HP Z Series Z210, Core i7-2600, 12GB, 256GB SSD, Black

The HP Z210 scores 45.7 out of 100 overall, with a gaming score of just 15.8. The i7-2600 and 12GB of DDR3 are both in the bottom third of our database, and the 256GB SSD is the 14th percentile for storage. It's fine for basic office work, but that's about it.

The CPU sits at the 32nd percentile, which means roughly two-thirds of workstations in our database outrun it. The i7-2600 runs at 3.4GHz across 4 cores, and for single-threaded office tasks it's still responsive. But the moment you throw Premiere Pro or Blender at it, you'll feel every one of those 14 years. The 12GB of DDR3 lands at the 17th percentile, which is rough. Modern browsers alone will eat half of that with a few tabs open.

Storage is the 14th percentile, and that's the real bottleneck. A 256GB SSD is fine for Windows and a handful of apps, but the listing mentions AutoCAD, Photoshop, and Blender. Those programs plus project files will fill 256GB faster than you'd think. The SSD being new is a plus, and it'll make boot times snappy, but capacity is the limiting factor here. Port selection is also thin at the 31st percentile: DisplayPort, four USB-A ports, and Ethernet. No USB-C, no HDMI without an adapter.

Stacked against the competition, the Z210 gets outclassed in almost every category. The Apple Mac mini M4 and ASUS NUC 14 Pro are in a completely different league, with CPUs that score near the top of our database and storage options that dwarf 256GB. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q Gen 5 and Minisforum DeskMini UM880 Plus are smaller, quieter, and far more power-efficient while delivering dramatically better performance. Even the Dell Tower Desktop ECT1250, which is also a budget tower, typically ships with newer processors and more RAM. The Z210's only real advantage is that it's a full-size tower with room for internal expansion, but with a 14-year-old platform, there's not much worth expanding into.

The only price we have is CAD 290 from a single Canadian listing, and at that price it's a tough sell. For roughly the same money you can find used Dell or Lenovo office PCs with newer CPUs and more RAM. The 90-day warranty and refurbisher certification add some peace of mind, but they don't change the fact that you're buying 2011 silicon. If you absolutely need a cheap Windows box for email, spreadsheets, and light browsing, it'll do the job. But the moment you need real performance, you'll be shopping again.

The HP Z210 scores 45.7 out of 100 overall, which puts it in a weird spot. It's not a bad machine for very specific tasks, but it's also not a machine most people should buy in 2025. The i7-2600 is a 4-core chip from 2011, and while it still boots Windows 10 Pro and handles office work, the rest of the hardware is showing its age hard. 12GB of DDR3 and a 256GB SSD are the kind of specs you'd find in a budget laptop from a decade ago, not a workstation.

The one number that jumps out is the GPU percentile: 97th. But before you get excited, that's Intel HD Graphics with 48GB of shared VRAM, which is just system RAM being borrowed. It ranks high because integrated graphics in workstations are rare, not because it's fast. The gaming score of 15.8 out of 100 tells the real story. This thing will choke on anything beyond Minesweeper or 2D indie titles.

Skip this if you do any kind of creative work, gaming, or heavy multitasking. The 15.8 gaming score and 32nd percentile CPU mean rendering, video editing, and even casual gaming will be a frustrating experience. Also skip it if you need modern connectivity, since the 31st percentile port selection lacks USB-C and HDMI. And if you're outside Canada, the single CAD 290 listing means availability and pricing are uncertain. This is a machine for someone who needs a cheap Windows box for email, documents, and light browsing, and nothing more.

The HP Z210 is a relic that still technically works. The 45.7 overall score and 15.8 gaming score tell you everything: this is a machine for basic office tasks and nothing more. The new SSD is nice, and the refurbisher warranty is a small comfort, but the CPU, RAM, and port selection are all in the bottom third of our database. At CAD 290, you're paying for convenience, not performance. If your needs are truly basic, it'll get you by. If you have any ambition beyond spreadsheets and email, keep looking.