It looks like gaming PCs aren’t the only ones getting a ‘mini’ makeover. This time round, HP has unveiled the Z2 Mini workstation PC, which it claims to be “90-percent smaller compared to a traditional business-class tower.” Besides that, HP’s new mini PC is also fitted with pretty impressive hardware that range from an Intel Xeon processor all the way to an Nvidia Quadro GPU.
According to HP, the Z2 Mini is 63 percent quieter compared to the company’s older business-class mini PCs. This is possible thanks to the Z2 Mini’s custom cooling system. Design-wise, the HP Z2 Mini workstation PC is somewhat minimalistic with its brushed aluminium octagonal chassis. Speaking of which, HP has mentioned that its new mini PC measures in at 2.3 x 8.5 inches.
When it comes to specifications, the HP Z2 Mini workstation PC can be fitted with an Intel Core i7, i5, i3, or Xeon (E3-1200v5 series) processor. In addition, the mini PC also comes with up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM along with an HP Z Turbo drive, which boasts a capacity of up to 1.5TB and M.2 read speeds of 1GBps. Interestingly, the only dedicated graphics that one can opt for with the Z2 Mini is the Nvidia M620 Quadro mobile GPU (2GB VRAM).
It becomes even more apparent that the HP Z2 Mini is made for a niche group of consumers when one realises that the mini PC isn’t equipped with Thunderbolt 3 and HDMI ports. However, one USB-C and three DisplayPorts ports are available. Also, if it wasn’t clear before: this PC will not be able to run Crysis 3 at ‘retina burning’ framerates.
That aside, like most workstation PCs in the market today, HP’s Z2 Mini will not be wallet-friendly. In fact, HP has stated that the mini workstation PC will come with a baseline price tag of US$699 (about RM3,040).
