'afficher 1 milliard de couleurs (gamme de couleurs P3)
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256 Go de stockage SSD
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Cela fait longtemps que nous démontons des iMac, donc nous sommes plutôt rapides. Mais si vous êtes impatient, rien de tel qu'une radio. Admirez ce superbe cliché de nos amis de chez Creative Electron.
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En comparaison avec la radio de l'iMac Intel 27", nous remarquons :
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L'intérieur du nouvel iMac est dominé par deux immenses plaque métalliques. À quoi servent-elles ?
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Le logo Apple abrite un connecteur RF pour antenne, mais contrairement à ce qui a pu se faire par le passé, l'antenne elle-même n'est pas en forme de pomme.
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Presque tout le silicium se concentre dans les étroites bandes horizontales en haut (la carte de l'écran) et en bas (la carte mère principale). Si vous aviez déjà vu nos autres vues éclatées de Mac M1, peut-être que vous vous y attendiez.
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PS : ces deux ronds au milieu seraient-ils des piles boutons ?
Is that X-ray of the 2-port model? It looks like it has only 1 fan and lacks the circuit board located in the metal plate’s cutout that’s seen in the photo in Step 5. (Which I’m also curious about - a whole extra board? What’s it for?)
Good eye! Yes, Creative Electron X-rayed the base model, so there are some differences from the mid-range unit in our teardown—mainly cooling hardware and ports.
I really can’t understand why they didn’t put the Apple logo centered, now that the hinge is lower and the center is free, at the very center of the iMac we have two button batteries…also what happened when they run out?
Those button batteries tend to last around 10 years in this kind of application, usually powering the internal real-time clock and saving some system settings when the computer is turned off and unplugged. On older Apple hardware a dead battery only causes the computer to forget the time and wifi connection when it has been unplugged. I wonder if this new hardware will behave in a similar way.
Button cells have been used in computers like this forever.
The Logo seems to be centered vertically in the space above the hinge, it would look weird dead center.
I also think those large areas of metal are resonant chambers for the speakers.
Some full-size (6-ft high) home speakers consist of two large (1-ft wide) but very thin (5 mm) pair of plates in each speaker. They can be loud (100-200 W). Did you tell us what technology the M1 iMac speakers use? Are they also just large piezzo speakers, or are the two chambers magnifiers for traditional speakers on either end?
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Le Magic Keyboard joint a été mis à jour pour la première fois depuis 2017. Les coins ont été arrondis, les couleurs assorties à celles des iMac et les touches de fonctions réagencées.
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Sans oublier deux nouveaux numéros d'identification : A2449 et EMC 3579.
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Le nouveau capteur Touch ID en haut à droite ne ressemble pas du tout à celui des MacBook. En fait, c'est un sosie des boutons home d'iPhone. C'est la première apparition de Touch ID sur un accessoire, ce qui pourrait avoir des répercussions intéressantes sur la sécurité/réparation.
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Notre modèle milieu de gamme est muni de deux ports Thunderbolt 4 et de deux ports USB-C standard. C'est le double par rapport au modèle de base, mais pas grand-chose pour un ordinateur de bureau. Peut-être qu'il y a du potentiel d'expansion à l'intérieur ?
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Le port d'alimentation rond semble être sorti tout droit de Matrix. Dépêchons-nous de démonter cet iMac avant qu'il apprenne le kung-fu.
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Le pied affiche un nouveau numéro de modèle : 2438 plus l'unique EMC 3663, et clame "Made in Thailand".
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L'iMac M1 est fin comme deux iPad, cela ne suffit pas pour une prise jack, donc elle a été déplacée sur la tranche.
Some (like mine) were also built in Cork, Ireland ??
Can you please not partake in the ridiculous personification of Apple products? Neuroblabla hardware notwithstanding these don’t have consciousness so deserve an article: “*the* iMac turned its jack sideways”.
Are you getting offended over the personification of a computer? lol
Duck -
In the Middle East made in china iMac seriously
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Hourra ! L'iMac M1 utilise toujours l'adhésif classique pour iMac. Ce n'est donc pas tout à fait le cauchemar iPad-esque que nous craignions.
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Cependant, tout n'est pas familier. Notre action de découpe étonne par sa courte durée et ses cahots. Heureusement, notre outil roule sur une série de protège-vis en plastique, rien de fragile.
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Contrairement aux iMac précédents, une vitre d'une pièce protège les composants internes, pas de métal. Les nappes ont du jeu et il n'y a pas de guet-apens !
Can we get some close-ups of the white/gray (whatever) bezels. Would it be difficult to change them to black?
The glass breaks a the slightest bump. I have experienced my first crack in 2 days after the purchase :(
Are there any cables connecting the display to the motherboard?
Yes! Multiple cables connect between the display and the motherboard. They are pretty long, so you can see and disconnect them if you open the iMac slowly.
Hey! How did you disconnect the screen from the logic board, power supply, etc? Were the cables difficult to get to?
This teardown is an educational first look into a device, where we note interesting features and give it a repairability score. It is not meant to be used as a repair guide—stay tuned for our repair manuals!
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Notre tourne-écrou de 2,5 mm fait une rare apparition (peut-être que vous vous souvenez de son rôle dans la vue éclatée de l'iPhone 6s) pour dévisser les vis d'entretoise de la carte mère. Notre set de tournevis Marlin nous couvre.
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La carte mère format MacBook Air M1 sans ventilateur est logée dans le "menton" artificiel de l'iMac.
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Contrairement à celle du MacBook Air M1, cette puce M1 est activement refroidie par une paire de ventilateurs. Chaque ventilateur envoie l'air vers l'intérieur de la carte mère, où le dissipateur thermique évacue la chaleur avec un caloduc en cuivre et deux petits dissipateurs.
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Nous reviendrons plus tard pour regarder de plus près ces ventilateurs. Nous ne pouvons résister à la vue de cette alléchante carte mère !
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Grâce à l'architecture M1, voici la plus petite carte d'iMac à l'heure actuelle. Regardons-y de plus près :
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Système sur une puce (SoC) 8-core M1 64-bit APL1102/339S00817 Apple
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Mémoire LPDDR4 8 Go (2 x 4 Go) H9HCNNNCRMMVGR-NEH SK Hynix
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Stockage flash NAND 128 Go KICM225VE4779 Kioxia
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Module Wi-Fi/Bluetooth 339S00763 Murata
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CI de gestion d'alimentation APL1096/343S00474 Apple
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CI de gestion d'alimentation APL1097/343S00475 Apple
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CI de gestion d'alimentation RT4541GQV Richtek
Might this actually be LPDDR4X as in the M1 MacBooks? SK Hynix does sell both, but SK Hynix’s Model Decoder would indicate this may actually be LPDDR4X. H9HCNNNCRMMVGR-NEH and the 10th digit: U is LPDDR4, M is LPDDR4X.
The circular thing looks like the weird power socket shown in photo #1 in step 4.
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Posons ce truc, retournons-le et recommençons :
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Stockage flash NAND 128 Go KICM225VE4779 Kioxia
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Mémoire flash NOR série 64 Mo MX25U6472F Macronix
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Contrôleur ethernet BCM57762 Broadcom
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Contrôleur de câble USB-C CYPDC1185B2-32LQXQ Infineon (anciennement Cypress Semiconductor)
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eFuse 15 ampères avec surveillance du courant de charge et gestion des défauts transitoires TPS259827ON Texas Instruments
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Codec audio CS42L83A Cirrus Logic
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Un mystérieux bouton avec 3 LED juste en dessous. De quoi pourrait-il s'agir ? De LED de diagnostic ? D'une ligne de télégraphe secrète reliée directement au bureau de Tim Cook ?
The “mysterious button” you mention here is actually a diagnostic LED (common in all of Apple’s desktops). In the picture provided here, the right-most LED is LED 1, the middle is LED 2, and the left LED is LED 3. Apple describes their indications as follows:
LED 1 = Communication to power adapter is OK.
LED 2 = Computer may be asleep or shutdown.
LED 3 = Computer is awake.
To view the diagnostic LEDs as described below, use a black stick to press the diagnostic LED button.
- LED 1 Indicates that the power adapter is plugged into an electrical outlet and trickle voltage from the power adapter has been detected by the main logic board. This LED will turn on when you connect the iMac and power adapter to an AC power source.
- LED 2 Indicates that the computer may be in sleep or shutdown.When the computer has been shut down correctly, LED 2 behavior may differ: If a startup event is scheduled in System Preferences/Energy Saver, then LED 2 will stay on after a correct shutdown.If no startup event is scheduled in System Preferences/Energy Saver, then LED 2 will turn off and will stay off as long as the iMac and power adapter are kept connected and an AC power source is present. Unplugging the power adapter or the AC power source from the power adapter, then plugging it back in will turn this LED back on, even if the computer is still off.After disconnecting and reconnecting the AC power source, this LED could remain off: If the AC power source is missing or the power adapter is disconnected.If the logic board is disconnected from the power adapter.If the power adapter is faulty.
- LED 3 Indicates that the computer is awake. This LED will be on when the computer is turned on and a video signal is being generated. If LED 3 is on and there is no image on the display, then the display or the cables between the display and logic board might be installed incorrectly or need replacement.
Neat! Thanks for confirming and sharing this info!
@arthurshi My pleasure!
M1… what could it B? Wait… M1B… MIB! Don’t ever push the button, or at least until your training agent tells you to. That connects to an AI that has petabyte transfer rates. The Matrix, indeed. Was Agent Smith also a former MIB agent…?
HAHA, The technicians worst nightmare.
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Parlons connectique ! Les puces USB-C se retournent comme le cache d'un allume-cigare dans une voiture. Puis, elles se déconnectent facilement de la carte d'interconnexion (hyper fine).
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Les couleurs sont assorties jusqu'à ces petits gars. Nous ne sommes pas toujours d'accord avec les choix d'Apple, mais il faut reconnaître que la firme à la pomme n'a négligé aucun effort.
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Une fois débarrassés de la gaufrette de carte d'interconnexion, nous nous plongeons dans la seconde partie d'identification de puces :
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Contrôleur 2e gén PCIe-USB 3.1 ASM3142 ASMedia
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Contrôleur alimentation du port USB-C CD3218B12 Texas Instrument
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Synchroniseur Thunderbolt 4 JHL8040R Intel
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Multiplexeur 4:2 10 Gb/s compatible avec USB-C 3.1 ASM1543 ASMedia
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Convertisseur abaisseur synchrone biphasé LTC3890-2 Analog Devices (anciennement Linear Technology)
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Sonde de température à 5 canaux TMP464 Texas Instruments
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Amplificateur audio 31-watt class-D SSM3515B Analog Devices
The Analog Devices SSM3515B is what the HomePod uses for its tweeters. SEVEN SSM3515B ICs
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Si, comme nous et d'autres usagers de Twitter, vous avez deviné que ces caisses métalliques brillantes faisaient partie du nouveau système haut-parleur, vous aviez raison !
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Elles sont toutes fines (1,5 mm au niveau de l'ouverture), mais leur surface tentaculaire occupe une grande partie du volume intérieur, donc elles brassent plus d'air et produisent un son de meilleure qualité. Une façon plutôt futée d'utiliser un espace sinon vide !
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À propos d'air, notre iMac milieu de gamme est équipé de deux petits ventilateurs (contre un seul sur le modèle de base). Voici la première machine M1 munie d'un double ventilateur – ce qui devrait être amplement suffisant, quand on pense au fonctionnement nickel du MacBook Air M1, muni de la même puce, mais sans ventilateur.
Apple’s “obsession with audio quality” died when they quietly removed digital audio outputs from all of their devices in 2015.
What are you referring to? Digital audio output is available from the various types of USB ports that most of their devices have. If I understand correctly, the iPhone and iPad Lightning port only has digital audio output, and requires an adapter to expose an analogue audio output suitable for earphones or headphones (assuming that the device doesn’t have a headphone jack).
irvbrom -
There must be a reason for including one or two fans, even though not required in other M1 devices. I wonder if Apple increased the M1 CPU clock rate for higher performance with one fan, and increased it further with two fans? I guess that this will become evident in M1 CPU benchmark testing.
Do your left and right side speakers sound the same? Mine has more bass on the right one and more treble on the left one. Do you think it could be an hardware problem, like maybe the left one wasn't “attached” to the metal chamber during assembly? Or maybe I just have some other problem on the speakers of one side. They don’t sound “broken”, just like totally different. Dark on the right, bright on the left.
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Au suivant, la puce de la batterie ! Les deux broches sur le connecteur de sortie indiquent 3 V, ce qui signifie qu'il s'agit probablement de piles CMOS branchées en parallèle. Mais pourquoi deux ? Et pourquoi les placer au milieu du boîtier ?
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D'habitude, on trouve une seule pile CR2302 qui protège la NVRAM, comme dans les iMac précédents par exemple.
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Hypothèse la plus probable : le nouvel iMac était trop fin pour abriter une pile CR2302 sur la carte principale. En effet, impossible d'y caser la pile d'un AirTag. Apple aurait donc décidé d'utiliser deux piles CR2016 deux fois moins hautes et les aurait nichées ici pour des raisons de place.
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En y regardant de plus près, on aperçoit une bande adhésive étirable camouflée sous la puce de la batterie – le même genre que celles qui fixent les batteries des iPhone.
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Encore une fois, la minceur suggère une réponse : une puce fine comme une gaufrette collée par une bande adhésive infiniment fine.
Probably not for redundancy, but for capacity.
CR2032 is too thick for this model, so they used 2 CR2016s instead, more or less the same thing.
I think is the same Idea. The capacity of CR2032 is 220mAh and the CR2016 is 90mAh.
Is more thinner CR2016 than CR2032 but lower capacity reduce the time of retain CMOS memory like less than 5 Years (the estimated life time of this products)
And yes, for any think this, the CMOS battery is one of the “planned obsolescence” parameters.
@tomchai We took some measurements and I think you’re right. Good catch! The CR2032 battery from an AirTag is literally too thick for this iMac. Wow. Step has been updated accordingly.
I understand the need for some sort of battery for the CMOS but the placement seems to insure that the machine will eventually be bricked (or at the very least severely handicapped) by those getting depleted and almost impossible to replace. Why no making those user serviceable ?
To be honest I don’t this is “almost impossible to replace. It is literally right in the center once your take off the screen.
Also it doesn’t seem to cause the device to brick either. Most of the time you get inaccurate clock whenever you unplug the computer from power and that’s it.
Tom Chai -
It’s doubtful a dead CMOS battery will brick the machine. Modern systems usually only have these to keep the realtime clock going when the unit is powered down AND unplugged. In fact, if your Mac is plugged in, the drain on the batteries is probably 0, so the clock (pun intended) only starts running down substantially when the machine is taken out of service. These lithium cells have a crazy long shelf life; I have a copy of Legend of Zelda from the late 80s which still has the save games intact, backed up by a CR2032. RTCs draw a bit more current, but it’s still low.
I don’t expect these batteries to become an issue for multiple decades.
is it for find-my imac (bluetooth le advertise)?
why would they need RTC when they have internet??
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Que nous reste-t-il à vider de cet iMacPad ?
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Une prise jack modulaire. Bonne nouvelle, car c'est le port le plus prisé. La minceur du châssis a un bon côté : la prise jack n'est pas derrière.
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Un bouton de marche monté sur un solide support métallique, lui-même collé directement au boîtier. Il actionne une petite charnière.
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Un triple microphone "de qualité studio" : deux orientés vers le haut et un vers l'avant, à côté de la caméra.
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Le logo Apple à l'arrière ne brille peut-être pas autant que celui des MacBook classiques, mais il a encore de quoi rayonner. Comme les iMac précédents, il comprend une encoche qui sert de fenêtre pour une antenne patch.
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La plaque de protection de l'écran est percée de deux fentes vis-à-vis des languettes correspondantes du boîtier – de quoi fixer solidement l'écran. Il n'y a pas d'inscription, mais l'histoire nous dit que LG Display est le fabricant probable de ce panneau.
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La charnière du pied n'est plus accessible depuis l'extérieur, donc choisissez VESA dès le départ ou vivez à jamais en paix – ou comptez sur l'outil pour ouvrir l'iMac.
I’ve read that you can take it to the Genius Bar and they’ll put on a stand if you changed your mind about the VESA iMac but I have not tested this theory.
Asked them how much to put a vesa stand on mine whilst it was in for repair. Quoted me £125 so it can be done. Not sure of price swopping vesa to stand though
Michael -
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Comme promis, nous nous occupons maintenant du clavier tout beau tout neuf ! Malgré la mise à jour, il reste une coquille récalcitrante, mais le trio ventouse solide, alcool isopropylique et patience en vient à bout.
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La touche Touch ID a beau ressembler à une touche normale, la partie interne tient beaucoup du capteur Touch ID d'un iPhone 7.
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Ce n'est pas une surprise totale : cela fait des lustres que les capteurs Touch ID sont couplés cryptographiquement à leur appareil. Mais les accessoires Touch ID sont une nouveauté, donc nous continuons nos tests.
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Deux iMac, un clavier : si un clavier a été couplé à un iMac, il faut le découpler pour le coupler à un autre iMac. Découpler un clavier désactive le profil Touch ID enregistré sur l'iMac, même s'il est couplé ultérieurement au même clavier.
What else is in there?! What chips does it use?
what are the differences between the internals of the magic keyboard and the touch id one? Is there a new security chip?
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Le nouveau bloc d'alimentation (avec prise ethernet intégrée) est à présent externe, mais il n'échappera pas à nos outils ! Nous avons dû sortir le matériel poids lourd, mais le jeu en vaut la chandelle.
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La réparabilité y gagne : si le bloc d'alimentation de l'iMac tombe en rade, vous pouvez facilement le remplacer. De plus, l'absence de gros condensateurs à l'intérieur de l'iMac même (tels que nous les avons croisés dans les générations précédentes) signifie que vous pourrez le manipuler en toute sécurité.
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De l'autre côté, fini de remplacer les condensateurs. Impossible de rentrer dans ce truc sans le détruire.
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Les entrailles ressemblent beaucoup à celles d'un adaptateur secteur standard pour MacBook, bien qu'il soit traversé par un câble.
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La minuscule puce ethernet a probablement le rôle de renforcer et guider les signaux internet à travers l'enchevêtrement de câbles noirs.
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Les fils rouges alimentent le cordon ombilical aimanté non MagSafe.
How does the coaxial magnetic connector on the (unpictured) other end of the cable connect (presumably) eight wires (four twisted pairs) for gigabit Ethernet? Are there tiny little fingers in the inner tube of the female connector on the iMac’s processor board? Can you take a look?
If you look closely at an X-ray transmission photo or a close-up photo of the motherboard, you can see 12 metal contacts on the circumference. Normally, the Ethernet signal line is 2x4, but I guess they made it 3x4 so that it is equivalent even if the connector is turned 180 degrees. On the other hand, I think the 15.9V9A DC current is supplied by the center electrode (positive) and the surrounding cylindrical electrodes (negative).
Thanks for that. It could alternatively be that the extra four contacts are for stuff like orientation sensing, communication with the power brick, standby power, voltage sensing …
I’m interested in what the connectors in the power cable are carrying:
Is the central metal pin in the connector at the iMac end connected to a conductor in the cable?
The four red wires carry DC from the power supply.
Do the remaining eight wires carry ethernet, i.e. four twisted pairs? If this is true, then is the ethernet transceiver on the iMac’s logic board, and the ethernet board in the power supply is only a passive connector?
An upcoming “M1X” Mac Mini is rumoured to use the same magnetic power connector. Will the power cord ethernet be capable of carrying 10 Gbit ethernet, an option they must be planning to provide, since it is an option on the existing M1 Mac Mini?
Yes, since you show a Broadcom BCM57762 ethernet controller chip on the main logic board, then the ethernet components in the power brick must be entirely passive.
Hi James! That’s a great observation and deduction!
What is the width in millimeters of the connector jack on the display side?
Did you make note what he DC voltages/amps that are being sent to the iMac? I have a crazy idea to convert one of these for usage off a 12V camper van setup and would love to know before I start dissecting!
I want to do the same, would love to know if anyone gets this right?
Jeff -
Is the 16-pin chip on the underside the ethernet line side transformer?
If so can you check out the connections? Your photo shows 2 of them looking very dodgy.
My iMac is not able to get more than 100M through that connector and I’m guessing one of these connections is bad on my power brick also. Apple might have a quality issue here (though many wouldn’t notice the speed drop even if they use this niche port).
Ah I see that’s not the transformer now… it’s probably built into the RJ45 connector. The twisted pairs look to be in that black bundle that runs down to the RJ45 on it’s own little board with a weird bundle termination… Still, lots of places for a broken or bad connection between there and the Broadcom chip at the other end of the braided cable.
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Voici venu le terme de notre démontage le plus violet à ce jour – désolé, Pixel.
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Le dernier iMac d'Apple suit les autres machines M1 sur leur route passionnante, mais toujours moins propice à la réparation.
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Des prouesses d'ingénierie ont aminci l'appareil au possible, mais qui a donc vraiment besoin d'un ordinateur tout-en-un encore plus fin ? Les priorités d'Apple continuent de nous déconcerter.
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Restez à l'affût ! Les nouvelles Apple TV et télécommande Siri nous attendent sur la table de démontage, ainsi qu'éventuellement un iPad Pro, donc revenez bientôt.
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Comme toujours, notre échelle de réparabilité va avoir le mot de la fin.
Erstaunlich genug, daß Ihr für dieses "Bic Einwegfeuerzeug " eine 2 gebt!!! Eine 0 wäre wohl gerechter, denn " REPARIEREN " läßt sich das Teil ja wohl nicht mehr, nur wegwerfen und neukaufen! ƒ¨ç∆ Åππ@€!
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L'iMac 24" (M1) gagne un 2 sur 10 sur notre échelle de la réparabilité (10 étant le plus facile à réparer) :
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Les ventilateurs, les ports USB, la prise jack, le bouton de marche, les haut-parleurs et la webcam sont raisonnablement modulaires et se remplacent rapidement.
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Le bloc externe d'alimentation est trivial à remplacer, mais très difficile à entretenir.
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Le retrait et le remplacement de l'écran sont casse-pieds, mais c'est le composant le plus accessible.
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Impossible de toucher au stockage interne – coup dur pour les réparations, les mises à jour, la récupération de données, et même la sécurité.
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La mémoire est soudée directement à la puce M1, il est donc impossible de la remplacer ou de la mettre à jour.
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La seule voie d'entrée passe par l'adhésif de l'écran, ce qui freine toute réparation.
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Merci à ces traducteurs :
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96 commentaires
Adhesive…humbug! Give me magnets.
Why? There is nothing upgradeable in the chassis. One can’t upgrade the SSD or RAM so what’s the point of going inside it other than that rare time to maybe clean the dust out of it?
Yeh that's true ..like having a ton of space inside and can’t even have a upgradable m.2 slot thts way too bad. I mean they cold have give a spare slot somewhere.
This is exactly what I want to know too! :)
Well actually I’m interested to know if it’s painted or an adhesive plastic, It would be nice for the chin to be transparent so you can see the speakers, fan and at least the metal shielding around the motherboard.
bob obba -
Well, if you want black, and are prepared to put up with a particularly snitty web page, take a look at dbrand.com.
Only if you replace the entire display.
Brandon -
Interesting look at the stand mount. Swapping the foot for VESA mount is going to require removing the display.
The VESA Mount iMac is a special build to order option from Apple. It is not a user-installable option.
can’t wait to see the screen cables and connectors…
Information is circulating that the M1 SSDs have a problem of premature wear? have you done wear tests on the M1 SSDs?
The SSD disk write issues have been fixed in 11.4 which came out today. The person who found the issue in first place says it was a result of a kernel bug. He also said 11.4 is said to have addressed the excessive write to SSD. Look at twitter link below for his statement.
People on MacRumours who are on 11.4 also said the SSD writes are much lower than before the update.
@vincentmaggio: check out this photo from Apple’s website which shows the VESA mount: https://store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com/...
I love the colors but the lack of upgradeability isn’t exactly making me rush out and get one. I wish they had kept the thicker design with magnets in the screen. A desktop machine does not have to be ultra thin. Please Apple, get off the thin and light trend.
I agree with you. But even if it were thicker, which would be nice because you would not have an audio cable sticking out of the side for powered speakers, the Apple Silicon platform means no more upgrades ever. Soldered RAM and soldered storage from this point forward. Having to pay Apple prices for more RAM and more storage. Nothing is repairable in this Mac, except the display. Something goes wrong, whole new motherboard.
”Nothing is repairable in this Mac, except the display.”
The power supply and the fans are the most likely things (still unlikely) to fail over time. The PSU is external and the fans can be replaced.
I would love to see upgradeable RAM though but it seems that the days for that are over. Also, RAM isn’t very likely to fail over time.
If Apple’s pricing was more reasonable I wouldn’t care about it at all, just buy enough when you buy the computer.
As someone who has fixed countless iMacs over the past 6 years from 2007 models to 2020 models I can confidently say that adhesive is here to stay and that is a good thing. The repair time on 2007-2011 models is significantly higher and more annoying. The adhesive is honestly convenient and nice, with 3-4 cuts you have the entire display off. An SSD upgrade can be done in 25 minutes on a 2015 iMac, on a 2011 the same repair would take 45 minutes.
Brandon -
PSA: The SSD disk write issues have been fixed in 11.4 which came out today. The person who found the issue in first place says it was a result of a kernel bug and he also says 11.4 addresses the issue. Update to 11.4 if your on M1 macs. Users on 11.4 from MacRumours have also reported that SSD writes are much lower on 11.4.
is it me or the x-ray of the M1 is missing the other fan? it seams to only have one on the left side.
In the comments above, the X-Ray is the base model unit with two ports and one fan. It is not the one they tore down.
The “metal plates” are obviously acoustic chambers, like in the 2015 iPad Pro. Look at the way they connect exclusively to the woofers.
Literally no reason for there to be a chin.
Multiple reasons: 1) the user can actually see the color, 2) the iMac is instantly recognizable, instead of a totally generic screen, and 3) Apple likes it. There are no technical reasons for the chin, since all the components would pretty clearly fit under the screen, so there are obviously aesthetic ones.
Jared -
I was so excited for new iMacs - but imo it’s a bigg miss in many respects. Not really a feat to make it slim when the psu is external. Not making the board user replaceable from the bottom (like ram on the old iMacs is a missed opportunity that really limits the repairablity and lifespan of this machine…
There are separate versions of iMac for use with VESA mount, thus no foot included.
Hopefully the extra space is for a battery. Apple is going to be sued for false advertising showing these things turned on with no power cord, and is going to have to recall them and install a battery.
I am just happy you can get in easily. If you want more storage, than you can plug in an external hard drive. Unfortunately RAM is soldered. Other than that, I am happy with the insides of the new iMac.
Are the ribbon cable connections to the logic board using the same connectors as the previous generation iMacs? Maybe there is hope for making a FrankenMac from a damaged 24” model…
Hrm, I’m wondering, since the glass directly covers the chin, could the very ambitious remove the paint from the interior of the glass and leave it clear (seeing the motherboard), or custom paint it.
I would have added to the summary that putting consumable parts like the two coin cells behind all that glue is just making a mockery of repairablity. Talk about engineering in a life span.
Those batteries should only be needed when it loses power and that is probably enough juice for it to be unplugged for 10 years.
Only Apple makes a computer that is beautiful on the inside but also impossible to open.
Actually I am a little disappointed. I felt sure Apple could get it down way below 2/10 on the ifixit scoring system. What were they thinking?
Right. I think all those color matched parts increased the modularity.
I can think of someone that might welcome thinner and lighter iMacs. “Low-level PC” techs. If you ever had to slug 300 new computers into a school and replace desktops, you’ll welcome the weight savings. It adds up to the wear and tears on one’s back. Just because a YouTube reviewer can’t think of a reason for something, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. No shade directed at iFixit. Just a self-awareness check for people that criticize for a living. Thanks for the hard work iFixit in bringing repair guides to the every-person!
If I can’t take the internal storage out of the case before I send the hardware off for repair, my company will not buy them which means they are effectively disposable.
Clunky solution: Get the least storage they offer, use it only for System and apps, and use external storage for everything else.
Calion -
It’s basically a glorified smartphone.
>in our testing, the iMac only draws about 60 watts at most.
Is that with the.Analog Devices SSM3515B 31-watt class-D audio amplifier on full blast? Does that mean it’d only draw 29 W without an amp? How about without a display? Does the Mini have the same amp in it?
And what do these chips do, with no battery to manage? Does the mini also have these?
>Apple APL1096/343S00474 power management IC
>Apple APL1097/343S00475 power management IC
>Richtek RT4541GQV power management IC
Good question John! We mostly tested the iMac at the brightest display level and fully loaded processor cores. We didn’t think to crank the volume up to 11 while we did that! That would probably add a substantial bit of watts.
That’s not a computer!
You need to be able to pop the lid, swap in a new SSD etc.
It probably will make a good office machine, look great on a receptionists desk etc., but of very limited appeal to those into computers.
It looks like the Mac mini is my only option - assuming an M1 Mac pro will cost way to much $$$$$
You can't swap in a new SSD on the Mini either.
Calion -
The question for me is if this new M1 iMac is also prone to the gray-spots-in-the-corners issue that all other iMacs have been over the years. Looking at the internal side of the screen panel it doesn’t seem sealed well around the metal frame to keep dust particles coming through the fan intake port from penetrating the display behind the glass. I guess only time will tell…
Why? There is nothing upgradeable in the chassis. One can’t upgrade the SSD or RAM so what’s the point of going inside it other than that rare time to maybe clean the dust out of it?
Eduardo Gomez - 11 hours ago
What about when those fans eventually seize, or clog up? What about a damaged headphone jack? How about replacing the screen due to damage/cracking? Those batteries will run out eventually too! 101 reasons why you should be able to (easily) access YOUR own device.
So it’s an iPad with a big screen. Apple really wants 100% disposable devices, doesn’t it? This is ridiculous. This is even worse than buying a car where the tires are permanently attached and you can’t change the oil. Oh, but you can replace the mirrors! Yeah, like anyone ever has to do that unless they’re in an accident…2/10 is ridiculously generous. It should be 0/10.
Everyone that says “So it’s an iPad with a big screen” is evidence that Apple is guilty of false advertising for showing them turned on displaying a screen saver, without being plugged in. How many people are going to be disappointed that it has no battery? I think Apple will have to recall them and put in the missing battery.
I noticed that the needle in the gauge on the Repairability Score jiggles a bit. Does that mean some of these iMacs are just slightly more repairable than others? So maybe 1.999999996 to 2.000000004?
This is a big step for Apple. They improved security to fully protect their devices from tampering by rogue consumers who falsely believe that just because they purchase a device, they have some kind of right to upgrade or repair it. Apple knows full well that there is an ample supply of fools who will overlook this limitation because PURPLE.
Here's the thing about this: The only difference in repairability between this and previous iMacs is that you can't replace the memory or storage. That's due to the increased speed from having it as an SOC, not to make it disposable. Although repairability is nice, so is speed.
Too bad the whole thing’s not ZIF, though.
Calion -
It’s basically becoming a gigantic smartphone.
Lol do you know anything about this thing? just because it Uses ARM Instruction set doesn’t mean its a Smartphone.
What in !&&* is the battery for? What is when they are empty?
It's for the clock when you unplug it.
Calion -
Can the TouchID keyboard be purchased separately if the original seems to fail? I’m looking on Apple’s website and it doesn’t appear to be available, at least for the time being.
This is freely replaceable, no special lockdown present.
Tom Chai -
As a longtime apple user this is a mockery of a computer, my current iMac has 20gb of Ram and still works without issues after 10 years, what is the lifespan of this machine, 2 years, max 3, it's obvious that every new iteration of macosx will transform this into a brick, just to assure that you buy another Mac… what a waste of resources and money
If you buy the high-end version, it will last a lot more than 3 years—however long 16 GB will be sufficient. I'm guessing about eight years, no less than most Macs.
Calion -
Apple makes some of the most clumsy machines in the industry.
They could easily have made the glass fit with magnets and allowed for RAM and SSD upgrades. Hopeless.
Well, no. Allowing RAM and SSD upgrades would slow down the computer and reduce the massive speed advantage of the M1.
Calion -
Lighter, thinner computers mean less packaging and less space, fuel and energy needed to store and transport them. A huge benefit to everyone globally, not just their owners.
Also, while people may not move desktops very frequently, when you do have to do it, it’s always appreciated when they’re lighter and easier to carry. Eg. If you work in IT and have to install them.
In other words, yes, there are people and there are good reasons for wanting this trend to not only continue at Apple, but also at other computer manufacturers.
Jonny T -
A lot of good that does if the computers have to be thrown away because they can’t be upgraded or repaired. It’s people like you who were responsible for “water saving” showerheads. They might use 20% less water, but you have to spend 2x longer in the shower to get the soap out of your hair. Great job. Same thing with super thin toilet paper. Do you really think people are going to walk around with sh*t on their a$$es just because it takes longer to pull off 2 miles of toilet paper to equal 5 squares of normal toilet paper? No. All it does is waste everyone’s time. If you make shopping bags thinner, people will just double-bag.
People aren’t going to just live with their slow/non-functional computer when it can’t be repaired or upgraded. They’re going to buy a new one. So much for your “energy saving” theory. The ONLY thing this does is increase the profits of Apple at the expense of everyone else.
Great job, but I think that complaining that really small components can’t be disassembled is kind of ridiculous. How do you “service” a (much bigger) Nvidia graphics card. Heck a single DIMM is bigger than the M1 SOC. A mechanical camera can be taken apart, cleaned, and modified. The (far more capable) camera in a good smartphone is a tiny package. As this stuff changes, I think you need to move the goalposts.
Think back to the Macintosh’s beginning. It has always been about simplicity: Simple to setup out of the box. Simple to use by non-computer users. Done.
Moving forward, Apple’s take on Macintosh simplicity expanded much further to its construction: If there’s no chance to upgrade/expand, the device is yet even more simple.The way you buy it is the way it remains for life…usually.
Lastly, as technology advanced and made it possible to create a nearly ‘solid state’ computer (thank you SSD and no thank you the need for an internal cooling fan(s)), we are now just south of Apple’s vision of Computer Nirvana: No moving parts. No upgrade opportunity. No user-serviceability. And (hopefully) no need for it to be serviced.
I remember my first solid-state, transistor radio. One-tenth the size of my desktop radio. Had good sound for both AM and FM, could accept a mini-earphone, and ran for a month of periodic use on two AA batteries.
Apple’s vision and quest to this end will remain…as long as there’s an Apple to do it.
Everything will need to be serviced: accident and bad batches happens, and if the only option is to change the entire machine, that’s the opposite of an environmental friendly company like they call themselves… And if we want to keep living on this universe, it’s better to go back on repairable stuff, or otherwise just nuke each other to speed up our end
Thanks this was really helpful now i can fix the one I have.
Bad Bad for Consumer and Service Facilities……
What about the stand? You didn’t try to disassemble the stand from the hinge part. There are silver covers giving access to the screws holding the stand to the plate. I’m wondering if the stand can be easily removed via the hinge maybe then it’s posible to have some kind and after market vesa adapter.
What are the specs (voltage and amperage) on the power adapter going to the iMac?
Is ist possible to unscrew the foot from the frame for a transport in a luggage?
Apple should reach that what is needed now for this earth. Our planet is full of junk. The time to throw away things is over. We need to repair, and recycle as much as it is possible. If Apple concentrates on this, they have my respect. But not if the produce things like this. The same old way of beautful colored glued unrepairable $@$*.
It would have cost them probably a few cents extra to make the backside of the “chin” a removable cover, and add an m.2 and/or sodimm slot.. but of course it makes more profit if the customer has to buy a new machine if he needs to upgrade.
M1 iMac Vesa mount
It would be interesting for you to do an teardown of the iMac B1 base model, to see the differences between them, which are many internally!
Is the foot removable ?
No, the foot is not removable. You can buy it either with this stand OR the VESA stand. But a user/consumer can not remove the stand.
How is it a Blow to Security that the SSD NAND is soldered to the Board????
I'm happy with the version with the table stand. It’s a pity that you can’t take it in your luggage because of the non-removable stand. The original packaging is huge.
Can you remove the silver round parts from the stand?
Just the fact that you can't upgrade the memory is a definitely no-no for me. I would like to know the results of their qualitative/quantitative research and the characteristics of the persona they created based on which they decided to create this computer (aka large iPad).
What is the purpose of the CR2016 batteries? My iMac locked up and after reset it does not start anymore. Revive or Restore don't work. Can it be that the CR2016 batteries are empty? The iMac is most of the time not plugged in, I use it in a second home. The iMac has only power when I'm there.
The CR2016 is responsible for CMOS (Which saves/keeps Time, settings, Boot disk selection, etc). So If It was unplugged for long periods of time, It is more likely it is drained.
Time to replace it.
Great tear down. Thank you!
Hey Apple, we wouldn't be mad if there were a dozen small screws on the back of the iMac. We would actually love it in fact. We would love the absence of the adhesive tape.
i didn't see the heat sink. Maybe the stand should be part of the heat sink. hmmm.
Any chance of tearing down the display assembly? Specifically, is it (at least theoretically) possible to replace its power/data cable? Lots of people are reporting display problems after a few years that seems to be related to that cable going bad, so if there is some way to replace it, it would save people a lot of money, since Apple will charge hundreds of dollars to replace the entire assembly.
I wouldn't buy it, I'd still prefer the iMac Pro... just because the storage and RAM are built into the MotherBoard
