Apple iMac (20-inch, Mid 2009) vs Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)

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iMac (20-inch, Mid 2009) compared with iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)

	AppleiMac (20-inch, Mid 2009)	AppleiMac (21.5-inch, 2017)
Overview
Released
Released	April 2009	June 2017
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core 2 Duo 2 GHz (iMac Mid 2009) or Intel Core 2 Duo 2.26 GHz (iMac Mid 2009)	Intel Core i5-7360U
CPU cores
CPU cores	2	2
CPU threads
CPU threads	–	4
Graphics
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (256 MB shared DDR3)	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640
Memory
Memory	1 GB, 2 GB or 4 GB	8 GB or 16 GB (better)
Storage
Storage	160 GB to 320 GB	256 GB to 1 TB (better)
CPU
CPU	2.0 or 2.26 GHz Core 2 Duo with 3 MB shared L2 cache and 1066 MHz frontside bus. The retained configuration table says 2.6 GHz, but its processor description and Apple's July 2011 education price list confirm 2.26 GHz; exact Intel SKU not established.	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	NVIDIA GeForce 9400M with 256 MB shared DDR3 according to the retained maker specification; contemporary EveryMac coverage describes 128 MB at launch, so the retained maker value is used.	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640; no discrete graphics option
Memory type
Memory type	Two SO-DIMM slots for 1066 MHz DDR3; configurations A/B have 1 GB standard and C has 2 GB. Factory options are 2 or 4 GB; the retained specification supports up to 8 GB, which is not listed as a factory configuration.	8 GB of 2133 MHz DDR4, configurable to 16 GB
Storage type
Storage type	160 or 320 GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA hard drive; 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 size
Screen size	20″	21.5″
Resolution
Resolution	1680 × 1050	1920 × 1080 (better)
Brightness
Brightness	290 nits	–
Display type
Display type	Glossy TFT active-matrix LCD with millions of colours; typical contrast 800:1 and 160-degree 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 Panel technology and refresh rate unpublished.	21.5-inch LED-backlit display; 1920 × 1080 with support for millions of colours.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
Ports
Ports	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	–	4.2
Camera
Camera	iSight camera	FaceTime HD
Back ports
Back ports	Four USB 2.0 ports on the computer, plus two on the keyboard; FireWire 800 at 7 W, Mini DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet, headphone/optical digital output and line-in/optical digital input. Bluetooth is not published in this exact model specification.	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 and one external display up to 2560 × 1600 simultaneously; extended desktop or mirroring, with optional DVI, VGA or dual-link DVI adapters.	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; internal 24 W digital amplifier and support for Apple Stereo Headset microphones.	Stereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone
Microphones
Microphones	–	Built-in microphone
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	Apple Keyboard and Mighty 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
Type	All-in-one	All-in-one
Weight
Weight	9.1 kg	5.44 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	Maker reference weight; actual weight varies with configuration and manufacturing process.	Dimensions include the stand; weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. A built-in VESA mount version was available.
Power supply
Power supply	Maximum continuous power 200 W; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz.	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	Education institution model. Contemporary EveryMac coverage records April 2009 release; a maker-confirmed first delivery day is unavailable. Launch configuration A includes Leopard and iLife ’09; later B/C specifications list Snow Leopard and iLife ’11, with their introduction dates unestablished.	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.