New Retina iMac Teardown Reveals Moderate Repairability

Apple took the wraps off its new iMac with 5K Retina display yesterday, and now a single day later the handy folks over at iFixit have already cracked it open (gently) to see what lies beneath its alluring surface. The question was posed: will the new ultra-high-resolution display make the new iMac's repairability more troublesome? The end result reveals a lot of favorable points for the machine, but there are a couple big hassles that knocked the final score down a few notches.

According to iFixit, opening the new iMac is relatively simple for experienced DIYers, and is the same as you'd experience with past versions; the double-sided adhesive strips are the biggest problem. Once open, it was discovered the hardware is also nearly piece-by-piece the same as the previous 27-inch iMac, with the exception of the 5K display. A notable change is the display's data cable, which is a bit wider.

A slew of hardware from Intel, Broadcom, Microchip Technology, SanDisk, and more lie under the hood. Many components bear the same model numbers as the previous iMac's hardware, such as the AirPort card. The similarity is great enough that the logic board's removal guide from last year is applicable to the newest model.

At the end of it all, the 27-inch Retina iMac was given a mid-range repairability score of 5 out of 10, with, of course, ten being the easiest for DIYers to repair. The favorable points were numerous: users can replace the RAM easily (there's a rear access door), iFixit says that it is easy to remove the modular components, and with a bit a adhesive hacking, users can swap out the CPU and HDD. The downsides? Fused LCD/glass and a lack of magnets fixing it in place, as well as double-sided tape that makes the task more difficult.

SOURCE: iFixit