Apple iMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0) vs Apple iMac G5 (20-inch, 2004)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleiMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0) | AppleiMac G5 (20-inch, 2004) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | November 2003 | September 2004 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Motorola PowerPC G4 1.25 GHz (iMac USB 2.0) | IBM PowerPC G5 1.8 GHz (iMac 2004) |
| CPU cores | 1 | 1 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra (64 MB) | NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra (64 MB) |
| Memory | 256 MB, 512 MB or 1 GB | 256 MB or 2 GB (better) |
| Storage | 80 GB to 160 GB | 160 GB to 250 GB (better) |
| CPU | 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 with 167 MHz system bus and 256 KB on-chip L2 cache. Generic maker-clock record retains the single-core identity cross-checked with the exact EveryMac source; uncertain silicon revision is not inferred. | 1.8 GHz PowerPC G5 with 600 MHz frontside bus and 512 KB on-chip L2 cache. Generic maker-clock chip record retains the single-core identity; uncertain silicon revision is not inferred. |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra with 64 MB dedicated DDR video memory and AGP 4x support. | NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra with 64 MB dedicated DDR video memory and AGP 8x support. |
| Memory type | 256 MB PC2700 (333 MHz) DDR SDRAM standard; factory options 512 MB or 1 GB. One 184-pin DIMM and one user-accessible SO-DIMM slot. Configurations retain Apple's supported 1 GB maximum, not unofficial upgrade limits. | 256 MB PC3200 (400 MHz) DDR SDRAM standard, expandable to 2 GB in two slots. Configurations conservatively list the published base and maker maximum. |
| Storage type | 80 GB 7200 rpm Ultra ATA/100 hard drive, configurable to 160 GB; 4x SuperDrive DVD-R/CD-RW. Published memory and storage factory options are retained for the 1.25 GHz processor. | 160 GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA hard drive, with a 250 GB build-to-order option confirmed by maker launch press. Slot-loading SuperDrive DVD-R/CD-RW writes DVD-R at 4x and reads DVDs at 8x; writes CD-R at 16x and CD-RW at 8x. |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 20″ | 20″ |
| Resolution | 1680 × 1050 | 1680 × 1050 |
| Brightness | 230 nits | 230 nits |
| Display type | Widescreen TFT active-matrix LCD with millions of colours and typical 350:1 contrast. Panel technology and refresh rate are not published in the exact maker sheet. | Widescreen TFT active-matrix LCD with millions of colours and typical 350:1 contrast. Panel technology and refresh rate are not published in the exact maker sheet. |
| Display features | Typical viewing angles: 170° horizontal and vertical; articulated display arm adjusts height and angle. | Typical viewing angles: 170° horizontal and vertical. |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack | 3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack |
| Ethernet | 0.1 Gb/s | 0.1 Gb/s |
| Back ports | Three USB 2.0 ports on the computer, up to 480 Mbps, plus two USB 1.1 ports on the keyboard; two FireWire 400 ports with 8 W shared power, Mini-VGA, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, headphone jack, Apple speaker minijack and audio line-in. AirPort Extreme 802.11g card and internal Bluetooth are optional, rather than standard. | Three USB 2.0 ports on the computer, up to 480 Mbps, plus two USB 1.1 ports on the keyboard; two FireWire 400 ports with 8 W shared power, Mini-VGA, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, headphone/optical digital audio output and audio line-in. AirPort Extreme 802.11g card and internal Bluetooth module are optional, rather than standard. |
| External displays | Mini-VGA provides video mirroring on a VGA display or S-video/composite television through optional adapters. Output resolutions: 640 × 480 at 60 Hz, 800 × 600 at 75 Hz or 1024 × 768 at 75 Hz. | Mini-VGA provides video mirroring on a VGA display or S-video/composite television through optional adapters. Output resolutions: 640 × 480 at 60 Hz, 800 × 600 at 75 Hz or 1024 × 768 at 75 Hz. |
| Camera | The external iSight shown in the product image is an optional accessory; this iMac has no integrated camera. | – |
| Speakers | Built-in speaker and microphone, Apple Pro Speakers rated at 7 W each and internal 14 W amplifier. | Built-in stereo speakers, internal 12 W digital amplifier and built-in microphone. |
| Keyboard and mouse | Apple Keyboard, Apple Mouse, Apple Pro Speakers and modem cable. Wireless Keyboard and Wireless Mouse were optional accessories. | Apple Keyboard, Apple Mouse and modem cable. |
| Design and power | ||
| Type | All-in-one | All-in-one |
| Weight | 18.2 kg | 11.4 kg (better) |
| Width × depth × height | – | 493 × 189 × 472 mm |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Size and weight detail | Adjustable maker ranges: height 354–530 mm, width 440–514 mm and depth 270–440 mm; base diameter 270 mm. Reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. | Published metric size and reference weight; weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. |
| Power supply | 90–264 V AC, 47–63 Hz, single phase; maximum continuous power 190 W. | 100–120 V AC or 100–240 V AC depending on country of purchase, 47–63 Hz, single phase; maximum continuous power 180 W. |
| In the box | Mac OS X 10.3 Panther and iLife, with Apple's productivity software and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4. Maker launch confirms immediate availability on 18 November 2003. | Launch Mac OS X 10.3 Panther, iLife ’04 and bundled productivity software, with Classic environment support. The retained specification lists the later iLife ’05 bundle. Apple announced the model on 31 August 2004 and stated worldwide shipping would begin in mid-September; the release field therefore retains September month precision. |
More comparisons
- Apple iMac 24″ (M4) vs Apple iMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M4) vs Apple iMac G5 (20-inch, 2004)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M3) vs Apple iMac G5 (20-inch, 2004)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M3) vs Apple iMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M1) vs Apple iMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M1) vs Apple iMac G5 (20-inch, 2004)
- Apple iMac G5 (20-inch, 2004) vs Apple iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020)
- Apple iMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0) vs Apple iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020)
- Apple iMac G5 (20-inch, 2004) vs Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)
- Apple iMac G5 (20-inch, 2004) vs Apple iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019)
- Apple iMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0) vs Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)
- Apple iMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0) vs Apple iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019)
- Apple iMac G5 (20-inch, 2004) vs Apple iMac Pro (2017)
- Apple iMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0) vs Apple iMac Pro (2017)
- Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 2017) vs Apple iMac G5 (20-inch, 2004)
- Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 2017) vs Apple iMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0)

