HP Z1 G1i

The HP Z1 G1i is a business workstation that absolutely crushes it on ports and expandability, with a snappy Core Ultra 5 and tool-less access. Its integrated graphics hold it back to an 11.9/100 gaming score, but it scores a strong 81.2 for home office. At the low end of the $1,121 to $1,849 price spread, it's a solid buy if you don't need a dedicated GPU.

Look, the HP Z1 G1i is a workstation that knows exactly what it is. HP packed an Intel Core Ultra 5 235 chip, 16GB of DDR5 memory, and a 1TB NVMe SSD into a beefy tower that's all about ports and expandability. The ingredient list screams office and business: nine USB-A ports, two USB-C, DisplayPort, HDMI 2.1, and gigabit Ethernet. It's tool-less inside, so swapping RAM or storage later is genuinely easy.

But this thing isn't trying to be a gaming PC. The integrated Intel Graphics sit way down in our database's 11th percentile, so you can forget about anything beyond basic visual tasks. The real appeal is HP's ISV certifications for apps like AutoCAD, SOLIDWORKS, and Siemens NX, plus that NPU for localized AI chores. For a desk machine that just needs to chew through spreadsheets and manage a small army of peripherals, it's surprisingly well put together.

The Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core chip that lands in the 79th percentile of our desktop CPU benchmarks, which means multitasking and everyday business loads fly without a hitch. The 1TB SSD turns in solid transfer speeds, and 16GB of RAM is enough for most office multitasking, though memory hogs might want to add more down the line. Where things fall apart is the GPU. Integrated Intel Graphics score deep in the disappointment zone, so any 3D modeling, rendering, or even moderate gaming brings the system to its knees. If your software relies on a discrete GPU, you'll be shopping for an upgrade immediately.

Prices bounce all over the place between $1,121 and $1,849 depending on where you shop. If you snag it near the low end on Newegg, you're getting a certified business workstation with Windows 11 Pro and HP Wolf Pro Security for a reasonable fee. At the full $1,849, though, the lack of a discrete GPU starts to sting hard. You can find gaming rigs with dedicated graphics for less, but they won't have this many ports or the ISV peace of mind. For the right office, it's a fair deal; just don't pay sticker price.

Next to gaming towers like the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i Gen 10 or the ASUS ROG GM700TZ, the Z1 G1i looks lost on paper. Those machines will run circles around it in any GPU-bound task, but they can't touch the HP's port count or professional certifications. The Apple Mac mini M4 is a silent little beast with way better GPU performance and remarkable efficiency, but it's locked into macOS and has far fewer USB-A ports. Dell's XPS desktops can match the business vibe, yet they rarely pack this many connectivity options. If your workflow worships cable count and certified app stability, the HP carves out a niche none of those others can fill.

Anyone who needs real 3D rendering or gaming performance should look elsewhere immediately. The integrated Intel Graphics choke on that kind of load, and there are machines with dedicated RTX or Radeon GPUs that cost much less than $1,849 if you don't need a dozen USB ports and ISV certifications.

Grab this if you're outfitting an engineering office or a business that demands ISV-certified reliability and a mountain of USB ports. The HP Z1 G1i is a purpose-built workhorse that makes fleet maintenance a breeze and runs cool and quiet all day. If you plan to do anything that touches a GPU, like 3D CAD modeling or even light gaming, walk away. This machine isn't built for that, and you'll regret it.