iMac 24" take apart?

[maler]

I found some pictures from Icewind here in forum, but he removed just front on iMac, and i found this manual from Apple, how to remove back from iMac for VESA mounting.
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/iMa...stallGuide.pdf

Does someone have any pictures, how looks iMac 24" with disassembled back?

[Icewind]

Hi Maler,

Those instructions don't actually imply taking the back off the iMac. The only part that comes off is the aluminium stand. In order to get inside the 24" iMac, you must go in through the front. This is totally different approach to that taken with the G5 iMac (that was much easier to get inside).

I too am interested to find a Service Manual or something for the 24".

[maler]

Hi Icewind,

mea culpa, i took a look on a pictures again later, and found, that they are just moving iMac, not take apart a back. Ok, what we can do, just wait . I simply love those 1G iMacs G5, so easy to open. Does someone know, why apple changed this? Was it too expensive to let users repair it themselves? or it was too expensive for manufacturing? Or they just need to comply with something, so they wrapped it in aluminium, so it's not accessible anymore?

[Big-iMac]

Originally Posted by maler

Hi Icewind,

mea culpa, i took a look on a pictures again later, and found, that they are just moving iMac, not take apart a back. Ok, what we can do, just wait . I simply love those 1G iMacs G5, so easy to open. Does someone know, why apple changed this? Was it too expensive to let users repair it themselves? or it was too expensive for manufacturing? Or they just need to comply with something, so they wrapped it in aluminium, so it's not accessible anymore?

looks like iMac 24" is very easy to open.. it takes about 15 min.
http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=28012

[Icewind]

Thanks Big-Mac,

Those are some neat photos. Like I said in my other thread, I did get the thing opened without any problem. What stumped me was taking the screen out. You need one of those little TX tools (like a star-headed screwdriver, but not Philips). I think they come in different sizes, i.e. TX-05, TX-10, TX-20 etc. By the looks of it the screen is held in place by TX-05 screws and I didn't have one of those (which was long and slim enough to get down into the recesses where the screws are).

Thanks again for the link... I've been looking for information like that all week (without success).

Hey Maler, I got confused by the same image too. I thought the same as you, that the back was coming off WITH the stand, same as the G5's. Hopefully, my replacement will be fine and I won't need to open it up at all. It should arrive tomorrow afternoon, but I'm working away from home (in London) so won't get my paws on it until Friday. It's going to be a slow week for me

Cheers Matey.

[nagromme]

Wow, that's a lot of air in there!

What's the black box beside the HD. Another fan?

(And it sounds like other MXM graphics cards DO fit physically! But firmware/drivers are another matter.)

[maler]

Thank you sir!

[Eidorian]

Originally Posted by Big-iMac

looks like iMac 24" is very easy to open.. it takes about 15 min.
http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?showtopic=28012

I thought the 20" model had a lot of empty volume! Sheesh. Still, Apple was smart with getting the foot off for the VESA mount. I miss taking to back off of your iMac to get into it.

[nagromme]

Do these shots indicate conclusively that the CPU chip is soldered rather then socketed?

[orangezorki]

Originally Posted by nagromme

Do these shots indicate conclusively that the CPU chip is soldered rather then socketed?

The opposite. Later on in the linked thread, the OP says that he switched the CPUs with the 24" and a 20" CD - both worked fine.

David

[capran]

Originally Posted by nagromme

Do these shots indicate conclusively that the CPU chip is soldered rather then socketed?

Caslon's last post on page 2 indicates that he successfully swapped CPUS from the Core 2 Duo 24" to an 20" with a Core Duo, and both booted up and worked!

So that means it is socketed! And more confirmation that Merom is drop-in compatible with Yonah!

He also tried 2 other MXM modules from PCs. Unfortunately they only appear to work in Windows XP, and OS X won't boot with them installed. *Sigh*

But at least this proves that the 24" is in theory upgradeable!

Now let's just hope (petition maybe?) that someone will produce and sell a Mac compatible MXM aftermarket upgrade card series.

[bluewire]

Originally Posted by capran

Caslon's last post on page 2 indicates that he successfully swapped CPUS from the Core 2 Duo 24" to an 20" with a Core Duo, and both booted up and worked!

So that means it is socketed! And more confirmation that Merom is drop-in compatible with Yonah!

He also tried 2 other MXM modules from PCs. Unfortunately they only appear to work in Windows XP, and OS X won't boot with them installed. *Sigh*

But at least this proves that the 24" is in theory upgradeable!

Now let's just hope (petition maybe?) that someone will produce and sell a Mac compatible MXM aftermarket upgrade card series.

Isn't the Merom plateau at the 2.33 speed mark? Its a nice upgrade for Core Duo but the Core 2 Duo chipset isn't going any further, right?

[capran]

Originally Posted by bluewire

Isn't the Merom plateau at the 2.33 speed mark? Its a nice upgrade for Core Duo but the Core 2 Duo chipset isn't going any further, right?

What do you mean "plateau"? 2.33 GHz may be the fastest that's currently available, but I doubt that's as high as it'll ever go.

[balamw]

Originally Posted by capran

What do you mean "plateau"? 2.33 GHz may be the fastest that's currently available, but I doubt that's as high as it'll ever go.

I believe the story is that these are the last that will run on Napa and any faster Core 2 Duo chips will be only compatible with Santa Rosa and thus not Yonah compatible.

B

[nagromme]

Originally Posted by capran

What do you mean "plateau"? 2.33 GHz may be the fastest that's currently available, but I doubt that's as high as it'll ever go.

I don't know what the ceiling will be, but I understand that Merom is expected to change soon to a new socket (along with Santa Rosa) and so new Meroms won't be compatible with early Merom systems.

Now, they may still make faster "early Meroms" for a while--I don't know. But I doubt it will go much higher. And with chips costing what they do, I gambled that it would never be cost effective to upgrade the chip in my iMac, and got the 2.33 from the start However, I like that the possibility exists, in theory. Maybe there will be a 2.66 or something and I can pick one up cheap in 2 years.

[capran]

I wonder if it's possible to overclock the Merom? Anybody tried?

The only experience I have overclocking recent Macs is the Mac Mini G4 (I run mine at 1.58 Ghz, pretty simple OC but a bit scary to actually do it.)

[Eidorian]

Originally Posted by capran

I wonder if it's possible to overclock the Merom? Anybody tried?

The only experience I have overclocking recent Macs is the Mac Mini G4 (I run mine at 1.58 Ghz, pretty simple OC but a bit scary to actually do it.)

More then likely some solder and the FSB.

[roland.g]

Calson said the drives are Seagate 250s 16MB cache. Can anyone confirm what the 500 is. Are the new iMacs using SATA II, not SATA.