MacBook Air: Full details of its internal parts

Posted on 25 June 2012

A few days ago we showed you an article about the MacBook 2012. Today we will do the same but with the baby of the family, the MacBook Air, for more detailed on its internal components and distribution of its parts.

First of all, as always, it is best to have on hand a good kit tool to start dismantling the MacBook Air. In this case it is the 13-inch screen model that is equipped with a processor Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge , 128Gb FLASH storage and 4GB DDR3-1600Mhz RAM.

After removing the bottom cover of the MacBook Air we again see a very careful and neat design. Highlights include batteries that occupy much of the computer and as something new, the cooling design is based on a single fan. This is completely normal, because the MacBook Air does not carry a dedicated graphics card and requires no cooling for other components, only the processor.

The batteries are the same used in the 2011 model and according to Apple provide a range of up to 7 hours.

The SSD storage module is also similar to that used in the 2011 model, but the connector is changed. In this case it is a 128GB module which is based on a SandForce controller, although the Toshiba name is written on the storage module.

To the left stands the module that includes connection for the WiFi and Bluetooth. For the WiFi connection they are using a Broadcom BCM4322 802.11n for Bluetooth connection they are using a Broadcom BCM20702.

The fan is quite interesting, because the design of its blades is asymmetric, the largest measuring 3.6 mm, while the smaller 2.8 mm. The purpose of this design is to minimize the sound of the air flow and you barely hear the fan noise.

A small plaque provides USB 3.0 connectivity, the connector MagSafe 2 and the other uses an ordinary audio module.

We will see in detail the heatsink of the MacBook Air. As you can see it only has a heatpipe and a copper base that makes contact with the processor. Since it does not have a dedicated GPU, you do not need another cooling system.

The motherboard where the main components are installed is quite simple. In red we have the Intel Core i5-3427U, orange we have the Intel E201B953 SLJ8B in yellow we have the Intel DSL3510L Thunderbolt controller, in turquoise we have the Texas Instruments TPS2561 and finally in dark blue we have the Linear Technology LT3957 converter.

On the other hand we have in red the SMSC USB25138 USB controller, in orange the Hynix H5TC2GB3CFR DDR3L SDRAM memory module that is placed on the motherboard, in yellow we have the MAXIM 15120G chip, in turquoise the Texas Instruments Stellaris LM4FS1AH controller, in dark blue we have the Macronics MXIC MX25L6406E chip, in purple the Texas Instruments TPS51980 and finally in black the Texas Instruments CD3210 chip.

Another interesting part is the trackpad of the MacBook Air, because as discussed is a fairly easy piece to replace. In it we have the chips, Silicon Storage Technology 25VF020, CypressCY8C24794 and Broadcom BCM5976A0KU826.

The screen is put together by six screws in total, this ensures a good resistance. But unlike the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air does not have protection for the LCD screen in order to save weight.

We are back with a system that is impossible to upgrade both RAM as well as its FLASH storage, so you have to take that in consideration when you decide to buy it because then there is no turning back. Images courtesy of iFixit.