Apple's new iMac with Retina display, unveiled on Oct. 16, got the iFixit treatment to determine the DIY repair-ability of the newest desktop from Apple.

The verdict looks good for those who want to try their hand at upgrading their own systems with extra RAM. Although the new iMac boast a screen resolution at a whopping 5K, inside the machine, the hardware is pretty much the same as previous models, earning it the same 5 out of 10 score on the site's Teardown scale.

According to the Teardown review, on the 27" iMac's super slim back, the RAM slot remains user replaceable, making it convenient and easy for users to install their own upgrades with little hassle and for a much lower cost than it would take to buy the models with larger memory capacity directly from Apple.

The standard iMac with Retina is shipped with only 8GB of memory and they charge an additional $200 for 16GB and $600 for 32GB.

The only major hindrance for DIY repairers is the custom adhesive that Apple uses to seal the new iMacs, which need patience and a steady hand to cut through in order to open the machine and to re-apply to reseal.

Overall, iFixit ranked the new iMac in the mid-range of the repair-ability score due the following reasons according to their Teardown video:

Upsides:

The RAM is user-replaceable via a rear-access door.

You can still replace the hard drive and CPU inside the machine.

Components are modular and fairly easy to remove

Downsides:

The glass and LCD are fused together.

Peeling off and re-applying the double-sided sticky tape in order to restore the iMac to its original condition is very difficult.

Because much of the innards of the iMac with Retina remain nearly identical to the 2013 iMac Pro specs, taking apart and putting it back together will feel familiar to those who have already done their own repair work to their previous iMacs. 

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