HP has upgraded its most powerful dual-processor Z8 line of work with the latest components. The new systems contain up to two Intel Skylake-SP Xeon CPUs with up to 56 cores in total, up to 3TB of DDR4 RAM, terabytes of storage, as well as up to 9 PCIe slots along with optional TB3 and 10GbE support through add-in cards. The HP Z8 workstation will be the pinnacle of HP computers for personal and professional use and its price in high-end configurations will outperform even the high-end gaming PCs.
HP’s new workstations include up to two 28-core Xeon
Historically, most of the high-end workstations were based on server platforms to support more than one CPU and, therefore, offer superior performance to any desktop consumer.
Z8 multi-core CPUs
The emergence of dual-core and then multi-core CPUs a little more a decade ago changed the workstation market quite quickly and significantly. In a world with quad-core CPUs, the 4-way workstations did not make much sense to 99% of users and therefore quickly died out. In addition, so far, even 2-way workstations have become rare.
Z8 Power Consumption
One of the key components of all PCs is their microprocessor. When it comes to the HP Z8, it relies on up to two Intel Xeon Platinum 8180s with 28 cores and 205 W TDP each, which means that the system has to remove 410 W of thermal power from only CPUs, and this requirement had a significant impact on the design of the entire system.
The company did not want to use a liquid cooling system, so it had to design an air-cooled solution capable of cooling two extremely hot CPUs, as well as up to 24 DDR4-2666 memory modules. Each processor has its own radiator equipped with a high-pressure air fan (whose speed is regulated by the BIOS according to the system temperature monitored by numerous sensors).
HP SPECTER X2 (2017) WITH INTEL KABY LAKE
Further, the system has multiple airflow vents at the front and at the top, as well as a fan that drains hot air at the back. According to HP, a chassis architecture of this type ensures that the second CPU does not reuse hot air from the first, but since they are located very close, one will always affect another with its heat. Finally, the system has additional fans that chill other components and produce more airflow within the chassis.
Z8 Air Flow
Further, the system has multiple airflow vents at the front and at the top, as well as a fan that drains hot air at the back. According to HP, a chassis architecture of this type ensures that the second CPU does not reuse hot air from the first, but since they are located very close, one will always affect another with its heat. Finally, the system has additional fans that chill other components and produce more airflow within the chassis.
Speaking of other components, the HP Z8 supports many of them – what one might want. First, the system has four PCIe 3.0 x16 slots for graphics cards or SSDs (up to AMD Radeon Pro, NVIDIA Quadro P100 or GP100. That is up to 4 TB HP Z Turbo Drive Quad Pro, etc.). There are three PCIe 3.0 x8 (two are non-hot swappable) for SSDs and two PCIe 3.0 x4 slots. In addition to PCIe-based storage, the Z8 also features four 2.5 “/ 3.5” bays for SSDs or SATA / SAS HDDs. As well as two 5.25 “external bays that can also accommodate storage devices of form factor with appropriate adapters. Those who need it, HP can also install an SD card reader as well as a slim DVD or Blu-ray ODD.
Z8 other specifications
When it comes to connectivity, the HP Z8 has all the bases covered. By default, the system supports two GbE connectors (powered by Intel controllers). An 802.11ac Wi-Fi + Bluetooth module (Intel Wireless-AC 8265 controller), two USB 3.1 type C ports. And two USB 3.1 type A ports front, four Type A USB 3.1 ports on the back, multichannel audio connectors (a Realtek HD ALC221 driver) on the back. A TRRS audio jack on the front, and so on. Meanwhile, owners can optionally install two 10GbE controllers. A Thunderbolt 3 companion card and a variety of custom components for various industries and workloads (an external audio solution for a 5.25 “bay, for example).
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Since many companies and companies require robust security for all their machines, HP takes it all seriously and sends the Z8 with a whole set of security features called by HP SureStart. The system has secure authentication, full volume encryption, TPM 2.0, has a Kensington lock and so on.
All CPUs, GPUs, SSDs and other components require a lot of power and HP Z8 has a lot of it. The manufacturer offers 1125 W, 1450 W or 1700 W internal PSUs with up to 90% efficiency. The PSU is in a compartment behind the motherboard, so HP is likely to use proprietary drives.
HP ENVY 13 AND ENVY 17 (2017) SPECIFICATIONS
Now, it is time to talk about availability and prices. HP plans to ship the HP Z8 workstations in October. An entry-level model with a CPU, a basic GPU and storage will cost $ 2,439. Meanwhile, once the system is equipped with two Xeon Platinum 8180 CPUs. NVIDIA Quadro P100 / GP100 graphics, multiple PCIe SSDs, 3TB DDR4 memory, several 12TB HDDs. And various advanced I / O capabilities (TB3, 10 GbE, etc.). ), its price will easily reach tens of thousands of dollars.
Normally, at this point, a supplier like HP claims that high-end models are likely to sell under B2B contracts. Where unit costs are not as severe. An OEM has told us that only 5% of sales from their high-end workstations come through direct sales for similar prices.
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