HP EliteDesk 8 G1i 2025, Core Ultra 9 285T, 64GB, 1TB SSD, Black

A pint-sized powerhouse for work, not play. 64GB of RAM and a 24-core CPU in a box smaller than a lunchbox, but the integrated graphics mean your gaming dreams die here.

The Core Ultra 9 285T sits in the 82nd percentile for CPUs in our database, which is impressive for a 90W mini PC. The 64GB of DDR5 is the real flex here, landing in the 97th percentile, so you can run VMs, containers, and heavy multitasking without breaking a sweat. The integrated Intel Graphics are firmly middle of the pack, which is fine for spreadsheets and code but will choke on anything 3D. What surprised us most is how much HP squeezed into this chassis without thermal throttling becoming a dealbreaker.

Against the Apple Mac Studio M4 Max, the EliteDesk wins on RAM capacity per dollar and Windows compatibility, but loses badly on GPU muscle and raw compute. The Lenovo Legion 90Y6003JUS is a different animal entirely, built for gaming with a discrete GPU, so if you want any 3D performance, that's the direction to go. For pure office and dev work in a Windows environment, the EliteDesk holds its own against anything in this size class.

Pricing is all over the place, from USD 1,852 to USD 2,669 across three US listings. At the low end, this is a compelling deal for a 64GB mini workstation. At the high end, you're paying a premium for the compact form factor and vPro management features. Shop around, the spread is real and the cheapest listing is the one to grab.

The HP EliteDesk 8 G1i is a tiny workstation that punches way above its weight class for business and dev work. You're getting a 24-core Core Ultra 9 285T, 64GB of DDR5, and a 1TB NVMe drive in a 1.42kg box that barely takes up more desk space than a paperback. The one thing to know: this is a serious productivity machine, not a gaming rig, and it's priced like it knows it.

If you're looking for a gaming PC or anything with real graphics horsepower, this isn't it. Go grab a Lenovo Legion or ASUS ROG instead. And if you're just doing basic web browsing and email, you're paying for specs you'll never touch, a cheaper mini PC or even a decent laptop will serve you better.

If you need a compact Windows workstation for business, development, or heavy multitasking, the EliteDesk 8 G1i is a strong buy, especially if you can snag it near the USD 1,852 mark. The 64GB of RAM and 24-core CPU will chew through productivity workloads for years. Just don't expect it to be anything other than a business machine.