Request a product

Apple iMac G3 (Early 2001) vs Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

AppleiMac G3 (Early 2001)AppleiMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)
Overview
ReleasedFebruary 2001March 2019
Performance
ProcessorPowerPC G3 400 MHz (iMac), PowerPC G3 500 MHz (iMac) or PowerPC G3 600 MHz (iMac)Intel Core i3-8100, Intel Core i7-8700 or Intel Core i5-8500
CPU cores14 or 6
CPU threads–4, 6 or 12
GraphicsATI RAGE 128 Pro (8 MB) or ATI RAGE 128 Ultra (16 MB)Radeon Pro 555X (2 GB GDDR5), Radeon Pro 560X (4 GB GDDR5) or Radeon Pro Vega 20 (4 GB HBM2)
Memory64 MB, 128 MB or 1 GB8 GB, 16 GB or 32 GB
Storage10 GB to 40 GB256 GB to 1 TB
CPU400 MHz PowerPC G3 with 512 KB backside L2 cache at 160 MHz; 500 MHz and 600 MHz models have 256 KB on-chip L2 cache at processor speed. All use a 100 MHz system bus. Generic clock-only chip records do not infer silicon suppliers; cache differences remain in model details.3.6 GHz quad-core Core i3 without Turbo Boost, or 3.0 GHz six-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 4.1 GHz; both configurable to 3.2 GHz six-core Core i7 with Turbo Boost up to 4.6 GHz
GPU400 MHz configuration: ATI RAGE 128 Pro with 8 MB SDRAM. 500 MHz and 600 MHz configurations: ATI RAGE 128 Ultra with 16 MB SDRAM; AGP 2x. A contemporary Macworld report observed European 500 MHz store listings with 512 KB cache and 8 MB Pro graphics, but explicitly questioned their accuracy and had no Apple confirmation. The current maker matrix is retained; no inferred regional CPU supplier or alternate SKU is added.Radeon Pro 555X with 2 GB GDDR5 in the lower base; Radeon Pro 560X with 4 GB GDDR5 in the upper base, configurable to Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 4 GB HBM2
Memory type64 MB PC100 SDRAM standard on 400/500 MHz configurations; 128 MB on 600 MHz Special Edition. Two DIMM slots support up to 1 GB in the current maker sheet. Configurations retain each base and maximum memory with its original processor and drive.8 GB standard, configurable to 16/32 GB; lower base uses 2400 MHz DDR4 and upper base 2666 MHz DDR4. Memory is not readily user-accessible.
Storage type400 MHz: 10 GB Ultra ATA and 24x CD-ROM, Indigo. 500 MHz: 20 GB and 8x/4x/24x CD-RW, Indigo, Blue Dalmatian or Flower Power. 600 MHz Special Edition: 40 GB and CD-RW, Graphite, Blue Dalmatian or Flower Power. Maker lists up to 40 GB build-to-order storage without precise processor ties, so extra cross-combinations are not created.The current Apple sheet lists 256 GB SSD or 1 TB Fusion Drive for both bases, and these are the configurations shown. Apple made SSD storage standard in August 2020. Launch reviews describe a 1 TB hard drive in the lower base and 1 TB Fusion Drive in the upper base, with larger SSD options (Macworld and TechRadar); these historical options are not flattened into the current matrix.
Display
Screen size15″21.5″
Resolution1024 × 7684096 × 2304
Panel–IPS LCD
Brightness–500 nits
Refresh rate75 Hz–
Display typeNominal 15-inch shadow-mask CRT with 13.8-inch viewable diagonal and 0.28 mm dot pitch; no fixed LCD native resolution.LED-backlit Retina 4K display; IPS panel confirmed by EveryMac; Apple does not publish native refresh rate in this model’s specification sheet
Display features1024 × 768 at 75 Hz; 800 × 600 at 95 Hz and 640 × 480 at 117 Hz. Scalar refresh describes the highest-resolution mode.Wide colour (P3); supports one billion colours
Connections
Ports2 × USB-A, Ethernet, 2 × headphone jack2 × Thunderbolt 3, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack
Ethernet0.1 Gb/s1 Gb/s
External displays–Up to 2
Wi-Fi–802.11ac
Bluetooth–4.2
Camera–FaceTime HD
Back portsTwo FireWire 400 ports and VGA video mirroring on every configuration; Two 12 Mbps USB ports on the computer, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, 56K V.90 modem, audio line-in/out and two front headphone jacks; keyboard USB ports are not counted as chassis ports. All configurations are AirPort ready with an optional 11 Mbps card.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 displaysVGA output mirrors the built-in screen; no extended desktop.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
SpeakersIntegrated Odyssey stereo sound system designed with Harman Kardon, built-in microphone and fanless enclosure.Stereo speakers
Microphones–Built-in microphone
Keyboard and mouseApple Pro Keyboard and optical Apple Pro Mouse.Rechargeable Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2; optional Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and Magic Trackpad 2
Design and power
TypeAll-in-oneAll-in-one
Weight15.8 kg5.48 kg
Width × depth × height381 × 435 × 381 mm528 × 175 × 450 mm
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Size and weight detailMaker publishes height 38.1, width 38.1 and depth 43.5 cm, weight 15.8 kg. EveryMac instead gives depth 43.4 cm and 15.7 kg; current maker figures are preferred.Dimensions include the stand; current Apple sheet lists 5.48 kg and warns that weight varies by configuration. Launch reviews tested heavier hard-drive/Fusion configurations. A built-in VESA mount version was also available.
Power supply100–260 V AC, 47–63 Hz, single phase; maximum continuous power 150 W.100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase
Materials–Recyclable aluminium enclosure; arsenic-free glass and mercury-free LED backlight
In the boxMac OS 9.1, iTunes, iMovie 2 and Disc Burner; CD-RW configurations write music and data CDs but cannot read DVDs. Maker confirms immediate availability on 22 February 2001. Copied PCI-slot/eMac entries in the retained sheet are excluded as unrelated template artifacts.iMac, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, power lead and Lightning to USB cable

More comparisons