HP Z240

HP Z240 Tower workstation

It may be presented as an entry-level workstation, but HP’s new ‘Skylake’ desktop offers plenty for even the most demanding 3D CAD users.

For years, desktop workstations came in three types — entry-level, mid-range and high-end — but in 2009 the major manufacturers threw another into the mix and the sub entry-level workstation was born.

This new class of machine was all about moving the designer with a limited budget away from a desktop PC and onto a workstation that is tested and certified to run CAD software.

The performance of the first machines was not earth shattering and there were trade-offs in storage and memory, but for just under $1,000 (£700) you could bag yourself a decent workstation for AutoCAD and entry-level 3D CAD.

Over the years, the boundaries between sub entry-level and entry-level have blurred to the extent that there is now very little between HP’s latest budget offering, the Z240, and the Z440.

Much of this is down to Intel’s new generation Skylake CPU technology, which is at the heart of the Z240. We are not talking about processing power here though, as there has only been a relatively small leap in performance over Haswell, the Intel CPU found inside the Z440. Instead, Skylake has brought with it significant advances in storage and memory.

HP has jumped on these new developments, offering not one, but two new generation NVMe Solid State Drives (SSDs) inside the Z240’s mini tower chassis. These high-performance drives are branded HP Z Turbo Drive G2; one is mounted directly on the motherboard while the other is on a PCIe x 4 add-in card.

NVMe is a new native PCIe SSD technology that replaces SATA. A quick run through our AS Product spec Previously, this much memory was only available in the HP SSD benchmark shows the ■ Intel Xeon E3-1270 Z440. HP Z Turbo Drive G2 to have approximately three times v5 (3.6GHz, Turbo to 4.0GHz) (Quad Core) processor) 64GB should be more than enough for even the most hardthe sequential read perfor- ■ 32GB (2 x 16GB) core of CAD users and our test mance and two times the DDR4 2,133MHz ECC memory machine’s 32GB (2 x 16GB sequential write performance ■ 2 x 256GB HP Z DIMMs) is a much better fit for of a SATA-based SSD. Turbo Drive G2 (PCIe mainstream CAD. It also leaves Copying 20GB of CAD data NVMe SSD) + 1TB Western Digital two DIMM slots free should (19,000 files) between our blue HDD your needs grow in the future. test machine’s two drives ■ Nvidia Quadro With most processes in CAD took just 20 seconds, which K2200 (4GB GDDR5) GPU (348.17 driver) software being single threaded is quite incredible. ■ Microsoft Windows or lightly threaded (that is, they

Day to day, however, this 7 Professional 64-bit can only take advantage of one exceptional bandwidth is only ■ 399 x 170 x 442mm or two CPU cores), the quad core likely to benefit those with ■ 3 years parts, Intel Xeon E3-1270 v5 (3.6GHz – certain disk-intensive work3 years labour, and 3 years onsite service 4.0GHz) in our test machine is flows — huge datasets used in (3/3/3) standard pretty top notch. It is only a tiny video editing, simulation or limited warranty step down from the much more point cloud processing. ■ £TBC expensive Intel Xeon E3-1280 v5

For mainstream CAD, hp.co.uk (3.7GHz – 4.0GHz). where disk read/write opera- There are a number of other tions usually come in bursts, processors to choose from, the benefits are likely to be far less pro- including various Skylake Core i5, Core i7 nounced. and Xeon E3-1200 v5 models. All of those

As a result, while having two 256GB on offer should serve CAD users well, but as HP Z Turbo Drives certainly shows off the they are limited to four cores, those heavily extreme capabilities of this so-called into simulation or rendering should look to entry-level workstation, it is probably the HP Z440, which offers Intel Xeon overkill for most designers. We would rec- E5-1600 v3 series CPUs up to eight cores. ommend stripping out one of the drives For 3D graphics, the Nvidia Quadro and saving yourself a bit of cash. K2200 (4GB) is well positioned for main-

Our test machine also came with a 1TB stream CAD, backed up by a good showHard Disk Drive (HDD), which offers a ing in our graphics benchmarks. much more cost-effective way to store the Beyond the core specifications, there are bulk of your CAD data. There is also room some nice enhancements to the Z240’s for three more 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drives, chassis. An integrated handle, which was so there is plenty of capacity if required. a hallmark of higher-end HP Z In short, there is nothing entry-level about Workstations, has finally trickled down to the HP Z240’s storage capabilities. the sub entry-level. This means you can

Memory has also improved significant- carry the Z240 with a single hand, which ly. While there will likely be a small per- is great for those that need their machine formance benefit of moving from DDR3 to to be portable. DDR4 memory, it is in capacity where the With a smaller motherboard than the HP Z240 shows its true aspirations. Z230, the Z240 is easier to service. Both

Whereas its predecessor, the HP Z230, memory and storage are within easy was restricted to 32GB DDR3 memory, the reach. HP says acoustics has also HP Z240 can host up to 64GB of DDR4. improved thanks to an ambient tempera-

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ture sensor on the motherboard, which helps optimise fan speeds, including one on the power supply. The machine was incredibly quiet throughout all of our tests. Even when hammering the CPU and the GPU by running a 3ds Max render and a graphics benchmark at the same time, fan noise never went above a barely audible hum.

To help ensure the machine remains this quiet over its lifetime, HP has added a dust filter to the front, where air is drawn in. Dust clogs fans and this can be a particular problem in certain environments, says HP — from under desks to manufacturing floors. The panel that holds the dust filter is exceptionally easy to remove, with a simple push and click. The filter can then be washed or replaced.

The front of the machine also gives easy access to USB ports. There are two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 (one always on), as well as a slimline optical drive and headphone and microphone jacks. There are four more USB 3.0 ports on the rear of the machine, so plenty of capacity for connecting fast external storage. Thunderbolt 2.0 is an optional extra via a PCIe add-in card. Conclusion With the Z240, HP has produced an exceptional workstation for CAD. With incredibly fast storage, mid to high-end graphics and up to 64GB of memory, there really is very little reason for CAD users to look beyond this mini tower machine. Only those who mix CAD with simulation or design visualisation may need to move up to the HP Z440 for more CPU cores, more memory or higher-end graphics.

Those with more mainstream requirements should also check out the small form factor (SFF) version of the HP Z240. It is a little lighter on storage and graphics, but has the same CPU and memory options. It looks to be a great little machine for those that want to save valuable desk space.

Greg Corke

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1 Optional handle fits in the top 5.25-inch bay 2 The push & click dust filter panel comes off easily 3 Exploded view of dust filter front panel. The filter itself can be washed or replaced 4 The primary HP Z Turbo Drive G2 slots right onto the motherboard. It features a heat sink to keep it running cool and stop any performance throttling 5 The secondary HP Z Turbo Drive G2 uses the same NVMe SSD module, mounted on a PCIe x 4 add-in card 6 HP also offers a small form factor (SFF) version of the HP Z240 which is a little lighter on storage and graphics but has the same CPU and memory options 7 PCI Express x 4 port — location of the secondary HP Z Turbo Drive 8 Onboard M.2 slot — location of the primary HP Z Turbo Drive 9 Two 3.5-inch drive bays for HDDs 10 One 2.5-inch drive bay for SSDs

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