HP Z2 Mini G1a 2025, Ryzen AI MAX PRO 385, 32GB, 1TB SSD, Jet Black

A tiny workstation with shockingly good integrated graphics and ports for days. Just don't try to game on it, and definitely don't pay more than USD 2,000.

The Ryzen AI MAX PRO 385 is a solid performer, sitting well above average for CPUs in this category. But the real surprise is the Radeon 8050S graphics. Integrated GPUs usually make us yawn, but this one is a standout, handling graphics-heavy local workflows that would choke most mini PCs. The 32GB of DDR5 unified memory is a big part of that, letting you assign chunks of it directly to the GPU. Storage is a 1TB NVMe SSD, which is about average for this class, but fine for most professional workloads. The 50 TOPS NPU is a nice bonus for AI-enhanced tasks, though we'd call it a feature, not a reason to buy.

The Apple Mac Studio M5 Max is the elephant in the room. It's more expensive but delivers dramatically better GPU performance and a more polished ecosystem. If you need macOS or serious graphics muscle, the Mac Studio wins. The Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 10 is a different beast entirely, a full tower with a discrete GPU that will crush the Z2 Mini in gaming and heavy 3D work, but it's huge and power-hungry. The Dell Aurora Gaming and ASUS ROG GM700 are also gaming-focused towers that make the Z2 Mini's gaming score look embarrassing. For pure compact workstation duty, the Z2 Mini holds its own. For anything gaming or GPU-intensive, look elsewhere.

Pricing is all over the place. In the US, we're seeing USD 2,000 to USD 3,056 across four listings. That's a massive spread for the same machine. Staples has the best deal at the low end, so don't pay a penny over USD 2,000 if you're in the States. In Canada, it's CAD 3,329 to CAD 4,508, with the low end being the obvious choice. At the right price, this is a compelling compact workstation. At the high end, you're getting fleeced.

The HP Z2 Mini G1a is a tiny workstation that punches way above its size class. The big story here is the AMD Ryzen AI MAX PRO 385 with its Radeon 8050S integrated graphics and unified memory. This isn't your typical office mini PC. It's built for people who need real compute power in a box that can hide behind a monitor or slide into a rack. The port selection is also absurd for something this small, landing in the 94th percentile in our database.

If you're looking for a gaming PC, this isn't it. The gaming score of 18.7/100 is one of the worst we've seen in this category. Go get a Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 10 or an ASUS ROG GM700 instead. You'll get a real discrete GPU and actual gaming performance for similar money.

The HP Z2 Mini G1a is a niche machine, but it nails that niche. If you need a compact, rackable workstation with surprisingly strong integrated graphics and a ton of ports, this is a great buy at the right price. Just don't expect to game on it, and don't overpay. Shop around and grab it at the low end of the price range.