Apple Thunderbolt Display torn down by iFixIt crew
updated 10:45 am EDT, Wed September 28, 2011
27-inch Apple Thunderbolt Display torn down
Apple's 27-inch, $1,000 Thunderbolt Display has been torn down by the iFixIt team. No special tools were needed to take the screen apart, with suction cups, Torx T6 and T10 screwdrivers and spudgers all that's required. The team was impressed by the easy disassembly process and gave the monitor an 8 out of 10 repairability score.
The team discovered the LG display used here is the LM270WQ1 that's also used in the iMac Intel 27-inch screen back in the fall of 2009 and Dell's current 27-inch screen. Apple used much more even and accurate LED backlighting in this application compared to Dell's cheaper CCFL, however.
Dell uses a matte covering that some might prefer over the glossy Apple design. Dell's also has theoretically better specs, with a 6ms response time and 1.07 billion colors versus Apple's 12ms response time and 16.7 million colors.
The Thunderbolt cable plugs into a standard Thunderbolt socket on the logic board rather than being soldered. That same logic board sports a plethora of chips, including a Thunderbolt port controller, PCIe-to-USB 2.0 host controller, audio processor, USB 2.0 controller, LAN filter for the Ethernet link, a class D amp, gigabit Ethernet controller, the LED driver chip, and more.
Also revealed were two 49W speakers and a small subwoofer, which is borrowed from Apple's LED Cinema Display. Finally, the power supply is rated at 250W.
