HP Z2 Mini G1i (Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 2000 Ada) vs MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max

HP Z2 Mini G1i workstation viewed from the front
MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max viewed from the front in its dark gray ventilated chassis
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HP Z2 Mini G1i (Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 2000 Ada)

BM6N6UT#ABA: Core Ultra 9 285K, 32GB DDR5-6400, 1TB PCIe 5.0 SSD, RTX 2000 Ada 16GB, Windows 11 Pro High End

Check price Amazon affiliate link

MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max

Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB RAM, 2TB SSD, US

Check price Amazon affiliate link

Amazon results may include other models. Verify the processor, memory, storage, and seller before buying.

iThese are manufacturer-sourced specifications, not MiniPCBench test results. Confirm the exact processor, memory, storage, price, and availability before buying.
Memory
Storage

1Is it fast for normal work?

HP Z2 Mini G1i (Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 2000 Ada)

  • Exact workstation configuration 24 cores / 32GB / 1TB
  • Commercially aligned hands-on Same CPU/GPU; partial identity
  • Cinebench 2024 single-core Not available

MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max

  • Exact workstation configuration Not available
  • Commercially aligned hands-on Not available
  • Cinebench 2024 single-core 110 points

2Can it handle sustained work?

HP Z2 Mini G1i (Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 2000 Ada)

  • Cinebench 2024 multi-core 1789 points
  • Blender Classroom 91.7 samples/min
  • Cinebench R23 multi-core Not available
  • Qwen3 235B local inference Not available

MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max

  • Cinebench 2024 multi-core 1886 points
  • Blender Classroom Not available
  • Cinebench R23 multi-core 37062 points
  • Qwen3 235B local inference 13.73 tokens/s

3Can it game?

HP Z2 Mini G1i (Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 2000 Ada)

  • Professional discrete graphics RTX 2000 Ada 16GB
  • No proxy gaming result Exact gaming data unavailable
  • Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail Not available
  • Cyberpunk 2077 Not available
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Not available

MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max

  • Professional discrete graphics Not available
  • No proxy gaming result Not available
  • Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail 68 fps
  • Cyberpunk 2077 67 fps
  • Kingdom Come: Deliverance II 90 fps

4Is it loud or hot?

HP Z2 Mini G1i (Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 2000 Ada)

  • Manufacturer-declared idle noise 18 dBA
  • Exact thermals unavailable Not independently measured
  • Maximum observed CPU temperature Not available
  • Load sound level Not available

MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max

  • Manufacturer-declared idle noise Not available
  • Exact thermals unavailable Not available
  • Maximum observed CPU temperature 63 C
  • Load sound level 43 dBA

5How much electricity does it use?

HP Z2 Mini G1i (Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 2000 Ada)

  • External power adapter 280W external
  • No exact wall-power test Exact result unavailable
  • Idle wall power Not available
  • Cinebench wall power Not available

MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max

  • External power adapter Not available
  • No exact wall-power test Not available
  • Idle wall power 12 W
  • Cinebench wall power 130 W

6Can I upgrade and connect everything?

HP Z2 Mini G1i (Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 2000 Ada)

  • Memory is upgradeable Yes
  • Storage is upgradeable Yes
  • Thunderbolt is present No
  • Internal expansion 2 SO-DIMM / 2 M.2 / low-profile PCIe
  • Optional Flex I/O One unpopulated optional-module position
  • High-speed I/O Not available
  • Linux 10GbE support Not available
  • Expansion limits Not available

MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max

  • Memory is upgradeable No
  • Storage is upgradeable Yes
  • Thunderbolt is present No
  • Internal expansion Not available
  • Optional Flex I/O Not available
  • High-speed I/O 4x USB4 and 2x 10GbE
  • Linux 10GbE support Driver work required
  • Expansion limits PCIe 4.0 x4, no 75W GPU power

7Is it good value?

HP Z2 Mini G1i (Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 2000 Ada)

  • Current exact-part offer $4,073.76 at B&H
  • Amazon identity unresolved No verified exact Amazon listing
  • Manufacturer price Not available
  • Verified Amazon configuration Not available

MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max

  • Current exact-part offer Not available
  • Amazon identity unresolved Not available
  • Manufacturer price $3,719
  • Verified Amazon configuration B0G348H88N

8Will it be dependable?

HP Z2 Mini G1i (Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 2000 Ada)

  • Included limited warranty 1-year limited warranty
  • Workstation validation ISV-certified family; HP validation program
  • Serviceable core components Tool-free internal access
  • Seller warranty Not available
  • Cooling and acoustics Not available
  • Operating-system caveat Not available

MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max

  • Included limited warranty Not available
  • Workstation validation Not available
  • Serviceable core components Not available
  • Seller warranty 3 years
  • Cooling and acoustics Cool but audible
  • Operating-system caveat Linux NIC caveat

References

  1. HP. HP Z2 Mini G1i Workstation Desktop PC. Product page. Accessed .

    Configuration: Z2 Mini G1i family with up to Core Ultra 9 K-series processors, RTX 4000 SFF Ada, 128GB DDR5, two M.2 slots, optional Flex I/O, and 280W adapter

    Disclosure: Manufacturer family overview, port map, expansion claims, official image, and workstation-program claims. Family maxima and optional features are not treated as installed on the exact part.

  2. HP. HP Z2 Mini G1i Workstation QuickSpecs c09133727. Product page. . Accessed .

    Configuration: Worldwide Z2 Mini G1i family specifications, component matrix, service expansion, networking, dimensions, and manufacturer-declared reference acoustics

    Disclosure: Manufacturer technical document. Reference acoustic configurations differ from BM6N6UT#ABA and are excluded from scoring.

  3. B&H Photo Video. HP Z2 Mini G1i Workstation BM6N6UT#ABA. Product page. Accessed .

    Configuration: HP MPN BM6N6UT#ABA: Core Ultra 9 285K, 32GB 2x16 DDR5-6400, 1TB PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD, RTX 2000 Ada 16GB, Windows 11 Pro High End, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, 280W adapter

    Disclosure: HP-authorized retailer record used for exact fixed-part identity, included hardware, warranty, availability, and current price. No customer benchmark data are imported.

  4. Shukun E-commerce / T客邦. HP Z2 Mini G1i workstation unboxing and hands-on testing. Product page. Accessed .

    Configuration: Physical G1i with Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 2000 Ada, and 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD; regional part and installed memory not clearly stated in accessible text

    Disclosure: Retailer-hosted article labeled Brand Message. It includes original physical and benchmark screenshots but does not disclose unit custody in accessible text; no numeric result is imported.

  5. Principled Technologies. Jumpstart graphics-intensive workloads with the HP Z2 Mini G1i. Product page. . Accessed .

    Configuration: Core Ultra 7 265, 64GB DDR5-6400, 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe storage, NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada, Windows 11 Pro

    Disclosure: HP commissioned the comparison and supplied both systems. Processor, memory, and GPU differ from BM6N6UT#ABA; every result is excluded from scoring.

  6. MINISFORUM. MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max 128GB Max AI Compute Edition. Product page. . Accessed .

    Configuration: MS-S1-MAX12US: Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB LPDDR5X-8000, 2TB SSD, Windows 11 Pro, US power cable

    Disclosure: Manufacturer specifications, current price, availability, warranty, and return terms.

  7. ServeTheHome. The BEST AMD Strix Halo Mini PC Minisforum MS S1 Max. Video review. . Accessed .

    Configuration: Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB unified memory, 2TB SSD review system

    Disclosure: The description contains an Amazon affiliate link and does not state how the review unit was obtained.

  8. Level1Techs. Minisforum MS S1 Max AI Review, Benchmarks, and Comfy UI Setup Guide. Video review. . Accessed .

    Configuration: Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB unified memory MS-S1 Max review system; installed SSD capacity not stated in narration

    Disclosure: The description does not state how the review unit was obtained and does not contain a retailer affiliate disclosure.

  9. Tech Notice. NOTHING is better than THIS ... AMD is too good! | Minisforum MS-S1 MAX review. Video review. . Accessed .

    Configuration: Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB unified memory, 2TB SSD review system

    Disclosure: The description contains product and software affiliate links and does not state how the review unit was obtained.

  10. Jim's Garage. Running LLMs Locally - MinisForum MS-S1 MAX Review. Video review. . Accessed .

    Configuration: Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB unified memory, 2TB SSD review system

    Disclosure: The reviewer says in the narration that the device was sent free; the description links MINISFORUM without an affiliate disclosure.

  11. RandomGaminginHD. The Fastest Integrated Graphics Yet - The Radeon 8060S (ft. Minisforum MS-S1 MAX). Video review. . Accessed .

    Configuration: Ryzen AI Max+ 395, Radeon 8060S, 128GB LPDDR5X-8000, 2TB SSD review system

    Disclosure: The description links the tested system but does not state how the unit was obtained or include an affiliate disclosure.

Value for money

No value comparison is available. It requires eligible test scores and at least four current price observations in seven days.

Specification differences

Differences supported by the listed manufacturer specifications

Higher listed specifications for HP Z2 Mini G1i (Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 2000 Ada)

  • Uses a smaller 3.17 liter enclosure

Higher listed specifications for MINISFORUM MS-S1 Max

Verified specifications

Manufacturer-sourced specifications and current testing status

Processor

SpecificationZ2 Mini G1i (Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 2000 Ada)MS-S1 Max
CPUIntel Core Ultra 9 285KAMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395
Cores / threads24 / 2416 / 32
Processor default TDP125 W130 W
Integrated graphicsNVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation discrete graphics with 16GB GDDR6 and four Mini DisplayPort outputsAMD Radeon 8060S integrated graphics, 40 compute units

Memory and storage

SpecificationZ2 Mini G1i (Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 2000 Ada)MS-S1 Max
Memory type2x 16GB DDR5-6400 SO-DIMM, non-ECCLPDDR5X-8000 unified memory
Maximum memory128 GB128 GB
Upgradeable memoryYesNo
Storage slots22

Connectivity

SpecificationZ2 Mini G1i (Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 2000 Ada)MS-S1 Max
EthernetIntegrated Intel I219-LM Gigabit Ethernet2x 10GbE RJ45 (Realtek RTL8127)
WirelessWi-Fi 7 2x2 and Bluetooth 5.4Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 5.4
USB4NoYes
ThunderboltNoNo

Size and price

SpecificationZ2 Mini G1i (Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 2000 Ada)MS-S1 Max
Enclosure volume3.17 liters3.53 liters
List priceNot published$4,649
Product classCompact ISV-certified CAD, rendering, and professional visualization workstationLocal AI and high-speed networking