Apple iMac G5 (2.1GHz, 20-inch) review

Performance
The iMac's impressive showing on our benchmark tests confirms that it's developing into more than just a pretty face. While at first glance, its specs don't seem all that different from those of the previous high-end iMac (a 2.1GHz processor versus a 2.0GHz one, with the same 512MB of RAM standard), this model uses 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM (up from 400MHz) and includes a PCI Express graphics card (the ATI Radeon X600 XT with 128MB DDR SDRAM) instead of an AGP card.

The result is a system that holds its own against comparably priced Windows PCs. It fared especially well in our Photoshop and iTunes MP3-encoding tests, but was less successful at encoding video. The 250GB Serial ATA drive, the vivid 20-inch wide-screen LCD and the versatile double-layer SuperDrive DVD burner are left over from the previous model, along with the impressive software bundle, which includes iLife '05 productivity software.
 

Adobe Photoshop CS test
(Lower times are better)

In seconds

Apple Power Mac G5 dual 2.7GHz (2.7GHz dual PowerPC G5, 4,096MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz)

154

Gateway E-6500D (3.0GHz Intel Pentium D 830, 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz)

184

Apple iMac G5 (2.10GHz PowerPC G5, 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz)

216

Dell Dimension 5100C (3.0GHz Intel Pentium D 830, 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz)

251

Apple iMac G5 (2.0GHz PowerPC G5, 512MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz)

365

Apple iTunes 4.7.1.30 MP3-encoding test
(Lower times are better)

In seconds

Apple Power Mac G5 dual 2.7GHz (2.7GHz dual PowerPC G5, 4,096MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz)

73

Apple iMac G5 (2.10GHz PowerPC G5, 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz)

111

Apple iMac G5 (2.0GHz PowerPC G5, 512MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz)

139

Dell Dimension 5100C (3.0GHz Intel Pentium D 830, 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz)

142

Gateway E-6500D (3.0GHz Intel Pentium D 830, 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz)

143

Sorenson Squeeze 4 video-encoding test
(Lower times are better)

In seconds

Apple Power Mac G5 dual 2.7GHz (2.7GHz dual PowerPC G5, 4,096MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz)

226

Gateway E-6500D (3.0GHz Intel Pentium D 830, 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz)

252

Dell Dimension 5100C (3.0GHz Intel Pentium D 830, 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz)

252

Apple iMac G5 (2.10GHz PowerPC G5, 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz)

311

Apple iMac G5 (2.0GHz PowerPC G5, 512MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz)

330

System configurations:
Apple iMac G5 (2.0GHz, 20-inch)
Mac OS 10.4; PowerPC G5 2.0GHz; 512MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; 128MB ATI Radeon 9600; Maxtor Serial ATA hard drive

Apple iMac G5 (2.10GHz, 20-inch)
Mac OS 10.4; PowerPC G5 2.10GHz; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; 128MB ATI Radeon X600 XT PCIe; 250GB Serial ATA hard drive

Apple PowerMac G5 dual 2.7GHz
Mac OS 10.4; Dual PowerPC G5 2.7GHz; 4,096MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; 256MB Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra AGP; 250GB Maxtor Serial ATA hard drive

Dell Dimension 5100C
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2; 3.0GHz Intel Pentium D 830; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; Intel 945G chipset; 224MB (shared) integrated Intel 950G; Maxtor 6L160M0 160GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA

Gateway E-6500D
Windows XP Professional SP2; 3.0GHz Intel Pentium D 830; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; Intel 945G chipset; 128MB Nvidia GeForce 6600 PCIe; WDC WD2000JD-22HBB0 200GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA

Edited by Rich Brown
Additional editing by Nick Hide