HP Z2 G1i Noir 2025

The HP Z2 G1i is a small form factor workstation with a top-tier 24-core Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU, 32GB of DDR5, and a 1TB SSD. It's excellent for CPU-heavy professional work but held back by integrated graphics. Prices swing from USD 2,292 to USD 3,672, so shop carefully.

The Core Ultra 9 285K is the star here. With 24 cores and a 3.7GHz base clock, this chip chews through multi-threaded workloads like video encoding, simulation, and code compilation. In our database, it ranks at the 97th percentile for CPU performance among all desktops and workstations we track. That's top of the charts territory. If your workflow leans on raw processor grunt, the Z2 G1i delivers.

The 32GB of 5600 MHz DDR5 RAM sits at the 83rd percentile, which is well above average and plenty for most professional tasks. The 1TB PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 SSD lands at the 65th percentile, solid but not spectacular. Boot times and app launches will feel snappy, but if you're moving massive project files around all day, you might notice it's not the fastest storage on the market.

And then there's the elephant in the room: integrated Intel Graphics. No dedicated GPU. For CPU-bound work, that's fine. For anything that touches the GPU, it's a bottleneck. The 51st percentile GPU score tells the story. This is not a machine for real time ray tracing, no matter what the marketing copy says. The 500W PSU does leave some headroom if you want to add a low-profile graphics card later, but out of the box, GPU performance is strictly entry-level.

Compared to the Lenovo Legion 90Y6003JUS, the Z2 G1i wins on CPU but loses badly on graphics. The Legion is a gaming-oriented desktop with a dedicated GPU, so if your work involves any 3D rendering or visualization, Lenovo's machine will run circles around the HP. The Apple Mac Studio M4 Max is another story entirely. Apple's compact workstation brings a monstrous integrated GPU that actually performs, plus better power efficiency. If you're not tied to Windows, the Mac Studio is the more complete package for creative work.

The Dell Tower ECT1250 and MSI MEG Vision X AI are both full-size towers with dedicated graphics options. They'll take up more desk space, but they offer upgrade paths the Z2 G1i simply doesn't have without serious compromises. The CLX SET TGMSETRTU5204BM is a custom-built gaming rig, so it's aimed at a different buyer entirely. For pure CPU compute in a small chassis, the HP holds its own. For anything else, the competition gets compelling fast.

Value is tricky here because the price spread is enormous. US listings range from USD 2,292 to USD 3,672, a difference of USD 1,380 for what appears to be the same configuration. That's not a small gap. If you're buying, shop around. The lowest US price we found was USD 2,292, and at that number the Z2 G1i makes a decent case for itself as a CPU-focused workstation. At the high end, you're paying a premium for the small form factor and HP's build quality, and that's harder to justify when competitors offer dedicated GPUs in the same price range. Canadian buyers see a single listing at CAD 3,401, which is less flexible but at least straightforward.

The HP Z2 G1i is a small form factor workstation aimed at professionals who need serious CPU horsepower without a tower hogging their desk. HP stuffed a 24-core Intel Core Ultra 9 285K into a compact chassis, paired with 32GB of DDR5 and a 1TB NVMe SSD. It runs Windows 11 Pro out of the box and lands in a price range that varies wildly depending on where you shop, from USD 2,292 to USD 3,672 across US listings.

So is the HP Z2 G1i good for 3D design, CAD, or other intensive workflows? On paper, yes. The Core Ultra 9 285K sits at the 97th percentile for CPU performance in our database, which means it's one of the best processors you can get in a workstation right now. But there's a catch: integrated Intel Graphics. If you're doing real time ray tracing or GPU-heavy rendering, this thing will struggle. The GPU lands at the 51st percentile, dead middle of the pack.

Port selection is a bright spot. You get two USB-C ports, nine USB-A ports, dual DisplayPort 1.4 outputs, and Ethernet. That's a 93rd percentile port setup, which is genuinely impressive for a small form factor box. The 4.00kg weight means it's not exactly a featherweight, but it's compact enough to tuck under a monitor or carry between offices without much fuss.

Skip the Z2 G1i if you do any GPU-heavy work. 3D rendering, video editing with GPU acceleration, machine learning, or gaming are all going to be frustrating on integrated graphics. You'd be better served by a Mac Studio M4 Max for creative work or a tower like the Dell Tower ECT1250 with a dedicated GPU. Also skip it if you want future upgrade flexibility. The small form factor and 500W PSU mean your expansion options are limited. And if you're paying anywhere near the USD 3,672 high end, you're overpaying for what you get.

Should you buy the HP Z2 G1i? If your work is CPU-bound, you want a small form factor, and you don't need a dedicated GPU, then yes, this is a strong option. The Core Ultra 9 285K is a beast, the port selection is excellent, and 32GB of DDR5 means you won't be upgrading memory anytime soon. Just make sure you're paying closer to USD 2,292 than USD 3,672.

But if your workflow touches the GPU at all, skip it. Integrated Intel Graphics at this price point is a tough pill to swallow. You'd be better off with a Mac Studio M4 Max or a tower with a dedicated card. The Z2 G1i is a specialist machine, and it's honest about that. Just don't expect it to be something it isn't.