HP Z6 G5 Desktop Workstation Review

The HP Z6 G5 desktop workstation is a high-performance solution for graphics-intensive projects and demanding professional workloads. Powered by the Intel Xeon w9 processor with up to 36 cores and ECC Memory for data reliability, this workstation is specced to deliver exceptional processing power and enhanced security through Intel vPro4. It supports up to 3 high-end GPUs, such as NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation or AMD Radeon Pro W6800, enabling seamless handling of 4K content, advanced simulation, and machine learning projects.

The HP Z6 G5 desktop workstation is a high-performance solution for graphics-intensive projects and demanding professional workloads. Powered by the Intel Xeon w9 processor with up to 36 cores and ECC Memory for data reliability, this workstation is specced to deliver exceptional processing power and enhanced security through Intel vPro4. It supports up to 3 high-end GPUs, such as NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation or AMD Radeon Pro W6800, enabling seamless handling of 4K content, advanced simulation, and machine learning projects.

The Z workstations (HP Z8 Fury G5 review) have been knocking it out of the park lately, making a remarkable impact in the market with their rock-solid design, customizability, and well-thought-out features. One of the more notable aspects is the extra space provided between GPUs, which allows for improved airflow and cooling, even when outfitted with three or four high-end professional cards. Ultimately, HP has demonstrated that they are easily one of the best at delivering workstations with exceptional performance and optimal functionality. We expect nothing less from HP Z6 G5.

HP Z6 G5 Workstation Processor Options

The HP Z6 G5 is also a highly customizable system, including a range of Intel Xeon processor options. This line of CPUs is, as usual, a great choice for workstations like these, as are designed for high-performance computing environments and server workloads. They offer a range of benefits like advanced multi-core processing, enhanced memory capacity, improved reliability, and optimized performance for demanding tasks.

Users can outfit the Z6 G5 with a variety of CPUs. The lower-end model is an Intel Xeon w5-3423 (2.1 GHz base frequency, up to 4.2 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 30 MB L3 cache, 12 cores, 24 threads) with the option of going up to the high end (and very expensive) Intel Xeon w9-3475X (2.2 GHz base frequency, up to 4.8 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 82.5 MB L3 cache, 36 cores, 72 threads). There are several options in between.

For memory, it supports up to 1TB of DDR5-4800 DIMM ECC Registered Memory.

The Z6 G5 by HP offers a wide range of storage options to meet diverse needs. These include up to 12TB 7,200RPM HDDs and 4TB HP Z Turbo Drive Dual Pro NVMe SSDs, with various sizes available in between. These drives can be utilized in the six external bays (two NVMe M.2 SSDs, two 3.5-inch HDDs, two 9.5mm ODDs), as well as the four internal PCIe M.2 SSDs drive bays, and four 3.5-inch HDD bays.

Storage expansion is made convenient with four front NVMe bays, allowing for a total storage capacity of up to 88TB. With six PCIe slots, including the latest Gen5, the workstation ensures compatibility with high-performance workflows. Additionally, the Z6 G5 features toolless access, facilitating easy updates of components and the addition of M.2 drives or 3.5-inch SATA devices.

Furthermore, the HP Z6 G5 is optimized for peak performance and compatibility with professional applications, thanks to its ISV certification. It stands as a reliable choice for a variety of industry workflows. You also have the option of choosing between the 775W or 1,125W PSU models.

HP went above and beyond when it comes to GPUs, providing a plethora of options that cater to a wide range of professional use cases. The Z6 G5 supports sixteen different cards from NVIDIA and AMD, including the ultra-high-end NVIDIA RTX A6000 (48 GB GDDR6) and AMD Radeon Pro W6800 (32 GB GDDR6 dedicated).

Mid-range models include cards like the NVIDIA T1000 (8GB GDDR6 dedicated) and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600 (8 GB GDDR6 dedicated), while the entry-level GPUs consist of 4GB models like the NVIDIA T1000/T400 and AMD Radeon RX 6400. Intel also has a few cards included as options, the Intel Arc Pro A40 (6GB GDDR6 dedicated) and Intel Arc Pro A40 (6 GB GDDR6).

HP Z6 G5 Workstation Review Build

Our build for the benchmarking part of this review includes a range of higher-end components, including the Xeon W9-3475X processor, 128GB (8x16GB) DDR5-4800 ECC RAM, three NVIDIA RTX A6000 GPUs, two 1TB NVMe drives and Windows 11 Pro.

HP Z6 G5 Workstation Specifications

HP Z6 G5 Workstation Design and Build

The HP Z6 G5 workstation boasts the same look and feel as other systems from the Z6 line: it has a sturdy and functional design and seems very durable as you carry it around. Its chassis is built with a focus on practicality, providing easy access for maintenance and hardware upgrades with the front-loaded storage bays.

The workstation sports a sleek and professional color scheme, featuring a combination of dark gray and black, enhancing its professional appeal. The design also emphasizes efficient cooling to ensure optimal performance during resource-intensive tasks.

The front panel features a nice handle at the top of the tower for easy transportation. Moving downward is some ventilation and the power button, audio jack, two USB 3 type-A ports, two USB 3 type-C ports (other options include just four Type-A ports), and a media card reader. Further below are the optional 5.25 optional external, which surrounds the drive bay lock. The option optical bay is also located on the front panel.

At the rear are the audio line and power button, optional Flex I/O module, 1GbE Ethernet port, and six USB 3 Type-A ports.

Like the HP Z8 G5 Fury, security is of utmost importance for this high-end workstation. To ensure maximum protection, the Z6 G5 is equipped with various physical security features, including lockable front access carriers, side panel locks with an interlock sensor, and a Kensington lock slot. Additionally, it can be easily rack-mounted for added convenience and versatility.

Both side panels easily slide off for interior access with the left side where you can access all the components. Here, you will see the three ultra high-end NVIDIA RTX A6000.  While these professional GPUs are double-wide, they are spaced with a nonstandard 2.5 slots apart for improved airflow.

The Smart fan control feature of the system ensures a whisper-quiet operation by dynamically adjusting fan speeds based on real-time data from over 20 temperature sensors. Additionally, the system incorporates strategically positioned vents and ducts to optimize airflow and efficiently remove heat, further enhancing its cooling capabilities.

HP Z6 G5 Performance

Our HP Z6 G5 review unit has a fairly high-end build:

• CPU: Intel Xeon W9-3475X
• RAM:128GB (8x16GB) DDR5-4800 ECC RAM
• Graphics: 3x NVIDIA RTX A6000
• Storage: 2x1TB NVMe SSDs
• OS: Windows 11 Pro

The Z6 G5 starts at around $2,683 on sale for the base model. While we don’t have precise pricing for our specific unit, we can certainly take into account the inclusion of three RTX A6000 graphics cards, each of which cost around $6,000.  In addition, the 36-core Xeon W9-3475X CPU is priced at nearly $4,000.

Evaluating the performance of the Z6 G5’s four GPUs presented challenges. Some of our tests were unable to run, and not all of its GPUs were fully utilized in several cases.

We are comparing the Z6 G5 to the high-end Z8 Fury G5 (4x A6000) workstation:

• Windows 11 Pro
• Intel Xeon w9-3945X CPU (56 cores, 112 threads, 4.8GHz Turbo Boost, 350-watt base power)
• 4x NVIDIA RTX A6000 GPUs
• 128GB DDR5-4800 ECC RAM (16x 8GB, quad-channel)
• 2x 1TB Gen4 SSDs (non-RAID)
• 2250-watt power supply (2x 1,125-watt units)

In some cases, we also compared it to the Dell Precision 7865 or Lenovo ThinkStation P620, both of which feature a single RTX A6000 GPU and AMD 5995WX processor. This is designed to simply show the scale of multiple GPUs.

Blender OptiX

Blender is an open-source 3D modeling application. This benchmark was run using the Blender Benchmark utility. The score is samples per minute, with higher being better. This test only utilizes one graphics card, so the Z6 G5 had similar scores as the other workstations with a single RTX A6000.

Luxmark

LuxMark is an OpenCL GPU 3D benchmarking utility that supports multi-GPU systems. Here, you can definitely see the Z6 G5 took full advantage, posting some very impressive numbers. Note that the Fury G5 was by far the best-performing workstation, as it is outfitted with four GPUs (compared to the Z6 G5’s three).

Note that we conducted tests on the HP Z6 G5 workstation with NVIDIA SLI both enabled and disabled. Disabling SLI will evaluate the performance of a single graphics card while enabling it will leverage the combined power of multiple GPUs.

OctaneBench

Moving on to the OctaneBench (an industry-standard benchmarking utility designed for OctaneRender), which is another 3D rendering software that also supports RTX technology. The OctaneBench provides overall scores, where higher numbers indicate better performance.

As expected, the Z8 Fury G5 outperformed all cards with its quad GPUs, though the HP Z6 G5 still had an impressive showing.

Blackmagic RAW Speed Test

Next up is Blackmagic’s RAW speed test, which tests video playback. We only have results to compare with the Z8 Fury G5 and the Precision 7865.

While CPU numbers are fairly similar, CUDA scores show how much performance multiple RTX A6000s can deliver.

7-Zip Compression

The built-in memory benchmark in the popular 7-Zip archive tool responds well to faster memory with lower latencies. Like the Fury, Z6 G5 seemed to fall behind the Dell in overall performance.

Cinebench R23

Maxon’s Cinebench R23 is a CPU rendering benchmark that utilizes all CPU cores and threads. We ran it for both multi- and single-core tests. This is another benchmark where we only have numbers for the HP Z6 G5 and the Z8 Fury G5. Higher scores are better.

UL Procyon AI Inference

UL’s Procyon estimates a workstation’s performance for professional apps. We ran the AI Inference test for the CPU and then once on the GPU using NVIDIA Tensor RT cores. Again, we only have numbers for the HP Z6 G8 and the Z8 Fury G5.

Lower times are better, while higher overall scores are better.

Conclusion

The HP Z6 G5 desktop workstation proves to be another impressive solution from HP, specifically for professionals working with graphics-intensive projects and demanding workloads. With its powerful Intel Xeon w9 Processor, offering up to 36 cores and ECC Memory for data reliability, this workstation delivers exceptional processing power and enhanced security through Intel vPro. Its support for up to three high-end GPUs, such as NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation or AMD Radeon Pro W6800, ensures smooth handling of 4K content, advanced simulation, and machine learning projects.

The HP Z6 G5 is part of the Z line of workstations, which has consistently impressed us with its rock-solid design and performance. Notably, the inclusion of extra space between GPUs allows for improved airflow and cooling, even when utilizing multiple high-end cards. HP’s commitment to delivering workstations with exceptional performance and optimal functionality is clearly demonstrated once again with the Z6 G5.

This highly customizable workstation also provides a range of Intel Xeon processor options, offering advanced multi-core processing, enhanced memory capacity, improved reliability, and optimized performance for demanding tasks. The storage options are also diverse, with support for up to 12TB HDDs and 4TB HP Z Turbo Drive Dual Pro NVMe SSDs, allowing users to meet their specific needs. The workstation’s toolless access and ISV certification ensure easy updates, component additions, and compatibility with professional applications. Overall the Z6 G5 is another great system from HP, who’s been repetitively brilliant with the latest Z desktops.

Product Page

Engage with StorageReview

Newsletter | YouTube | Podcast iTunes/Spotify | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok | Discord | RSS Feed