Apple Power Mac G5 (June 2004) vs Apple Power Macintosh 5260/100
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| ApplePower Mac G5 (June 2004) | ApplePower Macintosh 5260/100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | June 2004 | 1996 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | 2 × PowerPC G5 1800 MHz (Power Mac June 2004), 2 × PowerPC G5 2000 MHz (Power Mac June 2004) or 2 × PowerPC G5 2500 MHz (Power Mac June 2004) | PowerPC 603e 100 MHz (Power Macintosh 5260/100) |
| CPU cores | 2 | 1 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra (64 MB) or ATI Radeon 9600 XT (128 MB) | – |
| Memory | 256 MB, 512 MB, 4 GB or 8 GB (better) | 16 MB |
| Storage | 80 GB to 160 GB (better) | 800 MB |
| CPU | Two physical PowerPC G5 processors at 1.8, 2 or 2.5 GHz, each with 512 KB L2 cache. Per-processor front-side bus is 900 MHz, 1 GHz or 1.25 GHz respectively. Only the dual 2.5 GHz uses the maker’s liquid-cooling system. | 100 MHz PowerPC 603e with integrated floating-point unit. Exact Apple support lists 32 KB L1 cache and a 64-bit processor data path at 40 MHz; Original exact Apple TIL 19602 and May 1996 Apple Facts instead say 16 KB L1, an unresolved maker conflict. Apple's separate comparison table gives the narrower memory bus as 32-bit at 37.5 MHz, not the same path. Optional 256 KB L2 High Performance Module M4849LL/A is a 160-pin SIMM, not interchangeable with the later 5400/6400 DIMM. Original ordering description and cache note establish it as optional despite the support/service tables listing 256 KB without that qualification. |
| GPU | Dual 1.8 and 2 GHz: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra with 64 MB DDR. Dual 2.5 GHz: ATI Radeon 9600 XT with 128 MB DDR. Optional ATI Radeon 9800 XT with 256 MB occupies the adjacent PCI slot as well as AGP. | 1 MB built-in DRAM framebuffer; exact support and shared service video-mode list support 640 × 480 with 16-bit colour. Other higher-resolution timing pages in the shared service do not establish those as supported modes for the built-in 14-inch display. |
| Memory type | DDR400 PC3200 in matched pairs. Dual 1.8 GHz starts with 256 MB and has four DIMM slots with a 4 GB maximum. Dual 2 and 2.5 GHz start with 512 MB and have eight slots with an 8 GB maximum. Base and maximum memory rows retain each model’s stock storage and graphics. | 16 MB standard in one 72-pin SIMM, with a second socket for expansion to 64 MB. No memory soldered on board; SIMMs can be installed individually. Exact original TIL 19602 specifies 70 ns, while exact current support and shared service specify 80 ns or faster. The timing difference remains qualified. Shared comparison lists an 8 MB minimum, without an exact factory bundle. |
| Storage type | Stock 80 GB on dual 1.8 GHz and 160 GB on dual 2/2.5 GHz; 7200 rpm Serial ATA. Two bays with 150 MB/s interfaces; optional 80, 160 or 250 GB drives, up to two 250 GB drives. One optical bay with 8x DVD-R SuperDrive; Combo drive is optional. | 800 MB IDE hard drive, 1.44 MB Apple SuperDrive floppy and quadruple-speed AppleCD 600i in original M4982LL/A ordering information. May 1996 Apple Facts says CD-ROM is present in most configurations; no undocumented drive-free factory combination is added. Shared service lists larger family drives without coupling them to an exact 5260/100 bundle. |
| Expansion slots | AGP 8x Pro graphics slot. Dual 1.8 GHz has three 64-bit 33 MHz PCI slots. Dual 2 and 2.5 GHz have PCI-X: two 100 MHz and one 133 MHz slots. | LC-compatible PDS, 68040-bus communications slot for optional modem or Ethernet, optional video-input card and TV tuner bay. PDS is not a direct connection to the PowerPC processor; processor-dependent cache/FPU cards are not compatible. Optional MPEG Media System requires the video-input card. Video capture accepts NTSC, PAL and SECAM; tuner standard varies by region. |
| Display | ||
| Screen | None built in | 12.3″ |
| Resolution | – | 640 × 480 |
| Panel | – | CRT |
| Refresh rate | – | 66.67 Hz |
| Display type | – | Built-in 14-inch nominal shadow-mask colour CRT with 12.3-inch viewable diagonal in the exact original ordering description and technical sheet. Shared Service Source instead says 12.8-inch viewable; exact model wording is retained. Dot pitch 0.28 mm; tilt-and-swivel base. A CRT has selectable raster modes rather than a fixed LCD pixel grid. |
| Display features | – | 640 × 480 at 16-bit colour and 66.67 Hz in the exact original TIL 19602 technical sheet. Shared service agrees on 66.7 Hz; a separate service timing table headed 60 Hz instead gives 15 ms, so no second 60 Hz mode is inferred. |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack | Headphone jack |
| Ethernet | 1 Gb/s | – |
| External displays | Up to 2 | – |
| Front ports | USB 2.0, FireWire 400 and headphone minijack. | Headphone output, push-button volume and display brightness controls, infrared remote receiver. |
| Back ports | Two USB 2.0, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, Gigabit Ethernet, V.92 modem, optical Toslink input/output and analogue audio line-in/out. Three chassis USB ports in total, plus keyboard USB 1.1 ports. Optional 54 Mbps AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 1.1. | ADB, external DB-25 SCSI, two RS-232/422 modem/printer serial ports with LocalTalk, PlainTalk-compatible sound input and stereo sound output. Ethernet requires an optional communications-slot card; no GeoPort inferred from a similar-looking serial connector. Exact original TIL gives six external SCSI devices in its ports section but five in expansion; maker catalogue says five and shared service seven. Limits remain source-qualified. |
| External displays | ADC and DVI with included DVI-to-VGA adapter; two displays in extended or mirrored modes. A second ADC display requires a separate adapter. | Optional Apple External Video Connector provides DB-15 mirroring, with a compatible display. Optional Apple Presentation System converts the mirrored output for television/projector or VCR use; it is not an independent extended desktop. |
| Speakers | Built-in speaker; analogue and optical connections for external audio. | Two built-in speakers and 16-bit stereo output. Shared service specifies 22 kHz playback and 11/22 kHz recording, with ordinary audio-CD playback. Stereo input connectors are combined to mono for recording/play-through; do not treat the connector as stereo capture. |
| Microphones | – | Built-in microphone for mono recording; rear microphone/line input supports PlainTalk-compatible microphones. |
| Keyboard and mouse | Apple Keyboard, Apple Mouse, USB extension cable, DVI-to-VGA adapter, modem cable and AirPort antenna. | Original M4982LL/A ordering description includes matching keyboard, mouse and necessary cables. External speakers, optional cache, Ethernet, video input/output, TV tuner and MPEG expansion are separate. Maker photograph shows the exact 5260/100 with keyboard and mouse. |
| Design and power | ||
| Type | Tower | All-in-one |
| Weight | 20.2 kg (better) | 20.5 kg |
| Width × depth × height | 206 × 475 × 511 mm | 383 × 406 × 445 mm |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Size and weight detail | Maker height 51.1 cm, width 20.6 cm, depth 47.5 cm; reference weight 20.2 kg varies with configuration. | Exact original TIL 19602 technical sheet gives 44.5 × 38.3 × 40.6 cm (height × width × depth), 20.5 kg/45 lb; exact current support agrees on 16-inch depth and 45 lb. May 1996 Apple Facts instead gives 41.4 cm depth, 20.2 kg/44.9 lb, varying with installed devices. Shared service swaps width/depth and has inconsistent weight units. Exact original technical-sheet dimensions and complete-unit kg figure are used; disagreement remains explicit. |
| Power supply | – | Exact current support lists 125 W maximum , 110–240 V AC at 50–60 Hz. Exact original TIL 19602 instead gives 240 W maximum at 110–240 V AC 50–60 Hz; shared service gives 100–240 V 47–63 Hz, 240 W maximum and a separate 220 W all-line/load maximum. Conflicting ratings remain qualified; no universal headline operating consumption is assigned. |
| Materials | Aluminium enclosure with separate cooling zones. | – |
| In the box | Mac OS X Panther and iLife. The 1.8 and 2 GHz models were available on 9 June 2004. Apple initially stated July availability for the 2.5 GHz model, later than the generation’s first sale. | System 7.5.3 and 4 MB ROM in exact Apple support; original ordering description calls it System 7.5. Apple records introduction on 15 April 1996; current May 1996 maker education catalogue establishes sale in 1996, not a first-sale month. Release remains year precision. North American education 5260/100 is separate from later 5260/120 and international Performa bundles. |
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