iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2428

Released May 3, 2011, the iMac 21.5" EMC 2428 features a quad-core processor as well as the addition of a single Thunderbolt port.

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iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2428 Teardown

Teardown

Teardowns provide a look inside a device and should not be used as disassembly instructions.

We got up this morning to news that the new iMacs were out, so we knew what we had to do: start sharpening our suction cups!

Thankfully, this iMac model opens in the same way as previous generations. All you have to do is pull off the magnetically-held display glass with two medium-size suction cups, and then remove the screws holding the LCD in place.

But what lies inside? Only one way to find out...

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Edit Step 1 — iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2428 Teardown ¶

Introducing the new 21.5" iMac, now featuring additional features such as a Thunderbolt port and a quad-core processor.
Tech Specs:
- Quad-core Intel Core i5 with 6MB on-chip shared L3 cache
- 500 GB Western Digital 7200 RPM hard drive
- 4 GB of RAM
- AMD Radeon HD GDDR5 graphics processor
- Thunderbolt port
- 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

Edit Step 2 ¶

Ports on the backside of the iMac include:
- Audio line out
- Audio line in
- Four USB 2.0 ports
- Firewire 800 port
- Thunderbolt port
- Gigabit Ethernet port
The SDXC card slot is located underneath the optical drive.

Edit Step 3 ¶

We call upon our trusty heavy duty suction cups to aid us in separating the glass panel from the front bezel.
The LED-backlit glossy widescreen display is secured to the front bezel by several T10 Torx screws.

Edit Step 4 ¶

We carefully lift the LED-backlit display from its recess in the front bezel.
The 21.5-inch (viewable) LED-backlit glossy widescreen TFT display has support for millions of colors, with a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
The LED display is manufactured by LG and is denoted by its model number LM215WF3.
- This is the same display used in the previous generation 21.5" iMac.

Edit Step 5 ¶

Similar to the Thunderbolt IC we found in the MacBook Pro 15" Unibody Early 2011, the iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2428 features the Intel L102IA84 EFL Thunderbolt port IC.
Thunderbolt claims to provide 10 Gbps throughput for both input and output. It appears that both PCI Express and DisplayPort receive their own 10 Gbps data channel. That's nice, as you don't want your display competing with your external hard drive for bandwidth.

Edit Step 6 ¶

Disconnecting three antennas and removing a few screws allows the AirPort card to pop out of its socket.
The big winner in the wireless communication area this time around is Atheros.
At the heart of the Wi-Fi card is an Atheros AR9388-AL1A 802.11n wireless LAN chip.

Edit Step 7 ¶

In the next few steps, we remove many components that are very similar to the last 21.5" iMac.
The WD Caviar Blue hard drive is held to the front bezel by a few screws and, as always, the SATA data/power connectors.
- The WD Caviar Blue drive is a non-standard SATA drive. The power connector features 7 pins, rather than the standard 4. The drive also has non-standard firmware. This means you can only use Apple's own hard drives and not any standard after-market SATA drive.
Removing the power supply requires disconnecting the AC inlet cable from the logic board.
The LED driver board comes out next after successfully removing the power supply.

Edit Step 8 ¶

Good-bye optical drive, we hardly knew ye...
The new iMac carries a Sony Optiarc optical drive, model number AD-5690H.
The area shaded in red in the third picture is presumably where the optional SSD is housed. The three mounting points within the shaded area have nothing attached to them in our machine, since this option is only available on 2.7 GHz 21.5" iMacs.