Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2002) vs Apple Power Macintosh 6500/225
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| ApplePower Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2002) | ApplePower Macintosh 6500/225 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | August 2002 | 1997 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | 2 × PowerPC G4 867 MHz (Power Mac Mirrored Drive Doors 2002), 2 × PowerPC G4 1000 MHz (Power Mac Mirrored Drive Doors 2002) or 2 × PowerPC G4 1250 MHz (Power Mac Mirrored Drive Doors 2002) | PowerPC 603e 225 MHz (Power Macintosh 6500) |
| CPU cores | 2 | 1 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce4 MX (32 MB) or ATI Radeon 9000 Pro (64 MB) | – |
| Memory | 256 MB, 512 MB or 2 GB (better) | 32 MB |
| Storage | 60 GB to 120 GB (better) | 2 GB to 3 GB |
| CPU | Dual 867 MHz, dual 1 GHz or dual 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 processors; each physical processor has 256 KB on-chip L2 cache. 867 MHz and 1 GHz have 1 MB DDR SRAM L3 per processor; 1.25 GHz has 2 MB. System bus 133 MHz on dual 867, 167 MHz on dual 1/1.25 GHz. CPU count describes physical processors; supplier is not inferred. | 225 MHz PowerPC 603e with integrated floating-point unit, 32 KB L1 cache, 256 KB L2 cache and 64-bit 50 MHz bus. Shared service specifications use the name 603ev; exact support and original brochure use 603e. |
| GPU | Dual 867 MHz: NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 32 MB DDR. Dual 1/1.25 GHz: ATI Radeon 9000 Pro 64 MB DDR. Optional NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti 128 MB; independent CTO options are not expanded into unsupported stock combinations. | ATI 3D RAGE II with 2 MB built-in SGRAM, supporting QuickDraw 2D/3D and QuickTime/MPEG-1 acceleration; Apple's exact support table gives 24-bit colour through 832 × 624, 16-bit through 1152 × 870 and 8-bit at 1280 × 1024. The brochure's 24-bit headline ends at 800 × 600. |
| Memory type | Dual 867 MHz: 256 MB PC2100 DDR SDRAM at 266 MHz. Dual 1 GHz: 256 MB PC2700 DDR at 333 MHz; dual 1.25 GHz: 512 MB PC2700. Four DIMM slots support up to 2 GB. Configurations preserve stock processor/drive/graphics ties at base and maximum memory. | 32 MB RAM, no soldered system memory; two 168-pin DIMM sockets permit up to 128 MB using 5 V buffered EDO DIMMs. Original brochure and service specify 60 ns or faster memory, while exact support database lists 70 ns; these published conditions are retained. |
| Storage type | 60/80/120 GB 7200 rpm Ultra ATA/100 stock drives respectively. Dual 867 MHz has Combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW (CD-R 16x); faster models SuperDrive (DVD-R 2x, CD-R 8x). Four hard-drive bays support two ATA/100 and two ATA/66 drives, or up to four SCSI drives with a separately sold PCI card. Two optical bays, one occupied; optional second Combo drive. Maker optional storage choices remain in details rather than assumed CPU cross-pairs. | April 1997 US Home Edition M5611LL/A has 32 MB, a 3 GB IDE hard drive, 12× tray-loading CD-ROM, 1.44 MB SuperDrive floppy and no factory Zip drive in its exact ordering table. Exact support lists 2 or 3 GB and original 12× optical; shared service specifies a 2 GB 225 MHz configuration. Generic later family optical and storage choices are not assigned to this clock without exact configuration evidence. Shared family photographs show an optional Zip-equipped cabinet, unlike the original Home Edition blank bay. |
| Expansion slots | Four open full-length 64-bit 33 MHz PCI slots and dedicated AGP 4x graphics slot. | Two PCI 2.0 slots for approximately 7-inch cards with Macintosh drivers; Communications Slot II used by modem or Ethernet, video-input slot and TV/FM tuner position. Home Edition has a pre-cabled 5.25-inch SCSI bay for another internal SCSI device, used by Zip on some family configurations. Apple specifies six external SCSI devices, five when optional Zip is installed. |
| Display | ||
| Screen | None built in | None built in |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack | Headphone jack |
| Ethernet | 1 Gb/s | – |
| External displays | Up to 2 | – |
| Front ports | Headphone jack and built-in speaker. | 3.5 mm headphone output and volume buttons; infrared receiver for the remote supplied with the optional TV/FM Radio System. |
| Back ports | Two FireWire 400, two USB chassis ports (maker four-port total includes two keyboard ports), Gigabit Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, ADC/DVI, stereo audio line-in/out and Apple Pro Speakers minijack. Optional 11 Mbps AirPort 802.11b card. Bluetooth is a separately listed adapter, not built-in. No FireWire 800 in this 2002 generation. | ADB, DB-15 monitor output, external DB-25 SCSI, two GeoPort-compatible serial connectors, PlainTalk-compatible sound input and stereo line-level output. Original Home Edition has a 33.6 Kbit/s data/voice modem and 14.4 Kbit/s fax in Communications Slot II; it uses one serial port. Exact support lists 10BASE-T but notes some models have a modem in that slot, and later maker catalogue explicitly says Ethernet or modem varies by configuration. Ethernet is not assigned universally. Optional Apple Video System provides NTSC/PAL/SECAM input; Avid Cinema supplies video editing and NTSC/PAL output when installed. |
| External displays | Two displays in extended desktop or mirroring modes; ADC and DVI with included DVI-to-VGA adapter. Connecting two ADC displays requires a separately sold DVI-to-ADC adapter. | – |
| Speakers | Built-in speaker; optional Apple Pro Speakers. | Built-in full-range monophonic speaker acts as a subwoofer when external speakers are connected; balance adjustment operates only with external speakers. 16-bit stereo input/output and SRS 3D surround processing. |
| Keyboard and mouse | Apple Pro Keyboard, optical Apple Pro Mouse, DVI-to-VGA adapter and modem cable. | US Home Edition M5611LL/A includes keyboard, mouse, cables, 33.6 Kbit/s modem and home software bundle. Monitor, Apple Video System, TV/FM Radio System and Avid Cinema are optional. Original 225 MHz ordering configuration has no Zip; photographs are explicitly shared 6500 family views showing the optional Zip-equipped cabinet and optional display, not proof of factory Home Edition equipment. |
| Design and power | ||
| Type | Tower | Tower |
| Weight | 19.1 kg | – |
| Width × depth × height | 227 × 468 × 432 mm | 198 × 428 × 406 mm |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Size and weight detail | Exact maker reference weight 19.1 kg varies with configuration and manufacturing process; height 43.2, width 22.7, depth 46.8 cm. These published dimensions differ slightly from earlier G4 sheets and are retained. | Maker brochure gives 40.6 × 19.8 × 42.8 cm (height × width × depth) and 20.2 kg, varying with installed devices. The shared service manual gives 20.18 kg without the CD-ROM; standard complete-unit weight remains unresolved and the headline mass is omitted. Gallery monitor is optional. |
| Power supply | 100–125 V AC or 200–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz. Maximum current 6.5 A at low voltage or 7.5 A at high voltage; maker publishes no maximum wattage here. | Exact support database and original brochure give 220 W maximum continuous, 100–125 or 200–240 V AC at 47–63 Hz. The shared Service Source instead gives 140 W for the 6500 and 90–130 or 180–264 V; the conflicting ratings are retained, and neither is treated as measured operating consumption. |
| In the box | Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar as default startup system, plus bootable Mac OS 9.2.2; iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes and iDVD for SuperDrive. Maker August 13 release says dual 867/1 GHz available that week, so first sale uses August month precision. Actual dual-1.25 GHz shipping confirmed 18 September. January 2003 FireWire 800 models and June 2003 reissue are separate generations. | Exact support lists original System 7.5.5 and Enabler 411, with introduction on 17 February 1997. April 1997 current Home Edition ordering brochure establishes sale in 1997; exact first-sale month remains unresolved. Later shared family software varies, and is not treated as the original 225 MHz bundle. |
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