Apple Power Mac G5 (Late 2005) vs Apple Power Macintosh 5400/120

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Power Mac G5 (Late 2005) compared with Power Macintosh 5400/120

	ApplePower Mac G5 (Late 2005)	ApplePower Macintosh 5400/120
Overview
Released
Released	October 2005	1996
Performance
Processor
Processor	PowerPC G5 dual-core 2000 MHz (Power Mac Late 2005), PowerPC G5 dual-core 2300 MHz (Power Mac Late 2005) or 2 × PowerPC G5 dual-core 2500 MHz (Power Mac Late 2005)	PowerPC 603e 120 MHz (Power Macintosh 5400)
CPU cores
CPU cores	2 or 4	1
Graphics
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce 6600 LE (128 MB) or NVIDIA GeForce 6600 (256 MB)	–
Memory
Memory	512 MB or 16 GB (better)	16 MB
Storage
Storage	160 GB to 250 GB (better)	1.6 GB
CPU
CPU	Dual models have one physical dual-core PowerPC G5 at 2 or 2.3 GHz. Quad has two physical dual-core processors at 2.5 GHz, four cores in total. Each core has 1 MB L2 cache. Front-side bus per physical processor is 1, 1.15 or 1.25 GHz respectively. Macworld’s exact Quad review describes its liquid cooling.	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 dual-core 2 GHz: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 LE with 128 MB GDDR SDRAM. Dual-core 2.3 GHz and Quad: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 with 256 MB GDDR SDRAM. Optional NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT 256 MB and Quadro FX 4500 512 MB; the Quadro occupies the graphics slot and adjacent x4 slot.	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 512 MB PC2-4200 DDR2 at 533 MHz, installed in matched pairs. Up to 16 GB supported; ECC configurations available from 1 GB. Rows retain the stock drive and graphics at base and maximum supported memory.	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 160 GB on dual-core 2 GHz and 250 GB on dual-core 2.3 GHz and Quad. 7200 rpm Serial ATA drives; two internal bays. Optional one or two 500 GB drives. One optical bay with 16x SuperDrive supporting dual-layer DVD+R recording.	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	PCI Express: occupied x16 graphics slot, two open x4 slots and one open x8 slot. Older PCI and PCI-X expansion cards cannot be reused in these slots.	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	4 × USB-A, 2 × Ethernet, headphone jack	Headphone jack
Ethernet
Ethernet	1 Gb/s	–
External displays
External displays	Up to 2	–
Front ports
Front ports	USB 2.0, FireWire 400 and headphone minijack.	Headphone output, sound-volume and display controls; infrared receiver for the optional TV/FM remote.
Back ports
Back ports	Three USB 2.0, FireWire 800, FireWire 400, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, optical Toslink input/output and analogue audio line-in/out. Four chassis USB 2.0 ports in total, plus two keyboard USB 1.1 ports. AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR are optional, with integrated antennas; built-in support does not mean modules are included.	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	Stock GeForce 6600 LE/6600 and optional 7800 GT have one single-link and one dual-link DVI port, supporting one 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display alongside a second display. Optional Quadro FX 4500 has two dual-link DVI outputs for two 30-inch displays and a stereo 3D connector. DVI-to-VGA adapter included.	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 speaker and optical/analogue external audio connections.	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	Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse, USB keyboard extension 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	–	21.2 kg
Width × depth × height
Width × depth × height	–	383 × 406 × 445 mm
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Size and weight detail
Size and weight detail	–	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.
Materials
Materials	Aluminium enclosure.	–
In the box
In the box	Mac OS X Tiger and iLife ’05. Apple confirmed the dual-core 2 and 2.3 GHz models available on 19 October 2005, with Quad expected in early November. Macs Only reports its Quad shipped on 10 November and arrived on 11 November; these later Quad dates do not change the generation’s first sale. The exact specification sheet does not publish weight or dimensions.	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.