Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2003) vs Apple Power Macintosh 5400/120

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Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2003) compared with Power Macintosh 5400/120

	ApplePower Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2003)	ApplePower Macintosh 5400/120
Overview
Released
Released	June 2003	1996
Performance
Processor
Processor	PowerPC G4 1250 MHz (Power Mac MDD 2003) or 2 × PowerPC G4 1250 MHz (Power Mac MDD 2003)	PowerPC 603e 120 MHz (Power Macintosh 5400)
CPU cores
CPU cores	1 or 2	1
Graphics
Graphics	ATI Radeon 9000 Pro (64 MB)	–
Memory
Memory	256 MB or 2 GB (better)	16 MB
Storage
Storage	80 GB (better)	1.6 GB
CPU
CPU	Stock single 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4 with 256 KB L2 cache and 1 MB L3 cache. Contemporary Macworld reporting of Apple Store configurations also documents dual 1.25 GHz processors, each with 2 MB L3; this custom build is labelled in configuration details rather than presented as a second stock base.	120 MHz PowerPC 603e with integrated floating-point unit, 32 KB L1 cache and 64-bit 40 MHz bus; optional 256 KB L2 High Performance Module M4505LL/A. Optional PC Compatibility Card with a 100 MHz 586 processor is separate hardware.
GPU
GPU	Stock ATI Radeon 9000 Pro with 64 MB DDR in an AGP 4x slot. Macworld also documents a custom dual-processor build with NVIDIA GeForce4 Titanium; that build has other upgrades and is not treated as a freely interchangeable stock configuration.	1 MB built-in DRAM framebuffer separate from system RAM, not expandable. Apple's shared Service Source supports 640 × 480 at 60 or 67 Hz and 800 × 600 at 60 or 72 Hz with 16-bit colour, and 832 × 624 at 75 Hz with 8-bit colour; video input is unavailable at 832 × 624. Exact support lists only 8-bit colour at 800 × 600; this conflicts with the shared service table and contemporary MacUser test, so both claims remain qualified.
Memory type
Memory type	Stock 256 MB PC2700 DDR333; four DIMM slots, maximum 2 GB. The single-processor configurations retain the stock drive and graphics at base and maximum memory. The documented dual-processor custom base has 256 MB.	16 MB standard, consisting of 8 MB soldered on the logic board and one 8 MB DIMM; two 168-pin sockets accept independently installed 70 ns or faster DIMMs, expandable to 136 MB. Optional L2 cache is separate from this memory.
Storage type
Storage type	Stock 80 GB 7200 rpm Ultra ATA/100 hard drive; up to four internal drives. Tray-loading Combo drive reads DVD at 8x and CD at 32x, writes CD-R at 16x and CD-RW at 10x. Macworld documents a dual 1.25 GHz custom base with 80 GB, Combo drive and Radeon 9000 Pro, and a separate upgraded build with 2 GB RAM, two 160 GB drives, SuperDrive and GeForce4 Titanium. The two-drive build is described here without flattening its drives into a single capacity.	1.6 GB IDE hard drive and 1.44 MB Apple SuperDrive floppy. The original May 1996 Apple Facts configuration includes a quadruple-speed CD-ROM; original Apple TIL 19886 identifies B2765LL/A with AppleCD 600i Plus and a later higher-education-only M5184LL/B bundle with an 8× CD-ROM. The shared Service Source confirms the education 8× configuration otherwise has the same hardware. These optical-drive bundles share the same RAM/storage configuration.
Expansion slots
Expansion slots	Four PCI slots and an occupied AGP 4x graphics slot.	One 32-bit PCI 2.0 slot for a card up to 7 inches long, PCI-based Communications Slot II, optional video-input card and TV/FM tuner bay. Apple Video System supports NTSC, PAL and SECAM; original Apple TIL says video capture is included in some configurations and optional in others. Earlier Ethernet cards for non-PCI communications slots do not establish compatibility.
Display
Screen
Screen	None built in	12.8″
Resolution
Resolution	–	832 × 624
Panel
Panel	–	CRT
Refresh rate
Refresh rate	–	75 Hz
Display type
Display type	–	Multiple-scan flat-square shadow-mask CRT, 15-inch nominal tube with a 12.8-inch diagonal viewable image and 0.28 mm dot pitch. Tilt-and-swivel base tilts from −5° to +15° and swivels 360°.
Connections
Ports
Ports	2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack	Headphone jack
Ethernet
Ethernet	1 Gb/s	–
Front ports
Front ports	Headphone connection and built-in mono speaker.	Headphone output, sound-volume and display controls; infrared receiver for the optional TV/FM remote.
Back ports
Back ports	Two USB 1.1, two FireWire 400, Gigabit Ethernet with Auto-MDIX, ADC and DVI display connectors, audio line-in/out and Apple Pro Speakers connection. The maker lists a V.92 modem. Optional original AirPort; the contemporary Apple-spokesman report confirms no AirPort Extreme, internal Bluetooth or FireWire 800.	ADB, external DB-25 SCSI, two LocalTalk/GeoPort-compatible serial ports, PlainTalk-compatible sound input and stereo speaker output. Exact Apple support and original TIL describe 10Base-T through a Communications Slot II card; May 1996 Apple Facts calls Ethernet optional. No universally supplied Ethernet headline is assumed. TIL lists optional thin-coax and AAUI Ethernet cards. Apple Facts specifies six external SCSI devices; the shared service says seven without the same external qualification.
External displays
External displays	ADC and DVI connectors with included DVI-to-VGA adapter. Digital resolution up to 1920 × 1200; analogue up to 1600 × 1200. The exact sheet does not publish a simultaneous display count.	Optional Apple External Video Connector enables video mirroring to a compatible display; the shared service lists 640 × 480, 800 × 600 and 832 × 624 external modes. Optional Apple Presentation System converts output to NTSC or PAL. A connector and compatible display are required.
Speakers
Speakers	Built-in mono speaker and connection for Apple Pro Speakers; no built-in microphone.	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; PlainTalk-compatible external sound input.
Keyboard and mouse
Keyboard and mouse	Black Apple Pro input devices and DVI-to-VGA adapter.	AppleDesign Keyboard, ADB mouse and preinstalled software in the exact original ordering information. Ethernet, video input, video output, TV/FM tuner and PC Compatibility Card vary by bundle or are optional. Maker gallery shows the beige shared 5400 housing with keyboard and mouse; it is not the graphite Performa 5420.
Design and power
Type
Type	Tower	All-in-one
Weight
Weight	19.1 kg (better)	21.2 kg
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	226 × 467 × 432 mm	383 × 406 × 445 mm
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Size and weight detail
Size and weight detail	Maker dimensions: height 43.2 cm, width 22.6 cm, depth 46.7 cm; weight 19.1 kg. These published metric values differ slightly from the FW800 sheet.	Exact May 1996 Apple Facts gives 44.5 × 38.3 × 40.6 cm (height × width × depth) and 21.2 kg / 47 lb, varying with installed devices. Exact support agrees on inch dimensions and pounds. The shared service physical table swaps width/depth and prints inconsistent pound/kilogram weights; the exact model catalogue measurements are used.
Power supply
Power supply	–	Exact support specifies 220 W maximum, 110–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz. Shared Service Source gives 100–240 V at 47–63 Hz, a separate 125 W entry and 220 W maximum for all line/load conditions. These are electrical ratings rather than measured operating consumption.
In the box
In the box	Mac OS X 10.2.4 and bootable Mac OS 9.2.2, install/restore DVD and Apple Hardware Test. First sale uses the 23 June 2003 Macworld report that these models were for sale at Apple’s online store; a 29 June report quotes an Apple spokesman confirming manufacture and sale. The first day is contemporary Apple Store reporting rather than a retained maker launch notice.	Original System 7.5.3 with System Enabler 410 and 4 MB ROM. Apple records introduction on 15 April 1996; its May 1996 current education catalogue and October 1996 ordering description establish sale in 1996. The actual first-sale month remains unresolved, so release is year precision. North American Power Macintosh 5400/120 was education-channel hardware; international Performa names and faster CPU variants are separate models.