Billed as a workstation with a PC price, the xw4550 is built to handle entry workstation applications such as engineering, digital content creation, and power office work. At a starting price of $599, HP said the computer is ideal for the government and education sectors.

"The HP xw4550 makes it easier for anyone wishing to tap the power of a workstation to afford to have one under their desk," Jeff Wood, director of product marketing for HP workstations, said in a statement.

The machine takes advantage of features within the AMD Opteron 1000 series line, such as power management and virtualization capabilities. In addition, all models of the xw4550 include an integrated ATI Radeon X1250 graphics card.

All HP workstations are more than 90% recyclable by weight and incorporate a chassis design that allows for tool-less component upgrades. The machines also include an 80 Plus 300-watt power supply, which is more efficient than standard power supplies.