Steps 1–21: Teardown
Popular Repair Guides
iMac Intel 20" EMC 2266 Teardown
Introduction
We picked up the new iMac 20" from our local Apple store on March 3rd.
Teardown
Teardowns provide a look inside a device and should not be used as disassembly instructions.
Paginated Single Page Steps
Step 1
—
Teardown
It's here!
We turned it on (only briefly, of course); the LCD display is beautifully clear, even though its resolution (1680x1050) is smaller than the 1920x1200 resolution found in the MacBook Pro 17" Unibody.
The speakers are also surprisingly loud and clear, given that the sound seemingly comes out of nowhere...
Feel free to comment on specific steps as we go. We'll do our best to accommodate any special requests for pictures.
Step 2
The ports:
Optical digital audio out / in
Four USB 2.0 ports
FireWire 800, 7 watts
Gigabit Ethernet
Mini DisplayPort (with support for DVI, dual-link DVI, and VGA)
Step 3
Look at those lovely cords. Yay for cords. Going wireless will add an extra $50 to your iMac's pricetag -- $20 for the mouse and $30 for the keyboard.
Apple should really have an Aluminum mouse. The included white plastic Mighty Mouse looks like something thrown in as an afterthought.
Our keyboard has no number pad, but in their online store Apple offers a "keyboard with numeric keypad" as a no-cost alternative to the standard one.
Apple confirmed that nothing from the PC world was used in the creation of this iMac, as evident by the "Everything Mac" slogan.
Step 4
It has begun.
Unscrewing the single exterior screw -- the RAM cover. We brainstorm on what magical wonders may lie underneath...
Behold: RAM!
Unfortunately, this is the extent of Apple-approved user-serviceability for this iMac.
Step 5
We use only the best parts around here. Our suction cups come straight from Maranello, Italy (in Ferrari red, of course).
Step 6
Fourteen magnets hold the front glass panel in place. Our suction cups were very handy for this operation.
The glass panel comes off with a gentle pull straight up.
The suction cups made removing the glass surprisingly painless. However, getting dust or fingerprints on either the glass or LCD is a concern. You must make sure both the LCD panel and glass are completely clean prior to reassembly.
The rear of the glass has a metallic bezel, as well as seven alignment posts. The magnets that help hold the glass in place are in the iMac's aluminum front bezel.
Step 7
The display is less glossy now.
Twelve screws are exposed:
Eight 12.8 mm T9 Torx screws.
Four 24.6 mm T9 Torx screws.
The front bezel then simply rotates up. The microphone cable must be disconnected before the bezel is entirely free.
Step 8
It almost looks like Tim Burton joined the iMac design team...
I'd like to see a guide for the replacement of the video card on the iMac Intel 20" using the iMac you used in this guide "iMac 20" Teardown". It is the exact same model I have.
These are really great guides!! I appreciate you doing them!!
Do you have any idea how many buses that these USB ports share? Also, what do you do with the machines you disassemble after you reassemble them?
I wonder if it's possible to add/create an aftermarket frame for the display to cover the screws and leave the matte screen exposed like the new 17" MBP?
One could make some dollars with such an idea.
optical?
all these gadgets are really good, i have the lot... now with apple updates i have lost the use of my battery, and now my bluetooth... so not to be a killjoy - is all this required to change the memory? i am hoping it is a negative...
what size screws are they. For the screw that covering the memory.
Can it be replaced with 8 GB Ram DDR III 1600
iFixit Staff
Why don't we sell these?
Hi im looking how to get an bondo suction cup in the philippines? or any suggestion where i buy it here in the philippines?
I would love to see the underside of the glass panel. Did they just glue the magnets to the glass, I would assume needing to add and glue these magnets would make an extra step instead of just adding tape the glass.
I love the suction cups. I think someone at ifixit must have done some time, those look like high quality thieving tools.
iFixit Staff
I added a photo of the underside of the glass panel to this step. The magnets are all attached to the iMac's aluminum front bezel, not the glass. The back of the glass just has a metallic ring around the edge, as well as some alignment posts.
OK, I've got to ask: How did you figure out that you could pull the glass panel off like that? Is this a known construction technique, or did you get a hint from an insider?
I wonder if the use of magnets was purely aesthetic or because they'd like to be able to swap in different screen covers: a less glossy / privacy filter, for instance.
I'm a little confused. The glass on the front is held solely with magnets? Is that all that's preventing the glass from falling out? Seems like it would slide out accidentally at some point doesn't it?
iFixit Staff
The glass on the front is held in place by magnets - no screws or adhesive. Of course the aluminum frame around the glass also supports the glass, and the gap tolerance between glass and frame is very small.
iFixit Staff
It's not generally known, but it's not a huge secret either. There were no screws on the glass so that limited our options to either suction cups or a hammer :)
Suction cups won the roshambo, so we used them instead of the hammer :)
Earlier this year, while shipping my faulty new iMac back to Apple, UPS must have dropped the (original) box pretty violently. Due to a screw-up (one of many) the box came back to me and I could hear the glass pieces rattling about in the box.
So, yes, it is possible for the glass to be dislodged. I suspect, though, that it would take some force - like dropping the iMac - to knock the glass off.
Hey I wonder if you could show the underside of the front bezel. I would like to see how they attached the magnets and how they built the bezel?