Apple Power Macintosh G3 All-In-One vs Apple Power Macintosh 5500/225

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Power Macintosh G3 All-In-One compared with Power Macintosh 5500/225

	ApplePower Macintosh G3 All-In-One	ApplePower Macintosh 5500/225
Overview
Released
Released	–	1997
Performance
Processor
Processor	PowerPC G3 233 MHz (Power Macintosh G3 Desktop) or PowerPC G3 266 MHz (Power Macintosh G3 Desktop)	PowerPC 603e 225 MHz (Power Macintosh 5500)
CPU cores
CPU cores	1	1
Graphics
Graphics	Built-in graphics accelerator (2 MB SGRAM; revision unpublished)	–
Memory
Memory	32 MB	16 MB or 32 MB
Storage
Storage	4 GB	2 GB to 4 GB
CPU
CPU	233 or 266 MHz PowerPC G3 with 512 KB backside L2 cache at 117 or 133 MHz, a 66 MHz system bus and 64 KB L1 cache split equally between data and instructions. Supplier is not assigned without exact maker evidence.	225 MHz PowerPC 603e with integrated floating-point unit, 32 KB L1 cache, 256 KB L2 cache and 64-bit 50 MHz system bus.
GPU
GPU	Built-in 2D/3D graphics accelerator with 2 MB SGRAM, expandable to 6 MB using the maker-supported 4 MB SGRAM module. Exact graphics-chip revision is unpublished in the read maker datasheet, so later RAGE Pro revisions are not assumed for every unit.	2 MB built-in SGRAM with hardware 2D and 3D acceleration, including QuickDraw 3D, video capture and QuickTime/MPEG-1 playback. Exact education brochure specifies 24-bit colour through 832 × 624 and 16-bit colour through 1024 × 768. Exact support and shared service tables also list 1152 × 870 at 16-bit and 1280 × 1024 at 8-bit; the brochure does not establish these as built-in CRT modes, so its documented 1024 × 768 display mode is retained as the headline. Display resolution can be changed in software; the CRT has no fixed pixel matrix.
Memory type
Memory type	32 MB SDRAM standard, up to 384 MB across three 168-pin DIMM slots. Apple Service Source specifies 3.3 V, 64-bit, 10 ns unbuffered SDRAM. Its prose about 64 MB DIMMs conflicts with its 384 MB/three 128 MB DIMM maximum; the explicit published maximum is retained. Factory BTO memory options included 64 or 96 MB.	US education ordering model M5761LL/A has 32 MB RAM; the shared service manual also documents 16 MB configurations sold worldwide. No system RAM is soldered on the logic board. Two 168-pin DIMM slots support up to 128 MB with 5 V, 60 ns or faster EDO DIMMs; the brochure specifies noncomposite modules with 1K or 2K refresh. The service manual supports both fast-page and EDO DIMMs, noting that mixing them can use fast-page timings.
Storage type
Storage type	Both published 233 and 266 MHz base configurations have a 4 GB IDE disk, 24× maximum CD-ROM and 1.44 MB floppy drive. A 6 GB disk and 100 MB SCSI Zip drive were optional. Service Source also mentions a 2 GB disk in one table, unlike the exact base configuration datasheet; that unsupported base pairing is not assumed.	Exact US education brochure specifies a 2 GB IDE hard drive, 12× CD-ROM and 1.44 MB SuperDrive floppy. Exact support and shared service document 24× optical configurations too. Later US education configurations have 32 MB/24× and Mac OS 8.0; Europe has 32 MB/2 GB/24× with a 33.6 Kbit/s modem, while Japan has 32 MB/4 GB/24× with the same modem and Mac OS 8.0.
Expansion slots
Expansion slots	Three 7-inch PCI 2.1 slots with Macintosh drivers required; three memory slots and a PERCH I/O-card slot. Optional modem fits the I/O card. The chassis has a slide-out logic-board tray. PCI card power restrictions are three 15 W cards, two 25 W cards, or one 15 W and one 25 W card.	One PCI 2.0 expansion slot for a 7-inch card with a Macintosh driver, Communications Slot II used by the Ethernet card or regional modem, video-input slot and TV/FM tuner bay. The education brochure lists optional Apple TV/FM Radio System and Avid Cinema Video Editing System. The shared service provides a digital-video connector for compatible expansion hardware; it is not compatible with the earlier Quadra 660AV/840AV connector.
Display
Screen size
Screen size	15″	12.8″
Resolution
Resolution	1024 × 768	1024 × 768
Panel
Panel	CRT	CRT
Display type
Display type	15-inch multiple-scan colour CRT with 13.8-inch viewable diagonal and 0.28 mm dot pitch; tilt and swivel. The supported 1024 × 768 mode is analogue, not a fixed pixel matrix. Maker advertises refresh up to 85 Hz without assigning that maximum to the highest resolution, so headline refresh is omitted. Service Source specifies 16-bit colour at 1024 × 768; the datasheet uses inconsistent colour-depth labels.	Built-in multiple-scan flat-square colour CRT, 15-inch nominal with 12.8-inch diagonal viewable image and 0.28 mm dot pitch. A refresh rate specifically established for the highest brochure-documented built-in mode remains unpublished and is omitted.
Connections
Ports
Ports	Ethernet, 3 × headphone jack	Headphone jack, Ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet	0.01 Gb/s	0.01 Gb/s
Front ports
Front ports	–	Headphone output, sound-volume and display controls; infrared receiver for the optional TV/FM remote.
Back ports
Back ports	10BASE-T Ethernet, one ADB, one external DB-25 SCSI, two GeoPort-compatible serial ports, rear stereo audio input/output and DB-15 monitor connector. Three headphone-compatible audio outputs total: two at the front and one at the rear. No built-in USB, FireWire or AirPort support. The optional Fast Ethernet PCI card does not change the standard network figure.	US education brochure and exact support specify 10BASE-T Ethernet, ADB, external DB-25 SCSI, two RS-232/RS-422/LocalTalk/GeoPort-compatible serial ports, PlainTalk-compatible sound input and stereo output. The Ethernet card occupies Communications Slot II; later European and Japanese configurations instead supply a 33.6 Kbit/s modem. Brochure supports six external SCSI devices. Video-input card is included in the education brochure and accepts composite and S-Video; TV/FM tuner and Avid Cinema are optional.
External displays
External displays	DB-15 external monitor connector documented by the exact datasheet and rear service diagram; the current support summary instead labels video as none. Display mirroring is described by the contemporary Washington Apple Pi test, not an assumed extended desktop.	US education brochure includes NTSC TV-output capability for a compatible television, VCR or camcorder. Computer-monitor output requires the appropriate external video connector; the shared service documents video mirroring rather than an independent extended desktop. Regional video bundles vary.
Speakers
Speakers	Built-in stereo speakers; 16-bit stereo audio input/output at 22.05 or 44.1 kHz	Built-in stereo speakers, 16-bit stereo sound input/output and SRS 3D surround processing, with rear stereo speaker output.
Microphones
Microphones	Built-in microphone	Built-in microphone; PlainTalk-compatible external sound input.
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	AppleDesign Keyboard and ADB Mouse II	Exact M5761LL/A education brochure includes AppleDesign Keyboard, ADB Mouse II, 32 MB RAM, 2 GB drive, 12× CD-ROM, internet-access software and setup/reference documentation. Video-input and NTSC TV-output hardware are included in this education presentation; TV/FM tuner and Avid Cinema are optional. Exact photographs show the beige 225 MHz model with keyboard/mouse; later international bundles differ.
Design and power
Type
Type	All-in-one	All-in-one
Weight
Weight	26.8 kg	21 kg (better)
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	409 × 457 × 505 mm	383 × 406 × 445 mm
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Size and weight detail
Size and weight detail	Headline dimensions and 26.8 kg weight follow the exact May 1998 maker datasheet. Apple Service Source gives 498 × 402 × 450 mm and 27 kg with inconsistent inch conversions; the current support summary gives 19.92 × 16.08 × 18 inches and 59.5 lb. Weight varies with installed devices.	Exact education brochure gives 44.5 × 38.3 × 40.6 cm (height × width × depth), 21 kg / 47 lb; support database agrees with these inch dimensions and 47 lb. AppleFacts August 1997 second page instead prints tower-like 40.6 × 19.8 × 42.9 cm and 20 kg, inconsistent with its all-in-one identity. The shared service swaps width/depth and prints inconsistent pound weights. Brochure complete-unit measurements are retained, with weight varying by installed devices.
Power supply
Power supply	Automatically configured 90–264 V AC, 50–60 Hz, single phase	Exact support specifies 220 W maximum, 110–240 V AC at 50–60 Hz. The original education brochure separately lists 150 W maximum excluding the display, 110/220 V and 47–63 Hz. Shared service lists 125 W and 220 W maximum for all line/load conditions; these differently qualified ratings are not treated as measured operating consumption.
Noise
Noise	–	Variable-speed fan automatically runs at the lowest speed needed to minimise noise; the processor also has a small cooling fan. No acoustic measurement is published in these sources.
Power use
Power use	Maximum continuous electrical input 300 W; Service Source separately lists 200 W peak output, which is not acoustic output	–
In the box
In the box	Mac OS 8.1 in the contemporary datasheet and Service Source; the current archived support summary instead gives original system software 8.0. The model was offered for the education market. Apple support labels introduction as 3 April 1998; the dated May 1998 datasheet describes currently available configurations and BTO ordering from 6 May. An exact first retail delivery date is not established, so released is omitted rather than substituting introduction or BTO dates. The 266 MHz base variant adds audio/video I/O plus Avid Cinema and QuickTime 3 Pro; the 233 MHz base is audio I/O only. Optional AV hardware supports composite and S-video inputs/outputs with mode restrictions in Service Source.	Exact support lists original System 7.5.5 and Enabler 411; education brochure lists Mac OS 7.6 or later and describes Mac OS 7.6.1 software, while later service configurations use Mac OS 8.0. Apple records introduction on 17 February 1997, but the August 1997 current ordering brochure and catalogue establish sale only at year precision in this record. Actual first-sale month remains unresolved. Energy Saver schedules sleep, starting up and shutdown.