If you have a lot of work to do and traditional microcomputers won’t cut it down, a workstation is one of your better choices–if you don’t want to create your Desktop–because they have more CPUs and substantially more RAM than a typical mainstream machine.
In the real world, it is not possible to manage heavy workloads such as CPU arithmetic loads, video editing, server hosting, and many other activities with the standard mainstream computer, which is why workstations have been invented.
Best Workstations For 2020
Welcome to our list of the best 2020 workstations. These are the very best, most powerful machines at workstations that can power your business.
The best workstations these days are around the same size as standard PCs, and deliver high-quality designs, without compromising pure power and performance. Others, like the iMac Pro and Surface Studio, are all-in-one slimline PCs that offer exceptional efficiency while not taking up tons of space at your office.
From models of small form factor to powerhouses, from all-in-ones to one for all, if you’re on the market, there’s bound to be one for you. You’ll also find our list of the best online shops to buy workstations at the bottom of this page-so buying the perfect workstation for your business has never been more accessible.
In this post, we will be reviewing some of the best workstations of all time. Read on, then!
1. HP Z8 G4
HP needs no introduction; it’s one of the most elite tech firms. The HP Z8 G4 is the new flagship workstation for the business, which is designed for extreme workloads (we say “Highly Serious”). No doubt, thanks to its many features, this is the most powerful workstation computer of all time.
It uses its processors with the new LGA-3467 socket; there are two of those sockets on the motherboard. It requires the user to mount up to two physical processors, where the workstation supports a 28-core processor, Intel Xeon Platinum 8280. This Computer can so easily host as many as 56 cores and 112 threads.
Concerning memory, the HP Z8 is the first workstation in the world to feature as much as 3 TB of DDR4 RAM. The workstation operates in ECC memory and has 24 RAM slots in total. The storage capacity of this workstation is also incredible, and the user can add loads of storage devices, which will result in a maximum capacity of 48 TB.
The workstation’s graphics features are equally impressive because it can accommodate up to three graphics cards, where the highest supported GPU is the Nvidia Quadro P6000, a graphics card built on 24 GB HBM-2 memory. It means that even the most complicated graphic tasks are done with ease. Hence the power supply on this system is very powerful, and these control-hog components can quickly be supplied with fuel.
Ultimately, this workstation is the best workstation machine, you will find no matter what your needs are… Ok, unless you need to save money, I suppose, because even this workstation’s cheapest configuration would cost a lot of money—needs, including hosting servers.
2. Apple iMac Pro, Best Workstations
Apple is a remarkable business that offers its strong product line. As of now, Apple’s iMac Pro is the flagship product for the company, and it comes with an all-in-one form factor.
In terms of looks, this software is mind-blowing; in fact, it’s impressive they’ve managed to incorporate such high-end features into such a slim device. The iMac Pro has a 27-inch display with a 5120x 2880 resolution, which is more than enough for any form of graphical use. The color space on this screen is also very good, and the DCI-P3 color space is wholly supported.
On this machine, the motherboard supports the socket LGA-2066. You can update all of the processors from the 8-core processor to the 18-core version of the Intel Xeon series. This machine’s RAM capacity is also much higher than most Windows-based conventional workstation computers at 256 GB.
There are three options for the graphics cards on this Computer: the AMD Radeon Vega 56, Vega 64, or Vega 64X. iMac Pro’s maximum storage space is capped at 4 TB, which is a little smaller than we would like to see, actually, given what this Computer will be used for. If you use this for a heavy-duty job, then you may need something like their AirPort Time Capsule.
3. Microsoft Surface Studio 2
The recently launched Microsoft Surface Studio 2 has solved much (at least to a degree) of the first Surface Studio problems. This time, in this all-in-one machine, Microsoft used a stronger processor and can boast up to 32 GB of DDR4 RAM.
While the screen is very similar to the Apple iMac Pro, it is a touch-screen and an inch larger. It uses an unusual aspect ratio— 3:2–which results in a 4500x 3000 resolution. It also supports color space on the DCI-P3.
The Surface Studio 2 CPU used is an Intel Core i7-7820HQ, which is a quad-core processor. Although this is an improvement over the dual-core processor used in the previous iteration, it is still much slower than all-in-one computers that are similarly priced. Microsoft Surface Studio 2 features two types of graphics cards: the Nvidia GTX 1060 and the GTX 1070. Each of these graphics cards is adequate these days for most nominal graphical workloads.
Ultimately, while Surface Studio 2 has taken a step forward, the previous model still suffers from the same problems. You can make your Computer more power— and at a much cheaper price point— so the main advantage is the undeniably great touch screen monitor.
4. Apple Mac Mini
The Apple Mac Mini was launched back in 2018, and its compact form-factor gives users who enjoy portability and elegance a great advantage.
It supports Intel Core-series processors of the eighth generation from the Core-i3 in low-end configuration to the Core-i5 in the high-end configuration. The i3 processor is a quad-core processor, while a Hexa-core processor is an i5 processor. The lower-end model comes with 128 GB PCIe-based SSD, and the 256 GB SSD is hosted on the high-end model. Honestly, for that, you would want some kind of external hard drive.
All versions supply RAM and Intel UHD Graphics with 8 GB. The integrated graphics will be perfect because, when it comes to Macs, not many people want high-end graphics. RAM support is hugely disappointing, however, and Apple should have offered at least 16 GB of RAM.
5. Lenovo ThinkStation P320 Tiny
The Lenovo ThinkStation P320 Tiny is a vast, small and best workstation that hosts Intel processors of the 7th generation. The compact size helps you to hold this PC comfortably, and its performance is better than other pre-constructed PC’s.
It can host a maximum of 32 GB of DDR4 memory, which is adequate for most daily workloads, and the included Nvidia Quadro P600 2 GB is much better than the integrated graphics from Intel. It uses NVMe-based SSDs, with a maximum capacity of 2 TB, which is very cool, honestly.
We agree that if you want a small form-factor Windows-based PC, then this machine will prove to be one of the best business computers out there.
6. Fujitsu Celsius J550 (Best Workstations 2020)
The small form factor market attracts more manufacturers as they seek to shed the conventional workstation’s large and maneuverable image. However, few, if any, can take pride in the design and manufacture of their goods in the same region. Will Fujitsu-take the J550.
It takes a Xeon E3 CPU, which is a full-size professional graphics card, 64 GB of RAM. Also, it offers up to 13.5 TB of storage and nearly 20 ports and expansion slots, which includes quite a few legacy ones. Furthermore, Fujitsu is the only company to offer a three-year warranty (whether on-site or bring-in) in the EMEIA area, which stretches in Europe, into Africa and stretches as far as India.
Buyer’s Guide For The Best Workstations (2020)
A workstation costs a lot of money, and you should do research properly before considering a workstation, especially a high-end one. So we’ve written a guide for people who are interested, but still on the fence, or who just don’t feel sufficiently informed to decide by themselves.
Company desktops may not be the hottest players on the PC market, but they represent a significant segment in terms of the total number of units that the big manufacturers ship each year. Think about it: You can also shoot photos with a camera, write a novel on a typewriter, or play music live and record it with a DAT deck. However, very few businesses can do their work without a PC. Only a mom-and-pop company that serves a non-technology market wants a PC to connect with vendors, clients, and potential customers. Email, Twitter, The Web: All these tools are making the business happen today.
Although buying a primary consumer PC from a big-box store like Best Buy or Wal-Mart could be enticing, if you do, you would be doing a disservice to yourself and your customers. Specialized business PCs have additional features that make them more appropriate for the office than the $250 sales-circular special. For one thing, business desktops are built to last longer than consumer PCs and are more accessible to service.
After all, the longer a company PC is down, the more money the missed earning time costs you. Makers of business PCs may have specialist tech support lines to help you solve your problem with QuickBooks. You should also add a service contract to your business Computer so that on-site tech-support calls are handled by techs who reply in hours or minutes rather than days or weeks, such as those that manage customer tech support.
All-In-One v/s Desktop
First, you have to decide whether you want an all-in-one computer or a laptop computer. An all-in-one computer is just that: one box that has all the components that make up a computer. Many of these, including the Apple iMac Pro or the Microsoft Surface Studio 2 has all of the parts directly installed into the computer display. Yet not all do, as the Apple Mac Mini and the Lenovo ThinkStation have demonstrated.
Desktop computers do have everything you need, but they need an external screen link so you can see stuff and house the components in more conventional tower design, like the HP Z8 G4.
All-in-one computer Pros and Cons:
- It is thin and has a streamlined profile; some are portable.
- It is not upgradable.
- It does not have adequate airflow.
Desktop computer Pros and Cons:
- They typically come in tower enclosures so that they can be updated
- They have better airflow.
This upgradability will necessarily be a significant sticking point against all-in-ones. If you ever need more RAM, room, or a better Processor, then you’re just out of luck; of course, this won’t be a big deal in any area.
But be honest with yourself: if you don’t open your Desktop actually to change apart, then the only reason you would be worried about upgradability is when it comes to fixing the Computer potentially. For example, very few people will repair Apple devices because they do not support it officially, and simple repairs will cost a lot while desktops are incredibly easy to fix.
Note, all the desktops, and some of the All-in-One, need a display to go with them. Both of them will also require a keyboard and mouse unless otherwise mentioned.
Processor Support
Although processors are often necessary, they are by far the most critical component in a workstation. Although gaming is heavily dependent on both the GPU and the CPU, most workstation tasks return almost exclusively to the CPU.
Honestly, though, the range of processors you’ll see in workstations is very small. High-end workstations also feature Intel’s Xeon-series processors, while low-end workstations / PCs begin to dip into the more popular Intel Core I processors, which are geared towards consumers.
The processors in the Xeon-series are much more powerful and have a large number of cores. The new Xeon processors support as many as 28 cores, while the processors of the standard Core series support up to 8 cores.
Besides, the Xeon processors do support several other features, such as ECC (Error-Correcting Code) RAM support and scalability, i.e., multiple processor support.
Therefore, if you want to do heavy computations, then we suggest an Intel Xeon processor workstation. However, if you want your office to have a simple computer and you are not doing highly challenging stuff with it, then it would be easier to buy a computer based on the Core I Business PCs need less storage compared to consumer PCs since you are less likely to sync your iPod or download loads of videos to them. A hard drive with 300 GB to 500 GB of space is an excellent match between economy and capacity, as storage is so inexpensive these days. Frankly, 40 GB to 60 GB of available storage could be enough for just about all of the day-to-day PowerPoint, Text, and Excel documents that you use.
These days, optical drives are less critical for consumer PCs, as you can stream multimedia from the web or download content directly to hard drives. But for a small business PC still, a DVD burner is a must. You may need it to burn copies of projects for your clients, and you will also need to read the occasional CD or DVD that a manufacturer or client sends to you. Look for an optical drive with a tray that opens — it’s going to help with the odd business card size CD that’s coming in. (Mini CDs, survivors of a fad dating back to the early 2000s, appear to get trapped in a slot-loading drive due to their uncommon size, and if that happens, you need to open the drive to remove them.)
Memory (RAM) Support
The RAM acts as a medium between processor and storage. A higher RAM capability enables you to run several programs comfortably. A 16-GB RAM is considered adequate for daily workloads (or for that matter, gaming). When you’re doing image processing or video editing (or any number of other challenging tasks), then at least 32 GB or even 64 GB of memory would be better off. Some extreme workloads, such as server hosting, can require hundreds of GBs of RAM, usually only available in high-end workstations.
Storage Support
Storage functionality is relatively straightforward, frankly. If you are dealing with documents or daily web browsing, then 1 TB of storage space is more than adequate. We suggest at least 2 TB to 4 TB of storage for severe workloads that use a lot of data (like video), if not more.
Graphical Capabilities
We mainly cover gaming here on our website, so we spend a lot of time talking about powerful GPUs; however, most non-gaming users don’t need high-end graphical processing units.
Of course, this does not mean that there are no conditions where a strong GPU is a part that needs to be purchased. GPUs are much better in parallel than CPUs, which are better in linear processing.
There are two major firms: AMD and Nvidia. The Nvidia’s mainstream graphics cards go by the Nvidia GeForce name, while the AMD’s are known as AMD Radeon.
Nvidia’s workstation-level series is known as the Quadro series, and the Radeon Pro series is called AMD’s. Nonetheless, we just suggest this for specific cases where you are using unique software that uses these graphics cards to benefit.
Power Supply (PSU)
The Computer’s power supply is an essential device component because it provides power to all components. The stronger the power supply, the higher the number of components you will add to the device. It is especially valid for graphics cards.
If you want to use a high-end graphics card to do graphical computations, then we suggest a workstation or Laptop with at least a 500-Watt power supply. However, it is difficult to generalize here because workstations can vary so drastically in terms of power use. (Were you aware, perhaps, that the HP Z8 G4 supports up to 1700W PSUs?)
That being said, you probably won’t have to overthink this because most of these workstations won’t let you pick what kind of PSU you want. Only if you purchased one of the desktops and decided to update its GPU would you need to get a new PSU?
Dual-core processors are the standard in business PCs, mainly the AMD A4 or Intel Core i3 models. Celeron and Pentium dual-core CPUs can be used in lower-priced desktop PCs, which use Intel Core processor technology. So-called low-end Celeron and Pentium processors, for example, are built on the same Haswell or Broadwell technology used in fourth and fifth-generation Core i3 chips. I recommend at least a dual-core processor, whether AMD or Intel, as this is a must for today’s multitasking, attention-challenged PC users. Quad-core is a choice for users who emphasize the speed of their PCs, such as graphic designers, hard-core crunchers, and other gearheads.
Expansion space
Most mini-tower and some desktops with SFF budgets should have a measure of expansion. You’ll find space for at least one additional internal hard drive, graphics card slot PCIe x16, PCI or PCIe expansion slots, and space for another optical drive, maybe. Extra DIMM slots can be found, which will allow you to upgrade your device memory later. Eventual upgrades to a business PC are likely to be modest: the 125W to 350W power supply unit (PSU) would not be able to support more than a mid-level graphics card or more than two internal hard drives in such a budget PC.
All in one | Finding The Best Workstations
Don’t your users need several hard drives and several graphics cards? Consider utilizing all-in-one devices rather than tower PCs. All-in-one desktops have the advantage of an embedded computer without the risks of theft and travel breakage that business laptops face every day. Although many come with high-end performance processors like the Intel Core i5 or Core i7 for your demanding applications, models with energy-saving processors are available for everyone else as well. Intel’s power-saving Core M processor is optimized for fanless systems such as all-in-one portable PCs.
Hope this article will help you in choosing the best workstation.
