MacBook Pro 15" Retina Display Mid 2012 Teardown Tearing down the MacBook Pro with Retina Display http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/RhFTReLYQVCt4vRT Brett Hartt Moderate MacBook Pro 15" Retina Display Mid 2012

IAmA on Reddit with Kyle Wiens, iFixit's CEO, talking about the MacBook Pro with Retina Display!

This is it: The Chosen One of MacBook Pros. While other MBPs were gifted only the standard annual updates, this particular model was bestowed with a Retina display, a thinner profile, two Thunderbolt ports, a full sized HDMI port, and less annoying cooling fans. Apple claims that this is the "best computer Apple has ever made."

Apple may have already spilled the beans when it comes to what the inside of this MacBook Pro looks like, but we aren't convinced. Join us today as we set out to see what is so significant about this special MacBook Pro.

Can't get enough teardown? Does an insatiable hunger for gadget guts burn in your belly? Want to be more l33t than your geek counterparts and know about the teardowns as soon as they're live? Follow iFixit on Twitter for the latest updates.

 2013-05-01T12:43:59-07:00 2012-06-12T18:39:30-07:00 iFixit 6 Inch Metal Ruler MacBook Pro and Air 5-Point Pentalobe Screwdriver Tweezers Phillips 00 Screwdriver Spudger T5 Torx Screwdriver T9 Torx Screwdriver <del>Everyone</del> Mac enthusiasts don't have to wait <del>months</del> anymore to see what's inside the new MacBook Pro. What is it that's got everyone in the tech world buzzing? 15.4&quot; LED-backlit Retina display with IPS with a resolution of 2880 x 1800 at 220 ppi Intel Ivy Bridge Core-i7 processor with Turbo Boost and Intel HD Graphics 4000 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3L RAM NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1 GB of GDDR5 VRAM http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/AkT2Xr5FUlBDUsdx http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/nBkZVNntSEjvl6Kw A quick inspection of the side of the MacBook Pro with Retina display reveals loads of upgrades: MagSafe 2 Two (!) Thunderbolt ports The first of two USB 3.0 ports A standard 3.5 mm headphone jack (boo) The right side of the MacBook houses an SD card reader, the second USB 3.0 port, and a full-size HDMI output. Both sides feature air induction vents for the new cooling system—but more on that later. http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/LkITFUXNELKtKMyA http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/CLA5SiDQQRvi6XJ3 The new display assembly design left no room for the usual &quot;MacBook Pro&quot; logo on the slim bezel. There's plenty of room for the logo on the bottom of the computer, though. If no one believes that your computer is a real MacBook Pro, just pick it up and flip it over. All these upgrades earned this Pro a new model number: A1398. Go ahead and let that sink in for a minute; Apple finally introduced a new MacBook Pro model number! (It's the little things that make us happy.) http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/FkEgJSQemWXi35he http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/bUNK6HSTLxY6odUY What does an Apple logo or Finder icon made up of 220 pixels per inch look like up close? A bunch of colored, square-ish dots, that's what. All joking aside, the resolution of this display really is incredible. There's no doubt that the cost to manufacture the Retina display is a big reason for the new MacBook Pro's $2200 (starting) price tag. http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/fUHtMiFEmUxOB32b http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/rkcxxotDT2omERmc http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/MjkYdQtHfMqBDbJQ We love a challenge, which is good news, because unlike previous generations of MacBook Pros, the MacBook Pro with Retina display is guarded by Apple's proprietary pentalobe screws. We work with bated breath as our <a href="/Tools/MacBook-Pro-and-Air-5-Point-Pentalobe-Screwdriver/IF145-090?utm_source=ifixit_guide&amp;utm_medium=wiki_text&amp;utm_term=if145-090&amp;utm_content=product_link">pentalobe screwdriver</a> sloughs off a stack of proprietary screws. Finally, we are in! http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/BVuECcunntgRSTOq http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/21EcUTBNrALrecEV http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/u5KpRVpkZYrSQJsG The MacBook Pro's innards revealed for your pleasure. If you like details, check out the <a href="http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/vkuKGsNkWXXe1BRv" rel="nofollow">gigantor version</a>! By the way, we don't just make awesome teardowns—<strong>we sell <a href="http://www.ifixit.com/Parts-Store">parts</a>. And <a href="http://www.ifixit.com/Tools">tools</a>! Lots and lots of tools.</strong> Like this <a href="/Tools/Pro-Tech-Toolkit/IF145-072?utm_source=ifixit_guide&amp;utm_medium=wiki_text&amp;utm_term=if145-072&amp;utm_content=product_link">handy-dandy electronics tool kit</a> that we used to take apart the new iPad. You know you want one. It'll pay for itself the first time you use it! We sell <a href="http://www.ifixit.com/Mac-Parts">Mac parts &amp; upgrades</a>, parts for <a href="http://www.ifixit.com/iPhone-Parts">iPhone screen repair</a>, kits for fixing the infamous <a href="/Game-Console-Parts/Xbox-360-Red-Ring-of-Death-Fix-Kit/IF205-024?utm_source=ifixit_guide&amp;utm_medium=wiki_text&amp;utm_term=if205-024&amp;utm_content=product_link">Xbox Red Ring of Death</a>, and tons more. <strong>We need your support</strong> to continue building the <strong><a href="http://www.ifixit.com/Guide">free repair manual</a></strong> for everything in the world. http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/vkuKGsNkWXXe1BRv http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/roUncg54iE1w4ebu http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/VYOLRjZ1wYXUnMFL The new battery packs quite a punch: 95 Wh at 10.95 V compared to <a href="/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Unibody+Early+2011+Teardown/4990/1#s22438">last year's puny 77.5 Wh</a>. Two things haven't changed, though: the 7-hour battery life and the pestering reminder that Apple doesn't think you're qualified to service your own battery. <strong>Spoiler alert:</strong> they might be <a href="/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Retina+Display+Mid+2012+Teardown/9462/3#s36209">right</a>. http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/VJwAbsvIFxxcAATx http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/eHio34FQn2ZLyamJ It's always a good idea to disconnect the battery when gutting your gadgets. While Apple seems to have an extensive warning label, it fails to mention potential shocks by failing to disconnect the battery during gadget surgery. Is it possible Apple wasn't expecting us? http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/e2j2rD3bnbEsRtji http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/JW1FdWSpU2Nw5ljT <em>Great news.</em> The battery is no longer screwed into the machine. <em>Horrible News</em>. Apple chose to use the dreaded g-word: <strong>glue</strong>. We're going to move on to more accessible components first, and then come back to the battery. http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/OmNciIRWdbmSySlq http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/KhuWjxSsu3pSMtkt Now we are getting to the good stuff, starting with the SSD. We found a 512 GB Samsung flash memory module. The chips are marked: Samsung S4LJ204X01 3-core ARM SSD controller chip - revision seems newer than 830-series SSD Samsung 213 K9UHGY8U7A 20nm MLC NAND chips Samsung 201 K4T263140F 256MB DDR2-800 cache memory Proprietary flash memory is <a href="/Teardown/MacBook+Air+11-Inch+Late+2010+Teardown/3745/1#s17832">nothing</a> <a href="/Teardown/MacBook+Air+13-Inch+Mid+2012+Teardown/9457/1#s36159">new</a> to Apple. It is, however, new to the MacBook Pro lineup. http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/LpjTmUO4MTnygPTv http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/JUVvQbKbgRelqBp6 http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/jyobgxgXHFgCNPv4 At first, the AirPort card in the MacBook Pro looks very similar to the one that we pulled out of the <a href="/Teardown/MacBook+Air+13-Inch+Mid+2012+Teardown/9457/2#s36160">Mid 2012 MacBook Air</a>. Closer inspection, however, reveals otherwise: Broadcom <a href="http://www.broadcom.com/products/Wireless-LAN/802.11-Wireless-LAN-Solutions/BCM4331" rel="nofollow">BCM4331</a> single-chip 802.11n dual-band wireless solution Broadcom <a href="http://www.broadcom.com/products/Bluetooth/Bluetooth-RF-Silicon-and-Software-Solutions/BCM20702" rel="nofollow">BCM20702</a> single-chip Bluetooth 4.0 HCI solution with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) support Skyworks WiFi <a href="http://www.skyworksinc.com/downloads/block_diagrams/WiFi_DB_WLAN_Bluetooth.pdf" rel="nofollow">Block</a> 2x<a href="http://www.skyworksinc.com/uploads/documents/SE5516A_DS.pdf" rel="nofollow">SE5515</a> Dual-Band FrontEnds 2.4GHz <a href="http://www.skyworksinc.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=958" rel="nofollow">SE2598L</a> and 5GHz SE5019T transmit power amps 2.4GHz <a href="http://www.skyworksinc.com/uploads/documents/201593A.pdf" rel="nofollow">SKY65405</a> and 5GHz <a href="http://www.skyworksinc.com/uploads/documents/201592A.pdf" rel="nofollow">SKY65404</a> reception low-noise amps http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/2hj4IKDTAFEZnmbl http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/nWQtA3qxF3kFkjWD http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/uJ4nsfBxNqstpRVU A bracket, some antenna cables, a few screws, and finally we get to the crème de la crème, the fan with asymmetric blade spacing. We jumped at calling the fan inside the <a href="/Teardown/MacBook+Air+13-Inch+Mid+2012+Teardown/9457/2#s36162">Mid-2012 MacBook Air 13&quot;</a> &quot;asymmetrical,&quot; but when compared to the fan inside this MacBook Pro, the Air's fan is definitely more <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotational_symmetry">periodic</a></em>. Theoretically, the asymmetry spreads the noise produced over multiple frequencies, making it less noticeable. This fan has been mentioned in almost all press on the MacBook Pro with Retina display. We are surprised at how much attention a minor blade spacing change is getting. It is never the less a testament to how much attention Apple puts on minor details overlooked by the rest of the industry, all for the comfort of the end user. http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/a6LAUuO1fT2QMDi2 http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/LrIUGGOnTYNn4PGk http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/YTXUX5tHTshG4SY6 Next up is the I/O board that plays host to one of the two USB 3.0 ports and the SD card reader. We love that this Pro has USB 3.0 ports on both sides. At last we resolved the issues of cables that are 12.5&quot; too short and thumb drives, mouse dongles, and <a href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/brain/whereisit.cgi?t=USB&amp;x=0&amp;y=0" rel="nofollow">USB toys</a> that are a centimeter too wide. The I/O board also plays host to a Broadcom <a href="http://www.broadcom.com/products/Ethernet-Controllers/Enterprise-Client" rel="nofollow">BCM57100</a> series Gigabit Ethernet + Memory Card reader controller. The Ethernet controller is accessible through the separately-sold Thunderbolt adapter. ParadeTech <a href="http://www.paradetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/PS8401-Product-Brief-20110425.pdf" rel="nofollow">PS8401A</a> HDMI Jitter Cleaning 3 Gbps HDMI repeater http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/CdOi6YRPKANqIwrg http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/h4OXSy2gLLAHppbf The next piece out is the processor and GPU heat sink and exhaust air vent assembly. By pushing the air through a restriction before it gets to the outermost vents, you introduce an additional pressure drop (due to fluid shear stress at the walls) that accelerates the air and pushes it out of the computer faster. With that last obstacle out of the way, the logic board comes out fairly effortlessly. http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/WgHBkCU2KdsaxMEi http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/vMK4VGFB3NOv5UfZ http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/OElarpDkI1pqNeGW Major players on the front of the logic board include: NVIDIA <a href="http://www.geforce.com/hardware/notebook-gpus/geforce-gt-650m" rel="nofollow">GeForce GT 650M</a> GPU Intel <a href="http://ark.intel.com/products/64891/Intel-Core-i7-3720QM-Processor-(6M-Cache-up-to-3_60-GHz)" rel="nofollow">Core-i7 3720QM</a> 2.6 GHz processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz) with Intel Graphics HD 4000. What appears to be an Intel E208B284 Platform Controller Hub Hynix <a href="http://www.skhynix.com/products/computing/view.jsp?info.ramKind=19&amp;info.serialNo=H5TC2G83CFR" rel="nofollow">H5TC2G83CFR</a> DDR3L SDRAM Intel DSL3510L Thunderbolt controller http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/IAbJlQbhPUYnQMOS By the way: we also make software for teaching people to do things. <strong><a href="http://www.dozuki.com" rel="nofollow">Dozuki</a></strong> makes it easy to create vibrant how-to manuals. Dozuki is great for: <strong><a href="http://www.dozuki.com/Sales/Industry/work-instructions" rel="nofollow">Standardized work instructions</a></strong>: improve quality by documenting how to get things done, one step at a time. <strong><a href="http://www.dozuki.com/Sales/Industry/product-support" rel="nofollow">Building product support sites</a></strong>: make your customers love you by teaching them how to do amazing things. <strong><a href="http://www.dozuki.com/Sales/Industry/training" rel="nofollow">Training and e-learning software</a></strong>: we've used Dozuki to teach over ten million people to repair electronics. <strong><a href="http://www.dozuki.com/Sales/Industry/online-community" rel="nofollow">Online community platform</a></strong>: build a knowledge base of expert knowledge with Answers, the Q&amp;A engine that drives the popular <a href="http://www.ifixit.com/Answers">iFixit Answers</a>. http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/DDW5erfAmFiGWGqM The back of the logic board revealed: Hynix <a href="http://www.skhynix.com/products/computing/view.jsp?info.ramKind=19&amp;info.serialNo=H5TC2G83CFR" rel="nofollow">H5TC2G83CFR</a> DDR3L SDRAM 2Gbit 1600MHz chips Hynix <a href="http://www.skhynix.com/products/graphics/view.jsp?info.ramKind=26&amp;info.serialNo=H5GQ2H24MFR&amp;posMap=graphicsGDDR5" rel="nofollow">H5GQ2H24AFR</a> - 2.5GHz 2Gbit GDDR5 memory chips Texas Instruments <a href="http://www.ti.com/lit/wp/spmy007/spmy007.pdf" rel="nofollow">Stellaris LM4FS1AH</a> microcontroller with integrated ARM core Renesas <a href="http://www.renesas.com/products/mpumcu/h8s/h8s2100/h8s2113/index.jsp" rel="nofollow">R4F2113</a> H8S series CISC MCU Maxim MAX15119 Apple-specific IMVP7 CPU/GPU power controller Cypress Semiconductor <a href="http://www.cypress.com/?docID=35576" rel="nofollow">CY8C24794-24L</a> - a Programmable SoC http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/qZaWp3cP2wdUrRly The headphone jack is held in place pretty snugly, but that doesn't stop us. This is where you plug in headphones or speakers. We're not sure why you wouldn't want to share the magic of Apple's specially-engineered speaker system, though… http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/NHnQ1duT2BXyCdtV http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/PaYZfyaLCg6EYaQB …and right on cue, out come the speakers. Apple claims that their custom speakers make the most of &quot;every cubic millimeter&quot; inside the MacBook Pro. For $2200, we sure hope that they wouldn't be plug-and-play. The dual DXEC02 bottom-port Knowles MEMS microphones (with Job Id/Tape Numbers) lie underneath (or on top of?) the left speaker assembly. They use an &quot;adaptive beam-forming algorithm&quot; to cancel out background noise to make it easier to <del>talk to your computer</del> make calls via Skype and improve the speech recognition performance. http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/b2JF3ZNmGEBBWeJL http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/FpXelVGPsBEwBwNT http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/kuaZcnOQ1GbPvCwZ A few cables and hefty display hinge screws hold the display assembly in place, but not for long. The Retina display LCD is situated in the display assembly, and it's not going anywhere. Chances are if anything related to the display goes bad, you'll be replacing the whole kit'n'caboodle. Don't forget that the display assembly also includes the FaceTime Camera, WiFi antennas, and Bluetooth antennas. http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/VYXYxcpwMIcT5GuG http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/KItXEvhTq4ySbDGr Someone really did not want the battery in the MacBook Pro to come out of the upper case. We tried valiantly with our <a href="/Tools/iFixit-6-Inch-Metal-Ruler/IF145-108?utm_source=ifixit_guide&amp;utm_medium=wiki_text&amp;utm_term=if145-108&amp;utm_content=product_link">iFixit 6 Inch Metal Ruler</a> to free the battery from its aluminum confines, but to no avail. Rather than risk puncturing a lithium-polymer battery cell, we left the power source in place. To complicate matters further, the TrackPad cable lies underneath the battery. Attempting to pry the battery off the upper case could easily sever the fragile cable, which would be bad. http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/ALDqXyUNeJTWCycT http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/GACYxEbEiEISRwBY MacBook Pro with Retina Display 15&quot; Mid 2012 Repairability Score: <strong>1 out of 10</strong> (10 is easiest to repair). Proprietary pentalobe screws prevent you from gaining access to anything inside. As in the MacBook Air, the RAM is soldered to the logic board. Max out at 16GB now, or forever hold your peace—you can't upgrade. The proprietary SSD isn't upgradeable either (yet), as it is similar but not identical to the one in the Air. It is a separate daughtercard, and we’re hopeful we can offer an upgrade in the near future. The lithium-polymer battery is glued rather than screwed into the case, which increases the chances that it'll break during disassembly. The battery also covers the trackpad cable, which tremendously increases the chance that the user will shear the cable in the battery removal process. The display assembly is completely fused, and there’s no glass protecting it. If anything ever fails inside the display, you will need to replace the entire extremely expensive assembly. http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/ibt2SIrUkYrNFesU http://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/nufphB3hV2X3jiUW

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.