HP Z800 Gaming Computer Blog

The HP Z800 Workstation has all the base components to be converted in to a solid gaming computer.  HP Z800's are a dual socket Xeon based workstations.  The Z800 supports up to 192GB of DDR3 memory and 4 Internal SAS/SATA Hard Drives.  It is important to note that it has an optional 1100W Power Supply, which gives you endless options for high end Graphics Cards.  Let us show you how you can build an effective HP Z800 Gaming PC.

Where to buy?

If you haven't already acquired a HP Z800 Workstation we'd recommend checking out a company called Serverworlds.  They sell the Z800's cheap and they provide free ground shipping to the lower 48 states.   You can custom configure an HP Z800 using this link: HP Z800.  You can also try to snag them cheap on Ebay.  However, Ebay can be a bit of a gamble because you never know what you are going to get.

The goal is to purchase the Z800 with a good processor(s) and memory already installed and then you can source the graphics cards, hard drives, and other optional components from other sources.

 

What Processor(s) should I get?

High Clock speed cpu's are the way to go.

In most cases you can get by with a single processor listed below.  If you plan to stream your gaming on youtube or twitch, we recommend getting 2 processors.

Recommended Processors:

Up to 2 x QC Xeon X5667 3.06Ghz 12MB 6.40GTs Processors | 3.46 Max Turbo Frequency (SLBVA)

Up to 2 x QC Xeon X5677 3.46Ghz 12MB 6.40GTs Processors | 3.73 Max Turbo Frequency (SLBV9)

Up to 2 x QC Xeon X5687 3.6Ghz 12MB 6.40GTs Processors | 3.86Ghz Max Turbo Frequency  (SLBVY)

Up to 2 x 6C Xeon X5680 3.33Ghz 12MB 6.40GTs Processors | 3.60Ghz Max Turbo Frequency (SLBV5)

Up to 2 x 6C Xeon X5690 3.46Ghz 12MB 6.40GTs Processors | 3.73Ghz Max Turbo Frequency (SLBVX)

 

How much Memory should I get?

The base line should be a minimum of 16GB of memory.  However, 16GB to 32GB would be ideal.

Memory PNs:

 

4GB PC10600R 2Rx4 ECC Reg Shielded (NN876)

4GB PC10600R 2Rx8 ECC Reg (7H8J8)

4GB PC10600R 2Rx8 PC3L ECC Reg (9J5WF or H5DDH)

8GB PC10600R 2Rx4 PC3L ECC Reg (P9RN2)

8GB PC10600R 2Rx4 ECC Reg Shielded (X3R5M)

16GB PC10600R 2Rx4 PC3L ECC Reg (MGY5T)

*12800r modules will work as well, they will just clock down to 1333Mhz depending on the CPU speed*

 

Recommended Memory configurations:

4 x 4GB PC10600 ECC Reg Modules (16GB)

6 x 4GB PC10600R ECC Reg Modules (24GB)

4 x 8GB PC10600R ECC Reg Modules (32GB)

6 x 8GB PC10600R ECC Reg Modules (48GB)

It's very important to use 10600R modules because they will run at the max speed supported by the system board and processor.

 

What Hard Drive should I get?

Ideally you would want to have a Solid State Drive as your boot device as well an NVME.2 SSD to store your game libraries/large programs on.  If you are limited on budget you could go with a small SSD for your boot device and a larger capacity 7.2K SATA drive to hold your larger files/programs/games.

 

Recommended SSD Drives:

Samsung 860 EVO 1TB 2.5 Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-76E1T0B/AM)

Samsung 860 Evo 500GB 2.5 inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-76E500B/AM)

 

Recommended large Capacity SATA Drives:

Seagate 2TB BarraCuda SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch Desktop Hard Drive (ST2000DM006)

 

*NVME.2 Drives cannot be used as a boot device with this model workstation*

NVME.2 PCIe Adapter (You need this if you plan to install an NVME.2 Drive in to this system):

NVME.2 SSD Adapter *Required to Install NVME.2*

 

Recommended NVME.2 SSDs:

WD Black 512GB M.2 2280 PCIe NVME SSD (WDS512G1X0C)

Samsung 960 EVO Series - 500GB NVMe - M.2 Internal SSD (MZ-V6E500BW)

Samsung 960 EVO Series - 1TB PCIe NVMe - M.2 Internal SSD (MZ-V6E1T0BW)

 

What Graphics Card should I get?

The HP Z800 has a 1100W Power Supply.  This means you can install pretty much any Graphics Card that you want depending on your budget.

 

Recommended Graphics Cards:

NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB Graphics Card

NVIDIA GTX1660 Ti 6GB Graphics Card

NVIDIA GTX 1070 8GB Graphics Card

NVIDIA GTX 1070 TI 8GB Graphics Card

NVIDIA GTX 1080 8GB Graphics Card

NVIDIA GTX 1080 TI w/11GB Graphics Card

NVIDIA RTX 2080 w/8GB Graphics Card

Graphics Card Power Adapters:

2 x Molex to 6pin Male

What type of Monitor should I get?

Ideally it would be nice to get a monitor with a 144Hz or 244hz refresh rate or better monitor.  However, it really depends on the games you play.  If you play first person shooter games a 144hz or 240Hz or better monitor is a must.  If you play other games that do not require quick response time then a 60hz monitor should work fine.

Recommended Monitors:

ASUS PG248Q Full HD 144Hz 1MS 24" Gaming Monitor

ASUS VG278Q Full HD 1080P 144Hz 1MS 27" Gaming Monitor

ASUS XG258Q ROG Strix 24.5" 1080P 240Hz 1MS Gaming Monitor

 

Recap:

Using the criteria above you can build a good to borderline high end gaming system using a HP Z800 Workstation.

Sample Configuration:

HP Z800 Workstation

1 x 6C Xeon X5690 3.46Ghz 12MB 6.40GTs

32GB PC10600R (4 x 8GB)

Samsung 256GB 6GBPS SSD + Samsung Evo 970 NVME.2 SSD

GTX1080 w/8GB  Graphics Card

1 x 10/100/1000 Network Port

1100W Power Supply

DVD-RW

10 Pro 64Bit

 

We have tested this system with games like Dota 2, CS Go, PubG, and The Division.  The frames can range from 60FPS to 200FPS depending on the game and settings that you choose.  The system was tested using a 144Hz 27" Acer Monitor.