HP Z2 G9 2023, Core i7-14700, 64GB, 1TB SSD, RTX A2000

A 20-core beast in a shoebox. Great for CPU-heavy work, meh for GPU-heavy work, and the 450W PSU means what you buy is basically what you get.

The i7-14700 is the star here. 20 cores in a SFF chassis is no joke, and our benchmarks put it well above average for this category. The RTX A2000 with 12GB of VRAM is a solid workhorse for CAD, rendering, and light AI work, though it's not going to blow anyone away in raw gaming or heavy GPU compute. The 64GB of DDR5 is near the top of the charts, which means you can run multiple VMs, huge datasets, or a dozen Chrome tabs without breaking a sweat. Storage is a 1TB PCIe 4.0 drive, which is fine but not exactly generous for a workstation in 2025.

Against the Apple Mac Studio M3 Ultra, the HP wins on RAM expandability and x86 compatibility but loses badly on GPU muscle and power efficiency. The Lenovo Legion and Dell Aurora are gaming-focused towers with beefier GPUs, but they're also much larger and louder. The MSI Aegis and CLX SET are similar stories, more flash than workstation substance. If you need CUDA cores and a small footprint, the HP is the pragmatic pick. If you need GPU compute or gaming, any of those towers will embarrass the A2000.

At around $1,700 USD, this is a solid deal for what you're getting. The CPU and RAM alone would cost a chunk of that if you built it yourself. But the 450W power supply and lack of Thunderbolt mean you're buying into a platform with real upgrade ceilings. If you need raw CPU power and RAM density in a small box, this is worth it. If you're planning to drop in a bigger GPU later, look elsewhere.

The HP Z2 G9 SFF is a workstation that punches way above its size class. You're getting a 20-core i7-14700 and 64GB of DDR5 stuffed into a small form factor box, which is frankly a little ridiculous in the best way. The one thing to know? This is a serious productivity machine for people who need real CPU and RAM headroom without a tower hogging their desk.

If you're looking for a gaming rig or a GPU compute monster, this isn't it. Go get a Lenovo Legion or Dell Aurora with a real graphics card instead. Also skip it if you need Thunderbolt or plan on serious internal expansion, the SFF chassis and 450W PSU will frustrate you.

The HP Z2 G9 SFF is a niche machine that nails its niche. It's for engineers, developers, and data folks who need serious CPU and RAM in a compact, quiet, reliable package. The GPU is adequate, not amazing, and the PSU is a real constraint. But if your workflow is CPU-bound and you value desk space, this is one of the best SFF workstations we've tested. Buy it for the CPU, tolerate the GPU, and don't plan on a 4090 upgrade.