IFixit: New MacBook Pros Not Repairable

2023 Author: Gordon Kinson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 08:36

The update to the high-performance MacBook Pro line has been fairly traditional, and hardly anyone was thrilled. The 13-inch and 15-inch Retina MacBook Pros feature an energy-efficient Haswell processor from Intel.

In addition, the company has made other hardware changes. The new Apple laptops have become even more powerful, and this makes it more difficult to construct. Consequently, higher-class specialists will be required to repair them.

13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display

The youngest in the MacBook Pro lineup, has undergone significant changes in the layout of components. According to experts from iFixit, the main difference is the battery. The new 13-inch model has a similar design to the 2012 15-inch MacBook Pro. The problem is that the battery is glued to the body of the device, which makes it much more difficult to replace it in the future.

The computer is now cooled by one fan, instead of two in the previous model. Removing the motherboard proved to be quite a challenge, even for iFixit, as the screws for securing it are carefully hidden. The latest MacBook Pro has 802.11ac Wi-Fi support, which is responsible for the Broadcom BCM94360CS module.

An element from SanDisk is used as an SSD-drive, which functions using a Marvell controller. The manufacturer of DDR3 RAM is Hynix. The motherboard in the new laptop has one feature, which is the close proximity of the main processor and the graphics accelerator. They are so close together that they have one cover for two for cooling.

15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display

There are practically no design differences from the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Here is the same tightly glued battery, the same arrangement of controls and their components. The SSD, RAM and control controller here are exclusively from the Korean company Samsung.

The Wi-Fi 802.11ac wireless module here is from the same Broadcom company, and the same model. Similarly, the aforementioned arrangement of the CPU and GPU components on the motherboard is expressed in a simpler cooling system. The headphone jack is now directly on the system board. Therefore, any damage to it leads to time-consuming and costly repairs.

In terms of maintainability, both MacBook Pro models were rated by iFixit as just 1 point. Many factors are responsible for this low score. This is a traditionally exclusive format of screws for fastening, a RAM soldered to the board and a rechargeable battery glued to the case, as well as many other little things. Against this background, the Retina display looks rather gentle, which is devoid of protective glass. But the SSD is connected using a PCIe port, and if you want to, you can replace it yourself.

See also:

• IFixit investigated the fingerprint sensor of the iPhone 5S.
• What does the second generation Nexus 7 look like from the inside.
• iFixit Disassembled iPhone 5S. What's inside?
• The cost of the components of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C was $ 199 and $ 173.
• Wallpaper for iPhone, iPad and iMac with X-ray effect or transparent screen.