iFixit tears down 27-inch iMac, Magic Mouse
updated 06:50 pm EDT, Thu October 22, 2009
Teardowns reveal unique engineering, new parts
iFixit has completed teardowns of Apple's new 27-inch iMac and Magic Mouse. The dissection of Apple's newest iMac reveals a revamped set of components used to create the largest iMac ever. The 27-inch display, with a 16x9 aspect ratio and 2560x1440 resolution, is an LG-branded (LM270WQ1) IPS-based LCD panel, weighing nearly 11 pounds. IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology offers better color reproduction and wider viewing angles compared to Twisted Nematic technology. The new all-in-one can be used as an external display, however the signal routes through the circuit board and requires the iMac to be turned on.
RAM slots, now accommodating four modules, can be found beneath an access door at the bottom of the device. Using 4GB chips brings the total capacity to 16GB of RAM. The airport card is an Atheros AR9280, while the power supply puts out 310 watts and the SuperDrive is a standard 8x model.
The 3.06 GHz E7600 Core 2 Duo processor is an LGA 775 Socket T CPU. There are Core 2 Quad chips that use the same socket, but it is uncertain whether those chips would function properly in the iMac. The i5 and i7 quad-cores included in the high-end 27" iMac use a different socket, LGA 1156 Socket H.
The CPU and GPU are kept apart with separate heat sinks channeling heat to opposing sides of the iMac, a complex engineering design used to accommodate Intel desktop processors. A new SD-card slot, six temperature sensors and three fans are all part of the mix. The new iMac frame is nearly all Aluminum, with the exception of the black Apple logo on the rear plate -- Apple located the WiFi antennae within the logo, utilizing the one location that wasn't covered in WiFi-limiting Aluminum.
The new iMacs were announced Tuesday, with the 27-inch versions ranging between $1700 and $2000.
The iFixit Magic Mouse teardown reveals a mix of plastic and Aluminum, with 10 grams of Aluminum, 37 grams of plastic and 47 grams in AA battery weight. The top of the mouse is literally covered in touch-capacitive sensors, allowing for the new multi-touch features.
A Broadcom BCM2042A4KFBGH chip allows the mouse to communicate via Bluetooth. The newly launched Magic Mouse is $70 and will require the forthcoming Mac OS X 10.6.2 update to function in Snow Leopard. It will require Mac OS X 10.5.8 and a not-yet-released Wireless Mouse Software Update 1.0 for Leopard use.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2008
I spent a good while at iFixit looking
at the iMac disassembly. I'd never paid much attention to iMacs before, but they seem really well-designed. The CPU and GPU heat sink/heat pipe assembly is pretty amazing. Getting all that stuff into such a small area is terrific. I know people are complaining as to why Apple can't find space to put a second drive (without removing the optical drive) is really going too far. I'll admit I'd like to be able to replace the drive with less trouble, but I could do it. I'd honestly use a dual drive external case anyway.
I don't care if Apple does charge more for it's computers, I'd have to say the engineering that goes into them is worth it. As a person that had worked many years in a machine shop and also did computer upgrading for IT, I really like the detail that is put into their computers. Maybe you can build better computers from scratch, but these are still built very well. The iMac is just a notebook computer with a display stuck on it and now using desktop processors. It's rather impressive to me.