iFixit Teardown: Studio Display Features iMac-Like Internal Setup - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iFixit Teardown: Studio Display Features iMac-Like Internal Setup

Apple earlier in March released the Studio Display, its first standalone display since the Pro Display XDR. iFixit today disassembled the ‌Studio Display‌ in a video teardown to give us a look at the internals.


The inside of the ‌Studio Display‌ may be confusing at first because it has an internal setup that's not too dissimilar from a computer like the Intel iMac, thanks to the inclusion of an A13 chip, speakers, and fans. Several iFixit staff members were shown an opened up ‌iMac‌ and a ‌Studio Display‌ and asked to determine which was which, and many of them got it wrong.

The ‌Studio Display‌ opens up with an ‌iMac‌ opening tool, so it's easy to get to the components inside. iFixit last week gave a quick look at the ‌Studio Display‌ in its Mac Studio teardown, and confirmed at that time that the ‌Studio Display‌ Camera is essentially identical to the iPhone 11 camera.

There's no internal indicator of why the ‌Studio Display‌ camera has been experiencing quality issues, and Apple has promised a software fix that's coming in the future.

The ‌Studio Display‌ is using the exact same display as the 5K ‌iMac‌, and there's an internal power supply, which iFixit says is an impressive feat of engineering. The internal power supply makes the ‌Studio Display‌ different from the ‌iMac‌ because it requires massive fans for heat dissipation, plus it requires a ~50 percent thicker chassis.

The speakers are "impressive for a display," and are glued down, which will make the speaker hardware difficult to remove. According to iFixit, the ‌Studio Display‌'s build in general is an "impressive testament to Apple's ability to solve problems."

iFixit has not yet shared a full written teardown of the Mac Studio or the ‌Studio Display‌, so there could still be a few additional tidbits to discover when the complete teardowns are available in the future.

Related Roundup: Studio Display
Buyer's Guide: Displays (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Mac Accessories

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay

Tuesday March 24, 2026 1:55 pm PDT by
iOS 26.4 was released today, and it includes a couple of new features for CarPlay: an Ambient Music widget and support for voice-based chatbot apps. To update your iPhone 11 or newer to iOS 26.4, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. CarPlay will automatically offer the new features so long as the iPhone connected to your vehicle is running iOS 26.4 or later....
Apple Business hero

Apple Unveils 'Apple Business' All-in-One Platform

Tuesday March 24, 2026 8:53 am PDT by
Apple today announced Apple Business, a new all-in-one platform that unifies device management, productivity tools, and customer outreach features. The service is designed to be a consolidated replacement for several of Apple's existing business-focused offerings, including Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect. It provides organizations with a single...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Tuesday March 24, 2026 12:31 pm PDT by
Apple today released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods 4. The firmware has a version number of 8B39, up from 8B34 on the AirPods Pro 3, 8B28 on the AirPods Pro 2, and 8B21 on the AirPods 4. There is no word on what's included in the firmware, but Apple has a support document with limited notes. Most updates are limited to bug fixes and performance...

Top Rated Comments

Realityck Avatar
52 months ago

Why not just make it an iMac.
Better yet a 27” iMac that could also be used as a 27” 5K display if needed.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sracer Avatar
52 months ago

Better yet a 27” iMac that could also be used as a 27” 5K display if needed.
This.

My old 2013 21' iMac had its internal hard drive fail (1TB spinner) but I was able to repurpose it as my Plex server by adding an external SSD. (the thing runs an order of magnitude faster than when it was new) And I bought a 2nd iMac in 2017 to replace it as my desktop system... but I use that older iMac as a 2nd monitor via "target display mode".

I love how that older iMac is serving two functions simultaneously (Plex server AND 2nd display).



Attachment Image
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
52 months ago
All of that power for… what exactly?
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
52 months ago

All of that power for… what exactly?
$1,599 :)
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
52 months ago
The ASD, at some point, was clearly an iMac 27" design

This is such overkill on the guts and the chassis for what the released product is.

Apple doesn't do overkill like this.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jaro65 Avatar
52 months ago
Why not just make it an iMac.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)