What’s Inside Apple’s Latest MacBook Pro?

Apple recently introduced a new version of its MacBook Pro laptop, which is supercharged with the company’s powerful M3 processor. The consumer electronics repair site iFixit took apart the laptop and made some interesting observations, as well as examined repairability and servicing ease.

For one, there’s no Thunderbolt port anymore that enables users to expand the size of their display screen using an external monitor.  Also, the new computer has an anodized finish in a space black color instead of the familiar gray. It also does away with the spacebar.  

The computer tested has 8 Gbytes of RAM, which the reviewer said fills up quickly. When he started taking the computer apart, he noticed the tabs holding some parts in place could be prone to metal fatigue and if bent too much, could easily break after only a few teardowns.

Fortunately, the new MacBook has a modular design, which makes parts such as the logic board reasonably easy to remove once some ZIF and press connectors are disconnected. However, because parts such as the lid angle sensor and touch ID sensor are paired with a logic board, servicing cannot be performed unless the user goes through Apple’s approved repair channels.

The reviewer noted that once the 8 Gbytes of RAM fills up, the computer then must engage in memory swapping, which slows down overall performance and increases wear and tear on the computer’s solid-state drive. Moreover, because the drive is soldered to the PC board, upgrading memory is not possible.

The issue of parts being paired with the logic board also reared its ugly head when the user tried to replace the screen. He immediately got a warning message.

While the reviewer was reasonably impressed with the MacBook Pro’s performance, the stranglehold Apple has placed on restricting servicing to Apple-approved parts (a common issue with Apple products) ultimately led him not to recommend the computer.  Although Apple is now making repair manuals available,  that is of little consolation for owners left with no self-repair options other than Apple’s channels.

The reviewer gave the new MacBook Pro a 4 out of 10 for repairability.

You can view the teardown here.