All-in-One Workstation Built for CAD

By DE Editors

HP (Palo Alto, CA) has released the HP Z1, an all-in-one workstation that, the company says, is built for CAD professionals as well as similar users requiring fast rendering,  visualization, and high performance, such as those in the fields of digital media and entertainment. The workstation, which has an integrated a 27-in. diagonal display that snaps open so that users can swap out parts and install upgrades without special tools, will be offered with a full range of workstation-class graphics cards and processors, according to the company. Shipments are expected to begin in April.

HP says that its new HP Z1 All-in-One Workstation offers the high performance needed by CAD professionals.	The 27-in. LED backlit display on the HP Z1 snaps open, enabling users to perform hardware upgrades without special tools.

The HP Z1 leverages Intel processors and integrated Intel Core HD and Xeon HD professional graphics, as well as a new custom line of NVIDIA Quadro GPUs (graphic processing units). The latter, according to HP, is being made available in an all-in-one package for the first time. The Quadro GPUs, NVIDIA reports, which were developed through a multi-year collaboration between it and HP, come with up to 2GB of GDDR5 memory. The 27-in. LED backlit display supports more than 1 billion colors, and the NVIDIA graphics are certified and optimized for applications from Autodesk, SolidWorks, and Adobe. Additionally, HP says that the HP Z1 is the only all-in-one workstation currently offered with quad-core Intel Xeon processors.

The HP Z1 workstation has four memory slots, enabling it to be equipped with up to 32GB of RAM. Users can choose from a variety of storage types, including 7.2K and 10K SATA,  solid-state drive (SSD), optional RAID configurations, removable drives (AMO), a multi-format media card reader, and optical drives including a slot-load Blu-ray Writer. Side ports include USB 3.0, 1 IEEE 1394a, microphone and headphone. Rear ports include 4 USB 2.0,  RJ-45 Gb-LAN, Line-In, Line-Out, and Display Port In/Out. Miscellaneous features include dual-cone front-facing stereo speakers and a 2.0 megapixel webcam.

The HP Z1’s stand can be folded down.	The new HP Z1 uses Intel Xeon processors and NVIDIA Quadro workstation-class graphics.

Available operating systems include 32- and 64-bit Windows 7 Professional, HP Linux Installer Kit, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop/Workstation. With its collapsible stand, the HP Z1 measures 23x26x15.5 in. (HxWxD). The HP Z1 has been tested and certified to work with leading industry applications, according to the company (see below).

HP estimates the US street pricing for the new HP Z1 Workstation will start at $1,899, which includes HP Remote Graphics Software and HP Performance Advisor. For more information, visit HP.

Watch a video on the making of the HP Z1. 

Download the HP Z1 spec sheet. 

Learn about HP workstation software certifications. 

See why DE’s editors selected the HP Z1 All-in-One Workstation as their Pick of the Week.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.