Apple Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2003) vs Apple Power Macintosh 6500/300

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Power Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2003) compared with Power Macintosh 6500/300

	ApplePower Mac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors 2003)	ApplePower Macintosh 6500/300
Overview
Released
Released	June 2003	1997
Performance
Processor
Processor	PowerPC G4 1250 MHz (Power Mac MDD 2003) or 2 × PowerPC G4 1250 MHz (Power Mac MDD 2003)	PowerPC 603e 300 MHz (Power Macintosh 6500)
CPU cores
CPU cores	1 or 2	1
Graphics
Graphics	ATI Radeon 9000 Pro (64 MB)	–
Memory
Memory	256 MB or 2 GB (better)	64 MB
Storage
Storage	80 GB (better)	4 GB to 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.	300 MHz PowerPC 603e with integrated floating-point unit, 32 KB L1 cache, 512 KB L2 cache and a 64-bit 50 MHz bus. The shared service specifications use the name 603ev; the exact support page and original brochure use 603e.
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.	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
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.	64 MB supplied in two 168-pin DIMM sockets, no soldered system RAM; up to 128 MB using 5 V buffered EDO DIMMs. The original brochure and service source specify 60 ns or faster EDO memory, while the exact support database lists 70 ns.
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.	Original US Home Edition M6079LL/A and Canadian launch configuration have a 4 GB IDE drive, 12× tray-loading CD-ROM, 1.44 MB floppy and 100 MB Iomega Zip drive. Later Americas configurations documented by Apple have 6 GB, 24× CD-ROM, Zip and a 56.6 Kbit/s Apple/GV modem with Mac OS 8.0; Latin America uses a 33.6 Kbit/s modem. European 6 GB/24× configurations include video input, TV/FM tuner and Avid Cinema. These are regional configurations of the same 300 MHz model.
Expansion slots
Expansion slots	Four PCI slots and an occupied AGP 4x graphics slot.	Two PCI 2.0 slots for approximately 7-inch cards with Mac drivers, plus Communications Slot II, video-input slot and TV/FM tuner position. The original Home Edition's modem occupies the communications slot; its Zip drive occupies the pre-cabled 5.25-inch internal SCSI bay. Apple specifies five external SCSI devices with Zip fitted.
Display
Screen
Screen	None built in	None built in
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.	3.5 mm headphone output and volume buttons; infrared receiver for an optional remote supplied with the TV/FM tuner.
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.	DB-15 monitor output, ADB, DB-25 external SCSI, two GeoPort-compatible serial connectors, PlainTalk-compatible sound input and line-level speaker output. Installing the internal modem leaves one serial port available. The original US Home Edition has a 33.6 Kbit/s data/voice modem with 14.4 Kbit/s fax; the communications slot can instead take Ethernet. Apple's exact support database lists 10BASE-T, while the maker brochure and Canadian Home configuration supply a modem, so Ethernet is not treated as standard for that configuration.
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.	–
Speakers
Speakers	Built-in mono speaker and connection for Apple Pro Speakers; no built-in microphone.	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
Keyboard and mouse	Black Apple Pro input devices and DVI-to-VGA adapter.	Original US Home Edition includes keyboard, mouse, cables and bundled home software. Monitor, Apple Video System, Avid Cinema and TV/FM tuner are separate options; later European configurations include the multimedia additions described in storage details.
Design and power
Type
Type	Tower	Tower
Weight
Weight	19.1 kg	–
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	226 × 467 × 432 mm	198 × 428 × 406 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.	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
Power supply	–	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
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.	Exact support page lists original software 7.6.1; later regional configurations use Mac OS 8.0. Apple lists 4 April 1997 as introduction, while its Canadian announcement promises limited supply later that spring. The maker's 1997 ordering brochure and contemporary shipping-system list establish retail sale in 1997, but the actual first-sale month remains unresolved.