{"id":3615,"date":"2013-09-25T20:49:41","date_gmt":"2013-09-26T00:49:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.nccomputertech.com\/?p=3615"},"modified":"2013-09-25T20:49:41","modified_gmt":"2013-09-26T00:49:41","slug":"2013-imac-teardowns-reveal-ssd-slots-soldered-in-cpu-in-the-21-5-model","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2013\/09\/25\/2013-imac-teardowns-reveal-ssd-slots-soldered-in-cpu-in-the-21-5-model\/","title":{"rendered":"2013 iMac teardowns reveal SSD slots, soldered-in CPU in the 21.5\u201d model"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Just one day after Apple quietly refreshed its iMac lineup with Intel’s new Haswell processors, the teardown artists at iFixit have pulled both the 21.5-inch and 27-inch models apart to see what makes them tick.
\nOne of our chief complaints about last year’s 21.5-inch iMac was how difficult it was to upgrade, and that remains true of this year’s model. You can still access the computer’s two RAM slots if you’re brave enough to attempt the teardown process (which includes tearing apart and replacing some foam padding), and Apple has included an empty PCIe slot on the base model where last year’s model only had an empty spot on the system board. However, the low-end iMac’s use of Intel’s Iris Pro 5200 integrated GPUs means that it uses one of Intel’s R-series CPUs, and those CPUs only come in a soldered-on ball-grid array (BGA) package.
\nThe 27-inch model proves a bit easier to upgrade: it still has four user-accessible RAM slots, still leaves people who opt out of the Fusion Drive or SSD upgrades an empty PCIe slot to use, and still uses a socketed Intel CPU for those of you who want to take the trouble to upgrade that component yourselves after the fact. Both the 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs were also confirmed to be using triple-antenna (3×3:3) 802.11ac configurations, meaning the iMacs will be capable of the standard’s maximum theoretical transfer speed of 1.3Gbps where the 2013 MacBook Airs used a two-antenna setup capable of 867Mbps speeds.
\nNeither iMac got a very good “repairability score” from iFixit this time around; the more-upgradeable 27-inch model got a five out of ten, while the 21.5-inch model got a two out of ten. The difficult teardown process was cited as one reason for the low scores, as was the fact that the front glass and the LCD are fused together into one monolithic piece.
\nvia 2013 iMac teardowns reveal SSD slots, soldered-in CPU in the 21.5\u201d model | Ars Technica<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just one day after Apple quietly refreshed its iMac lineup with Intel’s new Haswell processors, the teardown artists at iFixit […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[518,1136],"class_list":["post-3615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-apple","category-hardware","tag-imac","tag-upgrades"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/papNkV-Wj","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8354,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2015\/06\/03\/intel-launches-long-delayed-quad-core-broadwell-cpus-and-the-iris-pro-6200-gpu\/","url_meta":{"origin":3615,"position":0},"title":"Intel launches long-delayed quad-core Broadwell CPUs and the Iris Pro 6200 GPU","author":"NCCT","date":"June 3, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Photo: Intel The first products based on Intel\u2019s Broadwell chips were introduced last fall, but it was not a smooth launch. Yield problems with the company\u2019s new 14nm manufacturing process forced Intel to stagger Broadwell\u2019s rollout. The low-power, low-performance Core M chips came first, followed by faster U-series dual-core parts\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hardware"","block_context":{"text":"Hardware","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/hardware\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/bdw-h-noreflect-noshadow-640x384.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/bdw-h-noreflect-noshadow-640x384.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/bdw-h-noreflect-noshadow-640x384.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7338,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2015\/01\/06\/intel-many-pc-makers-plan-to-skip-desktop-broadwell-pcs-and-wait-for-skylake-cpus\/","url_meta":{"origin":3615,"position":1},"title":"Intel: Many PC makers plan to skip desktop Broadwell PCs and wait for Skylake CPUs","author":"NCCT","date":"January 6, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Intel: Many PC makers plan to skip desktop Broadwell PCs and wait for Skylake CPUs LAS VEGAS\u2014The more powerful the PC, the less important Intel\u2019s Broadwell chip appears to be. On Monday, Intel launched the Broadwell-U microprocessors for all-in-ones and traditional notebooks, representing the traditional Core i3, i5, and i7\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hardware"","block_context":{"text":"Hardware","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/hardware\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7852,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2015\/03\/20\/13-inch-broadwell-macbook-showdown-should-you-go-pro-or-get-an-air\/","url_meta":{"origin":3615,"position":2},"title":"13-inch Broadwell MacBook showdown: Should you go Pro or get an Air?","author":"NCCT","date":"March 20, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The 13-inch MacBook Pro and the 13-inch MacBook Air were once very different computers that served very different needs. One was bulkier but pretty fast and user-serviceable, while the other was thin-and-light to a fault, arriving with anemic low-power CPUs and GPUs, slow hard drives, and no easy means to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/dsc00299-980x653.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/dsc00299-980x653.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/dsc00299-980x653.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/dsc00299-980x653.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9123,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2017\/03\/02\/this-week-in-computer-hardware-404-amd-ryzen-7-is-here\/","url_meta":{"origin":3615,"position":3},"title":"This Week in Computer Hardware 404: AMD Ryzen 7 Is Here!","author":"NCCT","date":"March 2, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=9VImDx1fbiM Does AMD's Ryzen 7 outperform Intel's Core i7 CPUs? Raspberry Pi Zero W hands on. Our pics of the latest Android phones from Mobile World Congress, price drops on Oculus Rift, and much more in TWiCH episode 404!","rel":"","context":"In "Hardware"","block_context":{"text":"Hardware","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/hardware\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/9VImDx1fbiM\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9184,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2017\/06\/01\/this-week-in-computer-hardware-417-intel-strikes-back\/","url_meta":{"origin":3615,"position":4},"title":"This Week in Computer Hardware 417: Intel Strikes Back","author":"NCCT","date":"June 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=gIet4QcTSNI Computex 2017 is here, Intel's gunning for AMD's Ryzen with new Core i9 CPUs. HP, Lenovo, and Asus are building Snapdragon-powered Windows machines, AMD's RX Vega is pushed to late July, and check out the new 200mHz G-Sync Ultrawide gaming monitor from Asus. All that and more on This\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hardware"","block_context":{"text":"Hardware","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/hardware\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/gIet4QcTSNI\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3006,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2013\/07\/24\/long-life-no-cooling-fans-intels-4-5w-core-processors-could-blur-the-pctablet-line\/","url_meta":{"origin":3615,"position":5},"title":"Long life, no cooling fans: Intel's 4.5W Core processors could blur the PC\/tablet line","author":"NCCT","date":"July 24, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Windows tablets hold within them an implicit promise: To deliver the full Windows 8 experience in a svelte tablet form factor. Unfortunately, the ambitions of Microsoft and its partners have thus far exceeded reality, largely due to processor power issues. Even the lowest of low-wattage Ultrabook chips simply sip too\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hardware"","block_context":{"text":"Hardware","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/hardware\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3615"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3615\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}