HP Z1 G2 All-in-One workstation strikes with Thunderbolt 2, Windows 8 Touch

HP workstation
27 diagonal inches to consider

HP isn't sitting silently by as the tech winds whirl through CES 2014. The company has announced the second generation of its 27-inch diagonal display workstation, the HP Z1.

The HP Z1 G2, as the new machine is called, packs Windows 8 Touch and optional Intel Thunderbolt 2, turning it into Hewlett's kicking-est All-in-One workstation yet.

Not due on the market till later this month, the Z1 G2 is aimed at workers and specialists in CAD design, graphic arts and university-level education. Because of Thunderbolt 2, the new AiO supports 4K video workflows - ideal for folks who need to work with high-res.

It's also the station's Thunderbolt tech that jumps it over the competition HP claimed, but there are other nuts and bolts that make the still un-priced machine worth a look.

HP Z1 G2 guts

In addition to faster connection speeds, the workstation carries a 27-inch diagonal LCD white LED display. The screen sits atop a 2560 x 1440 resolution and is 8-bit

HP is offering the Z1 G2 in two base configs: non-touch and no glass and touch with glass. The latter version features 10-point touch with an edge-to-edge display while the touch-less version sticks it to reflections with antiglare capability.

3D graphics professionals have an number of graphics options, including Nvidia Mobile Quadro GPUs. The Z1 G2 also houses Intel integrated HD Graphics 4 and fourth-gen Intel Xeon and Core processors.

Speaking of processors, HP touted the new AiO offers support for up to 95W chipsets.

The new workstation also features improved rear I/O accessibility, 2 USB 3.0 ports and a one-touch service mode.

Equipped with dual-tone, front-facing speakers and DTS Studio Sound Audio, the Z1 G2's specs round out with ECC memory and RAID storage options.

Michelle Fitzsimmons

Michelle was previously a news editor at TechRadar, leading consumer tech news and reviews. Michelle is now a Content Strategist at Facebook.  A versatile, highly effective content writer and skilled editor with a keen eye for detail, Michelle is a collaborative problem solver and covered everything from smartwatches and microprocessors to VR and self-driving cars.