Specialists from the well-known workshop iFixit disassembled the latest Apple Mac Studio computer, namely the model on the M1 Max chip. Housed in a “monolithic” case made of extruded aluminum, the computer is something of a bridge between Mac Pro and Mac mini.
During the disassembly, the specialists tried to install the drive from another Mac. It was previously reported that third-party SSDs cannot be used in new Macs, just like drives from other Macs. But it is not like that. After replacing the flash memory with a similar one from another Mac Studio and making a number of manipulations with the configurator, we managed to get the system working. But we are only talking about drives with identical capacity – larger drives are not recognized. Perhaps a future software update will allow memory expansion.
However, it is unlikely that it will be possible to even theoretically upgrade RAM without resorting to complex operations – RAM is soldered directly into the processor substrate. A significant part of the volume of the case is occupied by two coolers – the price for the performance of the Apple chipset, which requires powerful cooling. Experts noted that the cooling system is not so easy to clean from dust, but since the memory is unlikely to be upgraded, they did not rule out that the novelty will not have time to gather dust before it becomes obsolete.
Taking into account all the shortcomings, such as cooling fans hidden under layers of iron and the inability to upgrade memory (both permanent and operational), the computer scored a 6 out of 10 on the iFixit maintenance scale.
At the same time, iFixit dismantled Mac Studio’s new “companion” – the Studio Display monitor, which is also compatible with other Apple computers as well as Windows systems. According to experts, the disassembly process is similar to disassembling the iMac, and the inside of the model bears little resemblance to a regular monitor.
Image source: iFixit
The last picture shows the monitor without the back panel. It looks very little like a traditional graphical information display device, more like a monoblock computer. Studio Display doesn’t have the functionality of a computer, however, and all of its richness is required for its various functions to work.
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