What the HP Z2 Mini G1a Is
The HP Z2 Mini G1a is a mini workstation from HP's Z line built on AMD's Strix Halo platform. The Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 combines 16 Zen 5 cores, a Radeon 8060S integrated GPU and a 50 TOPS NPU, and shares one pool of soldered LPDDR5X memory between them. HP lists Windows 11 Pro, WSL2 and Linux as operating systems, and Canonical's Ubuntu Certified Hardware list includes the G1a for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and 26.04 LTS.
The G1a is a different machine from the Intel-based HP Z2 Mini G1i, which uses a discrete NVIDIA GPU with its own dedicated memory. Besides the 128 GB PRO 395 model, HP sells Ryzen AI Max PRO 380, 385 and 390 variants with less memory; this page covers only the 128 GB PRO 395 configuration.
Specifications
Processor
- Detail:
- AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395, 16 cores / 32 threads, up to 5.1 GHz
Graphics and NPU
- Detail:
- Integrated Radeon 8060S; NPU up to 50 TOPS
Memory
- Detail:
- Up to 128 GB LPDDR5X, soldered, not upgradeable
GPU-assignable memory
- Detail:
- Up to 96 GB, per HP and StorageReview
Storage
- Detail:
- Two M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 slots; configurations up to 4 TB (StorageReview) or 8 TB (HP page)
Rear ports
- Detail:
- 2 Thunderbolt 4, 2 USB-A 10 Gbps, 2 USB-A 480 Mbps, 2 Mini DisplayPort 2.1, 2.5GbE RJ-45
Front / side ports
- Detail:
- USB-C 10 Gbps with DisplayPort, USB-A 10 Gbps, headset jack
Expansion
- Detail:
- 2 Flex I/O slots (options include 10GbE, serial, extra USB)
Wireless
- Detail:
- Wi-Fi 7 (MediaTek MT7925), Bluetooth 5.4
Power supply
- Detail:
- Internal 300 W, up to 92% efficiency
Size and weight
- Detail:
- 85.5 x 168 x 200 mm, from 2.3 kg (just under 3 L)
Operating systems
- Detail:
- Windows 11 Pro / Home, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, WSL2
Sources: HP product page, StorageReview, HotHardware and Serious Insights (linked below). Two points conflict: HP's page lists one USB4 Type-C port and 8000 MT/s memory, while three reviews list two Thunderbolt 4 ports and LPDDR5X-8533. We follow the reviews on ports and speed; check the HP specification sheet for your exact SKU.
Price and Availability
US prices for the 128 GB models differ by more than $3,500 between sellers, and none of them is a price we checked on the day of ordering. DRAM costs have pushed prices around in 2026, so treat each line as a dated data point and open the seller page before buying.
128 GB / 2 TB, B&H
- US price:
- $3,343
- Source and date:
- StorageReview, 2025-08-08
- Status:
- Reported street price at review time
128 GB / 2 TB, Micro Center
- US price:
- $3,800
- Source and date:
- Serious Insights, 2026-05-14
- Status:
- In-store pickup only, per the review
128 GB / 1 TB, Staples
- US price:
- $5,544
- Source and date:
- Staples listing, seen 2026-10-31
- Status:
- Marked unavailable in the store checked; 1-year warranty
128 GB / 1 TB, HP US list
- US price:
- $4,644
- Source and date:
- Notebookcheck, 2025-06-10
- Status:
- Launch-era HP list price
128 GB / 2 TB, HP US list
- US price:
- $5,079
- Source and date:
- Notebookcheck, 2025-06-10
- Status:
- Launch-era HP list price
128 GB / 2 TB, CDW
- US price:
- $6,954
- Source and date:
- Serious Insights, 2026-05-14
- Status:
- Reviewer notes SKU and bundle differences
Prices are in USD as published by each source and are not converted. Warranty terms differ by SKU: HotHardware and Serious Insights mention a 3-year warranty on some configurations, while the Staples listing shows 1 year.
What Independent Reports Show
StorageReview's review (published 2025-08-08) is the one independent source we found with local LLM numbers for this machine. On Ollama, Gemma 3 models ran at 112.18 tokens per second (1.5B), 36.86 (7B), 18.90 (14B), 9.38 (32B) and 4.24 (70B). GPT-OSS 120B, a 63.39 GB GGUF fully offloaded to the GPU in LM Studio, ran at roughly 40 tokens per second. GPU power stayed just below 100 W, and CPU and GPU temperatures stayed between 51 and 54 °C. StorageReview gave the machine its Editor's Choice award and placed it first for "Best Without a Discrete GPU" on its local AI desktop list.
On noise, the two reviews disagree in emphasis. StorageReview found fan noise noticeable under heavy load but less aggressive than larger workstations; HotHardware (2025-09-24) lists "significant fan noise under load" as a drawback and also calls the HP list price "jaw-dropping", noting the system sold for about half that. Serious Insights (2026-05-14) published no LLM figures and advised buying the high-memory configuration.
We found no independent comparison of the Z2 Mini G1a against the DGX Spark. The only head-to-head we know of covers the AMD Ryzen AI Halo, described on our category page.
Who It Suits and Who Should Skip It
- Suits IT buyers: procurement through HP channels and Flex I/O matter more than the price spread; check HP's product page for the management and software-certification features of your SKU.
- Suits Linux users: Canonical's Ubuntu Certified Hardware list includes the G1a for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and 26.04 LTS.
- Suits 100B-class model users: StorageReview ran GPT-OSS 120B at about 40 tokens per second on this hardware.
- Skip if price decides: the seller spread above is large, and boxes with the non-PRO Ryzen AI Max+ 395 are covered on the pages below.
- Skip if you need more than 128 GB: memory is soldered, so choose a 192 GB system before buying instead of planning to upgrade.
- Skip for clustering or CUDA: this box has 2.5GbE as standard, 10GbE only as a Flex I/O option and no 200 Gbps port, and it uses AMD software, not NVIDIA's.
Alternatives in the Same Class
- Local AI Workstations: Strix Halo vs. DGX Spark: the full category comparison, with prices and the one head-to-head test.
- DGX Spark: NVIDIA GB10 with CUDA and 200 Gbps networking, but capped at 128 GB.
- Ryzen AI Halo: AMD's own Ryzen AI Max+ 395 developer system with 10GbE.
- Framework Desktop: offers a 192 GB configuration on pre-order; this HP model is listed up to 128 GB.
- Minisforum MS-S1 MAX: same 128 GB class with dual 10GbE and a PCIe expansion slot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the HP Z2 Mini G1a run Windows and Linux?
Yes. HP lists Windows 11 Pro, WSL2 and Linux, and Canonical's Ubuntu Certified Hardware list includes Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and 26.04 LTS for the platform.
Can I add more memory later?
No. HotHardware and StorageReview both describe the 128 GB of LPDDR5X as soldered, so the memory size is fixed at purchase.
How many displays does it drive?
Up to four simultaneously, according to StorageReview and HP; the rear has two Mini DisplayPort 2.1 outputs.
Does it come with a power brick?
No. The 300 W power supply is internal and the machine uses a standard C13 mains cable, per HotHardware.
Is it the same chip as the Ryzen AI Halo?
Almost: HP uses the PRO 395 variant, AMD's Ryzen AI Halo uses the Ryzen AI Max+ 395. We have not found a published difference in speed between the two.