The all-in-one category is still dominated by systems designed for general purpose computing chores, though little by little, the landscape is changing. We've seen some AIOs emerge with gaming chops, too. On the development side of the equation, HP today announced its third generation Z1 G3 workstation, a powerful AIO with some interesting amenities.
HP says the Z1 G3 is "built for demanding users," though also for those who want to make the most out of their physical work space. Boasting a 23.6-inch 4K Ultra HD display, the new Z1 G3 is 47 percent smaller and 51 percent lighter than the previous generation. It's also lighter on the wallet with a starting price ($1,498) that's 21 percent less expensive than before.
"We took our groundbreaking, and most innovative workstation- the original Z1-and reinvented it by listening to our customers to create a new smaller, lighter and lower cost model," said Jeff Wood, vice president and general manager, Workstations and Thin Clients, HP Inc.
Though it's smaller and lighter, it's no less capable. The third-generation Z1 G3 packs new processor options based on Intel's Skylake architecture that run the gamut from a Core i3-6100 on up to a Xeon E3-1270 v5.
You can also configure the Z1 G3 with up to 64GB of DDR4-2133 RAM (ECC or non-ECC), up to two PCIe HP Z Turbo Drives and two additional 2.5-inch drives, and up to an Nvidia Quadro M2000M graphics card with 4GB of GDDR5 memory.
Those are some server-grade hardware options in an AIO form factor. It's also easy to service and upgrade or replace parts. That's because the Z1 G3 sports a "completely serviceable chassis" with a back panel that pops off without any tools.
HP says the Z1 G3 will be available to configure and purchase next month.
