HP Z2 G9 Mini vs Apple Mac Studio M5 Max
HP Z2 G9 Mini 2023, Core i7-13700, 16GB, 512GB SSD, T1000
Apple Mac Studio M5 Max, 64GB, 4TB SSD
What Buyers Say
HP Z2 G9 Mini 2023, Core i7-13700, 16GB, 512GB SSD, T1000
Users find the HP Z2 Mini G9 to be a surprisingly powerful and compact workstation, ideal for tasks like office work, game server hosting, and even video editing. However, serious reliability issues in at least one unit led to a blue-screen failure and a frustrating warranty support experience. Common minor complaints involve the poor design of the stand, limited video port options, a noisy fan under load, and awkward USB port placement. Overall, when it works, it delivers excellent performance in a tiny form factor.
Pros
- Compact powerful design
- Easy to set up
- Excellent performance for size
- Very fast and reliable
- Good for video editing and servers
Cons
- Stand design is useless
- Fan noisy under load
- Limited video port options
- Awkward USB port placement
- Warranty service failures
Apple Mac Studio M5 Max, 64GB, 4TB SSD
Users are overwhelmingly positive about the Mac Studio with M5 Max, praising its performance, especially for media production and 4K editing. The upgrade from older Macs or PCs is seen as a significant improvement, with many noting the speed and capability of the M5 Max chip. Some mention the value of catching it on sale, and the build quality and ecosystem integration are appreciated.
Pros
- Blazing fast M5 Max chip
- Excellent for 4K editing
- Smooth upgrade path
- Good value when on sale
- Reliable Apple build quality
Cons
- Pricey without sale
- Base storage may be limiting
- Latest macOS required for new features
Scores
Specifications
| HP Z2 G9 Mini | Apple Mac Studio M5 Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | ||
| CPU* | Intel Core i7 13700 | Apple M5 Max★ |
| CPU Multi-Core Score | ||
| Cores | 16 | 18★ |
| Frequency | 2.1 GHz★ | — |
| L3 Cache | 30 MB★ | — |
| Graphics | ||
| GPU* | NVIDIA T1000 | Apple (40-Core)★ |
| GPU Benchmark Score | ||
| Type | discrete | integrated★ |
| VRAM | 8 GB | 64 GB★ |
| VRAM Type | — | System Shared |
| Memory & Storage | ||
| RAM | 16 GB | 64 GB★ |
| RAM Generation | DDR5 | DDR5 |
| Storage 1 | 512 GB | 4 TB★ |
| Storage 1 Type | NVMe SSD | NVMe SSD |
| Build | ||
| Form Factor | mini | mini |
| PSU | 280W | 480W★ |
| Weight | 3.10 kg | 2.70 kg |
| Connectivity | ||
| USB-C Ports | 2 | 6★ |
| USB Ports | 4★ | 2 |
| Thunderbolt | — | Thunderbolt 5 x 4 |
| HDMI | — | 1x HDMI 2.1 |
| DisplayPort | 4x Mini DisplayPort 1.4 | — |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7★ |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.2★ | Bluetooth 6.0 |
| Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet | 10GbE |
| System | ||
| OS | Windows 11 Pro | macOS |
Pros & Cons
HP Z2 G9 Mini 2023, Core i7-13700, 16GB, 512GB SSD, T1000
- Strong social proof (89th percentile)89th %ile
- Strong cpu (76th percentile)
- Strong reliability (70th percentile)
- Strong gpu (65th percentile)
Apple Mac Studio M5 Max, 64GB, 4TB SSD
- Strong reliability (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong ram (98th percentile)98th %ile
- Strong storage (98th percentile)98th %ile
- Strong cpu (96th percentile)96th %ile
Verdict
Scores 100 overall, wins 7 of 8 usage categories and 12 of 26 specs.