iFixit Teardown: M1 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air Internals Nearly Identical to Intel Models

[MacRumors]

iFixit today shared a teardown overview of the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, giving us a peek at what's under the hood. For the most part, these machines look the same as older Intel MacBooks inside, but there are a few highlights.

The removal of the fan is the biggest change to the MacBook Air, with the fan having been replaced by an aluminum spreader located to the left of the logic board.

A thick cold plate over the M1 processor draws heat via conduction to its flatter, cooler end, where it can safely radiate away. Without a fan, this solution may take longer to cool off, and may cap out sooner, but by foregoing heatpipes or a vapor chamber, the sink also has more mass to saturate with thermal energy. There are no moving parts, and nothing to break.

Aside from a new logic board and cooler, the inside of the MacBook Air is identical to its predecessor, and iFixit says that repair procedures "will likely remain almost totally unchanged."

As for the MacBook Pro, it's so similar to the prior model that iFixit had to double check to make sure an old MacBook Pro hadn't been accidentally purchased.

iFixit expected to see some consolidation of MacBook parts and design, but the cooling setup is similar to what's seen in Intel MacBook models. The fan, in fact, is identical to the fan in the 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro released earlier this year.

While the internals of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are close to identical to their Intel counterparts, iFixit did take a look at the all-new M1 chip, which is the shiny silver bit with an Apple logo. Next to the chip, there are small silicon rectangles that are Apple's integrated memory chips.

iFixit says the integrated memory is "slightly devastating" because it makes repairs on the M1 Macs much harder. Note that there's no Apple-designed T2 chip in the M1 Mac models because the T2 security functionality is integrated right into the M1 chip.

iFixit says that while these seem like superficial changes, they're an expression of "years of intense work" with "hints of a lot more to come in the future." Head over to iFixit to read the full teardown.

Article Link: iFixit Teardown: M1 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air Internals Nearly Identical to Intel Models

 

[seeforyourself]

I'm just shocked apple didn't make the battery smaller, because you know....

 

[Zen_Arcade]

Interesting! But makes sense.

Looking forward to receiving an M1 MBA.

 

[Carles20vt]

For me, it's clear that old MB was thought for the new ARM thermals. So they made the "body" for ARM years ago.

 

[Saturnine]

I remember a certain YouTube channel with the initials “LTT” speculating a long time ago that the internals of newer MacBook Pro’s seemed to be designed for a possible Apple chip as the cooling seemed insufficient for the Intel chips installed.

That does appear to have some merit given how few changes Apple have had to make to integrate the M1.

 

[ghanwani]

why do they say the macbook air is fanless? i'm still a fan.

 

[AustinIllini]

why do they say the macbook air is fanless? i'm still a fan.

FFS

That's just brutal

 

[Taz Mangus]

why do they say the macbook air is fanless? i'm still a fan.

😂

 

[breather]

So the biggest userupper of battery is the cpu in any laptop, tablet, phone, pc?
whats the second one?
third?

 

[jz0309]

what has been said before: only change what is absolutely necessary to avoid introducing more variables that can cause issues - makes total sense that they are so similar, old and new, in this first generation ...

 

[2013.1]

M1. Ugly but fast.

 

[mozumder]

I don't like the "half-covered" look of the M1..

And I'm wondering how big the actual die of the M1 is? Who does the chip teardown?

 

[FranApple]

I don't like the "half-covered" look of the M1..

And I'm wondering how big the actual die of the M1 is? Who does the chip teardown?

Right. Because you have to look at the CPU every day?

 

[Apple Desktop Bus (ADB)]

Should be no surprise. The object with this first release was to get things to market as fast as possible. Before the end of the year, and before the holiday season. Redesigning the internals doesn't lend to speed of development. Keeping as much as it's been is critical to speed to market. Look to later releases if you want the redesign.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

For me, it's clear that old MB was thought for the new ARM thermals. So they made the "body" for ARM years ago.

I think it was made for Intel and, yet again, but Intel showed again that they couldn’t meet the need.

I don't like the "half-covered" look of the M1..

And I'm wondering how big the actual die of the M1 is? Who does the chip teardown?

Uh-oh We’ll soon be seeing stories of “I covered my half-naked M1 and now my computer won’t work!” followed by “Sure, it’s not a good idea, but Apple should expect that some folks are going to do this given people expect their chips to be evenly covered. Don’t blame the folks that opened their computer and ‘evened it out’ with some aluminum foil OR just uncovered the other half using a screwdriver!”

 

[joelhinch]

So the biggest userupper of battery is the cpu in any laptop, tablet, phone, pc?
whats the second one?
third?

second is probably the display. the display is probably actually #1 in these new models, with the M1 at #2

 

[jz0309]

I don't like the "half-covered" look of the M1..

And I'm wondering how big the actual die of the M1 is? Who does the chip teardown?

It could be that the chip is assembled without the RAM on one place and then the RAM is added at another... the chip “tear down” could reveal that...

 

[ElBerserko]

I don't like the "half-covered" look of the M1..

And I'm wondering how big the actual die of the M1 is? Who does the chip teardown?

The package layout is nearly identical to that of the A12X / A12Z. I suspect the A14X will also share a similar design.

 

[JetLaw]

I would not call those “nearly identical” to the Intel models.

 

[MacBH928]

So what, it was already high quality and Apple didn't say its a new design they said its a new processor upgrade.

what does " Apple's integrated memory chips" mean? is this the RAM?

 

[ghanwani]

what does " Apple's integrated memory chips" mean? is this the RAM?

I think it just means the RAM is integrated within the same package as part of the SoC (system on chip), as opposed to having separate memory chips.

 

[Tozovac]

I'm just shocked apple didn't make the battery smaller, because you know....

We know what you’re saying.

...in order to be the same as last year’s model, weighing less to boot, lost functionality be damned!

I’m so glad someone has been prioritizing function over form again!

 

[randyhudson]

"Aside from a new logic board..."

The logic board is the entire computer. Everything else is just peripherals.

 

[dmr727]

Right. Because you have to look at the CPU every day?

Yeah it doesn’t make any difference, but I’m still somewhat surprised by it. Almost makes me think there was some last minute engineering change. It’s definitely unfinished looking - Steve Jobs is spinning in his grave!

 

[mozumder]

Right. Because you have to look at the CPU every day?

technically I do