[Article mis à jour le 20/12/2023 à 11h53] The famous site iFixit, specializing in the publication of tutorials for repairing often electronic objects, looked into the case of iMac M3. The conclusions are interesting, although some parts of the disassembly remain rather delicate.
Apple and product repair haven’t always been a love affair. Although an effort has been made in recent years in this area, few iPhones, iPads, MacBooks or iMacs were considered easy to repair without going through the approved repair box, or even through an Apple Store. For the latest iMac, running with the M3 processor, the Apple brand seems to have made some efforts in terms of the screen and the battery in particular.
VESA compatibility, but difficult to access
Certainly, the 24-inch screen of the iMac M3 is relatively easy to remove. Once the correct tool is used to unclip the screen from the chassis, there are only a few very simple cables left to disconnect. But if you were planning to transform your iMac M3 into a screen carried by a VESA arm, the task will be more difficult. If you don’t think you’re handy enough to disassemble the screen and install a VESA adapter, it’s better to opt directly for the model with integrated support from Apple. You will certainly not have a stand, but the use of the VESA standard will be possible.
This isn’t much of a surprise, but it’s interesting to note that the chassis and interior of the iMac M3 is almost identical to that of the M1 model; with one difference, since the battery (the small flat battery backing up the motherboard) is here made up of a single cell, where the previous model had two separate cells. Obviously, this modification always brings a little more repairability, even minor. iFixit also makes fun of it by considering it as the most replaceable battery in Apple devices.
Want to change the RAM and SSD? Good luck !
Where the problem lies for this iMac M3 with improved repairability is undoubtedly on the memory side: whether it is the RAM or the internal storage (the SSD), everything is soldered directly to the card. mother (or integrated into the processor). It is always quite a shame to (re)discover Apple’s certain apprehension regarding the fact that customers can add storage or RAM, something which was possible (officially or not) on old Intel iMac models.
In 2023, to benefit from a larger storage capacity or a higher quantity of RAM, you will need to purchase a slightly more high-end iMac M3 model.
Source : Wccftech
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