Review: HP Z1 All-in-One Workstation

Disk Speed Tests

We ran a series of speed and performance tests on the Z1, using the Blackmagic Design’s Disk Speed Test and Adobe Media Encoder 7.1 for Windows 8 (Figure 3. below). AME is part of the Creative Cloud subscription but also available for free for a 30-day trial, the version we ran so as not to waste a license on a test machine.

Figure 3. Speed Test results. Click the image to see it at full size.

In a RAID 0, 64-bit configurations on both Windows 7 and Windows 8, the 2.5” drives performed surprisingly well, tuned as they were to the 16 GB of ECC RAM. The two drives yielded writes and reads right at 378 megabytes per second, more than enough to handle 2K 24/25 frame-per-second video at 10-bit YUV (4:2:2) and 10-bit RGB (4:4:4).

We also ran a series of GPU-intensive encoding tests, using AME. The tests compared two graphics cards, a Quadro K3000 and K4000, to the Xeon processor, which we chose specifically because it did not have integrated graphics that might skew test results.

Each test used a set of reference files from the Transitions’ Best Workflows tests, from which we chose several Transport Stream (.ts) and HDV clips for complexity and variety. The K3000 is a 28 nanometer design with 576 CUDA-based shader cores, while the K4000 is a 22 nanometer design with 768 cores. Both are designed for Intel third-generation processor interconnects via the Ivy Bridge chipset.

AME 7.1 has two settings for rendering: Mercury Playback Engine CUDA (for GPU) and Mercury Playback Engine Software (for CPU).

The results were a bit surprising: each GPU, as well as the CPU, rendered our test set in 25 minutes or less. In fact, the Xeon performed admirably well against the GPUs for this content, which was approximately 7 minutes in length, encoding in the same length of time as both the K3000 and K4000 GPUs.

So to elongate the test length, we modified our source content, using a 100-minute piece of continuous test footage. In this test, we found the GPUs did about ten percent better than the CPU, yielding an encode in 145 minutes compared to 157 minutes for the Xeon. This is a good reminder that sheer power in both the CPU and GPU are where a workstation shines, as Xeon processors aren’t available in the prosumer desktop.

Prying Eyes

One final workflow note: the Z1, like many all-in-one computers, has a front-facing webcam. Yet the 2-megapixel 1080p-capable webcam on the Z1 has a feature we’ve not seen on any other computer: a rotary knob that turns the camera facing down into the Z1 chassis instead of out towards the user. For those in industries that require privacy, this is the equivalent of putting black electrical tape across the camera, a trick I’ve seen used in corporate R&D facilities to avoid prying eyes.

Bottom Line

HP’s first foray into an all-in-one workstation required significant engineering detail. This attention to detail pays off not just for the Z1 but for the whole HP workstation line. While the company was once at a 30-point disadvantage to the industry leader, it focused on refreshing product much faster than competitors, and today holds 12-point lead over closest competitor. With all its workstation products accounting for over 42% of market share for desktop workstations, the Z1 was a natural fit for those who want workstation power on the desktop, not under it.