HP unveils new range of workstations

LAS VEGAS, USA: PC maker Hewlett-Packard on Tuesday expanded its Z Workstation family with the new range of HP Z210 Workstation, which is available in convertible mini-tower (CMT) or highly compact small form factor (SFF) options for space-constrained environments.

HP also announced three new HP EliteBook Mobile Workstations — HP EliteBook 8760w, 8560w and 8460w.

HP Z210: ideal for video editing

The HP Z210 models, which are ideal for customers in the video editing, MCAD/AEC, education, public sector and image viewing industries, raise the bar for entry-level workstation performance while providing workstation-class reliability at a highly affordable price, said a press release.

The company said the predecessors to the HP Z210 Workstations, the HP Z200 and HP Z200 SFF, are being used around the world by many reputed firms.

“An increasing number of customers in fast-growing market segments are turning to HP Z Workstations to meet the increasingly sophisticated demands of their businesses,” said Jeff Wood, director, Worldwide Marketing, Workstations, HP. He said the new HP Z210 Workstations meet these demands.

HP said the new workstation is 65 per cent smaller than the HP Z210 CMT. Both sizes offer the choice of enterprise-class Intel Xeon E3 and second-generation Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processors.

“Built for professionals, HP Z210 workstations with the new Intel Xeon processor E3 1200 family are changing the definition of the entry-level workstation,” said Anthony C. Neal-Graves, general manager, Workstation Unit, Intel Corporation.

He said this processor’s greatest innovation is how it integrates the CPU and graphics engines on the same die. “That means visual and 3-D graphics capabilities that were once only available to entry workstation users with discrete graphics cards will now be accessible to anyone with an entry workstation powered by the Intel Xeon E3 family with Intel HD Graphics P3000,” he added.

The HP Z210 models offer a range of professional graphics options, including 2-D choices from AMD and NVIDIA that incorporate dual graphics card capabilities that support up to four 2-D displays.

Pricing and availability

The new HP Z210 Workstations are expected to be available this spring. U.S. pricing starts at $659 for the HP Z210 CMT Workstation and $569 for the HP Z210 SFF Workstation.

New mobile workstations

HP said the new lineup of mobile workstations, HP EliteBook 8760w, 8560w and 8460w, which was also released on Tuesday, is ideal for engineering, power-computing and content-creation customers who need the performance of a workstation with the portability and convenience of a notebook.

Building on HP’s “FORGE”#8221; design framework, the HP EliteBook w-series products showcase HP’s first-ever industrial design specific to mobile workstations, with distinctive features including a radial-brushed gunmetal finish, backlit jewel logo and orange-colored accents, claimed HP.

The mobile workstations are also certified by independent software vendors to run the most demanding professional applications, helping ensure reliable performance for mobile power users, it added.

“As the fastest growing segment of the workstation market, mobile workstations continue to provide value to our most demanding design, animation and engineering customers,” said Efrain Rovira, director, Mobile Workstations, Notebook Business Unit, HP.

Pricing and availability

The HP EliteBook 8760w, 8560w and 8460w start at $1,899, $1,349 and $1,299 respectively, and are expected to be available in the United States in May.