Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2009) vs Apple iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011)

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iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2009) compared with iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011)

	AppleiMac (21.5-inch, Late 2009)	AppleiMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011)
Overview
Released
Released	October 2009	May 2011
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core 2 Duo E7600 or Intel Core 2 Duo E8600	Intel Core i5-2400S, Intel Core i5-2500S or Intel Core i7-2600S
CPU cores
CPU cores	2	4
Graphics
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (256 MB shared DDR3) or ATI Radeon HD 4670 (256 MB GDDR3)	AMD Radeon HD 6750M (512 MB GDDR5) or AMD Radeon HD 6770M (512 MB GDDR5)
Memory
Memory	4 GB or 8 GB	4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB (better)
Storage
Storage	500 GB to 2 TB	500 GB to 2 TB
CPU
CPU	3.06 GHz Core 2 Duo E7600 with 3 MB shared L2 cache or optional 3.33 GHz E8600 with 6 MB; exact identities cross-checked with EveryMac	2.5 GHz quad-core Core i5-2400S or 2.7 GHz quad-core Core i5-2500S; the higher model offers a 2.8 GHz quad-core Core i7-2600S upgrade. Exact model identities cross-checked with EveryMac; the i5 has 6 MB shared L3 cache. Intel confirms the i7 has eight threads and up to 3.8 GHz Turbo Boost.
GPU
GPU	Base model has NVIDIA GeForce 9400M with at least 256 MB DDR3 shared with system memory; higher model has ATI Radeon HD 4670 with 256 MB dedicated GDDR3	2.5 GHz model has AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 512 MB GDDR5; 2.7 GHz and optional i7 models have Radeon HD 6770M with 512 MB GDDR5
Memory type
Memory type	4 GB standard as two 2 GB modules of 1066 MHz DDR3; four user-accessible SO-DIMM slots support up to 16 GB. Macworld and Macwelt report an 8 GB factory option for this size, distinct from the maker's 16 GB supported maximum.	Four SO-DIMM slots, 1333 MHz DDR3; 4 GB standard as two 2 GB modules. Base model offers an 8 GB factory upgrade; higher model offers 8 or 16 GB. Memory is user accessible.
Storage type
Storage type	Base model has a 500 GB 7200 rpm hard drive; higher model has 1 TB, configurable to 2 TB. The model-specific storage upgrade division is cross-checked with Macworld. Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 4x double-layer DVD burning.	Base model has a 500 GB 7200 rpm hard drive. Higher model has a 1 TB 7200 rpm drive, configurable to 2 TB and a 256 GB solid-state second drive. Mixed hard-drive-plus-SSD options are described here rather than labelled Fusion Drive or presented as a single SSD; no standalone 256 GB row is inferred from the support sheet's second-drive wording. Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 4x double-layer DVD burning.
Display
Screen size
Screen size	21.5″	21.5″
Resolution
Resolution	1920 × 1080	1920 × 1080
Panel
Panel	IPS LCD	IPS LCD
Brightness
Brightness	320 nits	–
Display type
Display type	Glossy LED-backlit IPS widescreen LCD, millions of colours, 178° horizontal/vertical viewing angle and maker typical brightness 320 cd/m²; refresh rate unpublished and omitted	Glossy LED-backlit IPS widescreen display, millions of colours; optional unpublished refresh rate and brightness omitted
Connections
Ports
Ports	DisplayPort, 4 × USB-A, Ethernet, SD card slot, headphone jack	Thunderbolt, 4 × USB-A, Ethernet, SD card slot, headphone jack
Ethernet
Ethernet	1 Gb/s	1 Gb/s
External displays
External displays	Up to 1	Up to 1
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	802.11n	802.11n
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	2.1 + EDR	2.1 + EDR
Camera
Camera	iSight camera	FaceTime HD camera
Back ports
Back ports	Mini DisplayPort video output, four USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800 at 7 W, Gigabit Ethernet, SD card slot, headphone/optical digital output and line-in/optical digital input. FireWire and audio input described here; the SD slot is not labelled SDXC.	One Thunderbolt port also provides Mini DisplayPort video output; four USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800 at 7 W, Gigabit Ethernet, SDXC slot, headphone/optical digital output and line-in/optical digital input. FireWire and audio input are described here because the main port list has no fields for them; IR receiver built in.
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	Full built-in resolution and one external display up to 2560 × 1600 simultaneously; extended desktop and mirroring, optional DVI/VGA/dual-link DVI adapters
Speakers
Speakers	Built-in stereo speakers with two internal 17 W amplifiers, microphone and support for Apple Stereo Headset microphones	Stereo speakers with two internal 17 W amplifiers, built-in microphone and support for iPhone headset microphones
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse	Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse, with Magic Trackpad substitution available from the online store
Design and power
Type
Type	All-in-one	All-in-one
Weight
Weight	9.3 kg	9.3 kg
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	528 × 188.5 × 451 mm	528 × 188.5 × 451 mm
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Power supply
Power supply	Maximum continuous power 241 W; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz single phase	Maximum continuous power 205 W; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz single phase
Materials
Materials	Aluminium and glass enclosure, arsenic-free display glass and mercury-free LED backlight; BFR-free and PVC-free components, with PVC-free external cables in North America only	Aluminium and glass enclosure, arsenic-free display glass and mercury-free LED backlight; BFR-free and PVC-free components, with PVC-free AC cord availability limited to named regions
In the box
In the box	iMac, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse, cleaning cloth, power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation; Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iLife '09	iMac, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse, power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation. Launch press specifies Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iLife '11; the later support sheet lists OS X Lion, reflecting the software update rather than launch software.