HP Z8 G5 Tower Workstation
The HP Z8 G5 Tower Workstation is HP's flagship dual-socket powerhouse tailored for massive CPU and multi-GPU rendering jobs, offering huge memory capacity and broad expandability for studio-grade throughput. Compared to the Dell Precision 7960 and Lenovo P620, the Z8 stands out for maximum upgrade headroom and raw node density while remaining competitive on enterprise support and pricing for large deployments.
Massive CPU muscle
Server-grade uptime
Massive CPU muscle
Server-grade uptime
Review Summary
"Long-term users praise the HP Z8 G5 for its extreme expandability, workstation-class reliability and stellar multi-CPU performance, though many note the high price, large chassis and noticeable fan/noise under heavy load."
Silent powerhouse
Supports dual Intel Xeon Scalable processors for extreme multi-threaded 3D render workloads.
Silent powerhouse
Supports dual Intel Xeon Scalable processors for extreme multi-threaded 3D render workloads.
Optimized Work Efficiency
Tech-Savvy Living
Reduced Stress & Anxiety
The HP Z8 G5 Tower Workstation is HP's flagship dual-socket powerhouse tailored for massive CPU and multi-GPU rendering jobs, offering huge memory capacity and broad expandability for studio-grade throughput. Compared to the Dell Precision 7960 and Lenovo P620, the Z8 stands out for maximum upgrade headroom and raw node density while remaining competitive on enterprise support and pricing for large deployments.
Massive CPU muscle
Server-grade uptime
Silent powerhouse
Supports dual Intel Xeon Scalable processors for extreme multi-threaded 3D render workloads.
Massive memory capacity and multi‑GPU support for large scenes and complex simulations.
Massive CPU muscle
Server-grade uptime
Silent powerhouse
Supports dual Intel Xeon Scalable processors for extreme multi-threaded 3D render workloads.
Massive memory capacity and multi‑GPU support for large scenes and complex simulations.
$6,000-20,000 USD
Dell Precision 7960 Tower
The Dell Precision 7960 Tower balances extreme performance with industry-leading ISV certifications and ProSupport services, giving studios predictable, validated results across renderers like V-Ray and Arnold. Versus the HP Z8 it often wins on certified software compatibility and service offerings, and compared with boutique builders such as Puget Systems it can be the more cost-effective choice when procuring many validated workstations.
Top-tier performance
Tool-less expandability
Top-tier performance
Tool-less expandability
Review Summary
"Buyers commonly report the Dell Precision 7960 Tower delivers top-tier performance, excellent ISV certification and enterprise-level support, with the main downsides being steep cost and high power/thermal demands in maxed configurations."
Workhorse swagger
Configurable with dual Intel Xeon CPUs and multiple professional GPUs for heavy rendering.
Workhorse swagger
Configurable with dual Intel Xeon CPUs and multiple professional GPUs for heavy rendering.
Optimized Work Efficiency
Intellectual Stimulation & Creativity
Time-Saving Convenience
The Dell Precision 7960 Tower balances extreme performance with industry-leading ISV certifications and ProSupport services, giving studios predictable, validated results across renderers like V-Ray and Arnold. Versus the HP Z8 it often wins on certified software compatibility and service offerings, and compared with boutique builders such as Puget Systems it can be the more cost-effective choice when procuring many validated workstations.
Top-tier performance
Tool-less expandability
Workhorse swagger
Configurable with dual Intel Xeon CPUs and multiple professional GPUs for heavy rendering.
Engineered for reliability with advanced cooling, tool-less access and ISV certifications.
Top-tier performance
Tool-less expandability
Workhorse swagger
Configurable with dual Intel Xeon CPUs and multiple professional GPUs for heavy rendering.
Engineered for reliability with advanced cooling, tool-less access and ISV certifications.
$5,000-18,000 USD
Lenovo ThinkStation P620
The Lenovo ThinkStation P620 uses a single-socket AMD Threadripper Pro design to deliver high core counts, strong multi-thread scaling and simpler NUMA/thermal behavior at a lower platform cost than many dual-socket rivals. Relative to the HP and Dell towers the P620 typically offers superior price-per-core and quieter operation, trading some absolute expandability for excellent multi-core efficiency and lower total system complexity.
Threadripper speed
Single-socket power
Threadripper speed
Single-socket power
Review Summary
"Owners of the Lenovo ThinkStation P620 appreciate its Threadripper performance, compact single-socket design and strong thermal behavior, while a minority mention occasional firmware/driver quirks and premium pricing for fully equipped builds."
Studio-silent charm
Built around AMD Threadripper PRO CPUs offering very high core counts for fast CPU-based renders.
Studio-silent charm
Built around AMD Threadripper PRO CPUs offering very high core counts for fast CPU-based renders.
Optimized Work Efficiency
Tech-Savvy Living
Intellectual Stimulation & Creativity
The Lenovo ThinkStation P620 uses a single-socket AMD Threadripper Pro design to deliver high core counts, strong multi-thread scaling and simpler NUMA/thermal behavior at a lower platform cost than many dual-socket rivals. Relative to the HP and Dell towers the P620 typically offers superior price-per-core and quieter operation, trading some absolute expandability for excellent multi-core efficiency and lower total system complexity.
Threadripper speed
Single-socket power
Studio-silent charm
Built around AMD Threadripper PRO CPUs offering very high core counts for fast CPU-based renders.
Supports professional GPUs, large ECC memory capacity, and abundant PCIe lanes for heavy datasets.
Threadripper speed
Single-socket power
Studio-silent charm
Built around AMD Threadripper PRO CPUs offering very high core counts for fast CPU-based renders.
Supports professional GPUs, large ECC memory capacity, and abundant PCIe lanes for heavy datasets.
$4,000-12,000 USD
ASUS ProArt Station PD5
The ASUS ProArt Station PD5 targets creative professionals who need a compact, thermally efficient workstation with solid GPU performance and an attractive entry price for 3D rendering and visualization tasks. Unlike the larger P620, Z8 and Precision 7960, the PD5 prioritizes form factor, quiet operation and value rather than maximum CPU/GPU expandability or enterprise-level ISV support.
Color-accurate setup
Compact pro chassis
Color-accurate setup
Compact pro chassis
Review Summary
"Users of the ASUS ProArt Station PD5 like its balanced pro-level performance, quieter operation and good value for prosumers, but some report limits in expandability and fewer enterprise-focused features versus full-size workstations."
Designer-friendly flair
Balanced CPU and GPU options optimized for creative workflows and entry-to-mid-level 3D rendering.
Designer-friendly flair
Balanced CPU and GPU options optimized for creative workflows and entry-to-mid-level 3D rendering.
Aesthetic & Personal Appeal
Intellectual Stimulation & Creativity
Tech-Savvy Living
The ASUS ProArt Station PD5 targets creative professionals who need a compact, thermally efficient workstation with solid GPU performance and an attractive entry price for 3D rendering and visualization tasks. Unlike the larger P620, Z8 and Precision 7960, the PD5 prioritizes form factor, quiet operation and value rather than maximum CPU/GPU expandability or enterprise-level ISV support.
Color-accurate setup
Compact pro chassis
Designer-friendly flair
Balanced CPU and GPU options optimized for creative workflows and entry-to-mid-level 3D rendering.
Compact, quiet chassis with effective cooling and practical I/O for content creation studios.
Color-accurate setup
Compact pro chassis
Designer-friendly flair
Balanced CPU and GPU options optimized for creative workflows and entry-to-mid-level 3D rendering.
Compact, quiet chassis with effective cooling and practical I/O for content creation studios.
$1,500-4,000 USD
Puget Systems Obsidian
The Puget Systems Obsidian is a boutique, hand-built workstation optimized through application-specific tuning, meticulous component selection and extensive real-world testing to deliver superior out-of-the-box rendering performance for targeted workloads. While typically commanding a premium versus OEMs like Dell or HP, Puget's technical tuning and personalized support can reduce time-to-result and total operational cost for studios reliant on specific renderers and workflows.
Custom-tested builds
Whisper-quiet cooling
Custom-tested builds
Whisper-quiet cooling
Review Summary
"Customers consistently praise Puget Systems' Obsidian builds for meticulous component selection, system stability, excellent customer support and real-world performance tuning, with very few complaints beyond the expected premium price for custom systems."
Tailored-performance wink
Custom-built configurations tuned for rendering performance, cooling, and noise constraints.
Tailored-performance wink
Custom-built configurations tuned for rendering performance, cooling, and noise constraints.
Optimized Work Efficiency
Reduced Stress & Anxiety
Aesthetic & Personal Appeal
The Puget Systems Obsidian is a boutique, hand-built workstation optimized through application-specific tuning, meticulous component selection and extensive real-world testing to deliver superior out-of-the-box rendering performance for targeted workloads. While typically commanding a premium versus OEMs like Dell or HP, Puget's technical tuning and personalized support can reduce time-to-result and total operational cost for studios reliant on specific renderers and workflows.
Custom-tested builds
Whisper-quiet cooling
Tailored-performance wink
Custom-built configurations tuned for rendering performance, cooling, and noise constraints.
Choice of top-tier CPUs and GPUs with optimized BIOS and thermal profiles for real-world workloads.
Custom-tested builds
Whisper-quiet cooling
Tailored-performance wink
Custom-built configurations tuned for rendering performance, cooling, and noise constraints.
Choice of top-tier CPUs and GPUs with optimized BIOS and thermal profiles for real-world workloads.
$3,000-15,000 USD