Hardware

How To Match Business Users With the AI Workstations They Need

You may not be able to take advantage of everything artificial intelligence offers without the right hardware. HP has a solution for workers at all levels.

Bob Keaveney

Bob is the managing editor of BizTech magazine.

As artificial intelligence reshapes how people work, IT leaders face a new challenge: determining which employees truly need AI-ready devices — and what that means in practice. There’s a lot of powerful hardware available, but IT leaders must consider the actual workflows and specific needs of users to determine which devices are right for each employee.

That’s the approach HP takes with its Z by HP workstation line, says Mark Abboreno, Channel Z Workstation sales specialist for HP. “You really have three different types of users when it comes to AI PCs,” he explains. “Each has very different performance needs, and HP has a workstation for all three.”

But before exploring those categories, let’s explain what an AI workstation is: Unlike a standard business PC, an AI workstation combines workstation-class reliability and expandability with the power to run AI models natively — enabling users to tap into generative, analytical and creative AI tools directly on their devices.

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AI Workstations for Frontline Workers

The first and largest group, Abboreno says, are business professionals focused on productivity. These are employees who live in Microsoft 365; rely on Copilot; and constantly juggle multiple applications, video calls and browser tabs.

“Anybody in a business environment is running several windows open at once — Teams, Outlook, Excel, a browser — and they want that multitasking to be smooth,” he says. “That’s where a workstation can make a real difference.”

For this group, HP recommends entry-level Z1 and Z2 desktops, or the ZBook 8 mobile workstation. The ZBook 8, HP’s newest entry-level workstation, represents the “starting line” of the Z portfolio, offering more performance headroom than even the top-tier EliteBook.

HP’s workstation line is designed for long-term durability and expansion, features Abboreno says are essential for future proofing. “Two years ago, almost nobody was talking about neural processing units,” he says. “Now, they’re required for next-generation AI features.” Businesses that plan ahead will be the ones ready for what’s coming next, he adds.

HP workstations undergo rigorous MIL-STD testing and hold more than 127 independent software vendor certifications, ensuring reliability for 24/7 workloads. “That kind of reliability matters,” Abboreno says. “It’s the difference between a Honda and a Mack truck.”

AI Workstations for Creators and Technical Specialists

The second user group comprises employees such as designers, engineers and data analysts whose work involves specialized, graphics-intensive applications. “These are traditional workstation users — people using CAD or Adobe tools,” says Abboreno. “All of those suites now have AI-enhanced features layered on top, and to unlock them, you need more robust GPUs.”

For these users, HP points to the Z2 and Z4 desktop line and the ZBook X and ZBook Ultra mobile systems. These models balance performance and portability, offering scalable options for professionals doing design visualization, simulation or content generation.

One standout is the Z2 Mini G1A, built on HP’s collaboration with AMD. Despite its compact form factor — “smaller than a shoebox,” Abboreno notes — it can run up to four 4K displays simultaneously and features AMD’s new Strix Halo architecture with up to 128 gigabytes of unified memory.

“What’s exciting is that you can run a 70-billion-parameter AI model on a mobile workstation. That means you can do serious AI workloads locally, behind your firewall, without having to send sensitive data into the cloud,” he says.

That capability is becoming more important, he adds, as enterprises grow more cautious about data security and begin “repatriating” AI workloads from the cloud back to local hardware.

What’s exciting is that you can run a 70-billion-parameter AI model on a mobile workstation. That means you can do serious AI workloads locally, behind your firewall, without having to send sensitive data into the cloud.”

Mark Abboreno Channel Z Workstation Sales Specialist, HP

AI Workstations for AI Developers

Finally, there’s the high-end group: users who develop, train and fine-tune AI models themselves. “These are the folks running 400-billion-parameter models,” Abboreno says. “They need extreme GPU density and total reliability.”

For them, HP offers the Z4, Z6, and Z8 desktops, including the flagship Z8 Fury and the ZBook Fury mobile workstation. The Z8 Fury can be configured with up to four double-wide NVIDIA Grace Blackwell 96GB GPUs, making it a powerhouse for AI development, rendering and simulation.

The newest differentiator for these systems is HP Boost, a forthcoming software suite designed to “democratize GPU workloads,” Abboreno says. HP Boost allows organizations to pool GPU resources across a local network, so multiple users can borrow or share processing power as needed.

“Think about virtualization for GPU compute,” Abboreno explains. “You can park a workstation loaded with GPUs in the corner, and users across the office can tap into it for inferencing or model training. That kind of flexibility just wasn’t possible before.”

As businesses explore AI-driven productivity and innovation, HP aims to make the transition smoother by aligning workstation capabilities with real-world workflows.

“The biggest thing customers need help with,” Abboreno says, “is understanding where they can unlock the power of AI. Everyone knows they need to do something, but not everyone knows where to start. That’s where HP can really help: by matching the right workstation to the right user.”

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