Skip to main content

If Apple designed a gaming PC, it might look like the new HP Envy Desktop

HP announced an update for its Envy Desktop PC at CES 2022. The PC carries a slick new design with a matte silver finish around the body, reminiscent of Mac Pros from years past. And unlike previous Envy Desktops, you can pack some serious hardware inside this one.

The machine is targeted at creators, and the specs back that up. You can configure it with up to an Intel Core i9-12900K and Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti, along with up to 128GB of DDR4-3200 memory.

Related Videos
HP Envy desktop sitting on a desk.

For context, last-gen’s Envy desktop was locked to an 11th-gen i7 and an RTX 3060. The newly announced HP Omen 45L is better suited for gaming, but with the hardware on offer for the Envy Desktop, it could be a gaming monster as well.

It’s enough to run the latest AAA games at 4K, but the Envy Desktop is built to satisfy more than gamers. The machine comes with HP Palette, which is a digital workspace that includes a variety of productivity features — Duet for HP, which allows you to extend your desktop to an HP tablet, and QuickDrop, which allows you to quickly share photos between your phone and HP device.

Outside of digital screen sharing, you can also hook up to four monitors to the Envy Desktop, as well as expand your connectivity through the Thunderbolt 4 port. The new design also takes notes from HP’s Omen range with a tool-less case that allows you to upgrade memory, storage, or graphics down the line.

HP doesn’t have final pricing details yet, but you can expect a much higher price than last gen’s model if you opt for a premium configuration. The machine can scale down to a Core i5-12400 and RTX 3060 GPU, which should be much cheaper. HP says the Envy Desktop will be available in the spring.

Along with the Envy Desktop, HP announced the Z2 Mini G9, which the company calls “the world’s most powerful mini workstation.” Continuing the trend of the Z2 Mini series, this new machine is only 8.6 inches deep and 8.3 inches wide, allowing you to mount it behind the newly announced HP Z40c G3 monitor or under your desk.

HP Z2 Mini PC with an HP monitor.

It may be a mini PC, but the Z2 Mini G9 is still a workstation. It comes packed with up to a low-profile Nvidia RTX A2000, along with 12th-gen Intel Core vPro processors and DDR5 memory. The machine even supports unlocked K-series Intel chips, allowing you to overclock your processor if you want.

HP doesn’t have pricing details on the Z2 Mini G9 yet, either, but the machine is expected to start shipping in March. Along with these announcements, HP revealed several new products at CES 2022, including new Elitebook models and new monitors that come fitted with built-in webcams.

Editors' Recommendations

New AMD laptop CPU destroys its predecessor, winning by 90%
AMD CEO holding the Ryzen 7040 series processor.

New benchmarks suggest that there's a lot to be excited about if you're a laptop gamer. The leaked tests show off the performance of the upcoming AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX, as well as AMD's latest Ryzen 7040 laptop APU.

The former completely destroyed its predecessor, while the latter proved itself to be a strong alternative to a traditional gaming laptop -- perhaps even better than Valve's Steam Deck.

Read more
AMD vs. Intel: which wins in 2023?
Pads on the bottom of the Ryzen 9 7950X.

Picking between AMD and Intel is one of the main considerations whenever you build a new PC. Like macOS versus Windows, the AMD versus Intel rivalry is one of the greatest debates for PC enthusiasts, and right now, we are in the middle of a neck-and-neck race that's bound to get even more heated.

Now that AMD has launched its Ryzen 7000 CPUs and Intel its 13th-generation Raptor Lake processors, it's time to revisit the dynamic between AMD and Intel in 2023. Forget the head-to-heads of yesteryear. This is the AMD versus Intel battle as it exists today.
AMD versus Intel: a brief history

Read more
The first RTX 4080 laptops are much cheaper than we expected
Someone typing on the Alienware m18 laptop.

Next-gen Nvidia RTX 40-series laptops might not be as expensive as we expected. Alienware announced pricing and availability for its upcoming m18, m16, and x16 featuring the mobile RTX 4080, and prices are actually a bit lower compared to the best gaming laptops of the current generation.

We expected next-gen Nvidia laptops to be more expensive than the previous generation, not only because of $1,000 machines like the MSI Cyborg, but also due to the rising prices of desktop GPUs like the RTX 4080. That's not the case for Alienware's first batch of machines, however.

Read more