Apple Power Mac G5 (Late 2004) vs Apple Power Macintosh 6500/300
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| ApplePower Mac G5 (Late 2004) | ApplePower Macintosh 6500/300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | October 2004 | 1997 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | PowerPC G5 1800 MHz (Power Mac Late 2004) | PowerPC 603e 300 MHz (Power Macintosh 6500) |
| CPU cores | 1 | 1 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra (64 MB) | – |
| Memory | 256 MB or 4 GB (better) | 64 MB |
| Storage | 80 GB (better) | 4 GB to 6 GB |
| CPU | One 1.8 GHz PowerPC G5 with 512 KB L2 cache and a 600 MHz front-side bus. This is the new single-processor model; the dual-processor models also listed on the retained sheet are June 2004 carryovers. | 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 | Stock NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra with 64 MB DDR in AGP 8x Pro. Optional ATI Radeon 9600 XT 128 MB, Radeon 9800 XT 256 MB, NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT DDL 256 MB or 6800 Ultra DDL 256 MB. The 9800 XT and 6800 cards also occupy the adjacent PCI slot. | 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 | Stock 256 MB PC3200 DDR400 in matched pairs; four DIMM slots support up to 4 GB. Configuration rows keep the stock graphics and drive at base and maximum supported memory. | 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 | Stock 80 GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA drive. Two 3.5-inch bays, each with a 150 MB/s interface. Optional 160 or 250 GB drives, including two 250 GB drives. One optical bay with 8x DVD-R SuperDrive; Combo drive is optional. | 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 | Three open full-length 64-bit 33 MHz PCI slots and occupied AGP 8x Pro graphics slot; no PCI-X on this single-processor model. | 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 | None built in | None built in |
| 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. | 3.5 mm headphone output and volume buttons; infrared receiver for an optional remote supplied with the TV/FM tuner. |
| 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 two keyboard USB 1.1 ports. AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps and Bluetooth 1.1 are optional. | 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 | Stock ADC and DVI with included DVI-to-VGA adapter, supporting two displays. Optional 6800 GT/Ultra DDL cards have two dual-link DVI connectors and support two 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Displays; a second ADC display on the stock card needs an adapter. | – |
| Speakers | Built-in speaker; optical and analogue connections for external audio. | 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 Keyboard, Apple Mouse, USB extension cable, DVI-to-VGA adapter, modem cable and AirPort antenna. | 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 | Tower | Tower |
| Weight | 16.4 kg | – |
| Width × depth × height | 206 × 475 × 511 mm | 198 × 428 × 406 mm |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Size and weight detail | Maker height 51.1 cm, width 20.6 cm, depth 47.5 cm. Published reference weight for the single 1.8 GHz model is 16.4 kg, distinct from the carryover dual-processor models; weight varies with configuration. | 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 | – | 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. |
| Materials | Aluminium enclosure. | – |
| In the box | The October 2004 release includes Mac OS X Panther and iLife ’04. Apple’s retained specification sheet later lists iLife ’05; that later software listing does not change the hardware’s October 2004 first sale. | 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. |
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