Who Builds the iMac Motherboard(s)?

jack jebedeejack jebedee
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I'd love to build a desktop computer around an Intel T7200 -- not running OSX, of course -- but I can't find any mention of the manufacturer of the iMac motherboards. Does anyone know? I'm hoping that they might also make a non-iMac version of the same board.



... JJ

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    archstudentarchstudent Posts: 262member
    afaik Apple make their own boards, but I could be wrong
  • Reply 2 of 11
    leonardleonard Posts: 528member
    It's likely made in China, by one of their manufacturers.
  • Reply 3 of 11
    bacillusbacillus Posts: 313member
    AFAIK, the OEM for the current iMac is Asustek. I don't totally trust the peron who told me this, so I could be wrong.
  • Reply 4 of 11
    kareliakarelia Posts: 525member
    You can't just buy a T7200 for a standard PC logic board? It's a 2GHz Core 2 Duo, not too hard to find.
  • Reply 5 of 11
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    Apple designs its own PCBs.
  • Reply 6 of 11
    e1618978e1618978 Posts: 6,075member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Splinemodel View Post


    Apple designs its own PCBs.



    Not all, Intel did the Mac Pro.
  • Reply 7 of 11
    leonardleonard Posts: 528member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Splinemodel View Post


    Apple designs its own PCBs.



    Yeah, but they don't manufacture it. He was asking for the manufacturer.



    It could be Asustek, it could be Quanta, or it could be Foxconn. I'm not sure. I don't think it really says anywhere.
  • Reply 8 of 11
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Does it matter? If you get one, I don't think you are going to get any through the maker, and the iMac boards are specific to the model it was made. Unless you plan to make a custom case, it's not going to be that useful either.
  • Reply 9 of 11
    wmfwmf Posts: 1,164member
    Try Shuttle.



    http://us.shuttle.com/ModelsX.aspx
  • Reply 10 of 11
    skatmanskatman Posts: 609member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by e1618978 View Post


    Not all, Intel did the Mac Pro.



    Apple sends the specs to the OEM. OEM then designs and makes the board.
  • Reply 11 of 11
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by e1618978 View Post


    Not all, Intel did the Mac Pro.



    More likely is that Intel provided a reference design that didn't need as much work. With the PPCs, Apple has a lot more work to do when designing PCBs, but to say that they didn't have a hand in designing the Mac Pro board, and that it's not something that can be purchased unquely through Apple, is patently false.



    Moreover, the manufacturer of the boards is quite unimportant unless you're trying to glean build-quality hypotheses. Almost all PCBs that are designed (by anyone) are outsourced to manufacture, and are often "stuffed" at a different outsourced partner.
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