iFixit’s Inside Look at the New 24‑inch iMac
iFixit’s latest dive into Apple’s 24‑inch iMac reveals a neat little secret: the machine is basically a big display with a tiny computer doing the heavy lifting beneath it.
What the X‑ray Shows
- It’s a classic “display‑plus‑computer” combo, just on a larger scale.
- Imagine a 13‑inch M1 MacBook, but swap its small screen for a sprawling 24‑inch, 4.5K Retina display.
Inside the Lower Half
Below the glass, you’ll find a compact logic board that houses the M1 chip, all its memory, and storage. A pair of fans work together to keep everything chilled, while the sides are lined with a crisp speaker system.
In short, Apple’s new iMac takes the familiar M1 MacBook platform and gives it a hefty screen makeover, resulting in a sleek, all‑in‑one desktop experience.
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Inside the Soldering Nightmare
Ever tried a device that feels like a glorified circuit board? That’s exactly what we’re dealing with here. Everything is glued together so fully that you can’t even upgrade or replace a fan—the whole thing is a monolithic, solder‑tight juggernaut.
Where the Design Choices Happen
- iFixit’s self‑made mid‑range model: 8 GPU cores + four USB‑C ports, proudly born in Thailand.
- The custom purple edition, rocking 16 GB of memory, was assembled in China. Spoiler: it’s not a bad thing, just a little different distro.
The Mystery Metal Plates
Inside the unit, two hefty metal plates sit where they should be—no one knows why! iFixit scratched their heads and left it to the mystery. Maybe a secret army of tiny wizards is hidden there.
X‑Ray Sleuthing
On a cool X‑ray shoot, two small circles appeared near the middle of the board. The specs? They look like coin batteries—probably the blinking heartbeat of the system. Are they real or just decorative? Nobody’s sure.
iFixit is digging deeper—more of those plates, a follow‑up tear‑down, and hopefully some good stories.
Takeaway
It turns out that this builder is masters of monolithic design. Upgrade‑or‑repair‑free, assembly‑in‑Thailand or China, mysterious metal gadgets, and potential coin batteries are the secret sauce that keeps the tech game interesting.
