New MacBook Pro Teardown

[Dan 7.1]

Well the iFixit mens'n womens have already gotten their hands on a new MBP and torn it apart. You can see it here.

Of interesting note:

• the logic board is TINY! It looks to be a bit "thicker" than the previous gen MBP but it is significantly less wide. This layout makes more general sense but also means that heat might be an even bigger issue with these, being as concentrated as they are.
• the optical drive is now SATA
• the display connector now uses the same "combo" connector the MacBook does. the single connector carries both the data for the LCD panel and has a USB bus for the iSight camera. Previous models had these cables separate
• the iFixit guys state that Apple is unique in using poly-bladed fans. Apparently they haven't looked inside anything other than a mac in quite some time.
• this is either brilliant or scary. the actual design of the heatsink hasn't changed a bit from the AlPro's, but its now arranged vertically rather than horizontally inside the machine. i'd be curious to see some power-tests with this design to see how hot things get.
• there is now only a single board inside the machine. every 15 and 17" apple laptop enclosed in aluminum has had two boards, the logic board and a "Left I/O" board which had the DC-in jack, the Audio ports, and an assortment of USB and other connectors depending on the model. Now, just like the MacBook's, the only separate board is the MagSafe jack.
• they make a big deal of the new keyboards being "user-fixable", but i'm not really sure why. the previous MBP keyboards were even easier to remove.

So there are just a few of my thoughts. Yours?

*edit*
here is the link for the MacBook teardown. i find it considerably less interesting as the general design concept hasn't changed all that much.

 

[drlunanerd]

[*]there is now only a single board inside the machine. every 15 and 17" apple laptop enclosed in aluminum has had two boards, the logic board and a "Left I/O" board which had the DC-in jack, the Audio ports, and an assortment of USB and other connectors depending on the model. Now, just like the MacBook's, the only separate board is the MagSafe jack.

Not quite. The Airport and Bluetooth cards/boards are now in the screen hinge and behind the display respectively.

 

[Dan 7.1]

Not quite. The Airport and Bluetooth cards/boards are now in the screen hinge and behind the display respectively.

Well yes but considering the airport card was separate in the old models as well and it isn't a part of the basic architecture i didn't feel the need to explain that one.

 

[Nipz]

This is a stupid question but the new MBP can never have anything more than 4GB of RAM? where as the old MBP could use up to 8GB RAM?

 

[tremendous]

christ, you need to remove the entire back to change the RAM?

those screws are so getting lost and then wedged back into the wrong holes.

 

[Dan 7.1]

This is a stupid question but the new MBP can never have anything more than 4GB of RAM? where as the old MBP could use up to 8GB RAM?

No, afaik they never could support 8GB ram. I mean you're welcome to put 2x 4GB chips in but they would only access 4GB of the total.

 

[Nipz]

No, afaik they never could support 8GB ram. I mean you're welcome to put 2x 4GB chips in but they would only access 4GB of the total.

not cool!!!!!

 

[Dan 7.1]

christ, you need to remove the entire back to change the RAM?

those screws are so getting lost and then wedged back into the wrong holes.

That same thought crossed my mind, but I'm willing to forgive this small hiccup in design when you consider how this new layout will make the lives of apple techs such as myself so unbelievably much easier.

That and when you consider that they sell models with max-out RAM already and that the majority of people will be just fine with 2GB AND that the most failure-prone component of any laptop these days is the HD, the rearrangement of the components makes perfect logical sense. No more will replacing a failed HD be a battle against stupid plastic clips, 27 screws and a ribbon cable who's connector is just as likely to stay with the logic board as it is to stay attached to the ribbon.

 

[840quadra]

Well the iFixit mens'n womens have already gotten their hands on a new MBP and torn it apart. You can see it here.

Of interesting note:

• they make a big deal of the new keyboards being "user-fixable", but i'm not really sure why. the previous MBP keyboards were even easier to remove.

Many feared that the MBP chicklet keyboard would be integrated into the palm rest portion of the system. Having it still be removable (though harder to do) is a great thing to know.

I really like that they brought back some kind of plastic wireless window. Something they removed when upgrading the old chassis from the Powerbook era to the MBP era.

 

[drlunanerd]

No, afaik they never could support 8GB ram. I mean you're welcome to put 2x 4GB chips in but they would only access 4GB of the total.

I'm not getting on your case here, but yes, the old Penryn MBPs can take 8GB of RAM. Reports vary as to whether Leopard can actually address it all or only 6 of those 8, but in any case it's >4GB.

 

[Dan 7.1]

I'm not getting on your case here, but yes, the old Penryn MBPs can take 8GB of RAM. Reports vary as to whether Leopard can actually address it all or only 6 of those 8, but in any case it's >4GB.

Oh really? has somebody done so? a quick google search pulled up nothing but people asking about it and being denied.

and if i'm wrong thats fine, i have just never heard of 8gb in any macbook pro.

 

[MagicWok]

No, afaik they never could support 8GB ram. I mean you're welcome to put 2x 4GB chips in but they would only access 4GB of the total.

It's a bit more complicated than a simple 'no' btw...Especially with the previous revision. Check this thread out:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/573906/

 

[Dan 7.1]

Ah interesting. thanks for the tip.