Apple iMac (20-inch, Early 2008) vs Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

iMac (20-inch, Early 2008) compared with iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)
AppleiMac (20-inch, Early 2008)AppleiMac (21.5-inch, 2017)
Overview
ReleasedApril 2008June 2017
Performance
ProcessorIntel Core 2 Duo E8135 or Intel Core 2 Duo E8335Intel Core i5-7360U
CPU cores22
CPU threads–4
GraphicsATI Radeon HD 2400 XT (128 MB GDDR3) or ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO (256 MB GDDR3)Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640
Memory1 GB, 2 GB or 4 GB8 GB or 16 GB (better)
Storage250 GB to 750 GB256 GB to 1 TB (better)
CPU2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E8135 or 2.66 GHz E8335; 6 MB shared L2 cache and 1066 MHz frontside bus. Exact processor identities cross-checked with EveryMac.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
GPUATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128 MB GDDR3 on the 2.4 GHz model; Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256 MB GDDR3 on the 2.66 GHz modelIntel Iris Plus Graphics 640; no discrete graphics option
Memory typeTwo user-accessible SO-DIMM slots for 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 1 GB standard on the 2.4 GHz model, configurable to 2 or 4 GB; 2 GB standard on the 2.66 GHz model, configurable to 4 GB8 GB of 2133 MHz DDR4, configurable to 16 GB
Storage type7200 rpm Serial ATA hard drive; 250 GB on the 2.4 GHz model, configurable to 320 or 500 GB; 320 GB on the 2.66 GHz model, configurable to 500 or 750 GB. Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 4x double-layer DVD burning.1 TB 5400-rpm hard drive, configurable to 1 TB Fusion Drive or 256 GB SSD
Display
Screen size20″21.5″
Resolution1680 × 10501920 × 1080 (better)
Brightness290 nits–
Display typeGlossy widescreen TFT active-matrix LCD, millions of colours; typical contrast 800:1 and 160° horizontal and vertical viewing angles. Panel technology and refresh rate unpublished and omitted.21.5-inch LED-backlit display; 1920 × 1080 with support for millions of colours.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
Ports3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack2 × Thunderbolt 3, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack
Ethernet1 Gb/s1 Gb/s
External displaysUp to 1Up to 2 (better)
Wi-Fi802.11n draft; compatible with 802.11a/b/g802.11ac
Bluetooth2.1 + EDR4.2
CameraiSight cameraFaceTime HD
Back portsThree USB 2.0 ports on the computer, plus two on the supplied keyboard; one FireWire 400 and one FireWire 800 port, each rated 7 W; mini-DVI output, Gigabit Ethernet, headphone/optical digital output and line-in/optical digital input. FireWire, mini-DVI and audio input described here.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 displaysOne external display in extended desktop or mirroring mode; digital resolutions up to 1920 × 1200 and analogue up to 2048 × 1536. DVI, VGA, S-video and composite adapters sold separately.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
SpeakersBuilt-in stereo speakers with internal 24 W digital amplifier and built-in microphoneStereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone
Microphones–Built-in microphone
Keyboard and mouseApple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote; optional wireless keyboard and wireless Mighty MouseMagic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, Lightning to USB cable and polishing cloth; configurable with Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad or Magic Trackpad
Design and power
TypeAll-in-oneAll-in-one
Weight–5.44 kg
Width × depth × height485 × 189 × 469 mm528 × 175 × 450 mm
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Size and weight detailMaker weight 20 pounds (9.1 kg), varying by configuration and manufacturing process; shared scalar weight omittedDimensions include the stand; weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. A built-in VESA mount version was available.
Power supplyMaximum continuous power 200 W; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz single phase100–240 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
Power useApple environmental report at 230 V records 1.22 W off, 2.20 W sleep and 33.2 W idle with display off or 66.8 W with display on; display on means full brightness–
MaterialsRecyclable aluminium and glass enclosure; arsenic-free display glass, majority of circuit-board laminates free of brominated flame retardants and PVC-free internal cablesAluminium enclosure; arsenic-free display glass; mercury-, BFR- and beryllium-free with regional exceptions for PVC-free power leads
In the boxiMac, Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse, Apple Remote, cleaning cloth, power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation; Mac OS X Leopard and iLife '08iMac, 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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