HP EliteDesk 8 SFF G1i

The HP EliteDesk 8 SFF G1i is a compact developer's dream, pairing a Core Ultra 9 285 with 64GB of RAM and a port selection that's basically perfect. It demolishes productivity workloads but can't game or handle GPU-heavy tasks. If you need raw CPU muscle in a small package and can find it under $3,000, it's a stellar buy.

If you've been searching for a compact desktop that can chew through development work, massive spreadsheets, or virtualization without flinching, the HP EliteDesk 8 SFF G1i deserves a close look. It packs Intel's new Core Ultra 9 285, a 24-core processor that hits up to 5.60 GHz, alongside a whopping 64GB of DDR5 RAM. That's the kind of spec sheet that makes a developer's eyes light up, especially when it's wrapped in a tidy small-form-factor case that won't dominate your desk. This isn't a machine trying to be everything to everyone—it's laser-focused on raw productivity, and our scoring reflects that with a 94.7 for developer use and 93.7 for home office.

Connectivity is where this thing genuinely shines. In our database, the port selection sits at the 99th percentile, which means it's essentially the best you can get in a pre-built desktop right now. You're looking at Thunderbolt, HDMI 2.1, Dual-Mode DisplayPort 2.1, two USB-C ports, nine USB-A ports, and Wi-Fi 7. For anyone running multiple monitors and a pile of peripherals, you can plug in just about everything without a hub. The integrated Intel Graphics are the obvious trade-off—this is not a gaming rig—but for tasks that lean on the CPU and memory, the EliteDesk 8 SFF G1i is a beast in a business suit.

At 3.74kg, it's not ultra-portable, but it's easy to reposition or tuck under a desk. The included wired keyboard and mouse are basic but functional, and Windows 11 Pro means it's ready for domain-joined work environments straight out of the box. While HP aims this squarely at corporate and professional buyers, anyone building a home setup around compiling code, running containers, or crunching data will find it more than up to the job. The price is steep—we've seen it go for anywhere between $2,775 and $3,847 depending on the seller—so we'll dig into whether that's money well spent.

The Core Ultra 9 285 lands in the 93rd percentile among all desktops we've tested. In practice, that means it rips through compile jobs, parallel test suites, and heavy multitasking with zero drama. You can spin up a handful of virtual machines, leave a hundred browser tabs open, and still run a media server in the background without the fan ramping up like a jet engine. The 64GB of 5600 MT/s DDR5 memory puts it in the 97th percentile—only a tiny fraction of pre-built systems ship with this much RAM. That's a huge deal for anyone working with large datasets, Docker containers, or memory-hungry IDE setups.

Storage is solid but not chart-topping. The 1TB NVMe SSD sits at the 73rd percentile, so it's quick and spacious enough for most professional workloads, but you'll eventually want an external drive or network storage if you're dealing with massive video files. The elephant in the room is the integrated Intel Graphics, which land in the 46th percentile. It's fine for running a 4K display for coding or document work, but any attempt at 3D rendering, GPU compute, or modern gaming will quickly show its limits. On the flip side, the port situation is best-in-class—99th percentile—so connecting multiple high-resolution monitors is effortless, and the Thunderbolt support opens the door to fast external storage or an eGPU (though that adds cost and complexity).

Pricing is all over the map, from $2,775 to $3,847 across different stores. That's a massive spread, so it pays to hunt for a deal. At the low end, it's a reasonable price for a business-class SFF workstation with 64GB of RAM, Wi-Fi 7, and HP's enterprise support and reliability track record (72nd percentile in our reliability scoring). You could build a similar DIY machine for less, but you'd lose the compact chassis, the warranty, and the seamless out-of-box experience. If your company is footing the bill or you just want a no-hassle powerhouse, grabbing it near the $2,775 mark makes sense. If you're paying over $3,500, the value proposition starts to wobble, especially given the integrated graphics limitation.

Stack this HP against gaming-focused desktops like the ASUS ROG GM700TZ or the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i Gen 10, and the picture splits right down the middle. Those machines come with dedicated RTX graphics that will absolutely smoke the EliteDesk in any game or rendering test, and they often cost less. But turn to CPU muscle and connectivity, and the HP dominates—the Core Ultra 9 285 outpaces the typical Core i7 or Ryzen 7 gaming CPUs in multi-threaded productivity, and the port selection on the ASUS or Lenovo looks sparse by comparison.

The MSI EdgeXpert and Dell Tower Plus are closer rivals in the business space, but they often ship with less RAM or a lower-tier CPU at similar price points. The Corsair ONE i600 is the other compact contender, though it's aimed at gamers with a discrete GPU and a far higher price tag. For a clean, corporate-grade SFF that prioritizes CPU and connectivity over all else, the EliteDesk 8 SFF G1i occupies a niche that few competitors directly address.

You should skip the HP EliteDesk 8 SFF G1i if you plan to do any gaming, 3D rendering, or video editing that requires a discrete GPU. The integrated graphics are simply not up to the task, and you'll get far better results from a similarly priced gaming desktop like the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i or a compact PC with a dedicated RTX card. It's also not a great fit for budget-conscious shoppers doing light office work, where a much cheaper machine would serve perfectly well.

If you're a developer, data analyst, or IT professional who needs a fast, quiet desktop that can handle a dozen things at once, the HP EliteDesk 8 SFF G1i is an easy recommendation—as long as you snag it at a good price. The Core Ultra 9 and 64GB RAM combo will keep you happy for years, and the connectivity is as future-proof as it gets. It's a purpose-built productivity machine that excels at exactly what it's designed to do.

But this is not the PC you want for gaming, video editing, or 3D work. The integrated graphics are a hard stop for those tasks, and no amount of CPU power can make up for it. We'd only steer clear if you need a do-it-all system, but for a dedicated work rig, it's one of the strongest SFF options we've tested this year.