iMac

Review: OWC Thunderbolt 3 docking station

Andrew O'Hara ∙ September 7, 2017

OWC has made a name for itself with high quality accessories and upgrades for your Mac. Their vision of the Thunderbolt 3 docking station is well thought out, making it one of the few to offer an SD card reader, Firewire 800, and a headset jack.

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iOS 11, macOS High Sierra, iMac Pro wallpapers from WWDC 2017

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

Last week, Apple announced and highlighted new versions of iOS and macOS. Improvements for both operating systems look impressive, especially iOS 11 for iPad. With each OS release, Apple also includes at least one new hero wallpaper that symbolizes the newer version. Then, a mad dash occurs to obtain the images, providing you access, even without the need to rely on a beta release. Take a step inside for three wallpaper downloads.

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iFixit’s $300 kit lets you boost the RAM on Apple’s new 21.5-inch iMac to 32GB

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 9, 2017

Repair experts at iFixit have announced a DIY $300 upgrade kit for the new 21.5-inch iMac with 4K Retina display after finding user-replaceable RAM via a pair of removable SO-DIMM slots instead of the memory modules being soldered onto the logic board.

The baseline 3.0GHZ Core i5 machine has 8GB of RAM, which can be maxed out to 16GB.

Customers who need more RAM can opt to double the machine's 8GB of RAM to 16GB of RAM for an additional $200 via Apple's build-to-order options. However, only the $200 pricier system with Intel's 3.4GHz Core i5 chip allows you to boost the RAM all the way up to 32GB but the build-to-order option adds a whopping $600 on top of the price of that system.

Therefore, it makes a lot of sense from a financial standpoint to invest into a third-party DIY kit if all you need is more RAM, up to 32GB, on the baseline model.

The iMac Intel 21.5" Mid 2017 Max RAM Upgrade Kit includes the following:

Two 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4-PC2400 2400MHz RAM modules Replacement Display Adhesive Strips iMac Opening Wheel iMac Service Wedge Plastic Cards Spudger Tweezers Phillips #00, T5, T8 and T10 Bits Driver Handle

iFixit's repair guide details the 63 steps required to replace the RAM.

Although the machine features removable RAM sockets, the RAM is not meant to be user-replaceable because getting to the memory modules requires removing the back cover, the display, the logic board and other components.

In other words, the procedure isn't for the faint-hearted.

Opening them machine involves cutting through adhesive that will need to be reapplied after you finish the repair. You'll also need to remove the logic to remove or replace the RAM.

From the iFixit team:

This guide is marked "potentially dangerous" because it requires you to handle a power supply that contains large capacitors. Unplug the iMac and hold the power button down for at least 10 seconds to help discharge the capacitors. Handle the board by the edges and do not touch surface components.

iFixit also noted that the machine's Kaby Lake processor sits in a standard LGA 1151 CPU socket rather than being soldered onto the logic board. “For the first time in years it's possible to replace or upgrade the CPU without a reflow station, and that's a big win,” wrote iFixit.

Considering that the baseline iMac provides options for 8GB or 16GB of RAM, but not 32GB, this is currently the only way to bring the machine up to the higher capacity.

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Apple’s new 21.5″ iMac with 4K Retina screen has user replaceable RAM and modular CPU

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 8, 2017

Apple during the Worldwide Developers Conference refreshed the iMac lineup with faster Intel chips and updated internal architecture. Good folks over at iFixit have now taken Apple's new $1,299 21.5-inch iMac model that has a 4K Retina display, discovering something really interesting.

The machine features both removable RAM (via a pair of removable SO-DIMM slots) and Intel's Kaby Lake processor that—surprisingly—sits in a standard LGA 1151 CPU socket rather than being soldered onto the logic board.

The modular CPU design suggests owners of the all-in-one desktop might be able to replace or upgrade the CPU in the future without a reflow station. The last time the 21.5-inch iMac had user-replaceable RAM was back in 2013. 2012 models of the 21.5-inch iMac also came with a modular CPU.

The stock configuration they tore apart had Intel's SR32W Core i5-7400 Kaby Lake chip, 8GB of 2400MHz DDR4 memory, a Radeon Pro 555 graphics card with 2GB of VRAM and a 1TB 5400-RPM hard drive.

According to iFixit:

Our teardown confirms that the new 21.5-inch iMac with 4K display has both removable RAM and a modular CPU. Of course, Apple would say neither is user-replaceable. Accessing and replacing these components isn't exactly easy, but we’re saying it’s possible. Maybe even probable.

A tinker-happy user (armed with the right tools and guide) could at least double the base 8 GB of memory, turning their new iMac with Retina Display into an iMac Semi-Pro.

Here's the machine's socketed CPU.

Other teardown highlights:

A warranty void sticker on the heat sink discourages users from removing the modular CPU underneath. The Retina display is manufactured by LG Display. There's a single microphone below the display vs. dual microphones on previous models CMOS battery is replaceable A built-in 3.5-inch SATA hard drive is upgradeable There's no SSD connector on the board

And here's the user-replaceable RAM module.

Despite the upgradable RAM and CPU, iFixit gave the machine a 3/10 for repairability.

That's because the computer is difficult to open as everything is buried under “a finicky glass panel,” in iFixit's own words. A speciality pizza-cutter-like tool is required to breach the adhesive before any repair.

And because the cover glass and the Retina display itself are fused together, the cost of a display replacement will be high.

At any rate, this is still good news for anyone in the market for a new iMac. Upgradability is paramount with all-in-one designs like iMac's. And with replaceable RAM and CPU, customers will be able to get more use and more years out of their computer.

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