14″ MacBook Pro M3 Pro [left] , M3 [right] [via iFixit]
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Teardown of the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 chips revealed no real changes in the design of the M3 Pro model, but the new Space Black finish is more interesting than it seemed at first glance.
The new MacBook Pro has undergone a ritual teardown and internal review, providing insight into Apple's design considerations. Unsurprisingly, there's not much new in the updated models.
Repair company iFixit reviewed the M3 and M3 Pro versions of the 14-inch MacBook Pro in a video published Friday. The eight-minute video shows X-ray images of the new models, as well as the disassembly process.
Initial X-rays show a big internal difference between the M3 and M3 Pro versions. While the M3 Pro has two fans to cool the chip, the M3 only uses one, along with a shorter heatsink.
Instead of letting this empty space go to waste, the M3 extends the motherboard into this area.
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Remove the cover and ignore After replacing the fan, the interior is still mostly made of modular sections, although the M3 lacks one Thunderbolt port.
With tabs in the usual battery locations, ZIF connectors and motherboard screws, and screws in many other places, the MacBook Pro can be quickly disassembled. modular SD card reader and HDMI ports, most components could be replaced, although pairing issues remain.
The M3 baseboard is noted to have two flash memory modules, theoretically eliminating bottlenecks in speeds of the M2 Air that had it.
Regarding custom repairs, it is explained that switching screens may not be possible for owners, as the attempt resulted in artifacts that apparently can only be corrected using Apple's calibration tools, which are only used by Apple itself. .
Other elements that lock themselves include Touch ID and lid angle sensors, which are connected to the motherboard.
iFixit gives new models a preliminary “repairability” rating of four out of ten, expecting parts and manuals to be provided through self-repair channels.
Changes to Space Black
Apple's anodizing and etching process was detailed in a blog post , explaining how the new Space Black coating works.
Conventional anodizing adds a protective oxide layer to aluminum, creating a rough surface of microscopic irregularities. Dyes can be added to the process to add color, but in the case of Space Black it is actually a very dark gray color.
While anodizing ridges diffuse light and help darken the surface by helping to deepen the hue of the dye used in the process, Apple takes an extra step to deepen the color.
By using etching, Apple has increased the severity of the irregularities to create an extremely uneven surface, further scattering light. Because less light reaches the user's eyes, the surface appears even darker than the painted version.
Additional irregularities may also be the reason why the surface is now more resistant to fingerprints than usual. The increased pit depth and higher raised portions of the surface are thought to reduce the amount of actual tactile surface, minimizing the amount that comes into contact with the user's hands.
Although engraving cannot completely eliminate fingerprint marks, it does help reduce the presence of fingerprints in the first place.
