Apple iMac (20-inch, Early 2009) vs Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)

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

Only show differences

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Share comparison

iMac (20-inch, Early 2009) compared with iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)

	AppleiMac (20-inch, Early 2009)	AppleiMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)
Overview
Released
Released	March 2009	March 2019
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core 2 Duo E8135	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	NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (256 MB shared DDR3)	Radeon Pro 555X (2 GB GDDR5), Radeon Pro 560X (4 GB GDDR5) or Radeon Pro Vega 20 (4 GB HBM2)
Memory
Memory	2 GB, 4 GB or 8 GB	8 GB, 16 GB or 32 GB (better)
Storage
Storage	320 GB to 1 TB	256 GB to 1 TB (better)
CPU
CPU	2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E8135 with 6 MB shared L2 cache and 1066 MHz frontside bus; exact chip identity cross-checked with EveryMac	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	NVIDIA GeForce 9400M with at least 256 MB DDR3 shared with system memory; available system memory varies with graphics requirements	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 user-accessible SO-DIMM slots for 1066 MHz DDR3; 2 GB standard, factory upgrades to 4 or 8 GB	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	320 GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA hard drive, configurable to 640 GB or 1 TB; slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 4x double-layer DVD burning	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	20″	21.5″
Resolution
Resolution	1680 × 1050	4096 × 2304 (better)
Panel
Panel	–	IPS LCD
Brightness
Brightness	290 nits	500 nits (better)
Display type
Display type	Glossy widescreen TFT active-matrix LCD, millions of colours; maker typical brightness 290 cd/m², contrast 800:1 and 160° horizontal/vertical viewing angle. Panel technology and refresh rate unpublished and omitted.	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	DisplayPort, 4 × 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	802.11n draft	802.11ac
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	2.1 + EDR	4.2
Camera
Camera	iSight camera	FaceTime HD
Back ports
Back ports	Four USB 2.0 ports on the computer, plus two on the supplied wired keyboard; one FireWire 800 port at 7 W, Mini DisplayPort output, Gigabit Ethernet, headphone/optical digital output and line-in/optical digital input. FireWire and audio input described here; no SD slot.	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	Full built-in resolution and one external display up to 2560 × 1600 simultaneously; extended desktop and mirroring, optional DVI/VGA/dual-link DVI adapters	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 24 W digital amplifier, microphone and support for Apple Stereo Headset microphones	Stereo speakers
Microphones
Microphones	–	Built-in microphone
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse; numeric-keypad keyboard, wireless keyboard or wireless Mighty Mouse available as options	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	9.1 kg	5.48 kg (better)
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	485 × 189 × 469 mm	528 × 175 × 450 mm
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Size and weight detail
Size and weight detail	–	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 200 W; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz single phase	100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase
Materials
Materials	Aluminium and glass enclosure with arsenic-free display glass, BFR-free components and PVC-free internal cables	Recyclable aluminium enclosure; arsenic-free glass and mercury-free LED backlight
In the box
In the box	iMac, Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse, cleaning cloth, power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation; Mac OS X Leopard and iLife '09	iMac, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, power lead and Lightning to USB cable