Introduction
In the calm after the iPhone 5s/c storm, Apple thought it could slip a couple new iMacs by us. Time for us to get our pry on and pop this next generation 27" iMac wide open for a quick tour of the highlights.
We also tore apart the newly refreshed smaller-brother iMac 21.5"—head over to its teardown and check it out too.
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What you need
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Externally, the iMac Intel 27" EMC 2639 looks identical to the previous generation, but the interior specs have been upgraded:
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3.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz) with 6MB L3 cache
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NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M graphics processor with 1GB of GDDR5 memory
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802.11ac Wi-Fi
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PCIe flash SSD available
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After some quick slicing with our handy iMac Opening Tool, we pop the hood and get a massive bout of deja vu.
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The AirPort/Bluetooth card, conforming to the 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard, still clings to the back of the logic board — making replacement no easier than before.
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Not the first Mac to get updated with the new ac standard, we expected to see some similar hardware as in the refreshed MacBook Airs from earlier this year.
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Chips off the
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Broadcom BCM4360KML1G 5G WiFi 3-Stream 802.11ac Gigabit Transceiver—as expected, this is the same chip driving the ac Wi-Fi in the 11" and 13" MacBook Air
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Skyworks SE5516 Dual-Band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac WLAN Front-End Module
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Broadcom BCM20702 Single-Chip Bluetooth 4.0 HCI Solution with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Support
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As is now standard across all new iMacs, the new iMac 27" features support for PCIe-based flash storage. This is a pleasant surprise compared to last year's 21.5" model, when we were left sorely disappointed by unpopulated solder pads on our low-end logic board.
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According to Apple, the inclusion of PCIe flash storage allows for up to 50 percent faster speeds than the previous generation.
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Thankfully, its 27" big brother was saved from the same fate, and power users will still be able to upgrade their processor without a reflow oven.
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Heavy-weight ICs:
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3.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor
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Intel platform controller hub
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As advertised, the iMac 27" now sports a fancy new graphics processor:
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NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M GPU
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Four SK hynix H5GQ2H24AFR 256 MB GDDR5 SGRAM ICs make up the 1 GB of graphics RAM
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The B-side of our IC record:
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NXP ARM7TDMI-S based Microcontroller
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Analog Devices SSM3302 audio amplifier
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Cirrus Logic 4206BCNZ audio controller, the same chip as found in last year's 21.5"
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Vimicro VC0359 webcam processor
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Broadcom BCM57765A1KMLG gigabit ethernet controller with integrated SDXC card reader
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Intel DSL3510L Cactus Ridge Thunderbolt controller
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iMac 27" EMC 2639 Repairability Score: 5 out of 10 (10 is easiest to repair)
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RAM is user-replaceable without opening the case, thanks to the rear access door.
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You can still replace the hard drive and CPU inside this machine, albeit with some adhesive cutting.
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Components are modular and fairly easy to remove.
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Budget-minded folks now can add a second hard drive to the base iMac because the Fusion Drive connector is no longer missing from the logic board.
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The glass and LCD are fused together, and there are no more magnets holding the glass in place.
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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.
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