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Teardown of New iMac Reveals Upgradable Processors, RAM (macrumors.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the all-in-one dept.

According to an iFixit teardown, Apple's new 4K 21.5-inch iMac has both removable RAM and a Kaby Lake processor that's not soldered onto the logic board. Whereas the previous models had soldered memory modules, the new iMac's memory sit in two removable SO-DIMM slots. MacRumors reports: iFixit made the discovery by disassembling Apple's $1,299 mid-range 3.0GHz stock option, which includes 8GB of 2400MHz DDR4 memory, a Radeon Pro 555 graphics card with 2GB of VRAM, and a 1TB 5400-RPM hard drive. After slicing through the adhesive that secures the 4K display to the iMac's housing and removing the power supply, hard drive, and fan, iFixit discovered that the memory modules aren't soldered onto the logic board like previous models, but instead sit in two removable SO-DIMM slots. Similarly, after detaching the heatsink and removing the warranty voiding stickers on the backside of the logic board, iFixit found that the Intel SR32W Core i5-7400 Kaby Lake processor sits in a standard LGA 1151 CPU socket, making it possible to replace or upgrade the CPU without a reflow station.

5 of 205 comments (clear)

  1. I suppose that's an improvement, but... by Solandri · · Score: 5, Informative

    Having to slice the adhesive securing the screen to the housing, remove the power supply, hard drive, and fan, and tilt out the logic board to swap memory modules isn't exactly user-friendly. It still gets only a 3/10 for repair-ability.

    1. Re:I suppose that's an improvement, but... by tlhIngan · · Score: 5, Informative

      yeah apple just didn't bother yet with soldering the components yet since they don't have market data about demand so it's easier for now.. and you have to break the glue anyways, making it a no no for most users.

      they might start doing that for cost cutting without telling anyone though once the new line is up to speed in production.

      Well, the processor is easy. Intel doesn't sell BGA parts yet. Apple's only one customer of Intel and they're only able to buy what Intel can supply. Most likely what Intel can supply immediately in the quantities Apple wants at the price they want precludes BGA parts and soldering.

      Apple did the math - Intel can custom produce the CPUs for Apple, but likely the demand is such that Intel doesn't really want to (everyone is waiting for Kaby Lake processors, so when Intel started providing them in quantity, Apple became like everyone else) so quoted Apple the "if you really want it, we can do it" price. Or they can take what Intel is making right now and supplying everyone, with the benefit that it's no longer a custom order and Apple can buy what they need, at the expense of making it socketed. Or in other words, it's cheaper socketed right now because Intel is providing them in quantities to everyone in that format.

  2. Upgrade process by psy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    1) Buy lower end system
    2) Upgrade using cheaper 3rd party components
    3) ???
    4) Error 53

  3. Re: Response from Slashdot readers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I work as a video editor and I won't be paying for one of these. PCs are just more competitive. Companies have bottom lines and that's really the hard fact they can't solve.

    The cost of the computer is a trivial expense in professional video editing. Less than 1% of the annual cost. So your company should simply be choosing is the best equipment, whatever it is.

  4. Re: 5400 RPM? by geekmux · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yup, as predicted, there's a comment whining about Apple's significant upgrades to the iMac line. Grow up, kiddies.

    Enough with the childish references. Finding 5400RPM spinning rust in 2017 Apple hardware is like buying a million dollar home and finding vinyl flooring. There is simply no other excuse other than being very cheap. I also wouldn't call 8GB worth of memory a 2017 "wow" factor either.

    The actual significant event here was finding that Apple managed to get help for their solder addiction to revert back to the old way of building hardware. One hell of an "upgrade" path.

    And everyone should be thankful Apple did this, for I can assure you the amount of obscene profit Apple was demonstrating with a sealed-box design full of solder was moving to become the standard for every other maker of hardware.

    Now let's hope they continue to downgrade their laptops.