Apple iMac (20-inch, Late 2006) 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, Late 2006) compared with iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)
AppleiMac (20-inch, Late 2006)AppleiMac (21.5-inch, 2017)
Overview
ReleasedSeptember 2006June 2017
Performance
ProcessorIntel Core 2 Duo T7400 or Intel Core 2 Duo T7600Intel Core i5-7360U
CPU cores22
CPU threads–4
GraphicsATI Radeon X1600 (128 MB GDDR3) or ATI Radeon X1600 (256 MB GDDR3)Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640
Memory1 GB, 2 GB or 3 GB8 GB or 16 GB (better)
Storage250 GB to 500 GB256 GB to 1 TB (better)
CPU2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo T7400, configurable to 2.33 GHz T7600; 4 MB shared L2 cache and 667 MHz system 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 X1600 with 128 MB GDDR3, configurable to 256 MB with either processorIntel Iris Plus Graphics 640; no discrete graphics option
Memory typeTwo SO-DIMM slots for PC2-5300 (667 MHz) DDR2 SDRAM; 1 GB standard as two 512 MB modules, configurable to 2 or 3 GB8 GB of 2133 MHz DDR4, configurable to 16 GB
Storage type250 GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA hard drive, configurable to 500 GB; slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 2.4x double-layer DVD burning. Maker lists processor, memory, storage and graphics upgrades independently.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)
Brightness280 nits–
Display typeWidescreen TFT active-matrix LCD, millions of colours; typical contrast 800:1 and 170° horizontal and vertical viewing angles. Panel technology and refresh rate unpublished.21.5-inch LED-backlit display; 1920 × 1080 with support for millions of colours.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
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-Fi802.11g; 54 Mbps AirPort Extreme802.11ac
Bluetooth2.0 + EDR4.2
CameraiSight cameraFaceTime HD
Back portsThree 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 line-in/optical digital inputFour 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 12 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 Apple Remote; optional wireless keyboard and 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 × height493 × 189 × 472 mm528 × 175 × 450 mm
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Size and weight detailMaker weight 22 pounds (10 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 180 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
Materials–Aluminium 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, power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation; Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, iLife '06, Front Row, Photo Booth, Microsoft Office 2004 Test Drive and iWork trialiMac, 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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