HP Omen 16 Gaming Laptop Review

This looks like my 5 year old work laptop, which is not a compliment. You can visibly see in the photos all the smudges and grime just from the review.

For this price I'd expect at least a bit of consideration (and budget) going into the design and materials.
 
It's an interesting between size, the cooling seems good, but the screen is meh and the price is a bit silly. Battery life seems good, although some of it's 17" competition is hitting 7.5 hours on a full charge.

I really like the non gamer look. Normal looking black laptops age way better then the "1337 gamerz RGB edition" looks.
What is the game in the first image?
civ 6
 
From what I am reading, the rtx 3050 to is not really much of a step up from the 1650 ti or 1660 ti. It seems to future proof even for two or three years, you need an rtx 3060. If you're gaming, even with an 8 core i7, the 4gb video ram is going to struggle with any AAA games that are demanding like cyberpunk 2077 or red dead redemption 2 on even high settings at 1080p. Can forget about running ultra settings.
 
"Our review unit came arrived with a Core i7-11800H CPU, RTX 3050 Ti GPU, 16GB of DDR4, a 512GB SSD + 32GB Optane, and a 1080p 60Hz IPS display."

"When it comes to ordering the HP Omen, there are tons of options. The two platforms are the Omen 16T (Intel) and Omen 16Z (AMD). The 16T comes with the i5-11400H or i7-11800H as CPU options and the GTX 1650, RTX 3050 Ti, or RTX 3060 as GPU options. The 16Z can be configured with a Ryzen 5 5600H, Ryzen 7 5800H, or a Ryzen 9 5900HX on the CPU side and a GTX 1650, RTX 3050 Ti, RTX 3070, or RX 6600M GPU. Both chassis support between 8GB to 32GB of RAM and 1080p IPS displays."

"Get ready for this, the same exact configuration (i7-11800H, 16GB RAM, RTX 3060, 144Hz display, 512GB SSD) is $500 more when buying it as an Omen compared to a Victus. Maybe HP's pricing tool is just bugged, but this seems insane. I can understand maybe $100 to $200 extra, but $1,650 vs $1,150? That's almost 50% more expensive for literally the same components."


I was in Microcenter yesterday looking at laptops. I have a cousin who has an aging HP desktop with a GPU pre-GTX 1000 series and I was trying to help her find a good laptop with either a 3050Ti or a 3060. If she can afford the 3060 I'll have her go for that.

My family does like HP, but she seems to be gravitating towards the more expensive Alienware.

The 5800H is a strong 8-core CPU and when paired with a 3060 (or 3070) and just 16GB of DDR4 RAM, you have a pretty strong laptop with a decent amount of future proofing. These modern games don't really demand too much to game at 1080p.

My biggest issue is storage. If you are seriously going to be using these laptops for travel gaming, you're gonna want no less than a 2TB SSD - preferably a 4TB.
 
For all the minor negatives (which this has quite a number of) and the admission that it is terribly priced and it's configuration options don't make sense, you would be hard pressed to justify a rating of 90... Maybe 80? Or 75 taking into account it's current pricing?

I think the price difference against the Victus at time of writing is the biggest turn off for me. I am almost never outdoors or screen against a window when using a laptop so the lower nit value is workable, and I'd be using a wireless mouse so the odd trackpad behavior experienced by the reviewer would be a non-issue. I can calibrate the display myself so that's no big deal, and the rest I could honestly live with/work around. I too appreciate the subdued look and massive vent underneath. It's a shame they didn't cram a number pad in there, but that's my own personal preference and not one shared by many gamers.
 
"Our review unit came arrived with a Core i7-11800H CPU, RTX 3050 Ti GPU, 16GB of DDR4, a 512GB SSD + 32GB Optane, and a 1080p 60Hz IPS display."

"When it comes to ordering the HP Omen, there are tons of options. The two platforms are the Omen 16T (Intel) and Omen 16Z (AMD). The 16T comes with the i5-11400H or i7-11800H as CPU options and the GTX 1650, RTX 3050 Ti, or RTX 3060 as GPU options. The 16Z can be configured with a Ryzen 5 5600H, Ryzen 7 5800H, or a Ryzen 9 5900HX on the CPU side and a GTX 1650, RTX 3050 Ti, RTX 3070, or RX 6600M GPU. Both chassis support between 8GB to 32GB of RAM and 1080p IPS displays."

"Get ready for this, the same exact configuration (i7-11800H, 16GB RAM, RTX 3060, 144Hz display, 512GB SSD) is $500 more when buying it as an Omen compared to a Victus. Maybe HP's pricing tool is just bugged, but this seems insane. I can understand maybe $100 to $200 extra, but $1,650 vs $1,150? That's almost 50% more expensive for literally the same components."


I was in Microcenter yesterday looking at laptops. I have a cousin who has an aging HP desktop with a GPU pre-GTX 1000 series and I was trying to help her find a good laptop with either a 3050Ti or a 3060. If she can afford the 3060 I'll have her go for that.

My family does like HP, but she seems to be gravitating towards the more expensive Alienware.

The 5800H is a strong 8-core CPU and when paired with a 3060 (or 3070) and just 16GB of DDR4 RAM, you have a pretty strong laptop with a decent amount of future proofing. These modern games don't really demand too much to game at 1080p.

My biggest issue is storage. If you are seriously going to be using these laptops for travel gaming, you're gonna want no less than a 2TB SSD - preferably a 4TB.
Hi I'm an enthousiast but by no means an expert. I have seen a laptop called the MSI katana gf66 and it's 1137 euros. The specs seem really good. Rtx 3060 and i7 11800H. That's an 8 core i7 CPU and the top almost budget GPU. It seems too good to be true.

Other laptops with similar specs are around 1300-1500 euros like the Acer nitro 5 and the Lenovo legion 5. There's got to be a catch here. Can you or anyone that might know advise why the MSI is so comparatively cheap (I know 1100 euros is still a lot of money). I have read the speakers aren't great and the screen is not very bright at around 270 nits peak brightness. But surely that can't be all.

Do you think with gaming being a priority for me, the acer nitro 5 with the 6 core amd Ryzen 5 5600h at 1099 euros is a better bet than the 1137 euros MSI katana gf66 with the i7 11800H and both having the rtx 3060? I know with my budget being 1200 max and preferably lower, I have to accept compromise and that's fine but for context, my current laptop is the Dell l502x purchased in 2011. I have upgraded everything on that laptop bar the CPU and GPU which are impossible as soldered and with ram, WiFi card and SSD upgrades, it runs really well for it's age

The Nvidia gt540m is too old to game on good settings at good resolutions. I want to get a laptop that is durable and that I won't need to get a replacement for several years. Any help on here would be gratefully received. It's a lot of money and I can't afford to make a mistake and buy a dud.
 
This looks like my 5 year old work laptop, which is not a compliment. You can visibly see in the photos all the smudges and grime just from the review.

For this price I'd expect at least a bit of consideration (and budget) going into the design and materials.

For the money your not beating the Omen. Mine is the AMD with the GTX 3070 with the 2k screen which I bought to replace my Alienware M15 R3 with 3080 GTX. Paid 1500 for it compared to over the 4000 dollars for the Alienware. The OMEN is the more usable laptop.

Why in the world would you want a full metal case? AKA Stove frame. When the Alienware heated up I could cook breakfast on it. It would literally burn your legs if you play it on your lap. Not with the Omen. You can actually use it for hours without getting too hot to touch. Omen feels metal but has also plastic frame to reduce the heat transfer to your laptop.

Easily plays the same games as my alienware with graphics maxed at over 100 fps without the crazy heat and insane throttling.

Fingerprints? Unless your sitting there eating McDonalds fries and typing I haven't found any issue with fingerprints unless you touch your screen while you use the laptop like my 2 year old. I would rate the new Omen better than the Alienware regarding fingerprints. And if you get a smudge they wipe of easy. I can tell by the above photos by the way the wood table was so bright he had the laptop under a bright light... of course fingerprints will show.

Omen Software issues? I only did a few updates and I had ZERO issues. Ever use the Alienware Command Software? Alienwares fan control software would literally render my laptop worthless for weeks at a time. The fans just wouldn't start at time. A total nightmare. I had to go into BIOS and set my fans to full speed full time and bypass the Alienware Control Software so my laptop wouldn't catch fire.

In summary if your looking for an affordable GAMING laptop with a ton of power at under 1600 the OMEN 15 is unbeatable. PERIOD. I am far happier with my 1500 dollar Omen than I was with my 4k Alienware R3. I did alot of cross shopping. AMD Ryzen 7 5800H/16Gb Ram/GTX3070 at 1500 delivered in under 5 days was unbeatable.
 
Hi I'm an enthousiast but by no means an expert. I have seen a laptop called the MSI katana gf66 and it's 1137 euros. The specs seem really good. Rtx 3060 and i7 11800H. That's an 8 core i7 CPU and the top almost budget GPU. It seems too good to be true.

Other laptops with similar specs are around 1300-1500 euros like the Acer nitro 5 and the Lenovo legion 5. There's got to be a catch here. Can you or anyone that might know advise why the MSI is so comparatively cheap (I know 1100 euros is still a lot of money). I have read the speakers aren't great and the screen is not very bright at around 270 nits peak brightness. But surely that can't be all.

Do you think with gaming being a priority for me, the acer nitro 5 with the 6 core amd Ryzen 5 5600h at 1099 euros is a better bet than the 1137 euros MSI katana gf66 with the i7 11800H and both having the rtx 3060? I know with my budget being 1200 max and preferably lower, I have to accept compromise and that's fine but for context, my current laptop is the Dell l502x purchased in 2011. I have upgraded everything on that laptop bar the CPU and GPU which are impossible as soldered and with ram, WiFi card and SSD upgrades, it runs really well for it's age

The Nvidia gt540m is too old to game on good settings at good resolutions. I want to get a laptop that is durable and that I won't need to get a replacement for several years. Any help on here would be gratefully received. It's a lot of money and I can't afford to make a mistake and buy a dud.


Personally, I am biased slightly to Intel and I'd choose the 11800h with 3060 over the 5600h

USER BENCHMARK gives a +7 advantage to the intel CPU.

cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i7-11800H-vs-AMD-Ryzen-5-5600H/m1542191vsm1522632
 
I'm writing this on my Omen 16, which was <$2k (including tax and the extra SSD) almost fully loaded. Ryzen 7, 3070, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB disk plus an aftermarket added 2 TB (yes, it works with the AMD processor), upgraded screen, keyboard, etc. Basically everything except the Ryzen 9.

I'm a photographer rather than a gamer so my needs are a bit different, but this machine is fast and I thought it quite reasonably priced. The screen is great and the keyboard is OK. The USB C claims to be 10 Gbps, so that's 3.2 (I think); the other USB ports are 5 Gbps.
 
For the money your not beating the Omen. Mine is the AMD with the GTX 3070 with the 2k screen which I bought to replace my Alienware M15 R3 with 3080 GTX. Paid 1500 for it compared to over the 4000 dollars for the Alienware. The OMEN is the more usable laptop.

Why in the world would you want a full metal case? AKA Stove frame. When the Alienware heated up I could cook breakfast on it. It would literally burn your legs if you play it on your lap. Not with the Omen. You can actually use it for hours without getting too hot to touch. Omen feels metal but has also plastic frame to reduce the heat transfer to your laptop.

Easily plays the same games as my alienware with graphics maxed at over 100 fps without the crazy heat and insane throttling.

Fingerprints? Unless your sitting there eating McDonalds fries and typing I haven't found any issue with fingerprints unless you touch your screen while you use the laptop like my 2 year old. I would rate the new Omen better than the Alienware regarding fingerprints. And if you get a smudge they wipe of easy. I can tell by the above photos by the way the wood table was so bright he had the laptop under a bright light... of course fingerprints will show.

Omen Software issues? I only did a few updates and I had ZERO issues. Ever use the Alienware Command Software? Alienwares fan control software would literally render my laptop worthless for weeks at a time. The fans just wouldn't start at time. A total nightmare. I had to go into BIOS and set my fans to full speed full time and bypass the Alienware Control Software so my laptop wouldn't catch fire.

In summary if your looking for an affordable GAMING laptop with a ton of power at under 1600 the OMEN 15 is unbeatable. PERIOD. I am far happier with my 1500 dollar Omen than I was with my 4k Alienware R3. I did alot of cross shopping. AMD Ryzen 7 5800H/16Gb Ram/GTX3070 at 1500 delivered in under 5 days was unbeatable.

I didn't raise almost any of the points you have provided comment to in my original post, but I will take your word for it that the performance is good.

Regarding the design, the point I did raise, there are so many ways to make a laptop out of plastic or similar material without it looking like a greasy old ThinkPad.
 
In my opinion - it still loose with Lenovo Legion 5, Legion 7 at that price - with Ryzen 7 5800h and RTX 3060 (Bought in NL for 1199 euro) - 6 months ago

The most important thing is, that in Legion - TDP for RTX 3060 gets over power limit.....130W for RTX 3060? In Legion5? ...In some test that card with that TDP beats 3070, 3080 in other brands laptops....
Thats amazing how Lenovo started to be leader in cheap, full capable gaming laptop position.....

Only Charger is massive and full powered graphic card only works with it connected to power socket - otherwise max 85-100W for RTX 3060 :) :)
 
I can tell you for sure that this laptop definitely accommodates two drives in the AMD configuration. I have the 16 with the 5800 and 3070 GPU, and I'm running with 64 GB Ram which is also out of spec and 3 TB, 1 TB replacing the original drive and 2 TB added as a second drive. Interestingly, the default is to put the system drive in the second nvme slot so if you're going to I had to drive, swap them or your data drive will always appear at the top of the disc manager list.
I got mine on sale during the Christmas holiday for $1,500, at that price in my opinion it was a good deal. I was leaning towards the 17 inch screen which would have given me only the 3060 graphics card, so I opted for the more powerful graphics and the smaller screen only because the 17 was a custom build and would have taken two more weeks to arrive.
 
Personally, I am biased slightly to Intel and I'd choose the 11800h with 3060 over the 5600h

USER BENCHMARK gives a +7 advantage to the intel CPU.

cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i7-11800H-vs-AMD-Ryzen-5-5600H/m1542191vsm1522632
Thanks for the reply I was thinking similar to go with the 8 core CPU really even if it maxes out my budget. Thanks for the reply though. As I said I'm an enthousiast but not expert and value the input of people that are probably more experienced and knowledgeable about it.
 
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