HP Z2 G9 Black 2024

The HP Z2 G9 SFF packs a 91st percentile 20-core i7-14700K and best-in-class port selection into a compact workstation. But the integrated UHD 770 graphics drag the gaming score down to 16.2 out of 100. Great for CPU-heavy work, terrible for anything 3D.

The i7-14700K is the star here. 20 cores, 3.4GHz base clock, and it's one of the best CPUs you can get in a small form factor workstation right now. Our benchmarks put it in the 91st percentile, which means it outruns the vast majority of desktops in our database. Paired with 32GB of DDR5 RAM (78th percentile, solid) and a 1TB NVMe SSD (73rd percentile, about average), this machine will chew through compile jobs, virtual machines, and heavy spreadsheets without breaking a sweat.

The catch is the GPU. Intel UHD Graphics 770 is integrated graphics, and it's a weak spot. It's fine for driving monitors and basic 2D work, but anything involving real 3D rendering, video editing with GPU acceleration, or gaming will struggle. The 450W power supply also limits your upgrade path. You can't just drop in a high-end discrete GPU later without swapping the PSU too, and the small form factor case limits what will even fit.

Against the Lenovo Legion Tower 5a Gen 10, the Z2 G9 wins on CPU and connectivity but loses badly on graphics. The Legion is a gaming-focused machine with a discrete GPU, so it'll crush the HP in anything 3D-related. The Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 is a more direct competitor in the business workstation space, and it typically offers better GPU options at similar price points. The ASUS ROG GM700 is another gaming rig that makes the HP's integrated graphics look silly. Where the Z2 G9 stands out is the combination of that 99th percentile port selection and the 91st percentile CPU in a compact chassis. If you need a small, quiet, well-connected machine for CPU-heavy work, none of those competitors match it. If you need any kind of real graphics performance, all of them beat it.

Pricing on this thing is all over the place. US listings range from $1,269 to $2,499, which is a $1,230 spread for what appears to be the same core config. If you're shopping in the US, the lower end of that range is a genuinely good deal for a 20-core workstation with 32GB of DDR5 and Thunderbolt. The higher end is harder to justify, especially when you factor in the weak integrated graphics. The CAD listing at $1,869 and the JPY listing at ¥341,073 are single-vendor prices, so you don't have much room to comparison shop there. Bottom line: if you can find this near the $1,269 mark, it's a strong value for CPU-bound work. At $2,499, you're paying a premium for the SFF form factor.

The HP Z2 G9 Small Form Factor workstation is a weird mix of serious compute and seriously basic graphics. The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core monster that lands in the 91st percentile for CPUs in our database, and the port selection is basically best-in-class at the 99th percentile. But then HP paired all that with Intel UHD Graphics 770 integrated graphics, which sits at a disappointing 38th percentile. That's like putting a racing engine in a car with bicycle tires.

For developers, business users, and home office folks, this thing scores in the low 80s out of 100. For gaming, it's a 16.2. That's not a typo. If you're buying this to play games, stop reading and go look at something else. If you need a compact workstation for code compilation, data crunching, or office multitasking, the Z2 G9 makes a lot more sense.

Skip this if you need any meaningful graphics performance. The integrated UHD 770 is a weak spot at the 38th percentile, and the gaming score of 16.2 out of 100 tells you everything you need to know. Content creators working with video or 3D, anyone who wants to game after hours, or people who plan to add a discrete GPU later should look elsewhere. The 450W PSU and SFF case make GPU upgrades a hassle, and the lack of HDMI is a minor annoyance for basic monitor setups. Also skip it if you're paying anywhere near the $2,499 end of the US price range, that's too much for a machine with integrated graphics.

The HP Z2 G9 SFF is a specialized tool, not a general-purpose machine. If your workload is CPU-bound, things like software development, data analysis, or running multiple VMs, this is one of the best compact options we've seen. The 20-core i7-14700K and best-in-class port selection make it a productivity powerhouse. But the integrated graphics are a real limitation, and the 450W PSU means you can't easily fix that later. At the low end of the US price range, it's a smart buy for the right user. At the high end, you're overpaying for what you get.