Newest iMacs have removable GPU, ambient light sensor
DIY repair site iFixit has pulled apart the new 21.5" iMac that Apple began shipping yesterday. While the exterior and much of the interior remains largely the same, a few differences have been discovered—including the fact that the GPU is now on a potentially upgradable, removable board.
Like previous generations of aluminum iMacs, the front glass panel is held in with magnets; behind it is the LCD panel screwed into the chassis. iFixit noted that the LG panel in its sample of the 21.5" iMac is identical to the previous generation.
Underneath the panel, it's possible to access the hard drive and optical drive. iFixit said that the space underneath the optical drive is where the optional secondary SSD boot volume would go; it's only an option on the higher-end 21.5" and 27" iMac models, however. Given the overall layout, iFixit gave these iMacs a 7 out of 10 reparability rating, and said that most users should be able to swap LCD panels and drives with relative ease. Getting the LCD and glass panel back in without getting dust stuck somewhere in between, though, is a challenge.
