HP Z1 G1i Black
The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 14-core chip and 16GB of 5600 MHz DDR5 RAM provide a solid foundation for certified professional applications, housed in a chassis with extensive connectivity including 9 USB-A ports and dual USB-C. Its 500W power supply and tool-less expandability offer a clear path to adding a high-end discrete GPU later, making it a flexible entry workstation. This system is best for budget-conscious CAD designers or architects who need ISV-certified reliability today and plan to upgrade graphics for rendering tasks in the future.
Snapshot
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong port selection (94th percentile) 94th
- Strong cpu (78th percentile) 78th
- Strong reliability (70th percentile) 70th
Cons
- Below average user sentiment (19th percentile)
What owners think
How owner sentiment changed over time
ExclusiveBased on when customers actually wrote their reviews - so you can see whether early praise held up.
The proof
Performance
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 5 235 |
| Cores | 14 |
| Frequency | 3.4 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 24 MB |
Graphics
| GPU | Intel Graphics |
| Type | Integrated |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 16 GB |
| RAM Generation | DDR5 |
| Storage | 512 GB |
| Storage Type | NVMe SSD |
Build
| Form Factor | workstation |
| PSU | 500 |
| Weight | 5.5 kg / 12.1 lbs |
Connectivity
| USB-C Ports | 2 |
| USB Ports | 9 |
| HDMI | 1x HDMI 2.1 |
| DisplayPort | 2x DisplayPort 2.1 |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet |
System
| OS | Windows 11 Pro |
vs Competition
| Spec | HP Z1 G1i | Lenovo Legion Tower 5a Gen 10 | Apple Mac Studio M4 Max | Dell Tower ECT1250 | CLX SET TGMSETRTU5204BM | MSI Infinite ZS InZS9NVR1482 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 5 235 | AMD Ryzen 9 7950X | Apple M4 Max | Intel Core Ultra 7 265 | Intel Core i9 14900KF | AMD Ryzen 9 9900X |
| RAM (GB) | 16 | 32 | 36 | 32 | 64 | 32 |
| Storage (GB) | 512 | 4096 | 512 | 2000 | 8000 | 2048 |
| GPU | Intel Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti | Apple M4 Max 32-core | Intel UHD Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti |
| Form Factor | workstation | mid-tower | sff | mid-tower | mid-tower | mid-tower |
| Psu W | 500 | 850 | - | 180 | 850 | 750 |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Home | macOS | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Pro |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | CPU | GPU | RAM | Ports | Storage | User Sentiment | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP Z1 G1i | 78.1 | 49.8 | 55.7 | 93.6 | 43.4 | 19.4 | 69.9 |
| Lenovo Legion Tower 5a Gen 10 Compare | 96.5 | 87.1 | 79.7 | 90.6 | 98.5 | 0 | 69.9 |
| Apple Mac Studio M4 Max Compare | 85.9 | 68.2 | 70.5 | 94.7 | 33 | 88.5 | 99.3 |
| Dell Tower ECT1250 Compare | 89.7 | 34.5 | 83.2 | 87 | 83.2 | 98.2 | 69.9 |
| CLX SET TGMSETRTU5204BM Compare | 94.2 | 83.4 | 96.5 | 87 | 99.3 | 98.2 | 11.5 |
| MSI Infinite ZS InZS9NVR1482 Compare | 92.5 | 87.1 | 88 | 90.6 | 92.1 | 0 | 37 |
Price
Value & Pricing
Newegg 1 offer From $1,329
B&H Photo 1 offer From $1,832
Price History
Usage Scores
A full written review is coming soon. The specs, scores, prices and charts above are always up to date.
