This article may contain affiliate links. Learn more on our Partner Program page.
Apple recently released an updated version of the iMac 27″ model announcedNow OWC has released a video showing the internal changes.
The 27-inch iMac was announced by Apple earlier this week. It features 10th-generation Intel Core processors, AMD Radeon Pro 5000 graphics processors, up to 128GB of RAM, up to 8TB of storage, a 1080p FaceTime camera, a True Tone display with a nano-textured glass option, better speakers and studio-quality microphones. The design, however, has remained the same. But what does it look like inside? Perhaps the biggest change on the inside is the complete elimination of a mechanical hard drive. Yes, all variants of the new 27-inch iMac come with SSDs as standard.
iMac 27″: Lots of space in the case
OWC notes during the teardown that disassembly now seems to be quicker for this reason. There are no longer any SATA connectors in the device and the small SSD is soldered directly onto the motherboard. Unlike before, there are new soldering points for an expansion board to accommodate additional SSDs in the configurations 4 TB and 8 TB. However, the 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB configurations do not have the expansion board. However, the absence of the mechanical hard drive has left a lot of empty space in the device. Apple could have filled this with additional cooling, for example, which is present in the iMac Pro. This may have been omitted for cost reasons. Another change is the additional microphone attached to the bottom of the case, with the other microphone in the same position as in previous years.
iMac 27″: RAM can still be upgraded
As part of this, the new 1080p webcam has been attached to the LCD display, so when opening the device, special care must be taken to remove a third cable. As can be seen from the video, much of the interior remains true to previous models. For example, neither the power supply, cooling nor the CPU have been repositioned. Although the speakers have been upgraded, they appear to visually resemble their predecessors. Since the brand new 27-inch iMac 2020 shares almost all of its internal components with the previous versions, it is unlikely to be more expensive or more difficult to repair than previous models. Likewise, most parts from previous years should be compatible with this new model. The only component in the iMac 2020 that is easy to upgrade remains the RAM. (Image: Apple)
