Upon eagerly ripping open the Chromecast's box, we are greeted with more than just a dongle.

The dongle's specs and features:

1080p HDMI output

2.4 GHz WiFi 802.11 b/g/n

1080P maximum output video resolution

USB-powered

Compatible with a variety of devices, including both iOS and Android devices

The Chromecast's sole port is the USB charging port. As if TVs don't have enough wires already, your favorite new dongle requires external power via USB.

At least Google sort of mentioned this…

Model Number: H2G2-42.

We see what you did there, Google. Your clever nerd humor will not be lost on us!

Call us speculative, but it appears Google thinks this device is the answer to life, the universe, and everything.

To our relief (and maybe a little disappointment), it seems as if we won't need to pull out the big guns to get this little guy open.

A plastic opening tool exploits the seam of our dongle, and just like that, we can start pulling out components.

The first thing out is, well, everything. Pulling the motherboard assembly out of the Chromecast leaves us with an empty shell.

Almost empty, that is, except for some excessive thermal leftovers and a big hunk of aluminum heat sink.

The central nervous system:

AzureWave AW-NH387 802.11 b/g/n WLAN, Bluetooth and FM Combo Module

Marvell DE3005-A1 System on Chip

Micron MT29F16G08MAA 16 Gb (2 GB) NAND Flash Memory

Micron D9PXV 512 MB DDR3L SDRAM

With the motherboard out, only one component remains: a (relatively) ginormous heatsink. Made of solid aluminum and spanning the entire length of the device, it rests—lifeless hardware in a tiny coffin.

We can't say we're surprised, though, as the product information states "Chromecast may get hot to the touch; this is normal."

This is somewhat disconcerting, sort of like "melt in your hand, not in your mouth," or "side effects may include death."

We’ve decided not to assign a repairability score to the Chromecast.

There’s just nothing in it to repair. The Chromecast is essentially a luxury item with a limited use.