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HP Z2 Mini G4 Workstation

 & Tom Brant Managing Editor

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Meet the HP Z2 Mini G4 Workstation

Somehow, HP has managed to fit an Intel Xeon processor and a Nvidia Quadro GPU in this diminutive, snazzy-looking black box. They qualify the Z2 Mini as a bona fide workstation

Small Enough to Fit Nearly Anywhere

Thanks to the chassis' diminutive form factor, you can install the Z2 Mini vertically or horizontally on top of your desk.

Side Ports

Along the side, you'll spot two USB 3.0 ports, one of which supports quick-charging connected devices. There's also a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm audio input/output jack.

Rear Ports

Around back, our review unit features no fewer than three DisplayPort 1.2 outputs for connecting the latest external displays, as well as a second USB Type-C port, two more USB 3.0 ports, the power connection, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, and a serial port for legacy hardware.

No Ports on the Front

All the ports are located on the side or rear, giving the front of the Z2 Mini a clean, sleek look.

Accessing Memory

The two SO-DIMM slots, also easy to reach, support ECC RAM for specialized use cases.

Dual-Drive Storage

Here you can see the 2.5-inch 1TB hard drive, easily accessible with the lid off. The test unit also has an SSD for a boot drive.

Redesigned Airflow Vents

Hot air escapes through four vents, one at each corner of the chassis. These vents have been redesigned for the fourth generation, one of the few physical alterations to the Z4 Mini.

Flimsy Peripherals

HP sent along a cheap-looking, uncomfortable plastic keyboard and mouse with the Z2 Mini G4, but you can opt not to get these.

About Our Expert

Tom Brant

Tom Brant

Managing Editor

I’m a managing editor at PCMag.com focused on PC hardware. Reading this during the day? Then you've caught me testing gear and editing reviews of Wi-Fi routers, printers, laptops, and tons of other personal tech. (Reading this at night? Then I’m probably dreaming about all those cool products.) I’ve covered the consumer tech world as an editor, reporter, and analyst since 2015.

I've covered most major consumer tech events, including CES, Computex, Google I/O, and IFA. I've also appeared on CBS News, in USA Today, and at many other outlets to offer analysis on breaking technology news.

Before I joined the tech-journalism ranks, I wrote on topics as diverse as Borneo's rainforests, Middle Eastern airlines, and Big Data's role in presidential elections. A graduate of Middlebury College, I also have a master's degree in journalism and French Studies from New York University.

The Technology I Use

While most people buy a phone or laptop and stick with it for years, I’m lucky enough to use devices based on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows daily as part of my job. As a result, I cycle through lots of tech in addition to my IT-issue work laptop. (Yes, that's a ThinkPad.) Personally, I’ve also owned a lot of tech products both cutting-edge and cringeworthy, from the Nintendo GameCube and the original MacBook to the Palm m105 and the CueCat.

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