Apple iMac (17-inch, Early 2006) vs Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)

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iMac (17-inch, Early 2006) compared with iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)

	AppleiMac (17-inch, Early 2006)	AppleiMac (21.5-inch, 2017)
Overview
Released
Released	January 2006	June 2017
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core Duo T2400	Intel Core i5-7360U
CPU cores
CPU cores	2	2
CPU threads
CPU threads	–	4
Graphics
Graphics	ATI Radeon X1600 (128 MB GDDR3)	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640
Memory
Memory	512 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB	8 GB or 16 GB (better)
Storage
Storage	160 GB to 250 GB	256 GB to 1 TB (better)
CPU
CPU	1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo T2400 with 2 MB shared L2 cache and 667 MHz system bus; exact identity confirmed by Ars Technica's tested unit	2.3 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz; Geekbench identifies the exact processor as Core i5-7360U
GPU
GPU	ATI Radeon X1600 with 128 MB GDDR3; the maker's 256 MB upgrade applies only to the separate 20-inch model	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640; no discrete graphics option
Memory type
Memory type	Two SO-DIMM slots for PC2-5300 (667 MHz) DDR2 SDRAM; 512 MB standard as one module, expandable to 2 GB. The intermediate 1 GB factory option is documented by Sound On Sound's full exact-model review.	8 GB of 2133 MHz DDR4, configurable to 16 GB
Storage type
Storage type	160 GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA hard drive, configurable to 250 GB in the maker's archived technical sheet; slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 2.4x double-layer DVD burning. Sound On Sound also describes a 500 GB order option; omitted from configurations because the maker sheet only ties 500 GB to the 20-inch model.	1 TB 5400-rpm hard drive, configurable to 1 TB Fusion Drive or 256 GB SSD
Display
Screen size
Screen size	17″	21.5″
Resolution
Resolution	1440 × 900	1920 × 1080 (better)
Brightness
Brightness	250 nits	–
Display type
Display type	Widescreen TFT active-matrix LCD, millions of colours; typical contrast 500:1, viewing angles 140° horizontal and 120° vertical. Panel technology and refresh rate unpublished.	21.5-inch LED-backlit display; 1920 × 1080 with support for millions of colours. Apple does not identify the panel technology, native refresh rate or brightness in its specification sheet; Retina model display figures do not apply.
Connections
Ports
Ports	3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack	2 × Thunderbolt 3, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack
Ethernet
Ethernet	1 Gb/s	1 Gb/s
External displays
External displays	Up to 1	Up to 2 (better)
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	802.11g; 54 Mbps AirPort Extreme	802.11ac
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	2.0 + EDR	4.2
Camera
Camera	iSight camera	FaceTime HD
Back ports
Back ports	Three USB 2.0 ports on the computer and two USB 1.1 ports on its keyboard; two FireWire 400 ports sharing 8 W, mini-DVI, Gigabit Ethernet, headphone/optical digital output and analogue audio line input	Four USB-A ports, two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, SDXC card slot, Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5 mm headphone jack and Kensington lock slot. Thunderbolt 3 supports DisplayPort, up to 40 Gb/s Thunderbolt and up to 10 Gb/s USB 3.1 Gen 2; Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, DVI and VGA require adapters.
External displays
External displays	One external display in extended desktop or mirroring mode; digital resolutions up to 1920 × 1200. DVI, VGA, S-video and composite adapters sold separately; analogue maximum omitted because the archived maker page gives an unresolved 2045 × 1536 figure.	Built-in display at native resolution alongside one 5120 × 2880 display at 60 Hz with one billion colours, two 3840 × 2160 displays at 60 Hz with one billion colours, or two 4096 × 2304 displays at 60 Hz with millions of colours
Speakers
Speakers	Built-in stereo speakers with internal 12 W digital amplifier and built-in microphone	Stereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone
Microphones
Microphones	–	Built-in microphone
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and Apple Remote; optional wireless keyboard and mouse	Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, Lightning to USB cable and polishing cloth; configurable with Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad or Magic Trackpad
Design and power
Type
Type	All-in-one	All-in-one
Weight
Weight	–	5.44 kg
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	426 × 173 × 430 mm	528 × 175 × 450 mm
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Size and weight detail
Size and weight detail	Maker weight 15.5 pounds (7 kg), varying by configuration and manufacturing process; shared scalar weight omitted	Dimensions include the stand; weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. A built-in VESA mount version was available.
Power supply
Power supply	Maximum continuous power 180 W; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz single phase	100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase
Noise
Noise	–	Apple reports operator-position sound pressure of 11 dB at idle and during wireless web, and 12 dB during hard-drive seek, tested on the Core i5 with 8 GB memory and 1 TB hard drive
Materials
Materials	–	Aluminium enclosure; arsenic-free display glass; mercury-, BFR- and beryllium-free with regional exceptions for PVC-free power leads
In the box
In the box	iMac, Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse, Apple Remote, power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation; Mac OS X 10.4.4 Tiger and iLife '06, Front Row, Photo Booth, Microsoft Office 2004 Test Drive and iWork trial	iMac, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, Lightning to USB cable, polishing cloth and power lead. Apple's current support page describes the later macOS Big Sur release.