Apple Power Macintosh 4400/160 vs Apple Power Macintosh 7300/166
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| ApplePower Macintosh 4400/160 | ApplePower Macintosh 7300/166 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | November 1996 | 1997 |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | PowerPC 603e 160 MHz (Power Macintosh 4400/160) | PowerPC 604e 166 MHz (Power Macintosh 7300/166) |
| CPU cores | 1 | 1 |
| Memory | 16 MB | 16 MB |
| Storage | 1.2 GB | 2 GB (better) |
| CPU | 160 MHz PowerPC 603e with integrated floating-point unit, 40 MHz system bus and 32 KB level-one cache; optional 256 KB level-two cache on a 160-pin DIMM card | One 166 MHz PowerPC 604e with integrated floating-point unit, 64 KB level-one cache, 50 MHz processor bus and 256 KB level-two cache; processor is on a removable card |
| GPU | Built-in video with 1 MB EDO video-memory DIMM, expandable to 2 MB EDO or up to 4 MB SGRAM. Exact support table gives 16-bit colour through 832 × 624 and 8-bit at 1024 × 768 or 1152 × 870 with standard 1 MB; 1280 × 1024 needs expanded video memory and permits 8-bit at 2 MB or 16-bit at 4 MB | Built-in video with 2 MB VRAM, expandable to 4 MB. Exact support table gives 24-bit colour through 832 × 624, 16-bit at 1024 × 768 and 1152 × 870, and 8-bit at 1280 × 1024 with standard VRAM; 4 MB permits 24-bit through 1152 × 870 and 16-bit at 1280 × 1024 |
| Memory type | 16 MB standard; maximum 96 MB using three 168-pin 64-bit 3.3 V unbuffered EDO DIMMs, 60 ns or faster. Each socket supports up to 32 MB; slot one only supports single-bank DIMMs. No memory soldered to board; 4 MB ROM | 16 MB standard and 512 MB supported maximum using eight 168-pin 64-bit 5 V DIMM sockets, 70 ns or faster. EDO modules are treated as fast-page memory by the controller; matching DIMMs in corresponding sockets enable interleaving. Apple says 128 MB DIMMs can be used but were not tested. 4 MB ROM. Shared Service Source specifies 60 ns or faster EDO DIMMs for the 7300 series, while the exact Japanese page and English support specify 70 ns or faster; this difference remains explicit. |
| Storage type | 1.2 GB internal IDE hard disk, manual-inject 1.44 MB Apple SuperDrive floppy and 8× ATAPI CD-ROM | 2 GB internal Fast SCSI hard disk, manual-inject 1.44 MB Apple SuperDrive floppy and AppleCD 1800i 12× CD-ROM. One additional internal 3.5-inch storage bay; internal SCSI transfers up to 10 MB/s |
| Expansion slots | Three PCI 2.0 expansion slots, 45 W combined allowance. Exact English support says one 7-inch and two 12-inch slots; shared Service Source instead specifies one full-size 12.28-inch slot and all three support 6.88-inch cards. Card-length conflict retained. No separate Comm Slot II on this original 160 model; later 200 model differs | Three PCI 2.0 slots; processor on a replaceable card. The 7300 does not include the analogue AV module supplied with the 7500 and 7600 |
| Display | ||
| Screen | None built in | None built in |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | Headphone jack | Ethernet, headphone jack |
| Ethernet | – | 0.01 Gb/s |
| Back ports | DB-15 monitor output, one ADB connector, external DB-25 SCSI, two GeoPort-compatible RS-232/RS-422 serial connectors, stereo sound input and 3.5 mm headphone/line-level sound output. No standard Ethernet; add a PCI network card. Built-in LocalTalk through serial port | DB-15 display output, one ADB connector, external DB-25 SCSI, two GeoPort/LocalTalk-compatible serial connectors, AAUI and 10BASE-T Ethernet, 16-bit stereo sound input and output. Both Ethernet connectors share one interface; 10BASE-T takes priority if both are connected |
| External displays | One external monitor; supported resolution and colour depth depend on installed video-memory DIMM. No built-in display | One external display through built-in video, up to 1280 × 1024; colour depth depends on installed VRAM and compatible monitor |
| Speakers | Built-in speaker and 16-bit stereo sound input/output | Built-in speaker and 16-bit stereo sound input/output |
| Microphones | Supports an external Apple PlainTalk microphone; no built-in microphone figure is published | Supports an external Apple PlainTalk microphone |
| Keyboard and mouse | Original System 7.5.3 and System Enabler 827. Contemporary exact maker ordering description supplies keyboard, mouse, system software and reference documentation; external display and optional network/cache hardware are separate | Original KanjiTalk 7.5 version 7.5.5 in Japan, ADB Mouse II, PlainTalk microphone, power cable, system CD, Internet Starter Kit and manuals. Keyboard and monitor sold separately. Optional PC Compatibility Card is separate from this Macintosh configuration. |
| Design and power | ||
| Type | Compact | Compact |
| Weight | 9.5 kg (better) | 10 kg |
| Width × depth × height | 385 × 442 × 139 mm | 365 × 430 × 156 mm |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Size and weight detail | Shared Service Source gives 139 × 385 × 442 mm and 9.5 kg, but its corresponding 24 lb figure is inconsistent. Published metric weight retained without conversion; installed equipment changes weight | Apple’s exact Japanese specification gives 156 mm high, 365 mm wide and 430 mm deep, 10 kg; weight varies with installed devices. Shared Service Source gives the corresponding 22 lb (9.97 kg). |
| Power supply | Manually switched mains. Exact support specifies 110/220 V, 47–63 Hz and 150 W maximum; shared Service Source specifies 90–270 V switchable 110/220 V and 200 W maximum excluding monitor. These unresolved maximum-rating differences are retained without treating them as measured operating consumption | Exact Japanese maker page specifies 100–130/220–270 V AC, single phase, manually switched, 50–60 Hz, and claims 298 W continuous/453 W peak excluding monitor. Shared Service Source instead specifies automatically configured 100–240 V AC and 150 W maximum, while English support lists 150 W and 100–130/200–270 V. These unresolved differences are retained without an unqualified consumption figure. |
| In the box | Exact Apple support lists 7 November 1996 as introduction. Apple Tech Info Library dated 18 November 1996 explicitly says the exact 4400/160 is currently available in Europe, supporting November 1996 sale precision without inventing a day. Contemporary German coverage planned availability there for December; regional delivery differed. This is the Europe-only 160 MHz version, not the later 200 MHz or renamed Far East 7220. | Exact Apple support lists 13 February 1997 as introduction and says this model was not sold in the US. Contemporary PC Watch retail rankings report Japanese sales beginning March 1997; first worldwide sale month/day remains unconfirmed, so release is kept at 1997 year precision. |
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