Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 2017) vs Apple iMac G5 (20-inch, iSight)

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iMac (21.5-inch, 2017) compared with iMac G5 (20-inch, iSight)

	AppleiMac (21.5-inch, 2017)	AppleiMac G5 (20-inch, iSight)
Overview
Released
Released	June 2017	October 2005
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core i5-7360U	IBM PowerPC G5 2.1 GHz (iMac iSight)
CPU cores
CPU cores	2	1
CPU threads
CPU threads	4	–
Graphics
Graphics	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640	ATI Radeon X600 XT (128 MB DDR)
Memory
Memory	8 GB or 16 GB (better)	512 MB, 1 GB, 1.5 GB or 2.5 GB
Storage
Storage	256 GB to 1 TB (better)	250 GB to 500 GB
CPU
CPU	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	2.1 GHz PowerPC G5 with 512 KB L2 cache and 700 MHz frontside bus; single-core identity cross-checked with exact EveryMac source. Generic maker-clock chip record avoids borrowing uncertain silicon revision or unpublished thread/power figures.
GPU
GPU	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640; no discrete graphics option	ATI Radeon X600 XT with 128 MB dedicated DDR video memory; PCI Express.
Memory type
Memory type	8 GB of 2133 MHz DDR4, configurable to 16 GB	533 MHz DDR2; 512 MB built in plus one expansion slot. Maker factory upgrades provide total capacities of 1, 1.5 or 2.5 GB.
Storage type
Storage type	1 TB 5400-rpm hard drive, configurable to 1 TB Fusion Drive or 256 GB SSD	250 GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA hard drive, configurable to 500 GB. Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 2.4x double-layer DVD writing, 4x DVD rewritable writing and 24x CD writing.
Display
Screen size
Screen size	21.5″	20″
Resolution
Resolution	1920 × 1080 (better)	1680 × 1050
Brightness
Brightness	–	280 nits
Display type
Display type	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.	TFT active-matrix LCD with millions of colours; typical contrast 800:1 and viewing angles of 170 degrees horizontal and vertical. Panel technology and refresh rate unpublished.
Connections
Ports
Ports	2 × Thunderbolt 3, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack	3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack
Ethernet
Ethernet	1 Gb/s	1 Gb/s
External displays
External displays	Up to 2	–
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	802.11ac	802.11g
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	4.2	2.0 + EDR
Camera
Camera	FaceTime HD	iSight camera
Back ports
Back ports	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.	Three USB 2.0 ports on the computer, plus two USB 1.1 ports on the keyboard; two FireWire 400 ports sharing 8 W, Mini-VGA output, Gigabit Ethernet, headphone/optical output and audio line-in.
External displays
External displays	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	Optional Mini-VGA adapters provide VGA mirroring or S-video/composite output; no DVI connector or extended-desktop mode is listed.
Camera
Camera	–	Built-in iSight; exact maker resolution is unpublished and omitted.
Speakers
Speakers	Stereo speakers; supports Apple iPhone headset with microphone	Built-in stereo speakers and microphone; 12 W digital amplifier.
Microphones
Microphones	Built-in microphone	–
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, Lightning to USB cable and polishing cloth; configurable with Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad or Magic Trackpad	Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and Apple Remote.
Design and power
Type
Type	All-in-one	All-in-one
Weight
Weight	5.44 kg (better)	10 kg
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	528 × 175 × 450 mm	493 × 189 × 472 mm
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Size and weight detail
Size and weight detail	Dimensions include the stand; weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. A built-in VESA mount version was available.	Maker reference weight; actual weight varies with configuration and manufacturing process.
Power supply
Power supply	100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase	Maximum continuous power 180 W; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz.
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	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.	iMac G5, Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse, Apple Remote, power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation; Mac OS X Tiger, iLife ’05, Front Row and Photo Booth. Apple announced availability the week after 12 October 2005; release remains October at month precision.