You can tell just how much of a difference these additional dollars and cores make on our POV-Ray workstation-specific performance test. Measuring only 8.5 x 8.5 x 2.3 inches, the HP Z2 Mini G4 lives up to its name. On the back of the box you'll find a second 10 Gbps USB Type-C port, as well as two USB 3.0 ports, three DisplayPort connectors and a Gigabit Ethernet port. The story is much the same when it comes to the discrete graphics chip, an Nvidia Quadro P1000 with 4GB of dedicated graphics memory. As tested with an Intel Core i9 CPU and an Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 GPU, it … The Z2 Mini G4 is a study in compact design. Among the design attributes that remain constant is the less-than-ideal power-delivery situation. As a hardware analyst, Tom tests and reviews laptops, peripherals, and much more at PC Labs in New York City. 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New York, The side of the Z2 Mini G4 has a combined headset jack for audio, a pair of USB 3.0 ports and a 10 Gbps USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port (Check out our USB Type-C FAQ to sort out which USB Type-C port is which). © All in all, the HP Z2 Mini G4 manages to be a potent workstation, a versatile and powerful mini PC and a highly configurable system that can be almost anything you need it to be. In the same benchmark, the Precision 5820 achieved 4,107 pixels per second (PPS) compared to 2,481 pixels stored in the Z2 Mini G4. HP Z2 MINI. The company also specifically mentions that "24/7 operation will not void the HP warranty," so feel free to run those financial models at 3 a.m. as needed. Animating a 3D character takes serious horsepower, but designing a bridge adds a heightened expectation that everything is done right. The only major downside is that this diminutive PC simply doesn't have enough room to offer the truly powerful workstation components of a full-size desktop workstation like the Dell Precision 5820. The Z2 Mini G4 scored 170,676 points, edging ahead of the Intel Hades Canyon NUC (169,443) but showing the leap in capability since last-year's Z2 Mini G3 (126,890). Good Xeon multicore computing performance. We love almost everything about the Z2 Mini, but it does get loud. Our review unit also came with a VGA connection, but because it's situated in one of the configurable Flex I/O slots, it isn't necessarily a standard port. A graduate of Middlebury College, Tom also has a master's degree in journalism and French Studies from New York University. MORE: Laptops with the Best Overall Performance. More Info. Gaming performance also gives us an idea of the graphics capability the Z2 Mini G4 offers. Its performance is comparable to lower-end models of the company's gaming-focused GeForce GTX lineup, but instead of eking out every last gaming frame, it prioritizes GPU-accelerated performance for apps that need it, such as 3D-rendering tools or CAD software. PCMag Digital Group. It's the most … All in all, the HP Z2 Mini G4 manages to be a potent workstation, a versatile and powerful mini PC and a highly configurable system that can be almost anything you need it to be. NY 10036. Price: $1,949 as tested ($749 base price) Size: 13.31x3.94x15 in. Save with Free Shipping when you shop online with HP. It's comparable to other hexa-core processors from Intel's eighth-generation Core lineup, but since it's part of the Xeon family, it offers ancillary enterprise features like the aforementioned support for ECC memory that a consumer-grade Core i7 or even a Core i9 can't match. But that small, unassuming design still holds plenty of surprises. The Z2 Mini G4 has a lot of ports, and the wide selection of connectors is enhanced by HP's customizable Flex I/O port add-ons. The graphics performance of any workstation takes on added importance given that workstations are used for all sorts of visual- and rendering-heavy tasks that can have real world implications. That's bigger than other ultrasmall desktops, like the Asus VivoPC (7.5 x 7.5 x 2.2 inches, 2.6 pounds) or the Alienware Alpha R2 (7.9 x 7.9 x 2.2 inches, 3.4 pounds), but it boasts some beefier components and a chunky design that includes corner-mounted cooling vents. In fact, the Z2 Mini G4 was faster than both systems, as well as the Dell Precision 5720 All-in-One ($1,129.00 at Dell Technologies) workstation, at applying filters in Photoshop (2 minutes and 22 seconds) and exporting a short HD video into a smartphone-friendly format using Handbrake (36 seconds). As long as you're comfortable with fewer cores and threads (but still a lot of them, compared with most consumer PCs), your budget and available desk space will thank you for choosing the Z2 Mini G4. Those components qualify the Z2 Mini G4 as a bona fide workstation for architectural firms, hedge funds, research labs, and other potential customers who must have immense amounts of extremely stable computing power at their disposal. In fact, with two configurable slots, you can get the Z2 Mini G4 outfitted with a variety of connectors: VGA or HDMI output, a fourth DisplayPort, a Thunderbolt 3.0 port or an additional USB-C 3.1 Gen2 port, or even a second Gigabit LAN connection. The Z2 Mini family has actually been around for a while. HP's Z2 G4 Mini does an impressive job of squeezing workstation levels of performance into a compact desktop design, but the Xeon processor and high-end GPU of the Z2 … A lot of that is due to the design, which puts ventilation grilles at each of the four corners of the chassis. We love almost everything about the Z2 Mini, but it does get loud. In most of our tests, the Z2 Mini G4 posted not just impressive results, but category-leading performances. In most respects, the Z2 Mini G4 has the same external and internal design features of the 2017 model, the HP Z2 Mini G3 – the small, boxy chassis is distinguished by its corner-mounted vents, each with an additional bumper that ensures adequate space for ventilation and cooling. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Thank you for signing up to Tom's Guide. Our review unit is one of the better-equipped models offered by HP, armed with a beefy 6-core Intel Xeon E-2176G processor, 32GB of memory, Nvidia Quadro P1000 ISV-certified graphics, and a combination of storage solutions, with a 1TB 7200 rpm HDD and a 256GB HP Z Turbo Drive SSD. The easily accessible design includes a hinge-mounted cooling fan that flips up out of the way to let users reach the two SO-DIMM slots, and easy-to-access screws let you remove the fan and hard drive to access the rest of the internals. On top of this, you can customize the port selection using the Flex I/O options mentioned above, adding video outputs, LAN ports and more. HP Z2 Mini G4 Workstation - 1 x Core i7 i7-8700 - 8 GB RAM - 256 GB SSD - Mini PC - Space Gray, Black Chrome Accent - TAA Compliant - Windows 10 Pro 64-bitNVIDIA Quadro P600 4 GB Graphics - Serial ATA/600 Controller - Intel Optane Memory Ready - English Keyboard - Gigabit Ethernet - … Conspicuously absent from the port selection on this test unit is a Thunderbolt 3 port. That's a big step up from last year's model (3,019), but it does fall slightly behind the gaming-oriented Intel Hades Canyon NUC (8,451), which features Radeon RX Vega M graphics. HP bundled a cheap-looking and uncomfortable plastic keyboard and mouse with the Z2 Mini G4, but you can order one without any peripherals at all and bring your own (almost certainly far more comfortable) mechanical keyboard and a mouse of choice. Like other small desktops, the Z2 Mini G4 requires you to plug in a great, big external power brick, which in this case is nearly as wide as the PC itself. Opening the Z2 Mini G3 takes only a few seconds, and the first thing you’ll see is a 2.5-inch hard drive (or in our case with this review sample, an empty bay that can house one) and two fans. In our updated version of the test, which uses Excel instead of OpenOffice to test multithread processing, the Z2 Mini G4 was even faster, ripping through the task in 34 seconds. Relatively inexpensive for a desktop workstation. The Z2 Mini G4 can be set up with either Windows or Linux, and our review unit came with Windows 10 Pro (64-bit) preinstalled. Microsoft includes some decidedly nonprofessional software with the Pro version of its OS, like Candy Crush Soda Saga and Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition, but these can be ignored or removed. MORE: Best Mini PC - Small Computers for Work, Gaming. Add in 32GB of memory and a combo storage setup consisting of a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD) and a 1TB hard drive, and you are looking at a seriously powerful machine. (And looking forward, HP tells me they plan to offer a 1 gigabit fiber NIC option sometime this year. Our informal test of browsing with multiple browser tabs open was barely a blip on the radar; the Z2 Mini didn't even break a sweat while switching between 20 open tabs and streaming 4K video, and, honestly, that's what we expect from a workstation machine like this. But with new ISV-certified graphics options, an expanded selection of processors and an even more configurable port selection, the Z2 Mini G4 picks up where the G3 left off and sprints downfield with aplomb. Find all product features, specs, accessories, reviews and offers for HP Z2 Mini G4 Workstation (8JF48UT#ABA). Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, QuickSpecs HP Z2 Mini G4 Workstation Overview c05987462 — DA – 16216 Worldwide — Version 17 — July 18, 2020 Page 2 HP Z2 Mini G4 Entry, back view 1. HP also offers a generous three-year standard warranty that includes onsite service. The HP Z2 G4 workstation is an entirely adequate entry-level desktop workstation. That said, you can configure your Z2 Mini G4 to include one, a key improvement over last year's model. As a mini desktop with a Xeon processor and all the other accoutrements of a workstation, the HP Z2 Mini G4 is a rare beast. That's not much larger than the Lenovo ThinkCentre M710Q Tiny (7.05 x 7.20 x 1.36 inches) or the Intel Hades Canyon NUC (8.7 x 5.6 x 1.5 inches), though the Z2 Mini G4 is the only one of the three that boasts workstation-grade hardware. (WxHxD) small form factor desktop Weight: 13.75 lbs. HP Z2 Mini G4 Home and Business Desktop (Intel i5-8500 6-Core, 16GB RAM, 256GB PCIe SSD + 500GB HDD (2.5), NVIDIA Quadro P600, Wifi, Bluetooth, 4xUSB 3.0, 3 … To put this in perspective, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M710q Tiny  scored only 69,398 with its integrated graphics, which is more than adequate for standard office work. When it comes to graphics performance, though, the MSI and Zotac have the Z2 Mini G4 beat by a wide margin, both on our Heaven and Valley frame-rate benchmarks and our 3DMark tests, which output a proprietary performance score. The external design of the Z2 Mini G4 remains unchanged, with the same low-profile chassis as its predecessor. The HP Z2 Mini G4 is a worthy successor to the G3 edition. Last refreshed in 2014 with a fourth generation Intel Core i5 processor, the Mac Mini is nowhere near as powerful as the Z2 Mini G4, of course. Of more importance to the professional crowd are the Z2 Mini's independent software vendor (ISV) certifications, where HP has partnered with individual software companies to ensure that mission-critical programs and apps are completely compatible with the workstation hardware. Thermal management is always a concern on these pint-size PCs, since the small confines of the chassis don’t leave much room for cooling fans and air circulation, and you don’t want your little computer to be a fire hazard. Finally, there are plenty of graphics options. This independent software vendor (ISV) certification is a key benefit that distinguishes workstations from PCs that are merely very powerful.