HP Z4 G5 Workstation 2025, Xeon w3-2535, 16GB, 512GB SSD, RTX 4000 Ada Generation, Black

Great GPU, weak everything else. Buy it for the RTX 4000 Ada, then immediately upgrade the RAM and storage.

The GPU is the star here. The RTX 4000 Ada sits in the 80th percentile for workstation graphics, and that 20GB of GDDR6 means you can throw big models and complex scenes at it without choking. The Xeon w3-2535 holds its own too, landing in the 72nd percentile for CPU performance. But that 16GB of DDR5 ECC RAM is just average, 52nd percentile, and for a machine aimed at massive dataset prep, that's a bottleneck waiting to happen. The 512GB SSD is even more underwhelming at the 42nd percentile. You'll fill that drive fast if you're doing video editing or simulation work.

Against the Apple Mac mini M4 Pro, the HP wins on raw GPU power and expandability, but the Mac is a fraction of the size and price. The Lenovo Legion Tower 5a Gen 10 is a gaming rig that can do workstation duty, but it won't touch the Ada GPU for pro apps. The Dell Area-51 is flashy but more of a gaming statement than a serious workstation. If you need certified drivers and ECC memory, the HP is the only real choice here. If you don't, save your money and look elsewhere.

Here's the thing. The price spread on this config is wild, from USD 4,924 to USD 6,774 across just two US listings. That's a USD 1,850 gap for what should be the same machine. If you're buying, shop hard and don't pay the high end. Even at the low end, you're paying a premium for the RTX 4000 Ada, which is fair, but you'll likely need to budget for a RAM and storage upgrade immediately. That stings at this price point.

The HP Z4 G5 is a serious workstation with a split personality. The RTX 4000 Ada GPU with 20GB of VRAM is a genuine beast for rendering and simulation, but HP paired it with just 16GB of system RAM and a 512GB SSD. That's like putting racing tires on a commuter car. The Xeon w3-2535 is a solid 10-core chip, and the whole thing runs Windows 11 Pro for Workstations, so the bones are right. But out of the box, this config feels lopsided.

If you're looking for a compact or quiet workstation, this isn't it. The Z4 G5 scores a dismal 38.9 out of 100 for compactness and weighs 12.6kg. Go get a Mac mini M4 Pro or a smaller SFF workstation instead. Also skip it if you're on a tight budget, the price premium for the Ada GPU is real.

The HP Z4 G5 is a capable workstation with a frustrating out-of-box config. The RTX 4000 Ada is genuinely excellent, and the Xeon w3-2535 is no slouch. But 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD undermine the whole package. Buy it if you need the GPU and plan to upgrade the rest immediately. Otherwise, configure a different build or look at competitors.