Apple iMac (20-inch, Early 2006) vs Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleiMac (20-inch, Early 2006) | AppleiMac (21.5-inch, 2017) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | January 2006 | June 2017 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Intel Core Duo T2500 | Intel Core i5-7360U |
| CPU cores | 2 | 2 |
| CPU threads | – | 4 |
| Graphics | ATI Radeon X1600 (128 MB GDDR3) or ATI Radeon X1600 (256 MB GDDR3) | Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 |
| Memory | 512 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB | 8 GB or 16 GB (better) |
| Storage | 250 GB to 500 GB | 256 GB to 1 TB (better) |
| CPU | 2 GHz Intel Core Duo T2500 with 2 MB shared L2 cache and 667 MHz system bus; exact identity documented in Ars Technica's launch review | 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 | ATI Radeon X1600 with 128 MB GDDR3, configurable to 256 MB | Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640; no discrete graphics option |
| 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 launch review. | 8 GB of 2133 MHz DDR4, configurable to 16 GB |
| Storage type | 250 GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA hard drive, configurable to 500 GB; slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 2.4x double-layer DVD burning | 1 TB 5400-rpm hard drive, configurable to 1 TB Fusion Drive or 256 GB SSD |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 20″ | 21.5″ |
| Resolution | 1680 × 1050 | 1920 × 1080 (better) |
| Brightness | 280 nits | – |
| Display type | Widescreen TFT active-matrix LCD, millions of colours; typical contrast 800:1 and viewing angles 170° horizontal and 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 Panel technology and refresh rate unpublished.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 | 3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack | 2 × Thunderbolt 3, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack |
| Ethernet | 1 Gb/s | 1 Gb/s |
| External displays | Up to 1 | Up to 2 (better) |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11g; 54 Mbps AirPort Extreme | 802.11ac |
| Bluetooth | 2.0 + EDR | 4.2 |
| Camera | iSight camera | FaceTime HD |
| 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 | 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 | Built-in stereo speakers with internal 12 W digital amplifier and built-in microphone | Stereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone |
| Microphones | – | Built-in microphone |
| 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 | All-in-one | All-in-one |
| Weight | – | 5.44 kg |
| Width × depth × height | 493 × 189 × 472 mm | 528 × 175 × 450 mm |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Size and weight detail | Maker weight 22 pounds (10 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 | Maximum continuous power 180 W; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz single phase | 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase |
| 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 | – | Aluminium enclosure; arsenic-free display glass; mercury-, BFR- and beryllium-free with regional exceptions for PVC-free power leads |
| 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. |
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