HP's New Business Desktops Include a VR Monster

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By Henry T. Casey
published

HP's new business desktop PCs offer a stylish new look and expandability, with VR support and Optane this summer.

Today, HP rolled out its latest desktop Windows 10 PCs for businesses: the EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower, a business-ready beast that can handle VR, the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Small Form Factor (SFF), a smaller but still expandable machine and the supersmall EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini.

The redesigned HP EliteDesk 800 SFF PC. Image: HP

The redesigned HP EliteDesk 800 SFF PC. Image: HP

The lineup features Intel's 7th Gen Core processors, bringing Kaby Lake performance to HP's business class offerings. The EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower starts at $869 with a Core i5-7500 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SATA TLC SSD. It can be customized with up to a Core i7-7700 CPU and 64GB of RAM.

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The EliteDesk SFF starts at $849 in a configuration that houses a Core i5-7500 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 1TB 7,200rpm SATA hard drive. Just like the tower, it can be customized with with up to a Core i7-7700 CPU and 64GB of RAM.

The EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini PC. Image: HP.

The EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini PC. Image: HP.

The EliteDesk Mini PCs, which measure 6.97 x 1.35 x 6.88 inches, are small enough to slot into the backs of HP Elite Displays. The starting $819 model gets you a Core i57500T CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 1TB 7,200rpm SATA hard drive. They support up to the Core i7-7700T CPU and 32GB of RAM.

Businesses who want to empower their employees with virtual reality will be able to outfit the EliteDesk 800 G3 tower with an optional HTC Vive BE Certified 8GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 and AMD RX 480 graphics cards, available in July at a price to be named later. Starting in June, the SFF and Mini PC will also offer tons of power, thanks to optional Intel Optane technology (pricing to be named later) which uses hard drives and memory for speedier performance.

The EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower. Image: HP.

The EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower. Image: HP.

These desktop PCs which a new design language that divides the front face between a black grille and a silver row that keeps the G2 style that makes ports easily accessible at the front.

These machines are highly upgradeable, as the EliteDesk Tower features five bays, four full-height slots and two additional M.2 connectors. The SFF PC will offer the expandability of four bays, four slots and two additional M.2 connectors.

And since HP knows your desk can be as treacherous as the road, EliteDesk PCs also feature MIL-SPEC 810G-tested designs. That means they've passed the same tests — including those for drops, shock and dust — that U.S. Military equipment must survive.

We're eager to put HP's latest line of desktops to the test, so stay tuned for full reviews.

Henry T. Casey
Henry T. Casey
Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.