Apple iMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0) vs Apple iMac G5 (20-inch, iSight)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleiMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0) | AppleiMac G5 (20-inch, iSight) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | November 2003 | October 2005 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Motorola PowerPC G4 1.25 GHz (iMac USB 2.0) | IBM PowerPC G5 2.1 GHz (iMac iSight) |
| CPU cores | 1 | 1 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra (64 MB) | ATI Radeon X600 XT (128 MB DDR) |
| Memory | 256 MB, 512 MB or 1 GB | 512 MB, 1 GB, 1.5 GB or 2.5 GB (better) |
| Storage | 80 GB to 160 GB | 250 GB to 500 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. | 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 Generic maker-clock chip record avoids borrowing uncertain silicon revision or unpublished thread/power figures.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 | NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra with 64 MB dedicated DDR video memory and AGP 4x support. | ATI Radeon X600 XT with 128 MB dedicated DDR video memory; PCI Express. |
| 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | 20″ | 20″ |
| Resolution | 1680 × 1050 | 1680 × 1050 |
| Brightness | 230 nits | 280 nits (better) |
| 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. | 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 Panel technology and refresh rate unpublished. |
| Display features | Typical viewing angles: 170° horizontal and vertical; articulated display arm adjusts height and angle. | – |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack | 3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack |
| Ethernet | 0.1 Gb/s | 1 Gb/s (better) |
| Wi-Fi | – | 802.11g |
| Bluetooth | – | 2.0 + EDR |
| Camera | – | iSight camera |
| 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, 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 | 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. | Optional Mini-VGA adapters provide VGA mirroring or S-video/composite output; no DVI connector or extended-desktop mode is listed. |
| Camera | The external iSight shown in the product image is an optional accessory; this iMac has no integrated camera. | Built-in iSight; exact maker resolution is unpublished and omitted. |
| Speakers | Built-in speaker and microphone, Apple Pro Speakers rated at 7 W each and internal 14 W amplifier. | Built-in stereo speakers and microphone; 12 W digital amplifier. |
| Keyboard and mouse | Apple Keyboard, Apple Mouse, Apple Pro Speakers and modem cable. Wireless Keyboard and Wireless Mouse were optional accessories. | Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and Apple Remote. |
| Design and power | ||
| Type | All-in-one | All-in-one |
| Weight | 18.2 kg | 10 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. | Maker reference weight; actual weight varies with configuration and manufacturing process. |
| Power supply | 90–264 V AC, 47–63 Hz, single phase; maximum continuous power 190 W. | Maximum continuous power 180 W; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz. |
| 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. | 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. |
More comparisons
- Apple iMac 24″ (M4) vs Apple iMac G5 (20-inch, iSight)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M4) vs Apple iMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M3) vs Apple iMac G5 (20-inch, iSight)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M3) vs Apple iMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M1) vs Apple iMac G5 (20-inch, iSight)
- Apple iMac 24″ (M1) vs Apple iMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0)
- Apple iMac G5 (20-inch, iSight) 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, iSight) vs Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)
- Apple iMac G5 (20-inch, iSight) 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, iSight) 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, iSight)
- Apple iMac (21.5-inch, 2017) vs Apple iMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0)

