Teardowns

Apple TV 4K Priority: Be Cool

It’s been two long years since the AppleTV got an update—which is an eternity in Apple’s fast-paced development cycle. But with 4K and HDR streaming capabilities, the new Apple TV 4K brings the heat.

Apple TV 4K priority teardown

An iPad Pro-worthy processor and 3 GB of RAM pushing all those pixels means the TV will get a lot hotter a lot faster. Heat wreaks some serious havoc on electronics—from cracked solder to fried chips—so Apple popped a fan assembly onto the heatsink of yore, and punched some ventilation into the case. Let’s hope the precautions are enough to avoid a Red Ring of Death situation.

Apple TV 4K Teardown Highlights

  • The bottom of the unit has been redesigned for some serious thermal venting. All told, we counted eight exhaust ports. Additionally, the replaceable fan is good news for owners. Otherwise, we’re guessing that a failed fan would quickly mean a failed device.
  • Apple continues to eschew internal wiring between the TV’s power supply and logic board. The use of conductive posts probably saves internal real estate, and it eliminates the possibility of pinched or bent wires during assembly.
  • All told, the Apple TV 4K earns an 8 out of 10 on the repairability scale for simple construction and standard screws.

Check out the full Apple TV 4K Teardown on iFixit.com.