TECH

Apple Mac Studio suffers dismantling from iFixit, the surprise is that experts have figured out how to install a third-party SSD in the machine

Specialists from the well-known iFixit workshop dismantled the latest Apple Mac Studio computer, namely the model based on the M1 Max chip. The computer in the “monolithic” case made of extruded aluminum is in a sense an intermediate link between the Mac Pro and the Mac mini.

During disassembly, experts 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's not like that. After replacing the flash memory with a similar one from another Mac Studio and a series of manipulations with the configurator, we managed to get the system working. But we're only talking about identical capacity drives – larger drives are not recognized. Perhaps a software update in the future will allow for a memory upgrade.

But it is unlikely that it will be possible to upgrade RAM even in theory, without resorting to complex operations – RAM is soldered directly to the processor substrate. A significant part of the case's volume is taken up by two coolers – the price for the performance of Apple's chipset, which requires powerful cooling. Experts have noted that the cooling system is not so easy to clean from dust, but given the fact that memory is almost impossible to upgrade, they have not ruled out that the novelty will not have time to get dusty before it becomes obsolete.

Taking into account all the shortcomings, such as coolers-fans hidden under several layers of iron and the inability to upgrade memory (both permanent and operational), the computer scored 6 out of 10 on the iFixit maintenance scale.

At the same time, iFixit dismantled the new Mac Studio “companion” – the Studio Display monitor, which is also compatible with other Apple computers as well as Windows systems. According to experts, the disassembly process resembles disassembling the iMac, and within the model it bears little resemblance to an ordinary monitor.

The last photo shows the monitor without the back panel. It looks very little like a conventional device for displaying graphical information and actually resembles a unibody computer. However, Studio Display does not have the functionality of a computer, and all the stuffing is necessary for its various functions to work.

Image source: iFixit