Apple iMac (17-inch, Early 2006) vs Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)

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iMac (17-inch, Early 2006) compared with iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)

	AppleiMac (17-inch, Early 2006)	AppleiMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)
Overview
Released
Released	January 2006	March 2019
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core Duo T2400	Intel Core i3-8100, Intel Core i7-8700 or Intel Core i5-8500
CPU cores
CPU cores	2	4 or 6
CPU threads
CPU threads	–	4, 6 or 12
Graphics
Graphics	ATI Radeon X1600 (128 MB GDDR3)	Radeon Pro 555X (2 GB GDDR5), Radeon Pro 560X (4 GB GDDR5) or Radeon Pro Vega 20 (4 GB HBM2)
Memory
Memory	512 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB	8 GB, 16 GB or 32 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	3.6 GHz quad-core Core i3 without Turbo Boost, or 3.0 GHz six-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 4.1 GHz; both configurable to 3.2 GHz six-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost up to 4.6 GHz
GPU
GPU	ATI Radeon X1600 with 128 MB GDDR3; the maker's 256 MB upgrade applies only to the separate 20-inch model	Radeon Pro 555X with 2 GB GDDR5 in the lower base; Radeon Pro 560X with 4 GB GDDR5 in the upper base, configurable to Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4 GB HBM2
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 standard, configurable to 16/32 GB; lower base uses 2400 MHz DDR4 and upper base 2666 MHz DDR4. Memory is not readily user-accessible.
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.	The current Apple sheet lists 256 GB SSD or 1 TB Fusion Drive for both bases, and these are the configurations shown. Apple made SSD storage standard in August 2020. Launch reviews describe a 1 TB hard drive in the lower base and 1 TB Fusion Drive in the upper base, with larger SSD options (Macworld and TechRadar); these historical options are not flattened into the current matrix.
Display
Screen size
Screen size	17″	21.5″
Resolution
Resolution	1440 × 900	4096 × 2304 (better)
Panel
Panel	–	IPS LCD
Brightness
Brightness	250 nits	500 nits (better)
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.	LED-backlit Retina 4K display; IPS panel confirmed by EveryMac; Apple does not publish native refresh rate in this model’s specification sheet
Display features
Display features	–	Wide colour (P3); supports one billion colours
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 with DisplayPort, Thunderbolt up to 40 Gb/s and USB 3.1 Gen 2 up to 10 Gb/s; SDXC, Gigabit Ethernet and 3.5 mm headphone jack; Kensington lock slot. Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, DVI and VGA require separately sold 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 full 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
Microphones
Microphones	–	Built-in microphone
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and Apple Remote; optional wireless keyboard and mouse	Rechargeable Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2; optional Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and Magic Trackpad 2
Design and power
Type
Type	All-in-one	All-in-one
Weight
Weight	–	5.48 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; current Apple sheet lists 5.48 kg and warns that weight varies by configuration. Launch reviews tested heavier hard-drive/Fusion configurations. A built-in VESA mount version was also 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
Materials
Materials	–	Recyclable aluminium enclosure; arsenic-free glass and mercury-free LED backlight
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 2, power lead and Lightning to USB cable