Replacing the iPad Mini Guts?

christophermdia · Nov 6, 2012, 10:42 AM

Theoretically, can one gut an iPad 3/4 or iPhone 4/5 and for instance place the A5x/A6X in the iPad Mini? Obviously you would need some serious electrical engineering skills, but I mean what do you think would happen if you popped in the new chip? Would the Mini even boot up and/or recognize the chip? Pinout's should be the same, and iOS is iOS...thoughts?

HowardSmith · Nov 6, 2012, 10:44 AM

You must be kidding, right?

Really?

dthree36 · Nov 6, 2012, 10:46 AM

If you have the skills... anything is possible but this scenario is very unlikely. At most.. one could design a new housing and put the parts into it but given the time and effort.. would it be worth it? Given the designs of the tiny main boards... I would think that removing parts and soldering them to a different board that wasn't designed to accept a chip of a different size would probably result in failure.

nfl46 · Nov 6, 2012, 10:47 AM

Lol. Please tell me the OP is joking.

darngooddesign · Nov 6, 2012, 10:54 AM

Anyone can put the guts in there, but not everyone can make it work correctly afterwards.

knucklehead · Nov 6, 2012, 10:58 AM

A blender might help get it all in there

:

ActionableMango · Nov 6, 2012, 11:09 AM

The X variants would never fit; they are physically much larger.

The architecture is also very different. The X variants have an extremely wide 128-bit memory bus, so I imagine the pinout of the chips are different in order to accommodate that bus.

There would probably be heat dissipation issues.

There are probably incompatible chipsets and memory.

The timing crystal would run the X CPU at a slower clock speed.

There are probably many other problems too, but those are most obvious to me.

Meanee · Nov 6, 2012, 01:30 PM

Well, try it and report back to us.

Kushp14 · Nov 6, 2012, 02:05 PM

You may be the first if it worked

jsw · Nov 6, 2012, 02:08 PM

It would likely be easier to get a big Shrinky Dink sheet, wrap the iPad 4 in it, and bake it. If not easier, then just as likely to work.

D.T. · Nov 6, 2012, 02:09 PM

You'll need one of these precision instruments:

http://www.gemplers.com/img/sledge-h...ass-148018.jpg

yorkslad · Nov 6, 2012, 02:10 PM

Well i've heard it all now. What an plank.

Nov 6, 2012, 10:42 AM	#1
christophermdia macrumors 6502 Join Date: Sep 2008	Replacing the iPad Mini Guts? Theoretically, can one gut an iPad 3/4 or iPhone 4/5 and for instance place the A5x/A6X in the iPad Mini? Obviously you would need some serious electrical engineering skills, but I mean what do you think would happen if you popped in the new chip? Would the Mini even boot up and/or recognize the chip? Pinout's should be the same, and iOS is iOS...thoughts?
	0

Nov 6, 2012, 10:54 AM	#5
darngooddesign macrumors 604 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Atlanta, GA	Anyone can put the guts in there, but not everyone can make it work correctly afterwards. __________________ Lego Apple Store
	0

Nov 6, 2012, 02:08 PM	#10
jsw Demi-God (Moderator emeritus) Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Andover, MA	It would likely be easier to get a big Shrinky Dink sheet, wrap the iPad 4 in it, and bake it. If not easier, then just as likely to work. __________________ You'll be the one moaning for me to give you some. - THC(taken out of context)
	0

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Nov 6, 2012, 10:44 AM	#2
HowardSmith Banned Join Date: Sep 2012	You must be kidding, right? Really?
	0

Nov 6, 2012, 10:46 AM	#3
dthree36 macrumors regular Join Date: Feb 2008	If you have the skills... anything is possible but this scenario is very unlikely. At most.. one could design a new housing and put the parts into it but given the time and effort.. would it be worth it? Given the designs of the tiny main boards... I would think that removing parts and soldering them to a different board that wasn't designed to accept a chip of a different size would probably result in failure.
	0

Nov 6, 2012, 10:47 AM	#4
nfl46 macrumors 68040 Join Date: Oct 2008	Lol. Please tell me the OP is joking.
	0

Nov 6, 2012, 10:58 AM	#6
knucklehead macrumors 6502a Join Date: Oct 2003	A blender might help get it all in there :
	0

Nov 6, 2012, 11:09 AM	#7
ActionableMango macrumors 68030 Join Date: Sep 2010	The X variants would never fit; they are physically much larger. The architecture is also very different. The X variants have an extremely wide 128-bit memory bus, so I imagine the pinout of the chips are different in order to accommodate that bus. There would probably be heat dissipation issues. There are probably incompatible chipsets and memory. The timing crystal would run the X CPU at a slower clock speed. There are probably many other problems too, but those are most obvious to me.
	2

Nov 6, 2012, 01:30 PM	#8
Meanee macrumors 6502a Join Date: Mar 2011	Well, try it and report back to us.
	0

Nov 6, 2012, 02:05 PM	#9
Kushp14 macrumors member Join Date: Jun 2010	You may be the first if it worked
	0

Nov 6, 2012, 02:09 PM	#11
D.T. macrumors 68000 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Vilano Beach, FL	You'll need one of these precision instruments: http://www.gemplers.com/img/sledge-h...ass-148018.jpg
	1

Nov 6, 2012, 02:10 PM	#12
yorkslad macrumors regular Join Date: Oct 2005	Well i've heard it all now. What an plank.
	0