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

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

	AppleiMac (17-inch, Mid 2006)	AppleiMac (21.5-inch, 2017)
Overview
Released
Released	July 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	Intel GMA950	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640
Memory
Memory	512 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB	8 GB or 16 GB (better)
Storage
Storage	80 GB to 160 GB	256 GB to 1 TB (better)
CPU
CPU	1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo; exact T2400 identity cross-checked with EveryMac. Existing chip record is reused; no sibling processor figures are borrowed.	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	Intel GMA950 integrated graphics, sharing system memory.	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640; no discrete graphics option
Memory type
Memory type	667 MHz DDR2; 512 MB standard, configurable to 1 or 2 GB. The exact maker manual specifies matched pairs of 512 MB or 1 GB modules for the upgrades.	8 GB of 2133 MHz DDR4, configurable to 16 GB
Storage type
Storage type	80 GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA hard drive, configurable to 160 GB; 24x Combo drive reads DVDs and reads/writes CDs, rather than burning DVDs.	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	EveryMac specifies 1440 × 900 pixels, typical brightness 250 cd/m², contrast 500:1 and viewing angles of 140 degrees horizontal/120 degrees vertical. Exact model panel technology and refresh rate remain unpublished.	21.5-inch LED-backlit display; 1920 × 1080 with support for millions of colours.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 2
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	802.11g	802.11ac
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	–	4.2
Camera
Camera	iSight camera	FaceTime HD
Back ports
Back ports	Three USB 2.0 ports on the computer, plus two on the keyboard; two FireWire 400 ports, Mini-DVI video output, Gigabit Ethernet and audio input/output. External-display resolution is omitted because the secondary figure explicitly refers to a different later model.	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	–	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 and microphone.	Stereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone
Microphones
Microphones	–	Built-in microphone
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse; Apple Remote is optional. Macworld confirms Bluetooth is not included.	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	–	528 × 175 × 450 mm
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Size and weight detail
Size and weight detail	–	Dimensions include the stand; weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. A built-in VESA mount version was available.
Power supply
Power supply	–	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	Institution-only education configuration; Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.6 and iLife ’06. Later secondary OS version 10.4.7 does not replace the maker launch wording.	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.