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Apple TV 4K Teardown Reveals 3GB of RAM and Larger Venting System With Replaceable Fan

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iFixit has shared an Apple TV 4K teardown, providing a closer look at the device's internal design and components.

ifixit-apple-tv-4k-teardown-800x608.jpg

We already know the Apple TV 4K is equipped with Apple's 64-bit A10X Fusion chip, and now the teardown confirms the device has a total of 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM supplied by SK Hynix. That's up from 2GB RAM in the previous Apple TV.

apple-tv-4k-logic-board.jpg
1GB + 2GB of LPDDR4 RAM outlined in yellow for a total of 3GB of RAM​

The new power supply is rated for 12V at 1.083A, a modest increase over the 12V at 0.917A power supply in the previous Apple TV.

According to the teardown, Apple merged the new fan with the heat sink/EMI shield assembly from the fourth-generation Apple TV to create a larger thermal assembly for cooling and ventilation.

apple-tv-4k-thermal.jpg

iFixit said the bottom of the unit has been redesigned with a total of eight exhaust ports and a new, replaceable fan driven by a Nidec brushless motor.

Beyond the return of a Gigabit Ethernet port and the removal of the USB-C diagnostic port, which we learned about before the teardown, the Apple TV 4K's design is largely the same as the previous Apple TV.

no-usb-c-port-on-apple-tv-4k.jpg
Apple TV 4K has no USB-C port​

iFixit gave the Apple TV 4K a repairability score of 8 out of a possible 10 points. The device is easy to open and has modular components, but they're soldered to the logic board, so board-level soldering or full board replacements are required.

Article Link: Apple TV 4K Teardown Reveals 3GB of RAM and Larger Venting System With Replaceable Fan
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/09/26/apple-tv-4k-teardown-ifixit/
McFreggle

McFreggle

macrumors 6502a
Jul 18, 2001
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Dendermonde/Leuven, Belgium
I am an owner of the Apple TV 4K, and I must say it's amazing how many apps can stay in the memory. Sometimes I play a game and then I do a lot of other stuff, and the day after when I start the game, it's still in-memory.
 
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Joe Rossignol

Joe Rossignol

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May 12, 2012
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McFreggle said:
How much RAM was the Apple TV 4? Also 3 GB? Or 2 GB?
[doublepost=1506426276][/doublepost]Searches on the internet seem to confirm the Apple TV 4 had "only" 2 GB.

I am an owner of the Apple TV 4K, and I must say it's amazing how many apps can stay in the memory. Sometimes I play a game and then I do a lot of other stuff, and the day after when I start the game, it's still in-memory.
Click to expand...
2GB indeed. I've added an update to the article for others curious.
 
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Juicy Box

Juicy Box

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Sep 23, 2014
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It is one of the better repair rating for Apple products, although I was surprised of the score, considering everything is soldered.

I like how the overall box size has not changed, as I thought Apple might change it again.

I have been a long time fan of the ATV. I owned all the models since the original, and bought every model at launch since the ATV2. I probably won't get it for a while though. Besides 4K/HDR, there is not any game changing differences. The ATV4 has been a little disappointing, but mostly from an tvOS POV.

McFreggle said:
I am an owner of the Apple TV 4K, and I must say it's amazing how many apps can stay in the memory. Sometimes I play a game and then I do a lot of other stuff, and the day after when I start the game, it's still in-memory.
Click to expand...
How can you tell that they are in-memory? JW...
 
B

bbplayer5

macrumors 68040
Apr 13, 2007
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I have to be honest, compared to the shield, this is the biggest piece of garbage I have seen. Doesn't support Atmos, and the thing tries to make everything HDR. Also wouldn't play any of my UHD videos on plex without transcoding (which could be a plex issue but still).

Shield out of the box supported everything and works flawlessly.
 
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2979382

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I am not sure removing the USB-C port was a particularly great idea. Sure, xCode 9 can deploy via wireless network, but what if, as a developer, you end up in the situation where you've no network access. It does happen! I don't care about Kodi and the likes, but from a developer's perspective I think this just made things a bit less friendly.
 
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Return Zero

Return Zero

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Oct 2, 2013
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I am absolutely loving mine so far. Even with the resolution increase, it is noticeably snappier than my 4th gen models. Launching apps, using the switcher, boot up, everything is just a breeze. Also, watching 4 simultaneous football games in 1080p HD through the new ESPN app is some kind of magic.

fball.jpg
 
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macpeach55

macpeach55

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Aug 26, 2010
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Germany, & the Rest of the known World
Mine just arrived Today - my "old" ATV was a Gen. 3 so it was fun to set this up & compare them. For me of course getting between screens is quicker & more fluid, & I do like adding apps to the unit, rather than all those that were already on the ATV3 most of which I didn't use but never got around to deleting ;)

One good reason for us to upgrade is that the NFL Game Pass App did not work on the ATV3. In the past we Air Played from an iPad, & kept that screen on as well so we could also watch while making snacks in the Kitchen. The new "Rule" meant if you Air Played, you lost the picture on the iPad, but you can now sign in on multiple devices separately. It took the upgrade to get back to two screens

Still rocking a THX Certified LG Plasma TV, but excited that when I upgrade to a 4K OLED later this year, the ATV will be ready for that. I totally get that the "4K" from the ATV 4K will not be as good as a 4K disk, but we are still in regular Blu Ray world, so I am figuring that the Visual quality from the ATV 4K will at least be closer to standard Blu Ray, maybe even better - we'll see!

But basically a very happy camper! :)
 
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MacSince1985

MacSince1985

macrumors 6502
Oct 18, 2009
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Moto6502 said:
I wonder how a "restore" would work now without the USB-C connector? Through the ethernet?
Click to expand...
I admit I never used the USB port, except once to reset a 2nd gen to factory settings before selling it. So most users won't miss it.
I would not be surprised if the ethernet port took over that functionality (possibly requiring a crossover cable like in the old days). That's basically how NAS are accessed for installation/repair and, in that respect, the ATV is similar to a NAS.
 
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