Apple iMac G5 (17-inch, iSight) vs Apple iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)

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iMac G5 (17-inch, iSight) compared with iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)

	AppleiMac G5 (17-inch, iSight)	AppleiMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019)
Overview
Released
Released	October 2005	March 2019
Performance
Processor
Processor	IBM PowerPC G5 1.9 GHz (iMac iSight)	Intel Core i3-8100, Intel Core i7-8700 or Intel Core i5-8500
CPU cores
CPU cores	1	4 or 6
CPU threads
CPU threads	–	4, 6 or 12
Graphics
Graphics	ATI Radeon X600 Pro (128 MB DDR)	Radeon Pro 555X (2 GB GDDR5), Radeon Pro 560X (4 GB GDDR5) or Radeon Pro Vega 20 (4 GB HBM2)
Memory
Memory	512 MB, 1 GB, 1.5 GB or 2.5 GB	8 GB, 16 GB or 32 GB (better)
Storage
Storage	160 GB to 500 GB	256 GB to 1 TB (better)
CPU
CPU	1.9 GHz PowerPC G5 with 512 KB L2 cache and 633 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 Generic maker-clock chip record avoids borrowing uncertain silicon revision or unpublished thread/power figures.	3.6 GHz quad-core Core i3 without Turbo Boost, or 3.0 GHz six-core Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 4.1 GHz; both configurable to 3.2 GHz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
GPU
GPU	ATI Radeon X600 Pro with 128 MB dedicated DDR video memory; PCI Express.	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 type
Memory type	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.	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 type
Storage type	160 GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA hard drive, configurable to 250 or 500 GB. Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 2.4x double-layer DVD writing, 4x DVD rewritable writing and 24x CD writing.	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 size
Screen size	17″	21.5″
Resolution
Resolution	1440 × 900	4096 × 2304 (better)
Panel
Panel	–	IPS LCD
Brightness
Brightness	250 nits	500 nits (better)
Display type
Display type	TFT active-matrix LCD with millions of colours; typical contrast 500:1 and viewing angles of 140 degrees horizontal/120 degrees vertical. Panel technology and refresh rate unpublished.	LED-backlit Retina 4K display; IPS panel confirmed by EveryMac; Apple does not publish native refresh rate in this model’s specification sheet
Display features
Display features	–	Wide colour (P3); supports one billion colours
Connections
Ports
Ports	3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack	2 × Thunderbolt 3, 4 × USB-A, SD card slot, Ethernet, headphone jack
Ethernet
Ethernet	1 Gb/s	1 Gb/s
External displays
External displays	–	Up to 2
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	802.11g	802.11ac
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	2.0 + EDR	4.2
Camera
Camera	iSight camera	FaceTime HD
Back ports
Back ports	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.	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 displays
External displays	Optional Mini-VGA adapters provide VGA mirroring or S-video/composite output; no DVI connector or extended-desktop mode is listed.	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
Camera
Camera	Built-in iSight; exact maker resolution is unpublished and omitted.	–
Speakers
Speakers	Built-in stereo speakers and microphone; 12 W digital amplifier.	Stereo speakers
Microphones
Microphones	–	Built-in microphone
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and Apple Remote.	Rechargeable Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2; optional Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and Magic Trackpad 2
Design and power
Type
Type	All-in-one	All-in-one
Weight
Weight	7 kg	5.48 kg (better)
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	426 × 173 × 430 mm	528 × 175 × 450 mm
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Size and weight detail
Size and weight detail	Maker reference weight; actual weight varies with configuration and manufacturing process.	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 supply
Power supply	Maximum continuous power 180 W; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz.	100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase
Materials
Materials	–	Recyclable aluminium enclosure; arsenic-free glass and mercury-free LED backlight
In the box
In the box	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.	iMac, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, power lead and Lightning to USB cable