HP Z2 Mini Workstation

With their ground-breaking and Apple-destroying new HP Z2 mini workstation, HP truly have outdone themselves both in the design and performance stakes with the industry’s first dedicated mini workstation.

The HP Z2 mini workstation looks fantastically modern – almost like they’ve been inspired by the designs of the likes of Nespresso and Dell’s Alienware range. In fact the coffee analogy doesn’t stop there – the company make the bold claim that the HP Z2 mini workstation is actually shorter than a cup of espresso! Unlike the aforementioned Alienware gaming laptops, the HP Z2 mini workstation is small. Very, very small. At 2.5kg it can be held in one hand and yet packs one heck of a punch, squeezing all that power into a sleek, perfectly proportioned mini machine.

Unbelievably, inside this pocket dynamo you will experience an Intel server CPU as well as an Nvidia GPU – each benefitting from their own cooling fans. The days of smaller sized machines meaning a compromise on performance seem to be distinctly numbered since the release of this workstation in December 2016.

Perhaps the most obvious direct competitor of a machine is the Mac Mini, but since Apple seem to have left this to rot, with no upgrade in design or specs for a long time, the HP Z2 mini workstation has undoubtedly leapfrogged its Apple competition. It could be a further nail in Apple’s coffin as far as the professional market goes.

According to HP’s spokesmen, the HP Z2 Mini workstation is deliberately manufactured with engineers and architects in mind. It can be upgraded to incorporate Intel’s cutting edge E3-1200v5 CPU and boasts a very good 32GB RAM and as much as 1.5TB storage capacity, with a speedy SSD component to get those programs and accessories loading in double time. I doubt there will be a great many complaints about such potential.

Of course, mini PCs are not an entirely new construct, but what has never been achieved before is the sheer power and amazing versatility that HP have managed with the HP Z2 mini workstation. It is definitely the first mini PC that can support six displays without an iota of modification. This is bound to raise eyebrows and win many fans among professionals. The availability of the HP Z Turbo Drive is also a major boon. Over 368,000 hours of quality testing have gone into the product so those that take the plunge will be no guinea pigs.

The chassis of the HP Z2 mini workstation has been manufactured with servicing and upgrading at the forefront of the vision. It is easily removed and components can be swapped for upgraded versions very easily indeed.

The HP Z2 mini workstation has also been designed to be incredibly flexible in terms of where it is placed in the office. It can go on the desk, under the desk, behind a display or can even be wall mounted if desired.

In terms of noise, this is another area where the HP Z2 mini workstation really comes into its own. It is built with specialist custom made fans and an interior cooling system that all come together to ensure acoustics fit for a library. HP claims that it all makes for a system that is 64% quieter than an HP business-class mini PC, which is quite something and of course the cooling allows for exceptional reliability scores.

It is no exaggeration to say that the release of this workstation is something of a watershed moment in the way PCs for engineering and architectural firms will be made in the future. It is chock-full of engineering magic and will transform expectations of all future machines. What more can you ask for?