Mac · The Translucent Revolution · 2000
Power Mac G4 Cube
A gorgeous commercial failure, now in MoMA’s collection. It cost more than a Power Mac while offering less, and hairline case cracks didn’t help — discontinued in a year.
Power Mac G4 Cube: key facts
When was the Power Mac G4 Cube released?
The Power Mac G4 Cube was released in July 2000. Apple discontinued it in July 2001.
How much did the Power Mac G4 Cube cost?
The Power Mac G4 Cube launched at $1,799 in 2000 — about $3,346 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What are the Power Mac G4 Cube’s specs?
The Power Mac G4 Cube used a PowerPC G4 running at 450 MHz, with 64 MB of memory and 19.5 GB of storage. It ran Mac OS 9.0.4.
Why does the Power Mac G4 Cube matter?
A fanless 8-inch cube suspended in clear acrylic — pure industrial-design flex.
Full specifications
| CPU | PowerPC G4 · 450 MHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 1 |
| Memory (RAM) | 64 MB (up to 1.5 GB) |
| Storage | 19.5 GB |
| Display | External |
| GPU | ATI Rage 128 Pro / GeForce2 MX |
| Ports | USB, FireWire |
| Weight | 6.5 kg |
| Dimensions | 20 cm cube suspended in acrylic |
| Operating system | Mac OS 9.0.4 |
| Released | July 2000 |
| Discontinued | July 2001 |
| Launch price | $1,799 |
How the Power Mac G4 Cube compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 256× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 450 MHz, the clock is roughly 7.1× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro — and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
This held about 5,000 modern phone photos — a respectable library even today.
Launched at $1,799 in 2000 — about $3,346 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Cross-architecture speed figures are clock-only and approximate; inflation figures use US CPI.
Did you know?
Possibly the only computer to flop commercially and succeed artistically at once.
Related Mac models
Open the Power Mac G4 Cube in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-25