HP ProDesk 600 G2 Mini in a 10-inch rack

The HP ProDesk 600 G2 Mini is the oldest of the three HP minis in the catalogue, built around 6th Gen Intel Core T-series CPUs. It still has the parts that matter in a small rack: two SO-DIMM slots, an M.2 SSD, a 2.5-inch bay and a single Gigabit port. It suits a first homelab node or a dedicated box for one or two light services.

At a glance

Where it fits in a mini rack

Read from the spec sheet, the 600 G2 is a light virtualization host or container box. The CPU tops out at 4 cores / 8 threads with the Core i7-6700T, and 32 GB is the memory ceiling. Those numbers point to a small Proxmox node with a few lightweight guests, or a single Docker host for DNS filtering, a reverse proxy, Home Assistant and monitoring. The M.2 SSD and the 2.5-inch bay give you a system disk and a second drive for data or local backups.

The configurable port can be a serial port instead of video, which is handy if you want the machine to double as a console server for a switch or firewall in the same rack.

What it is not: a large virtualization host, since the newer HP minis double both the core count and the memory ceiling, and not a fast-network machine. There is one Gigabit port, and the only expansion HP lists is an M.2 slot for the Wi-Fi card.

How it fits a 10-inch rack

The configurator checks each placement against every rack in the catalogue:

The community HP Mini PC mount holds it in 1U at 187 mm deep and fits all six RackMate frames. In the 200 mm-deep T0 and T1 the rear plugs have little room behind the chassis, so the 260 mm frames are easier to cable.

The same mount is listed for the ProDesk 600 G5 and 400 G6, so one design covers all three HP minis.

On the 10i hex shelf the catalogue uses source CAD dimensions, and on the 6 mm hex shelf that means 2U lying flat at 188 mm deep. Upright it takes 4U, which still fits the four-unit T0 and T0 Plus. That makes the 600 G2 the only HP mini in the catalogue that stands upright in every RackMate frame.

Power

The catalogue plans with the 65 W adapter as the high figure. That is the adapter’s documented output capacity, not measured draw, and it leaves out adapter losses. HP lists both 65 W and 90 W adapters (active PFC, 89% efficient, 100–240 V AC input), so check which one you have and budget for that.

There is no measured low figure in the power profile. HP’s ENERGY STAR test gives 11.91 W short idle at 115 V AC in a typical configuration, noticeably higher than the newer HP minis document. For an always-on box that difference adds up, so it is worth weighing against a newer HP mini.

Plan one external adapter per machine and a place for it at the back of the rack.

Networking and cabling

The single Gigabit RJ45 on the Intel I219-LM faces the rear. Patch it to a rear keystone in the same rack, and never route the cable around the frame to reach the front.

The front has two USB 3.0 Type-A, one of them charging, plus a USB 3.0 Type-C, and the rear has four more USB 3.0, two of which can wake the machine from S4/S5. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 come only with the optional combo card.

The operating range is 10–35 °C, narrower at the low end than the newer HP minis. That rarely matters indoors, but keep it in mind for a rack in an unheated garage or loft.

How it differs from the other HP minis

All three HP minis share the HP Mini PC mount and a single rear Gigabit port. The differences:

The 600 G2 is the entry point. The 600 G5 and 400 G6 double both the top core count and the memory ceiling, and document a far lower short idle.

Full specifications

Plan it

Open the HP ProDesk 600 G2 Mini in the catalogue to add it to a rack plan with the HP mount or the hex shelf.

The ProDesk 600 G5 Mini guide and the ProDesk 400 G6 Mini guide cover the newer HP minis, and the ThinkCentre M920q guide covers Lenovo’s equivalent.