Only Macintel models can boot from GPT hard drives. Intel-based Macs use a partitioning scheme known as GPT.

The CPU is mounted in Socket M, allowing upgrades as high as 2.33 GHz (see CPU Upgrade Options for 2006 iMacs). OS X 10.7 Lion wants at least 2 GB of RAM and benefits from 3 GB. OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard can run on a 1 GB Mac but cries out for 2 GB of memory and is unleashed with 3 GB. 1 GB of memory is sufficient to run OS X 10.5 Leopard decently, but you should upgrade to at least 2 GB for really good performance. The stock 512 MB of system memory on the entry-level 17-incher is adequate for OS X 10.4 Tiger, going to 1 GB really improves things, and upgrading to 2-3 GB of RAM will make a further improvement. The new iMac ships with Mac OS X 10.4.7 and iLife ’06. The 24″ model was the first iMac to include FireWire 800. The 17″ 2.0 GHz and 20″ 2.16 GHz models use the ATI Radeon X1600 graphics processor with 128 MB of memory, while the 24″ iMac includes Nvidia GeForce 7300GT graphics with 128 MB of video RAM. The 20″ and 24″ models shipped with a 250 GB hard drive and had a 2.33 GHz build-to-order option. Like the 20″ and 24″ models, it can accept up to 4 GB of RAM, although it will only recognize 3 GB. The 2.0 GHz 17″ iMac has 1 GB of RAM and a 160 GB hard drive, an 8x SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, Bluetooth 2.0, and Apple’s USB keyboard and Mighty Mouse. Because this model dedicates 80 MB of RAM for the GMA 950 video, we strongly recommend at least 1 GB of RAM. This model comes with a Combo drive, 512 MB of RAM (2 GB maximum), a 160 GB hard drive, two FireWire 400 ports, and Apple’s USB keyboard and Mighty Mouse.

The entry-level 1.83 GHz model uses Intel GMA 950 graphics, carried over from the education iMac introduced in July 2006. There’s more variety than ever before in the iMac line. As if that wasn’t enough, Apple added the biggest iMac to date to the line, a whopping 24″ model with a 1920 x 1200 pixel display.Īll four models ( 17″ 1.83 and 2.0 GHz, 20″ and 24″ 2.16 GHz) have a 667 MHz bus, three USB 2.0 ports along with at least one FireWire 400 port, gigabit ethernet, and AirPort Extreme. Industry watchers had been anticipating Apple moving the iMac to Intel’s Core 2 Duo processor, which is “up to 50% more powerful” (according to Apple) than the Core Duo used in the Early 2006 iMac.

1 gb hard drive for imac 2006