HP · Intel · Mac Pro · Workstation · Xeon ·Jun 25, 2014

Videoguys' Guide to HP Z Workstations: The Video Editors Best Choice

Videoguys' Guide to HP Z Workstations: The Video Editors Best Choice

The Pros are Moving from Mac to Z

When it comes to choosing a workstation that delivers uncompromising performance, there’s simply no contest. Take it from experienced pros like Rob Legato, Jonathan Bird, Devin Super Tramp and the techs at Videoguys.com.

Videoguys.com recommends the HP z Workstations. HP uses only the best components, and these workstations come optimized for digital content creation. The new HP z820 is the power users choice, and the best dual Xeon solution on the market. We like the z420 single Xeon machines for professionals who don't require as much horsepower, but demand the same level of reliability and stability. When it comes to stability, reliability and performance HP workstations set the bar by which all others are judged. They are more expensive then a DIY build, but you get what you pay for. If you're building a professional post facility, HP z series workstations are the way to go!

See the difference between HP Z and the new MacPro

HP Z440 QUAD CORE XEON	Mac Pro BasicME253LL/A	HP Z640 HEX-CORE XEON	Mac ProUpgraded MD878LL	HP Z840DUAL HEX-CORE	Mac ProMaxed Out ZOP8	HP Z840DUAL OCTO-CORE
$2,799.00	$2,999	$3,999	$3,999	$4,999	$9,599	9,999.00
Intel Xeon E5 CPU(s) and Total Number of Processing Cores
Quad-Core	Quad-Core	Hex-Core	Hex-Core	Dual Hex-Core	12-Core	Octo-Core
4	4	6	6	2	12	8
Memory – Videoguys recommends at least 16GB of RAM to achieve the best possible video editing workflows.You can add an additional 16GB RAM for approx $400 to any HP z workstation
16GB	12GB	32GB	16GB	32GB	64GB	64GB
Graphic Processor (GPU) – Adobe Creative Cloud and Avid Media Composer are optimized for NVIDIA CUDA GPU acceleration. They are NOT optimized for AMD processors
NVIDIA Quadro K2200 4GB	Dual AMD FirePro D300	NVIDIA Quadro K4200 4GB	Dual AMD FirePro D500	NVIDIA Quadro K4200 4GB	Dual AMD FirePro D700	NVIDIA Quadro K5200
Included Storage followed by Maximum expandable internal storage.HP Workstations include 4 drive bays that can be filled with a pair of 3TB drives in RAID 0 for under $500or 4 x 3TB drives in RAID5 for 9TB of useable redundant storage for under $1,000.
256GB SSD	256GB PCIe flash	512GB SSD	256GB PCIe flash	256GB SSD	1TB PCIe flash	512GB SSD
Blu-ray Disc Burner for high-definition disc authoring & archiving
Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Thunderbolt 2 – The HP and Apple systems listed here ALL include Thunderbolt 2 technology – a dual protocol I/O innovation that dramatically increases transfer performance with bi-directional 10 Gbps speed, and offers daisy chaining to multiple external devices, providing flexibility and simplicity.
Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Warranty – For 30 years HP has been supporting the creative professional, which is why they provide a limited three-year, on-site warranty. So no more packing up equipment and hauling it in or sending it off. If anything goes wrong, HP will come to you, on your schedule, and get you back up and running fast.
3 Years On Site	1 Year	3 Years On Site	1 Year	3 Years On Site	1 Year	3 Years On Site
$2,799	MacPro not currently available at Videoguys.com	$3,999.00	MacPro not currently available at Videoguys.com	$4,999.00	MacPro not currently available at Videoguys.com	$9,999.00

HP Z Workstations feature awesome performance straight out of the box

Thanks to the incredible processing power of the HP Z8 Workstations, pros are able to take on massive workloads, running multiple workstreams simultaneously without ever slowing down.

In terms of performance, the HP Z8 Workstations blaze ahead of the Mac Pro, delivering enough power to put whatever you have in your imagination on to the big screen.

HP Performance Advisor helps you gain a quick and accurate understanding of your entire system in one simple, intelligent interface. Expedite troubleshooting and eliminate downtime with one-click system reporting.

Even the most powerful computer can be handicapped by a sub-par GPU, which is why HP Z Workstations come equipped with industry-leading NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics. Designed and built specifically for professional workstations, NVIDIA Quadro GPUs power more than 200 professional applications across a broad range of industries including manufacturing, media and entertainment, sciences, and energy. Professionals trust them to realize their most ambitious visions – whether it’s product design, visualization and simulation, or spectacular visual storytelling – and get results to market faster, more profitably, and with superior visual quality.

Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects make specific use of the NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics boards and their own parallel computing platform and programming model called “CUDA”. Adobe applications have specific functions that require CUDA or OptiX and this performance acceleration is only available using NVIDIA CUDA-enabled video cards and display systems.

What is the difference between an HP Smart Buy and a Custom Configured System?

Videoguys' Tech Select HP Workstations are custom-configured by our technicians to hit some great price points and still provide you with a machine that we strongly recommend. HP uses only the best components, and these workstations come optimized for digital content creation. They are easily expandable and upgradable which means you’ll get a longer useful life out of them.

The new HP z840 is the power users choice, and the best dual Xeon solution on the market. We like the z440 single Xeon machines for professionals who don’t require as much horsepower, but demand the same level of reliability and stability. If you are a power user on a budget, the z640 can be upgraded to a second Xeon processor down the road.

When it comes to stability, reliability and performance HP workstations set the bar by which all others are judged. They are more expensive then a DIY build, but you get what you pay for. These workstations use the highest quality components and are designed for heavy duty editing environments. If you want the best, HP workstations are up for the test. If you’re building a professional post facility, HP z series workstations are the only way to go!

Videoguys' Tech Select machines have all been built for superior performance with Avid, Adobe, Grass Valley EDIUS and Sony Vegas NLE software as well as Sorenson Squeeze desktop encoding software and Telestream Wirecast for live production and streaming.

Give our tech’s Scott & Eric a call 800-323-2325 for answers to all of your HP workstation questions. They can customize any of these machines with more RAM, better Quadro graphics cards and Xeon processors with more cores. They are here to help guide you into the best possible HP workstation & NLE solution for your budget.

Videoguys' Tech Select HP z440 Quad Core Workstation

Take your business to the next level of performance, expandability, and no compromise reliability in one complete package. The HP Z440 features a perfect mix of HP Z DNA in a performance workstation. This Videoguys HP Z440 Workstation includes:

4-Core Intel Xeon E5-1603v3 @ 2.80GHz
16GB DDR4-2133 RAM
NVIDIA Quadro K2200 Graphics w/ 4GB GFX Memory
256GB Solid State Boot Drive
15-in-1 Memory Card Reader
Thunderbolt 2
Blu-Ray writer
Win 8.1 Pro w/ W7 Pro Downgrade
3/3/3 Year Onsite Warranty

$2,799.00

Videoguys' Tech Select HP z640 Hex Core Workstation

Redefine versatility and flexibility. Expand your capabilities with the HP Z640 Workstation, a system that lets you configure and reconfigure with ease to create your perfect solution. Then concentrate on your work, not your workstation, as you experience powerful performance, whisper-quiet computing, and tool-less access in a conveniently compact design. When every inch, watt, and decibel matter count on the HP Z640 Workstation. This Videoguys HP Z460 Workstation includes:

6-Core Intel Xeon E5-2603v3 @ 1.60GHz
32GB DDR4-2133 RAM
NVIDIA Quadro K4200 Graphics w/ 4GB GFX Memory
512GB Solid State Boot Drive
15-in-1 Memory Card Reader
Thunderbolt 2
Blu-Ray writer
Win 8.1 Pro w/ W7 Pro Downgrade
3/3/3 Year Onsite Warranty

$3,999.00

Videoguys' Tech Select HP z840 High-Performance HP Workstations with Dual Intel Xeon Processors

Push your computing boundaries with the HP Z840 Workstation and keep up with your biggest projects. Built for high-end computing and visualization, the HP Z840 delivers outstanding performance in one of the industry’s most expandable chassis. Primed to perform, the HP Z840 allows you to achieve the performance you need with the ability to support two next generation Intel® Xeon® processors.

z840 Dual Hex-Core Xeon HP Workstation with 32GB of RAM and Quadro

K4200 GPU for under $5K!
Dual Hex-Core Xeon E5-2620v3 2.4 6C
32GB (4x8) DDR4-2133
256GB Solid State Boot Drive
NVIDIA Quadro K4200 4GB
Slim Blu-ray Writer
HP 15-In-1 Media Card Reader
Thunderbolt 2
Win 8.1 DG to Win 7 Pro 64
3/3/3 Year Onsite Warranty

$4,999.00

z840 Dual Octo-Core Xeon HP Workstation with 64GB RAM, 512GB SSD & Quadro K5200 GPU for under $10K!

Dual Octo-Core Xeon E5-2630v3 2.4 8C
64GB (4x16GB) DDR4-2133
512GB Solid State Boot Drive
NVIDIA Quadro K5200 4GB
Slim Blu-ray Writer
HP 15-In-1 Media Card Reader
Integrated Thunderbolt 2
Win 8.1 DG to Win 7 Pro 643/3/3 Year Onsite Warranty

$9,999.00

When you need more, add more in seconds!

Creativity is always changing, so we created the HP Z8 Workstations to feature tool-less serviceability, letting you easily get inside and expand your hardware to have the power and speed to fit your needs. Whatever they are, whenever you want.

Hardware that's made for your software.

HP worked directly with partners like Adobe and Avid to create software that’s optimized specifically to take advantage of HP hardware and the NVIDIA CUDA platform to wring even more powerhouse performance out of the GPU.

Working together, HP and Adobe help industry professionals solve tough creative challenges with innovative hardware and software that are tuned and integrated for better performance. HP and Adobe engineers work closely to verify that Adobe Creative Cloud applications can take full advantage of the performance features of HP Workstations to give pros greater confidence in their production solution.

Improve Your Workflow

Adobe Creative Creative Cloud software is the high performance toolset with everything you need to create productions for virtually any screen. You’ll experience amazing performance from pre-production to post. Get the entire collection of all the creative pro tools available from Adobe at one unbeatable price. That means you can edit your video, mix the sound, add motion graphics, color grade, and even create promotional materials—all in-house. Do your best work and do it fast with HP Z Desktop or Mobile Workstations with DreamColor display technology offering color space critical presets like Adobe RGB and Rec 709.

Adobe Professional Software Demands Workstation Power

With up to 8 dual core Intel Xeon processors, expanded I/O and massive storage, professional graphics hardware and fast, reliable memory, HP Z Workstations are designed, tested, and built for Adobe users looking for high performance and extreme stability.

Working together, HP & Adobe solve tough creative challenges

The combination of HP Workstation hardware and Adobe software helps solve some of the toughest creative challenges with solutions that are tuned and integrated for better performance. Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information and HP designs and manufactures some of the best performing workstations available today. Together HP and Adobe engineers work closely to help ensure that Adobe applications take full advantage of the performance capabilities of the latest HP Workstations.

Working together, HP and Avid help industry professionals solve tough creative challenges with innovative hardware and software that are tightly integrated for optimized performance. HP and Avid engineers closely collaborate to certify the latest versions of Media Composer, NewsCutter, and Pro Tools on the latest HP Workstations.

Avid creative professionals demand workstation power HP Workstations are designed for Avid film, video, and audio pros looking for high performance, extreme expandability, and mission-critical reliability. HP Workstations offer up to dual 8-core Intel® Xeon® processors, the latest NVIDIA® Quadro® graphics hardware, up to 512GB of RAM, and a revolutionary tool-free chassis design for easy serviceability.

Use what Avid uses – HP Workstations

HP has a unique relationship with Avid. HP Workstations are the internal desktop standard throughout Avid. This means that Avid chooses HP Workstations to develop, test, and demo their powerful, cutting-edge software and hardware products. Additionally, Avid has chosen HP Workstations for its turnkey solutions, including Avid Media Composer and Avid NewsCutter products. This close relationship gives you the confidence that your solution providers will work together to support your needs for years to come.

Rigorous testing and certification

HP invests in people, equipment, testing, and certification processes to help ensure that Avid applications take full advantage of the performance capabilities of the latest HP Workstations. HP product testing includes application performance, graphics, and comprehensive ISV certification for maximum productivity. Before HP Workstations receive Avid certification, they undergo rigorous testing. You can be confident with your solution investment in HP and Avid. Also, all HP Workstations come with a 3-year parts, 3-year labor and 3-year onsite service (3/3/3) standard limited warranty that is extendable up to 5 years.

Go mobile - no cords, drives, or extras needed.

Creative professionals like you can’t be chained to an office, which is why HP created the ZBook – designed to deliver the same level of heavy-duty production and post production, no matter where you are, without any additional equipment.

Take advantage of powerful processing and graphics, consistent color throughout your workflow, simple scalability, and the blazing-fast connectivity your team needs to perform and collaborate at the speed of creativity.

HP zBook 15" Smart Buy $2,999.00	MacBook Pro 15" 2.3 GHz Retina Display $2,799.00	HP zBook 17" Dream Machine $6,199.00
Processor Cores
Core i7-4800MQ 2.7 6MB 4C	2.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i7	Core i7-4900MQ 2.8 8MB 4C
Memory
16GB (2x8) 1600 non-ECC Upgradeable to 32GB	16GB 1600MHz. Non-upgradeable	32GB (4x8) 1600 non-ECC
Internal Storage
750GB SATA 7200 32GB mSATA SSD	512GB PCIe-based flash storage	512GB SATA-3 Solid State Drive 750GB 7200 SATA 2nd HDD
Graphics Processor & Display
Workstation Graphics NVIDIA Quadro K2100M 2GB with DreamColor FHD UWVA 15.6” Display	NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M with 2GB GDDR5 memory	Workstation Graphics NVIDIA Quadro K5100M 8GB with DreamColor FHD UWVA 17.3” Display
Blu-ray Writer
Blu-Ray Writer	No	Blu-Ray Writer
Battery Life
14 hrs	8hrs	12 hrs
Thunderbolt 2.0
Yes	Yes	Yes
Warranty
3 years, on site	1 year	3 years, on site
HP Z Workstations are available now at Videoguys.com
$2,999.00	MacBook Pro not currently available at Videoguys.com	$6,199.00

HP Z1 G2 27” All-in-One Workstation Smart Buy $2,999.00	Apple iMac 27" $2,599.00
Processor Cores
Intel Xeon E3-1245v3 3.4 8MB GT2 4C HT	Intel Core i7 3.5GHz Quad-core
Memory
16GB (2x8) 1866 ECC Upgradeable to 32 GB	16GB (2x8) 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM Upgradeable to 32 GB
Storage
2 Storage Drives! 256GB mSATA-3 Solid State Drive plus 1TB 7200 SATA 2nd HDD	Limited to 1 drive. SSD, SATA or Fusion Drive 1 TB Fusion Drive.
Thunderbolt 2
Yes	Yes
Warranty
3 years, on site	1 year
Expandability
Easily modify and expand the HP Z1 G2 with HPs innovative tool-less design. Add workstation graphics or select the optional 10-point touchscreen.	No
HP Z Workstations are available now at Videoguys.com
$2,999.00	iMac not currently available at Videoguys.com

Affordable, all-in-one workstation with internal expansion.

Unlike the iMac, the HP Z1 G2 All-in-one workstation allows you to change most components or make upgrades on your own without tools or a service technician. Simply snap open the chassis and customize to fit your needs.

The HP Z1 G2 Workstation is HP’s elegant and innovative all-in-one workstation with a brilliant, large-screen display. Easily modify and change most components—no tools required. Unleash your creativity with accelerated performance and world-class reliability. Customize your display with optional 10-point touch technology in a stunning edge-to-edge glass design.

Switch to Windows seamlessly.

Adobe Creative Cloud applications and Avid Media Composer | Software have the exact same interface on Mac and Windows machines so making the switch to Windows is going to be much easier than you think. Besides, as a creative professional, you spend most of your time in these applications anyway!

These pros already made the move from Mac to Z...

Rob Legato & Mark Russell Hollywood blockbusters Power the impossible

HP Z Workstations transform CGI fantasy into the real thing.

Jonathan Bird Broadcast TV Speed up your workflow

Edit, change, do over and start again in minutes – not hours.

Devin Super Tramp Viral videos Create anywhere

No need to get back to a studio. Do the work wherever it takes you.

Visual effects supervisors Rob Legato and Mark Russell use HP Z Workstations when they need to turn impractical, unattainable, unthinkable shots into on-screen reality.Rob Legato is a two-time Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor and second unit director of photography. He won his first Academy Award for his work on Titanic, and his second for Hugo. Rob has also been awarded for his work on Apollo 13and the Star Trek franchise.After attending the University of Southern California, Mark began his career in film production in Los Angeles, working on groundbreaking films such as Saving Private Ryan and Minority Report. He now resides in New York, working on both major motion pictures and supervising independent projects and directing short films.Thanks to the incredible processing power of the HP Z8 Workstations, Rob and Mark are able to take on massive workloads, running multiple workstreams simultaneously without ever slowing down.

In 1991 Jonathan Bird formed Oceanic Research Group Inc., dedicated to producing educational ocean-related material. Since then he’s produced 13 educational films, published 7 books, and created the award-winning seriesJonathan Bird’s Blue World, earning him 9 Emmy Awards and 2 CINE Golden Eagle Awards.Jonathan Bird takes the world underwater in his nine-time Emmy award-winning series Jonathan Bird’s Blue World, edited and produced right from his own home studio.Bird and his team chose the HP Z8 Workstations because they’re built to keep up with creativity, packing more memory so you have the freedom to try new things, rearrange and re-do, without having to worry about waiting.“Our Mac was taking twelve hours to render one of these like, ten second little graphics, and with our new Z Workstation, the first one we did, it rendered in two hours – at full resolution.”

Devin “Super Tramp” Graham started creating YouTube videos for a friend in college. Since his first video he’s shot to internet superstardom, earning over 300 million views, gaining 1.78 million followers, and directing commercials for brands like Ford, Mountain Dew and Panasonic.Armed with a video camera and an HP ZBook, Devin takes internet viewers on extreme adventures, producing Hollywood-quality videos on location – every week.Creatives like Devin can’t be chained to an office, which is why HP created the ZBook – designed to deliver the same level of heavy-duty production and post production, no matter where you are, without any additional equipment.Devin can seamlessly transition from the road to the studio, transferring all his data via Thunderbolt™ 2.01– the industry’s fastest, most versatile I/O connection. And with the HP DreamColor LP2480zx Professional LCD display, he can see it all play back in one billion active colors.

Computer components and prices change quickly and there are also several factors that may impact the price of a custom configured machine. Here are some examples of upgrade options and their costs as of early-summer 2014. These prices are just a guideline of how they may affect your overall system price and when you call us at 800-323-2325 our HP sales experts will do the best they can to offer you the lowest price on the completely congigured workstation that best meets your need.What are some of the custom-configured Upgrade Options for the HP Z Workstations?

Upgraded Boot Drive		Additional Video Storage		Upgraded GPU
256 GB SSD	Standard	2x2TB RAID 0	+ $350	K2000 to K4000	+$400
512 GB SSD	+ $325	2x3TB RAID 0	+ $475	K4000 to K5000	+$1,000
1 TB 7200rpm	- $100	4x2TB RAID 5	+ $700
Additional Single Drive		4x3TB RAID 5	+ $950	Upgraded RAM
2TB SATA	+ $175	Videoguys.com also has the complete line of G-Technology external video storage solutions for Thunderbolt		16GB to 32GB	+ $400
3TB SATA	+ $250			32GB to 64GB	+ $800

Add External G-Technology Thunderbolt Storage Solutions for all of your Video Editing Needs!

Click here to learn more about why the Videoguys' tech Recommend G-Technology

G-Technology G-RAID STUDIO

G-SPEED Studio (RAID)- A hardware RAID 4-Bay Thunderbolt 2 storage solution. Configurable in RAID 0, 1, 5, 6 and 10, G-SPEED Studio features Thunderbolt 2 technology for ultimate speed. With sustained transfer rates of up to 700MB/sec and the ability to daisy-chain via dual Thunderbolt 2 ports, this RAID solution ships with Enterprise Class Hard Drives and is designed to support multistream compressed 4K and 2K workflows.

Starting at $699.95

G-Technology G-SPEED STUDIO

G-SPEED Studio (RAID)- A hardware RAID 4-Bay Thunderbolt 2 storage solution. Configurable in RAID 0, 1, 5, 6 and 10, G-SPEED Studio features Thunderbolt 2 technology for ultimate speed.With sustained transfer rates of up to 700MB/sec and the ability to daisy-chain via dual Thunderbolt 2 ports, this RAID solution ships with Enterprise Class Hard Drives and is designed to support multistream compressed 4K and 2K workflows.

Starting at $2,199.95

G-Technology G-SPEED STUDIO XL

G-SPEED Studio XL – A hardware RAID 8-Bay Thunderbolt 2 solution offers professional content creators colossal capacity and high definition performance. This Enterprise-class Storage Solution with Thunderbolt 2 technology for ultimate speed is configurable in RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, & 60.

24TB $3,599.95

64TB $6,999.95

Add an HP DreamColor Display Monitor to Your Workstation for Accurate Color-Calibrated Display!

HP DreamColor Z24x Professional Display Monitor

Enjoy pure, consistent 10-bit color accuracy from design to production with push-button color space selection and easy color calibration on the amazingly affordable HP DreamColor Z24x Professional Display.

$599.00

HP DreamColor Z27x Professional Display Monitor

Work in brilliant, trusted color and bring your ideas to life with the HP DreamColor Z27x Professional Display, featuring HP's unrivaled integrated calibration engine, 4K input support, and 10-bit color that drives up to 1.07 billion onscreen colors.

$1,499.00

Call us at 800-323-2325 to find the HP Z Workstation that works best for you. Our knowledgeable sales staff can help you customize a system that meets your needs now... and for years to come!

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