HP has introduced a beast of a workstation – the HP ZBook 15. It comes with the latest components and a glorious 4K OLED display. This machine is ideal for video editing and 3D rendering. And with its price tag of under $4,000, it is a great option for the budget-conscious consumer. This workstation’s design is timeless but it’s loaded with new power.
imac pro i7
The iMac Pro is one of the most powerful work stations available today, powered by top-of-the-line processors and graphics. With up to 18 cores and Turbo Boost speeds of up to 4.5GHz, it’s equipped for everything from massive audio projects to high-megapixel photography. Its powerful graphics and processors make it the perfect machine for video editors, game developers, and anyone else who needs a super-high-performance computer.
The iMac Pro i7 comes with a 27-inch Retina 4K display, an Intel Xeon W processor, and up to eight to 32GB of HBM2 memory. It also supports up to four 6K displays, and a 4K display over HDMI. Prices range from $3250 to $10950 for a refurbished unit.
Most Powerful High-End Desktop CPU
Intel and AMD have announced the latest high-end desktop processors. These processors have incredibly high core counts and are among the fastest desktop CPUs available. They have 64 cores and 128 threads. The processors also have two hundred and eighty megabytes of combined cache.
The most powerful high-end desktop CPUs are all designed to handle professional workloads. Intel and AMD are constantly upgrading their CPUs and will likely update this list as new generations hit the market. For example, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is the fastest AMD workstation CPU available, and the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is the most powerful all-around chip for creators. These CPUs are very fast and power efficient, which makes them ideal for demanding video and photo content creation.
While Intel’s i7 3970X is the fastest workstation processor today, its cousin the i7 4770K is close behind. Both have an excellent onboard GPU, but the i7 4770K has better memory bandwidth. AMD has a few good CPUs, too, but their products are not designed for general-purpose work.
Best HEDT Alternative
If you’re looking for the best HEDT alternative for work stations, you’ll find that there are several options to consider. The first is Intel’s Cascade Lake-X flagship processor, which is designed for professional and streamers who need quad-channel memory and more PCIe lanes. AMD’s Ryzen 5950X, on the other hand, is designed for productivity workloads and is an excellent option for overclocking.
Most Powerful Non-HEDT CPU
The high-end desktop market has changed a lot over the past several years. HEDT motherboards and enthusiast-class CPUs are no longer commonplace. Ultra-expensive systems built on these platforms were once the stuff of dreams. Today, we have processors with up to 64 cores and X99 platforms.
Workstation class products are a different story. They’re meant for specific applications, and never replace mainstream CPUs. The Intel Xeon family and AMD’s Epyc line are good examples of workstation-class processors, delivering massive core counts, advanced memory support, and overall performance. However, they’re not for the typical high-end enthusiast.
These workstation chips are among the most powerful non-HEDT CPUs available today. However, a new generation of workstation chips is long overdue. Both AMD and Intel have been rumored to enter the workstation market with the Zen 4 architecture.
Best Non-HEDT Alternative
If you’re looking for a powerful work station but don’t want to buy an HEDT system, there are some alternatives that are less expensive. Consumer-class desktop CPUs have become more powerful in the past few years. Today, Intel has models with as many as 16 cores. However, most applications cannot benefit from this much power.
If you’re an artist or 3D animator, you might want to upgrade to a workstation with an HEDT chip. These chips can handle up to 256GB of system memory, whereas most desktop systems can’t. To get more than that, you’ll need to upgrade to a more expensive CPU, such as a Xeon W or Threadripper PRO. In addition, you’ll have to pay more for workstation-class motherboards than you would for a desktop-class system.