HP Z2 G1i Black 2025

The HP Z2 G1i packs a top-tier Intel Core Ultra 5 245K CPU and 32GB of RAM into a tiny chassis, making it a compute monster for CPU-heavy professional work. Just know that the integrated graphics are a total non-starter for gaming or 3D tasks. If you can snag it near the $1,600 mark, it's a great value for the right user.

The Core Ultra 5 245K lands in the 86th percentile for workstation CPUs in our database, which means it's one of the best on the market for raw compute. It'll fly through multi-threaded workloads and feels snappy even under heavy multitasking. The 32GB of DDR5 is well above average too, giving you plenty of headroom. But the integrated GPU is the bottleneck. It sits right at the 50th percentile, so it's fine for driving monitors but completely useless for 3D rendering, CAD with complex models, or any GPU-accelerated tasks. Storage is solid and middle of the pack, fast enough for quick boots and file transfers.

Stacked against a Lenovo Legion tower, the HP crushes it in CPU performance but gets absolutely embarrassed in graphics, the Legion's dedicated GPU makes it a far better pick for mixed workloads. The Apple Mac Studio M4 Max is in a different league for creative pros who need GPU power and runs quieter, but it costs more and locks you into macOS. A Dell Tower ECT1250 often comes with a dedicated GPU at a similar price, making it a smarter buy if you need any 3D capability. The HP's niche is clear: pure CPU compute in a tiny box, and it owns that lane.

Pricing on this thing is a rollercoaster. We've seen it listed anywhere from $1,632 to a frankly laughable $38,593 across different vendors. At the low end, you're getting a killer CPU and plenty of RAM for a fair price, making it a solid deal for a pre-built workstation. At the high end, you're being robbed. Shop around aggressively and avoid any listing that pushes past the $2,000 mark. The best deal we spotted was through Newegg, so start there.

HP's Z2 G1i is a small form factor workstation built for professionals who need serious CPU grunt without a massive tower hogging their desk. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K is the star here, a 14-core chip that clocks up to 5.2GHz and chews through rendering, compiling, and data crunching. You also get 32GB of fast DDR5 RAM and a 1TB NVMe SSD, which is a solid foundation for most engineering or creative workflows. Just don't expect to game on it, the integrated Intel Graphics are strictly for display output and light tasks.

If you need any kind of dedicated graphics power for CAD, 3D modeling, video rendering, or gaming, skip this entirely. The integrated GPU is a dead end for those tasks, and the SFF case makes adding a proper graphics card a headache. You'd be much better off with a tower workstation that includes even an entry-level dedicated GPU.

This is a purpose-built machine for engineers, data analysts, and developers who live in CPU-bound applications and don't touch GPU rendering. If that's you, the Z2 G1i is a compact powerhouse that'll keep up with your heaviest compiles and simulations. For anyone whose workflow even glances at a GPU, you need to look elsewhere because the integrated graphics here are a dealbreaker.