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Apple Hardware Mac Pro Take Apart Thunderbolt

iFixit posts their Mac Pro teardown

RtFlKRIVD1AnbWMo.mediumGadget teardown specialists, iFixit, have completed their full disassembly of the new Mac Pro and have given it an 8 out of 10 on the repairability scale. So what else did they find out? Best to head on over there for the full details (24 steps for the full take-apart), but here are a few of the juicy details (cherry-picked from the iFixit run-down);

  • it has taken some design pointers from the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule bodies: a thin, vertical design with individual boards on separate sides.
  • simply sliding the lock switch allows us to remove the outer casing of the Mac Pro. No stubborn pentalobe screws here!
  • The RAM in the Mac Pro Late 2013 is easily accessible and replaceable.
  • it is vented by a single fan, which pulls air from under the case, through the core, and out the top of the case.
  • it utilizes a giant triangular heat sink (“Thermal Core”), shared by the dual graphics cards and CPU.
  • the new graphics cards may be the key to Apple finally undercutting homebrew systems on a pure power basis.
  •  a CPU upgrade appears entirely possible.
  • The power supply has no dedicated cooling, and relies on the main system fan to keep cool—allowing the Mac Pro to idle at a whisper-quiet 12 dBA.
  • Non-proprietary Torx screws are used throughout, and several components can be replaced independently.

In spite of the lack of internal, user-upgradeable disk space, the new Mac Pro is a far cry from the iMac which has gotten more and more difficult to do at-home repairs or upgrades upon. Here’s hoping that Apple plans to offer some internal component upgrade paths.