Apple iMac G5 (20-inch, iSight)

Apple · iMac

iMac G5 (20-inch, iSight)

Released October 2005

A white PowerPC all-in-one with a built-in camera, dedicated Radeon graphics and a remote-controlled media interface.

Model history · 4 models, 2003–2005
  1. 2003iMac G4 (20-inch, USB 2.0)Compare
  2. 2004iMac G5 (20-inch, 2004)Compare
  3. 2005iMac G5 (20-inch, Ambient Light Sensor)Compare
  4. 2005iMac G5 (20-inch, iSight)
Type
All-in-one
Processor
IBM PowerPC G5 2.1 GHz (iMac iSight)
Memory
512 MB – 2.5 GB
Storage
250 GB – 500 GB
Screen
20″
Weight
10 kg

What reviewers say

Reviewers praise the clean all-in-one design, bright display and responsive everyday and creative work. The camera and remote add useful features, but both find Front Row rough around the edges; Macworld also highlights restricted upgrades and VGA-only external mirroring.

From macworld.com and atpm.com

Performance

Processor
IBM PowerPC G5 2.1 GHz (iMac iSight)
CPU cores
1
Graphics
ATI Radeon X600 XT (128 MB DDR)
Memory
512 MB, 1 GB, 1.5 GB or 2.5 GB
Storage
250 GB to 500 GB
CPU
2.1 GHz PowerPC G5 with 512 KB L2 cache and 700 MHz frontside bus; single-core identity cross-checked with exact EveryMac source. Generic maker-clock chip record avoids borrowing uncertain silicon revision or unpublished thread/power figures.
GPU
ATI Radeon X600 XT with 128 MB dedicated DDR video memory; PCI Express.
Memory type
533 MHz DDR2; 512 MB built in plus one expansion slot. Maker factory upgrades provide total capacities of 1, 1.5 or 2.5 GB.
Storage type
250 GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA hard drive, configurable to 500 GB. Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 2.4x double-layer DVD writing, 4x DVD rewritable writing and 24x CD writing.

Display

Screen size
20″
Resolution
1680 × 1050
Brightness
280 nits
Display type
TFT active-matrix LCD with millions of colours; typical contrast 800:1 and viewing angles of 170 degrees horizontal and vertical. Panel technology and refresh rate unpublished.

Connections

Ports
3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack
Ethernet
1 Gb/s
Wi-Fi
802.11g
Bluetooth
2.0 + EDR
Camera
iSight camera
Back ports
Three USB 2.0 ports on the computer, plus two USB 1.1 ports on the keyboard; two FireWire 400 ports sharing 8 W, Mini-VGA output, Gigabit Ethernet, headphone/optical output and audio line-in.
External displays
Optional Mini-VGA adapters provide VGA mirroring or S-video/composite output; no DVI connector or extended-desktop mode is listed.
Camera
Built-in iSight; exact maker resolution is unpublished and omitted.
Speakers
Built-in stereo speakers and microphone; 12 W digital amplifier.
Keyboard and mouse
Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and Apple Remote.

Design and power

Type
All-in-one
Weight
10 kg
Width × depth × height
493 × 189 × 472 mm
Operating system
macOS
Size and weight detail
Maker reference weight; actual weight varies with configuration and manufacturing process.
Power supply
Maximum continuous power 180 W; 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz.
In the box
iMac G5, Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse, Apple Remote, power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation; Mac OS X Tiger, iLife ’05, Front Row and Photo Booth. Apple announced availability the week after 12 October 2005; release remains October at month precision.

Configurations

ProcessorMemoryStorageStorage typeGraphics
IBM PowerPC G5 2.1 GHz (iMac iSight)512 MB250 GBHard driveATI Radeon X600 XT (128 MB DDR)
IBM PowerPC G5 2.1 GHz (iMac iSight)512 MB500 GBHard driveATI Radeon X600 XT (128 MB DDR)
IBM PowerPC G5 2.1 GHz (iMac iSight)1 GB250 GBHard driveATI Radeon X600 XT (128 MB DDR)
IBM PowerPC G5 2.1 GHz (iMac iSight)1 GB500 GBHard driveATI Radeon X600 XT (128 MB DDR)
IBM PowerPC G5 2.1 GHz (iMac iSight)1.5 GB250 GBHard driveATI Radeon X600 XT (128 MB DDR)
IBM PowerPC G5 2.1 GHz (iMac iSight)1.5 GB500 GBHard driveATI Radeon X600 XT (128 MB DDR)
IBM PowerPC G5 2.1 GHz (iMac iSight)2.5 GB250 GBHard driveATI Radeon X600 XT (128 MB DDR)
IBM PowerPC G5 2.1 GHz (iMac iSight)2.5 GB500 GBHard driveATI Radeon X600 XT (128 MB DDR)

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Camera, microphone and speakers built in
  • Dedicated graphics memory
  • Remote, keyboard and mouse included

Cons

  • Single-core processor
  • Only one memory expansion slot
  • External VGA output supports mirroring only

Closest rivals

Model
TypeProcessorMemoryStorageScreenWeightReleased
All-in-oneIBM PowerPC G5 1.9 GHz (iMac iSight)512 MB – 2.5 GB160 GB – 500 GB17″7 kgOct 2005
All-in-oneIBM PowerPC G5 1.8 GHz (iMac Ambient Light Sensor) or PowerPC G5 2 GHz (iMac Ambient Light Sensor)512 MB – 2 GB160 GB – 400 GB17″8.4 kgMay 2005
All-in-oneIBM PowerPC G5 2 GHz (iMac Ambient Light Sensor)512 MB – 2 GB250 GB – 400 GB20″11.4 kgMay 2005

Previous model: iMac G5 (20-inch, Ambient Light Sensor). Newer model: iMac (20-inch, Early 2006).

Sources

  1. support.apple.com/en-gb/112492
  2. apple.com/newsroom/2005/10/12Apple-Introduces-the-New-iMac-G5
  3. everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_g5_2.1_20.html

Photo: Low-resolution 240-pixel maker family front image shared by its 17-inch and 20-inch documentation.

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