HP’s ‘Z’ workstations updated with improved specs, but cling to old tech

By Gabe Carey April 1, 2016

hp refreshed z workstation lineup z24s with z840 desktop copy

Today HP revealed in a press release that it’s revising its Z workstation lineup with a number of improved specifications. These include “increased system expandability, higher-speed memory, and multicore updates to power the most demanding workflows,” according to HP.

Likewise, a 1TB Z Tubro Drive G2 PCIe solid-state drive has been grouped in with the PCs as well.

The “refreshed” lineup consists of the HP Z840, Z640, and Z440 desktops featuring Intel Xeon processors and the option of either Nvidia Quadro or AMD FirePro GPUs. Additionally, if you purchase one of these machines, you’ll have the choice between either Windows 10 or Linux. Each workstation will be capable of up to 2400MHz and up to 44 physical cores, thanks to Intel’s new Xeon E5-2600 v4 series CPUs.

Having been tested on a number of high-performance applications from Adobe, Autodesk, Avid, Dassault, ESRI, SolidWorks, Siemens, and more, the workstations are undoubtedly focused on power, which of course is what makes them workstations to begin with.

“HP Z Workstations deliver the power and speed needed for modeling, simulations, big data analysis, computer-aided design, and visualization applications, all of which translate to real solutions for a better world,” explained Opus College of Engineering Dean Kristina Ropella of Marquette University.

Still, HP is clinging to DDR4 RAM, and even though Thunderbolt 3 is rapidly becoming the standard due to its convergence with USB Type-C, the latest in HP’s Z workstation collection is still holding on to Thunderbolt 2.

Nonetheless, HP says its Turbo Drive G2 1TB PCIe SSD is its “fastest Z Turbo Drive solution to date,” so that must count for something.

These three workstations, the Z440, Z640, and Z840, will ship in April for $1,299, $1,759, and $2,399, respectively. The HP Z Turbo Drive G2 1TB PCIe will come out, also in April, for $799.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

A freelancer for Digital Trends, Gabe Carey has been covering the intersection of video games and technology since he was 16…

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