HP Omen Laptop - Reviews & Buying Guide - 2023
Some people prefer to play on consoles, like Xbox One or PS4. Still others swear by gaming on a computer. When playing on a computer, you have the ability to upgrade components, giving you more power to run the latest games.
HP OMEN family of gaming laptops are designed to handle the latest games and are easy to upgrade and customize. You'll find HP OMEN laptops in many different configurations, creating a mix of power and value to meet your gaming needs. As with any gaming laptop, you need to consider what types of games you want to play and what their system requirements are. Even though OMEN laptops are easy to upgrade, you still want the best possible machine out of the box.
You'll pay a higher-than-average price for an HP OMEN laptop versus a mainstream laptop, but the processing power of an OMEN machine makes it well worth the price for the gamer who wants exceptional quality. To find out more and find the best gaming machine for you, keep reading our buying guide.
Key Considerations
Software Needs
The area where HP OMEN laptops clearly outperform other HP laptops is in the type of software they can run.
Gaming software requires heavy CPU and GPU processing power. HP OMEN gaming laptops contain the latest graphics cards and CPU and GPU chips, including Intel Core i5, i7 and i9 CPUs and NVIDIA GeForce RTX and GTX graphics cards. You will also be able to run software that creates large databases or processes video with this type of laptop.
However, having the latest components increases the price of the laptop. So if your software needs are more than word processing, using a web browser, and checking social media, you can do very well with a less expensive HP laptop.
Screen Size and Resolution
HP OMEN laptops have large screens, typically measuring 15.6 or 17.3 inches diagonally. They generally have a Full HD resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, although some models offer a resolution of 4K (3840x2160). This kind of screen quality is great for playing games or watching videos, as the images and graphics are very sharp.
With a smaller screen, your laptop will have a smaller chassis, which some prefer. Screen size plays a key role in determining the overall size of any laptop.
Characteristic
These are the most important features you'll find on an HP OMEN laptop — and any gaming laptop.
- Graphics Card :
For gamers, the graphics card is a very important piece of hardware. If the graphics card, which contains the GPU (graphics processing unit), does not have enough power, your game will lag. You'll find NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, 2070, and 2080 graphics cards in OMEN laptops. Cheaper models may include the GeForce GTX 1660Ti and 1650.
- Graphics RAM :
The RAM contained in the graphics card (also called VRAM) is for the exclusive use of the GPU. Having at least 4GB of graphics RAM is a must, but 8GB or more is generally better.
- CPU :
The central processing unit (CPU) is the main processor of the laptop. You'll need a lot of processing power on your HP OMEN laptop, as the CPU runs game software. A powerful CPU can handle the fast inputs you have to make when gaming. OMEN laptops may contain 9th Gen Intel Core i5, i7 and i9 CPUs.
- RAM :
System RAM is different from graphics RAM. System RAM is available for anything other than graphics processing. Large amounts of RAM allow the computer to run smoothly and quickly. RAM is the temporary storage area for data that the CPU needs to access quickly. OMEN models are available with between 8 GB and 32 GB of DDR4 RAM.
- Storage :
Storage on an HP OMEN laptop is available in three configurations. SSD (Solid State Drive) storage is fast, but it's expensive per GB. Hard drive storage is slower, but cheaper than SSD. Some HP OMEN laptops have a hybrid storage system, which uses the SSD and HDD together. Typically, OMEN laptops have 1TB or 2TB of HDD storage or 256GB to 1TB of SSD storage.
- Keyboard :
For gamers, the keyboard needs to be highly responsive, as a lot of quick input happens through the keyboard. Gaming laptop keyboards should also have a backlight so you can see the keys when gaming in a dark room. OMEN laptops have zoned backlighting for precise keystrokes, as well as 26-key rollover with anti-ghosting (for simultaneous keypress commands). OMEN line 17 also allows independent macro key configurations.
Tips
If you're not sure your HP OMEN laptop can handle the kind of games you want to play, here are a few ways to make sure your gaming laptop is up to the task.
Buy a high-end GPU. As new gaming software titles appear on the market, they demand more and more graphics processing. A powerful GPU will allow your HP OMEN laptop to give you good performance in a few years. For VR gaming, the latest GPU is a must-have feature.
Look for SSD storage. SSD storage has significantly faster read and write speeds compared to HDD storage. This can be useful for quickly loading complex game software. However, SSD storage is typically two to three times more expensive than HDD storage.
Make sure you can upgrade the RAM. Although it's notoriously difficult to upgrade components inside laptops due to the sealed chassis, HP OMEN laptops are different. With many of these laptop models, you can upgrade the amount of RAM relatively easily to keep up with increasingly complex gaming software.
Look for an overclocking option. Sometimes the CPU of an HP OMEN laptop works with overclocking software. This means you can increase the CPU clock speed above the maximum recommended level, which provides a processing boost for high-end gaming software.
Other Products We Consider
If you're looking for features not offered in our top picks, we've considered a few other HP OMEN laptops worth buying.
The HP OMEN 15 Laptop with Max-Q features an excellent graphics processor that works best with Max-Q technology. Customers love the impressive 13-hour battery life.
The 2019 HP OMEN 15-dc1030nr Gaming Laptop is reasonably priced and ready for VR gaming, thanks to its powerful graphics performance.
If you want a big screen at a good price, the 2019 HP OMEN 17-cb0060nr Gaming Laptop packs a 17.3-inch Full HD display. The 512GB SSD drive is another plus allowing for smooth performance and short load times.
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