HP Z2 Tower G1i 2025, Core Ultra 5 235, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Black

The HP Z2 Tower G1i scores 68.8 overall, with a standout Core Ultra 5 235 CPU at the 78th percentile and port selection at the 87th percentile. But the 512GB SSD at the 31st percentile and integrated graphics with a 15.8 gaming score drag it down hard. It's a solid foundation for a workstation if you're willing to upgrade the GPU and storage yourself.

The Core Ultra 5 235 is the main event here. 14 cores at 3.4GHz puts this CPU at the 78th percentile, which is well above average for desktops in our database. Multi-threaded apps like modeling and simulation software will benefit from those extra cores. The 16GB of DDR5 RAM is middle of the pack at the 56th percentile. It's enough for most professional tasks, but if you're running virtual machines or heavy data analysis, you'll want to upgrade. HP made that easy with tool-less access, so at least there's that.

The integrated Intel Graphics with 4GB of VRAM is where things fall apart. At the 52nd percentile for GPUs, it's technically average, but average for integrated graphics is not a compliment. The gaming score of 15.8 out of 100 is one of the weakest we've seen for a tower this size. The 700W PSU is a nice touch though. It means you can drop in a proper discrete GPU later without swapping the power supply. HP even mentions support for up to 600W triple-wide graphics, so the upgrade path is there if you need it.

Against the Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 10, the HP Z2 gets absolutely smoked on graphics. The Legion is built for gaming and comes with a proper discrete GPU, while the HP's integrated Intel Graphics with 4GB VRAM is a non-starter for anything graphically demanding. The Apple Mac Studio M5 Max is in a different league entirely for performance, though it's also in a different price bracket. The Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 is probably the closest competitor here. Both are business-focused towers with similar CPU positioning, but the Dell tends to offer better storage options at similar prices. The CLX SET and Horizon Pcs Autherium Dragon are gaming-oriented machines that will crush the HP on GPU performance but lack the enterprise features and expandability that HP is selling. If you need a workstation for CPU-heavy tasks with room to grow, the HP holds its own. If you need graphics performance out of the box, every competitor here beats it.

Pricing is a bit of a moving target. US listings range from USD 1,302 to USD 1,486 across two vendors, so you're looking at a USD 184 spread depending on where you buy. That's worth shopping around for. The Newegg listing at the lower end of that range is the better deal if you're in the US. For that money, you're getting a solid CPU and a very expandable chassis, but the integrated graphics and small SSD make the value proposition shaky. You'll likely need to spend more on a discrete GPU and bigger storage to make this a true workstation, which eats into the initial savings. The Japanese listing at JPY 352,471 is a single option, so no comparison shopping there.

The HP Z2 Tower G1i lands in our database with a 68.8 overall score, which puts it firmly in "solid but not spectacular" territory. The CPU is the star here. That Intel Core Ultra 5 235 with 14 cores sits at the 78th percentile for processors, which means it'll chew through multi-threaded workloads without breaking a sweat. Port selection is also a standout at the 87th percentile, so if you've got a desk full of peripherals, this tower has you covered. But the storage situation is rough. A 512GB SSD puts it at the 31st percentile, and that's going to feel cramped fast for a machine marketed at professional workflows.

HP is pitching this as an AI workstation, and the Core Ultra 5's built-in NPU is a real thing that helps with local AI tasks. But the integrated Intel Graphics with 4GB of VRAM is a serious limitation. The gaming score of 15.8 out of 100 tells you everything you need to know there. This is a business machine through and through. The 68.9 score for business and home office use confirms it. If you're doing spreadsheets, coding, or light rendering, it'll serve you well. If you want to game or do heavy GPU work, look elsewhere.

Skip this if you need any kind of graphics performance. The gaming score of 15.8 out of 100 is one of the worst we've seen in a tower this size, and the integrated Intel Graphics with 4GB VRAM won't handle anything beyond basic display output. Also skip it if you work with large files. The 512GB SSD at the 31st percentile is going to fill up fast, and while you can upgrade it, that's extra money on top of an already significant investment. If you're buying a workstation to do workstation things right away, this config isn't ready for you without upgrades. The Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 or even a gaming tower like the CLX SET will give you more complete performance out of the box.

The HP Z2 Tower G1i is a capable CPU-focused workstation held back by a weak GPU and small storage. The Core Ultra 5 235 at the 78th percentile is genuinely good for multi-threaded professional work, and the 87th percentile port selection means you won't be hunting for a USB hub. But the 512GB SSD at the 31st percentile and integrated graphics with a 15.8 gaming score are hard to overlook at this price. If you're buying this as a foundation to upgrade later, the 700W PSU and tool-less design make it a reasonable starting point. If you need a complete workstation out of the box, budget for a GPU and SSD upgrade on day one, or look at the Dell Tower Plus instead.