Apple iMac (17-inch, Early 2006) vs Apple iMac G5 (17-inch, Ambient Light Sensor)

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iMac (17-inch, Early 2006) compared with iMac G5 (17-inch, Ambient Light Sensor)

	AppleiMac (17-inch, Early 2006)	AppleiMac G5 (17-inch, Ambient Light Sensor)
Overview
Released
Released	January 2006	May 2005
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core Duo T2400	IBM PowerPC G5 1.8 GHz (iMac Ambient Light Sensor) or IBM PowerPC G5 2 GHz (iMac Ambient Light Sensor)
CPU cores
CPU cores	2	1
Graphics
Graphics	ATI Radeon X1600 (128 MB GDDR3)	ATI Radeon 9600 (128 MB)
Memory
Memory	512 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB	512 MB or 2 GB
Storage
Storage	160 GB to 250 GB	160 GB to 400 GB (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	1.8 GHz PowerPC G5 with 600 MHz frontside bus and Combo drive, or 2.0 GHz with 667 MHz bus and SuperDrive; both have 512 KB L2 cache. Generic maker-clock chip records retain the single-core identity cross-checked with exact EveryMac sources; uncertain 970/970FX silicon revision is not inferred.
GPU
GPU	ATI Radeon X1600 with 128 MB GDDR3; the maker's 256 MB upgrade applies only to the separate 20-inch model	ATI Radeon 9600 with 128 MB dedicated video memory; AGP 8x support.
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.	400 MHz DDR SDRAM (PC3200), two 184-pin DIMM slots; 512 MB standard and 2 GB supported maximum. Configurations conservatively list the published base and maximum; no intermediate factory pairing is inferred.
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.	160 GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA hard drive, configurable to 250 or 400 GB. The 1.8 GHz base has a Combo drive (DVD reading/CD writing); the 2.0 GHz base has an 8x SuperDrive with 2.4x double-layer DVD writing.
Display
Screen size
Screen size	17″	17″
Resolution
Resolution	1440 × 900	1440 × 900
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.	Widescreen LCD with millions of colours; panel technology, refresh rate and brightness not published in the retained exact maker specification.
Connections
Ports
Ports	3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack	3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack
Ethernet
Ethernet	1 Gb/s	1 Gb/s
External displays
External displays	Up to 1	–
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	802.11g; 54 Mbps AirPort Extreme	802.11g
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	2.0 + EDR	2.0 + EDR
Camera
Camera	iSight camera	–
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	Three USB 2.0 ports on the computer, plus two USB 1.1 ports on the keyboard; two FireWire 400 ports, Mini-VGA output, Gigabit Ethernet, headphone/optical output and audio line-in. Built-in 56K V.92 modem is confirmed by launch press and exact manual; retained USB-HSP wording describes its internal transport, rather than an extra external USB device.
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.	Optional Mini-VGA adapters provide VGA, S-video or composite output; no DVI connector is listed.
Speakers
Speakers	Built-in stereo speakers with internal 12 W digital amplifier and built-in microphone	Built-in stereo speakers and microphone.
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and Apple Remote; optional wireless keyboard and mouse	Apple Keyboard and Apple Mouse; the later Mighty Mouse and iSight-generation remote are not substituted for the launch accessories.
Design and power
Type
Type	All-in-one	All-in-one
Weight
Weight	–	8.4 kg
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	426 × 173 × 430 mm	426 × 173 × 430 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	–
Power supply
Power supply	Maximum continuous power 180 W; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz single phase	–
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 G5, keyboard, mouse, power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation; Mac OS X Tiger, iLife ’05 and AppleWorks. Classic support is available but not preinstalled and cannot boot Mac OS 9.