April 28, 2024

iFixit Tears Down the New 27-Inch iMac With 5K Retina Display [Photos]

Posted October 18, 2014 at 2:54am by iClarified · 16384 views
iFixit has performed a tear down of the new 27-inch iMac with 5K Retina display.

Think of the most colorful and radiant display you’ve ever seen. Now, discard that memory and stare at Apple’s newest iMac Intel 27” with Retina 5K Display. We're not talking 1080p or 4K, we're talking about 5K—millions and millions of pixels on a 27-inch display. Will the addition of a high-resolution display affect the repairability of the newest iMac Intel 27”? Let’s find out!

Specs:
● 3.5 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, with Turbo Boost up to 3.9 GHz
● 8 GB (2x4 GB) of 1600 MHz DDR3 RAM
● AMD Radeon R9 M290X graphics processor with 2 GB of GDDR5 video memory
● 802.11ac Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.0
● PCIe-based SSD storage and SATA hard drive

Highlights:
● This particular display was manufactured by LG Display.
● This the hardware that enables 14.7 million pixels with a resolution of 5210 x 2880 on a 27-inch display
○ Texas Instruments NH245 8-Bit Dual-Supply Bus Transceiver
○ Texas Instruments BUF16821 Programmable Gamma-Voltage Generator and Vcom Calibrator
○ Parade Technologies DP665 LCD Timing Controller
○ Texas Instruments TPS65270 Monolithic Dual Synchronous Buck Regulator
○ Texas Instruments TPS65168 High Resolution Fully Programmable LCD Bias IC for TV
● Barring the new display, the hardware inside the iMac Intel 27" Retina 5K Display looks much the same as last year's 27" iMac.

iMac 27" Retina 5K Display Repairability Score: 5 out of 10 (10 is easiest to repair)
● RAM is user-replaceable without opening the case, thanks to the rear access door.
● You can still replace the hard drive and CPU inside this machine, albeit with some adhesive cutting.
● Components are modular and fairly easy to remove.
● The glass and LCD are fused together, and there are no more magnets holding the glass in place.
● You'll have to masterfully peel off the old double-sided sticky tape and apply new tape in order to reseal this iMac into original condition.

Take a look at a few photos below or hit the link for more details...

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