HP Z1 Teardown & The First-Ever 10/10 Repairability Score
Today, we gave our first ever 10 out of 10 repairability score — to HP’s new Z1 all-in-one workstation! It is the most repairable PC we’ve ever had the pleasure to take apart. Opening the machine is as easy as opening a briefcase, and all the major components — RAM, hard drive, optical drive, etc. — snap in and out. There’s even a diagram inside the device that shows the location of the most easily replaceable components. You could probably replace the hard drive in 5 minutes and have time left over to sip a coffee.
A few of the non-major components require a little more effort to pull out, but never so much as to be dangerous or painful. Removing the glass and LCD, for example, requires taking out “a few” T15 Torx screws (18, to be exact). However, there are no crazy glues or breakable tabs hindering your repair process.
Our final determinant for a perfect repairability score was the existence of actual repair manuals for the machine. To our delight, HP has provided these materials directly on their site. They’re not as good as iFixit’s manuals, but they’re definitely solid enough to repair/upgrade the machine.
Highlights:
- The stand folds flat beneath the workstation, which makes for easy repair access. It raises back up with the push of a green button, which we mistook originally for a power button (which is located on the top-right side).
- The hard drive, optical drive, power supply, main fan, RAM, and graphics card are attached without screws, and are simply disconnected and removed.
- The Intel processor can be detached from the motherboard with a flip of a lever.
- Non-modular components inside (speakers, motherboard, daughterboards, etc.) are held intact by T15 or T6 Torx screws, or by plastic fasteners. No glue or other funny business is used inside, aside from a taped-down thermal sensor.
- The glass and LCD are the hardest to replace, and still not supremely difficult — just a bit bulky to move around. They’re not fused together, and are instead held in place by those wonderful T15 Torx screws. The most difficult repair in this machine — replacing the LCD or glass — should take under an hour to complete.
- One small detriment to all this repairability? The price. The cheapest Z1 is just short of $2,000, which is a lot of dough to spend on a machine of this capability. HP’s other, less-easy-to-fix “all-in-one” offerings retail in the $1200 neighborhood for a similarly outfitted machine.
We told HP that we were hosting a party, so they brought the chips:
- Intel Core i3-2120 Processor with Intel HD Graphics 2000
- Intel BD82C206 Platform Controller Hub
- ON NCP6151 CPU & GPU Controller
- Texas Instruments TUSB7320 SuperSpeed USB xHCI Host Controller
- IDT 92HD91B Audio Codec
- Texas Instruments DRV604 Line Driver & Headphone Amp
- MPS MP3399 LED Drivers
- Parade PS8321 DisplayPort Source 2:1 Multiplexers
- Alpha & Omega AOZ5006Q1 Synchronous Buck Power Stage Modules
- Infineon SLB9635TT1.2 TPM Embedded Security Controller
- NXP 74LVC14AD Hex Inverting Schmitt Trigger
Comments
If this was a iMac, i would buy one, as i am into repair and not swapping parts in 2 years, i’ll pass on this, tough hope the iMac takes this form soon
great job
amazing work. They said inbuilt, upgradability/recycling wasn’t possible, but here we are, a pioneering largescale organisation has taken it on. upsetting about the price, but given the lack of similar products in the market place, and the novel manufacturing techniques required, it’s hardly surprising. I would expect production costs to reduce way past the point of all-in-one devices, provided of course enough consumers show interest.
In general I’m surprised that more modular designs aren’t available at present, given the huge potential market from the ‘modifications’ market. Who doesn’t love a cheeky upgrade on their car or home? why not your computer? the only reason upgrading electronic systems seems so complex to the average Joe is that those in the know have created artificial barriers to the information and practical resources necessary to carry it off. and for obvious, profit oriented reasons.
Stop assuming your customers are stupid and don’t care. not all of us are interested in pretty, fragile lumps of impenetrable branded hardwear. although it does help if it’s pretty. :)
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