Apple products are not exactly known for being highly repairable. From the use of proprietary components and screws to gluing and soldering parts in place, upgrading an Apple device after you’ve bought it is nearly impossible.
Not so with the new Mac Pro, however. The repair experts at iFixit have taken it apart and given it an impressive 9/10 score. That’s the highest grade iFixit has awarded to an Apple product, making the new Mac Pro easily the most repairable Apple device ever.
The teardown review highlighted an important facet right from the start: The simplicity with which you remove the Mac Pro’s outer casing. All you need to do is twist a handle on the top and pull upward, and the whole chassis slides off. Once that’s out of the way, you get instant access to all of the computer’s modular internal components.
The goodness doesn’t stop there. Swapping out RAM modules is as easy as pulling a switch; doing so releases the module’s cover, which can then be removed, giving you access to the memory sticks. Swap them out and pop the cover back on and you’re done.
It’s a similar story for the PCIe slots. Each preinstalled I/O board can be loosened with thumbscrews, meaning no tools are required. PCIe cards are locked in place with a sliding latch; move this and all PCIe cards are released at once, making things quick and easy.
There was another factor that iFixit picked up on with the Mac Pro: In many places, components are numbered. This is to indicate the order in which they should be moved or removed, essentially acting as a built-in manual for replacing components. No more guesswork — the instructions are right there in front of you.
In fact, more or less the only negative is that the Mac Pro’s SSDs are bound to the Apple T2 Security Chip, meaning you can’t just swap them out with your own replacements. That’s not surprising given Apple’s recent focus on security and locking down your data from prying eyes.
Other than that, the only real negatives were a few tricky-to-reach screws. For that to be a complaint on an Apple device, you know everything else must have been a breeze for the people at iFixit.
The final score tells you everything you need to know: the Mac Pro’s 9/10 is the highest score iFixit has ever given an Apple device. That bypasses the 8/10 score that the 2013 Mac Pro received, which equaled the scores racked up by the Apple TV and Mac Mini. So, if you’re in the market for a Mac Pro and want to expand or repair it, you’re in luck.
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