Apple iMac (24-inch, Early 2008) vs Apple iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019)

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

iMac (24-inch, Early 2008) compared with iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019)
AppleiMac (24-inch, Early 2008)AppleiMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019)
Overview
ReleasedApril 2008March 2019
Performance
ProcessorIntel Core 2 Duo E8235 or Intel Core 2 Duo E8435Intel Core i5-8500, Intel Core i5-8600, Intel Core i9-9900K or Intel Core i5-9600K
CPU cores26 or 8
CPU threads–6 or 16
GraphicsATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO (256 MB GDDR3) or NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS (512 MB GDDR3)Radeon Pro 570X (4 GB GDDR5), Radeon Pro 575X (4 GB GDDR5), Radeon Pro 580X (8 GB GDDR5) or Radeon Pro Vega 48 (8 GB HBM2)
Memory2 GB or 4 GB8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB (better)
Storage320 GB to 1 TB256 GB to 3 TB (better)
CPU2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E8235, configurable to 3.06 GHz E8435; 6 MB shared L2 cache and 1066 MHz frontside bus. Exact processor identities cross-checked with EveryMac.Six-core Core i5 at 3.0 GHz (Turbo Boost 4.1 GHz), 3.1 GHz (Turbo Boost 4.3 GHz) or 3.7 GHz (Turbo Boost 4.6 GHz); upper two bases configurable to 3.6 GHz eight-core Core i9 with Turbo Boost up to 5.0 GHz. Exact K-suffix CPU identities follow Geekbench’s model database; Macworld instead lists KF suffixes.
GPUEither processor supports ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256 MB GDDR3 or optional NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512 MB GDDR3Radeon Pro 570X or 575X with 4 GB GDDR5, or Radeon Pro 580X with 8 GB GDDR5; only the upper base supports Radeon Pro Vega 48 with 8 GB HBM2
Memory typeTwo user-accessible SO-DIMM slots for 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 2 GB standard, configurable to 4 GB2666 MHz DDR4; 8 GB standard as two 4 GB modules in four user-accessible SO-DIMM slots. Lower base configurable to 16/32 GB; upper two bases to 16/32/64 GB.
Storage type320 GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA hard drive with either processor, configurable to 500 GB, 750 GB or 1 TB; slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 4x double-layer DVD burning570X base: 1/2 TB Fusion Drive or 256/512 GB/1 TB SSD. 575X base: 1/2/3 TB Fusion Drive or 256/512 GB/1 TB SSD. 580X/Vega base: 2/3 TB Fusion Drive or 512 GB/1/2 TB SSD.
Display
Screen size24″27″
Resolution1920 × 12005120 × 2880 (better)
Panel–IPS LCD
Brightness385 nits500 nits (better)
Display typeGlossy widescreen TFT active-matrix LCD, millions of colours; typical contrast 750:1 and 178° horizontal and vertical viewing angles. Panel technology and refresh rate unpublished and omitted.LED-backlit Retina 5K display; IPS panel confirmed by EveryMac; Apple does not publish native refresh rate in this model’s specification sheet
Display featuresOptional 24-inch VESA Mount Adapter kitWide colour (P3); supports one billion colours
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-Fi802.11n draft; compatible with 802.11a/b/g802.11ac
Bluetooth2.1 + EDR4.2
CameraiSight cameraFaceTime HD
Back portsThree USB 2.0 ports on the computer, plus two on the supplied keyboard; one FireWire 400 and one FireWire 800 port, each rated 7 W; mini-DVI output, Gigabit Ethernet, headphone/optical digital output and line-in/optical digital input. FireWire, mini-DVI and audio input described here.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 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 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
SpeakersBuilt-in stereo speakers with internal 24 W digital amplifier and built-in microphoneStereo speakers
Microphones–Built-in microphone
Keyboard and mouseApple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote; optional wireless keyboard and wireless Mighty MouseRechargeable Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2; optional Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and Magic Trackpad 2
Design and power
TypeAll-in-oneAll-in-one
Weight–9.42 kg
Width × depth × height569 × 207 × 520 mm650 × 203 × 516 mm
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Size and weight detailMaker weight 25.4 pounds (11.5 kg), varying by configuration and manufacturing process; shared scalar weight omittedDimensions include the stand; weight varies by configuration. A built-in VESA mount version was also available.
Power supplyMaximum continuous power 280 W; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz single phase100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase
Power useApple environmental report for MB325 at 230 V records 1.65 W off, 2.58 W sleep and 36.2 W idle with display off or 113.2 W with display on; display on means full brightness–
MaterialsRecyclable aluminium and glass enclosure; arsenic-free display glass, majority of circuit-board laminates free of brominated flame retardants and PVC-free internal cablesRecyclable aluminium enclosure; arsenic-free glass and mercury-free LED backlight
In the boxiMac, Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse, Apple Remote, cleaning cloth, power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation; Mac OS X Leopard and iLife '08iMac, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, power lead and Lightning to USB cable

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