Apple Thunderbolt Display Teardown

– Swing into action with the Thunderbolt Display—future’s looking sharp and bright with this powerhouse on your desk.

– 27-inch TFT Active-Matrix LCD screen

– Crystal-clear resolution: 2560 x 1440 pixels

– Built-in Thunderbolt and MagSafe cables keep you connected and powered up

– FaceTime HD camera with built-in microphone for easy video calls

– 49-watt 2.1 speaker system for crisp audio

– Widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio—perfect for work and play

– The Thunderbolt Display packs a variety of ports including USB, HDMI, VGA, and DisplayPort—though maybe not all at once! The sleek backside features a compact line of ports designed for specific connections: a built-in Thunderbolt cable attached to a Universal MagSafe, three powered USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 800 port, a Thunderbolt port, and a Gigabit Ethernet port. Follow these steps to access and service these connection points. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.

– Just like the iMac we took apart earlier this year (and the ones before it), the Thunderbolt Display’s front glass panel is ready to come off with a little help from some strong suction cups.

– Alright, let’s pop the hood and dive in. Grab your 54-piece bit driver kit and unscrew a dozen screws—12 to be exact (but who’s counting?). They’re ready to come out!

– A couple of connectors and one little ground screw are all that stand between you and freeing the LCD.

– This 27-inch (diagonal) TFT active-matrix LCD rocks a 2560 by 1440 pixel resolution—pretty much standard for this size and price bracket. Its 12 ms response time and 16.7 million colors aren’t quite as speedy or colorful as Dell’s similar display, which clocks in at 6 ms and shows off 1.07 billion colors.

– It might sound like splitting hairs, but hey, that’s over a billion colors you’re missing out on with the Apple screen. Just tossing that out there.

– The back of the LCD display is pretty straightforward – not much going on here, just a few cables to deal with.

– The LG display shows the model number LM270WQ1. Wait a minute, doesn’t that sound familiar?

– Yep, that’s right! It’s the same display used in the iMac Intel 27″ from October 2009, and also the one found in Dell’s 27″ monitor. The key difference? The Apple version uses LED backlighting, while Dell sticks with the older CCFL.

– And here’s a fun fact: Dell’s version is matte, something that a lot of Mac users have been hoping for ever since the old 30″ Cinema Display was discontinued.

– DisplayPort

– LED backlight

– LED backlight sync

– Ground loop

– Well, look at that! With the old, worn-out LCD out of the way (who really needs it, right?), we now get a clear view of the Thunderbolt Display’s inner workings.

– Where to begin… the fan, you say? Sounds like a solid choice to us.

– Removing the fan is a breeze! Just disconnect a couple of cables, unscrew a few fasteners, and you’re good to go.

– As always, Apple opted for a large, brushless fan to keep that massive Thunderbolt Display cool and collected.

– First things first—let’s keep things shock-free by unplugging the power supply connector from its home on the logic board.

– With a few strategic twists of your T10 Torx screwdriver, those screws are history and the logic board is free to go.

– Hold up—it’s connector time! We’re about to disconnect a bunch of cables from the logic board, leaving only the Thunderbolt port standing between us and the display’s control center.

– A couple of T6 Torx screws are removed to take off the connector cover, and then we unplug the Thunderbolt cable.

– Fun fact: the Thunderbolt cable that connects to the display also plugs directly into a standard Thunderbolt socket on the logic board. Apple could have soldered the wires directly to the board, but instead, they decided to add a cover that keeps the cable safely plugged in, preventing accidental disconnections.

– Take a look at the front of the logic board—here’s where things get interesting! You’ll spot some cool components:

– Pericom PI7C9X440SL PCIe-to-USB 2.0 host controller

– L129NB11 EFL, which we think handles the Thunderbolt port (check it out in the second pic!)

– Analog Devices ADAV4601 audio processor

– NXP LPC2144 USB 2.0 microcontroller

– Delta LFE9249 10/100/1000 Base-T LAN filter

– SMSC USB2517-JZX USB 2.0 hub controller

– LPC 1114F

– Alright, here we go—take a look at the back of the board and you’ll spot a bunch of important little chips:

– Maxim MAX9736B Mono/Stereo High-Power Class D Amplifier

– Texas Instruments LC573A D-type Latch

– Silego SLG8SP568VCK505 Clock Generator

– LSI L-FW643E-2 Open Host Controller Interface

– Broadcom BCM57761 Gigabit ethernet controller

– Texas Instruments NH245 Dual Supply Translator

– Supertex HV9982 3-channel switch-mode LED driver IC

– Now that the logic board is out of the way, it’s time to focus on the power supply board.

– A few screws and connectors are all that’s holding it in place—nothing we can’t handle.

– We quickly take care of them, and just like that, the Flextronics power supply board is free to come out.

– Let’s get this show on the road with the Thunderbolt Display’s power supply board. Ready for some action?

– How does 250 watts of continuous power sound? Seems like a pretty solid amount, right?

– Here’s a fun science tidbit: a lightning bolt in nature can pack a punch of about 1,000,000,000,000 watts — that’s 4 billion times more than the Thunderbolt Display’s power supply! But let’s keep things in perspective… lightning bolts are massive and only last a fraction of a second. This little power supply is no match for Mother Nature!

– Check out those beefy speaker enclosures tucked along the edges of your Thunderbolt Display—pretty impressive for a monitor! Go ahead and unscrew them to take a closer look.

– Hold up—do you spot a built-in 1-inch subwoofer in there? That’s some sweet bonus bass.

– Long story short, your display is ready to put out some surprisingly good sound. Maybe not rock-concert loud, but definitely better than you’d expect from a monitor.

– Just a couple of screws and one connector are keeping that HD FaceTime camera in place.

– Gently pull it out—now you’ve got the camera and all its widescreen, 720p video-recording glory in your hands.

– Check out the front side of the camera board—get familiar with its layout!

– Flip it over and scope out the rear side for any hidden surprises.

– Spot the cFeon LV010-45RNIP 11113A 1110ADA chip—it’s the memory muscle here.

– Say hello to the Vimicro VC0338BSMCB Camera Controller, the brains behind your camera.

– Meet the Texas Instruments TPS65708 Power Management Unit, keeping everything powered smoothly.

– Notice the 0BNHM7 marking for reference.

– Find the 408F N109 identifier—handy for keeping track.

– And don’t forget the T120 Bd01 label!

– Uncle Jonathan’s corn cob pipe! Just a few Torx 10 screws stand between us and unplugging the AC power adapter. Let’s unscrew those and get ready to disconnect.

– Here’s the AC-Inlet in all its glory—ready for the next step in the upgrade or repair process.

– Looks like Mic’s in a bit of a jam. Let’s get you sorted out.

– A trusty spudger never leaves a pal like Mic hanging.

– Thunderbolt Display Repairability Score: 8 out of 10 (10 being the easiest to repair)

– The only screws holding things together are T6 and T10 torx, so no crazy tools required here—just the basics.

– Minimal adhesives mean putting it all back together will be a breeze and much cleaner.

– Removing the front glass and LCD is a walk in the park, and with the major components exposed, you’ll have easy access for fixing.

– Use suction cups to carefully remove the front glass. Just take your time, or things might not go as planned.

– The disassembly is pretty straightforward, but with a lot of parts, cables, and connectors involved, reassembling could be a bit tricky for beginners.