Table of Contents

• Summary
• Comparison
• i7 versus Xeon
• [Key Features ViPC]

Summary

Detailed comparison of current workstation PCs on the market.

Comparison

Workstation Comparison Overview

Key Features of ViPC

Price

Excluding Apple, competing workstation computers are around 30% more expensive than ViPC. For the specs, ViPC is still the least expensive options when choosing a workstation PC, while still performing the same as the rest. Apple has a beautiful design with their Mac Pro, although you pay for this in the cost of the machine.

Power Density

Power density is defined as the amount of performance in regard to the size. In this case, ViPC beats the competition, having the same specifications while having the smallest size in liters.

Fluid Form Factor

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   - Three models of ViPC (varying size)
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  -ViPC AiO and ViPC on desk (shows flexibility in how to set up)

Most systems are locked down to one way of using them. The HP G1 Z3 is a beautiful all-in-one but because its paired to the screen, cannot be a truly portable machine. The Dell Z240 is small in size, but does not have direct support for an all-in-one transformation. ViPC gives you the freedom of using it how you want to use it; place it next to your monitor as a standalone or mount it to the back your screen to create a 100% DIY AiO. With a fluid form factor, the choice is up to you in how to use it, a great addition for artists or photographers who have dynamic lives.

Portability

People have mobile lives, constantly moving around and needing to bring their work with them. Most PCs suited for travel in todays market (able to stick it in a backpack or bring on a plane) are limited by mobile parts which don’t give the kind of performance many people need from a workstation computer. ViPC throws these issues out the window, being small enough to throw in a backpack for easy transportation while also using desktop class components; no performance is loss. Having such a portable machine isn’t just beneficial for carrying around the office, ViPC is great to travel with going from home to office, traveling to conferences, or bringing out to the field.

Clean Wiring

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   - Single cable coming out from the back of ViPC (power cable)

ViPC offers clean and simple wiring, inside and out of the case. The built-in surge protection and DC plug means the cable mess outside of the case is kept to a minimum; the only wall plug you need is for the ViPC power supply. The included DC port also lets you plug a monitor directly into your ViPC, freeing up a wall port and making a DIY AiO clean and easy. On the inside, tool-less free cable ties on the bottom of the case keeps wires out of the way for a clean case that is easy to replace parts if need be.

Power Protection

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   - Close-up of internal power surge protector

Even with a single cable all-in-one, you have to buy an external surge protector to protect your computer from power fluctuations. ViPC solves this by being the first computer to have one built into the case itself; plug the power supply into any AC plug without worrying about the commputer shorting out. This slightly increased the size of the case, but we felt it was an important feature to include to both lessen the cable mess and keep your computer safe.

What makes a Workstation Computer?

A workstation is designed to make the waiting time and experience of an artist or photographer as smooth and fast as possible. Workstation computers use more reliable parts that are optimized for speed and performance in areas such as rendering and photo editing.

Importance of portability

From photographers to designers working in the field, having a powerful machine you can bring with you is a plus for many. While many manufacturers deem their machines portable, it is a pretty vauge statement. For the purpose of this comparison review, lets deem a portable machine means it can easily be carried with you in a backpack. A backpack-able computer gives easy transportation in a studio, home and work, travel, and conventions.

Benefits of ViPC

Open Configuration

You can negotiate with the V²PC Community Store to also install PC parts of your choosing for you, such as special PCI Express Card that you need and which is not included in the V²Configurator. Basically, what you can buy we can assemble into your PC for you, as long as the parts are compatible.

DIY Option

Building a PC yourself is still the most budget consious choice one can make when buying a new computer. Going DIY gives you the freedom to choose which parts you buy, from any manufacturer you want. Doing it yourself also cuts the cost of the PC, leaving you with more money in the pocket or better performing PC parts.

I Fixit Option

Whereas other manufacturers will void your warranty when you try to fix it yourself, we are empowering you to do:

1. We will publish our repair instructions on I-Fixit
2. In case you need additional assistance, we have the Flat Fee Repair Service
3. We believe that with proper maintenance and upgrading you should get more than 10 years service life from your workstation.

Flat Fee Assembly Service

Our V² Community Stores offer a Flat Fee Assembly Service. Now you can have the best of both worlds:

1. Fine control over what parts go into your PC
2. Very cost efficient solution versus a custom build workstation
3. Very time saving versus you build the PC yourself

Flat Fee Repair Service

If you bought your ViPC in one of our V² Community Stores or with Village Tronic, then you have the option to use the Flat Fee Repair Service in case you can not fix it by yourself. The fee includes labor, parts are extra. Most computer parts in your PC will come with a 3 year warranty.

Comparison

ViPC-620 vs HP Z240

Comment

Even though the HP Z240 is categorized as Small Form Factor it is still a full Desktop Tower.

Reference

• http://www8.hp.com/us/en/workstations/z240.html
  • Press Shop Now button, then configure as per below
• http://www8.hp.com/us/en/campaigns/workstations/z-turbo-drive.html
• http://h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/GetPDF.aspx/4AA4-7618ENW.pdf
• http://h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/GetPDF.aspx/4AA4-7343ENW.pdf

ViPC 1200 vs HP Z1 G3

Comment

The HP Z1 G3 is the only Workstation other than ViPC that can be converted into an All-In-One. This is great for saving space and keeping the desk tidy. Because the G3 is prebuilt, there are no options for the type of screen you choose.

Reference

• HP Z Workstations

ViCase 970-T vs Mac Pro

Comment

The Mac Pro is the only Workstation in this comparison which is smaller and quieter than ViPC. It is a very cool design in every sense and we adore it. You pay for it of course with a 218% higher price.

Reference

• http://www.amd.com/en-us/solutions/professional/partner/apple
• http://www.apple.com/mac-pro/specs/

ViCase vs Dell

Comment

Dell is the only vendor besides ViPC offering the latest Intel Generation 6. It is also significantly lower proce than its competitors and only about 30% more expensive than ViPC. It also offers the lest features in terms of joy to use / creative use or stylish design.

Reference

• Dell Precision Tower 3000

i7 versus Xeon

Reason of being for Xeon in Workstations

Xeon can go to much higher performance versus Desktop CPUs and they can use more than 64 GB of memory.

Why ViPC is build with Desktop CPUs

ViPC is aimed to build the smallest, most powerful and most cost efficient workstation for under 3000 USD. In this price and size region Desktop Processors simmply provide significantly better value and smaller size.

Comparison

i7 wins < 3000 USD Workstation

Under 3000 USD the i5 / i7 Core CPU family simply allows you to build faster and smaller computer on the same budget than when comared with Xeon PCs. Not only the motherboards are lower cost, they also have more features integrated, such as M.2 sockets, sound chips, integrated graphics, etc, that on a 2011 server board you would need to add extra, increasing cost and size.

A 4 core i7 is same performance as a macthing Xeon, but it is lower cost and so is its Motherboard. The Xeon has no extra features or benefits over i7. The Xeon will come in on its own, once you want more than 8 cores and more than 64 GB of memory!

Xeon wins > 3000 USD Workstation

When spending > 3000 USD you can benefit from more cores and more memory. Xeon can simply go into heights of performance where i7 can not follow.

Reference

https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Intel-CPUs-Xeon-E5-vs-Core-i7-634/

Concluding thoughts

When compared to other notable workstation PCs on the market, ViPC competes with nearly identical specs while having a smaller footprint and lower cost. All Workstations are louder, with the notable exception of the Mac Pro which produces less noise than the ViPC. No workstation featured Surge Protection or Clean Desk Cabling. As for style, the Mac Pro is the clear winner, followed HP Z1 and ViPC while the rest are regular Desktop tower. In terms of portability ViPC is the clear winner, due to its flat size and integrated cable management, followed by Mac Pro and the Dell Precision (although still not fit to be carrying around. All others are not portable at all. ViPC stands out again for safety as being the only PC with integrated Surge Protection.

Pricing Conclusion

Specifications Conclusion

For almost every single computer comparison, the internal components are near similar. All of them are running on the Intel Skylake platform (save for the Mac Pro) and offer powerful graphics + plenty of storage options. The key difference ViPC sees in the specs are integrated power distribution and surge protection aren’t in any of the other machines. Another important quality of ViPC is its size; at 6 liters, it retains the smallest size of any of the machines, making it small enough to mount to a monitor or carry with you in your bag. Portability is huge in today’s world, and ViPC capitalizes on this factor.

Usability Comparison

ViPC keeps up with the other machines in terms of price and features, most of the time beating the others. One standout