In this article, I am reviewing the HP Omen 16 gaming laptop 2023, and there are a lot of improvements. We’re talking about nice CPU and GPU performance year over year, We’ve got the HX processor available with either the Core i7 or the i9 from Intel. It’s equipped with the RTX 4080 GPU with a total TGP of 145 watts. The high-resolution display with a 240Hz refresh rate and a three-millisecond response time perfect for gamers. So let’s deep dive to know more about its performance, design, gaming, battery and more.
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Design and Build Quality
Inside the box you get the Omen 16 itself, and some documentation that includes warranty information. A power cord and a 280-watt power adapter with a barrel pin connection.
The design is quite appealing, the color is shadow black, which does tend to attract fingerprints – it’s an inherent trait of black laptops. Despite being mostly made of plastics, the build quality is surprisingly good. It exudes a rather high-end feel, which is impressive. This sturdiness should be advantageous while traveling the laptop seems quite durable.
In terms of weight, the laptop alone weighs about 2.412 kilograms. And with the power adapter and cord, the total weight for travel amounts to 3.233 kilograms. it’s quite a load to carry around, but considering it’s a gaming laptop, the weight is understandable.
Ports and Connections
Alright, let’s take a look at the port selection. On the left side, you’ll find two USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, along with a 3.5-millimeter microphone headphone combo jack. Moving over to the right side, there’s a full-size USB-A port. On the back, you’ll find the remaining ports: your power port, the Gigabit LAN port, HDMI 2.1 port, and another USB Type-A port. Overall, the selection of ports on this laptop is very nice. I appreciate the fact that the main ports are located at the back, away from the user and out of the way when it comes to managing cords. Notably missing, however, is the SD card reader that was present last year; unfortunately, it’s not included this time around.
Internals and Upgradeability
Regarding the internal components, The RAM is indeed upgradeable; my review unit equipped with 16 gigabytes of DDR5 4800 RAM. However, at HP’s website, you have the option to configure it with up to 32 gigabytes of RAM using two 16-gigabyte sticks.
| All | Read (MB/s) | Write (MB/s) |
|---|---|---|
| SEQ1M Q8T1 | 7144.43 | 6396.74 |
| SEQ1M Q1T1 | 4766.51 | 3661.04 |
| RND4K Q32T1 | 408.85 | 534.26 |
| RND4K Q1T1 | 69.33 | 153.82 |
As for the SSD, you can observe impressive read and write speeds, certainly in line with the Gen 4 speeds we expect in 2023. Overall, the speed has been notably swift. The wireless card, it’s slotted in rather than soldered, which is a positive aspect. The combo card provides Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 capabilities. I can report that this combination has been performing well, there haven’t been any issues with either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth – both have been functioning flawlessly. While we’re inside the laptop, you’ll also notice the presence of two cooling fans. We’ll delve into the thermal performance in a later part of this review. Additionally, the laptop features an 83-watt-hour battery.
Hinges, Keyboard and Touchpad
The Omen 16 lid can indeed be opened with just one finger, and the screen can tilt back a full 180 degrees. Notably, the hinges have been improved compared to previous iterations, there’s less screen wobble than in past generations, which is a positive development.
Moving on to the keyboard, it offers good tactile feedback, responsive actuation, and a satisfactory overall key travel distance. Typing out documents and emails feels comfortable and efficient. Even for gaming, the keyboard is entirely functional. It’s an accomplishment in this aspect.
Furthermore, the keyboard features RGB backlighting, which can be customized in the settings. You have the flexibility to choose various effects like breathing and others. This level of customization is aimed at those who appreciate RGB lighting. Personally, I’m not a fan, but for those who are, this laptop offers a considerable amount of customization.
Regarding the touchpad, it proves to be responsive. Two-finger scrolling works as expected, and all the gestures are effective. Overall, it’s a capable touchpad, especially considering this is a gaming laptop.
HP Omen 16 Display Quality
You have a 16.1-inch IPS display featuring a resolution of 2560 by 1440, adhering to the 16:9 aspect ratio. This configuration results in a pixel density of 182 pixels per inch, for those who are curious. Notably, it’s a non-glossy display, sparing you from dealing with bothersome glare or reflections. This feature has been quite satisfying.
Of course, prioritizing gaming, the display boasts an impressive 240Hz refresh rate accompanied by a three-millisecond response time. This translates to exceedingly smooth and fluid gameplay, a crucial attribute in a gaming laptop. Rest assured, it delivers on this front.
Turning to brightness, the claimed 300 nits of luminance is just slightly undercut, measuring at 299 nits. It’s fairly close, but in my personal preference, I’d prefer brightness exceeding 400 nits. However, the display exhibits respectable coverage of the color gamut, although not exceptional. It’s important to note that this laptop isn’t primarily tailored for content creation; it’s more attuned to gaming. The color accuracy is commendable, evident from its 1.97 Delta E score. Contrast ratio stands at 880:1, accompanied by a commendable black level of 0.31, as well as a solid white point. Overall, the metrics are impressive, albeit a tad more brightness would be welcome.
For media consumption, particularly enjoying Netflix, Amazon, or YouTube content, the 16:9 aspect ratio proves optimal, eliminating black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. This aspect is one of the advantages of sticking with a 16:9 ratio. Yet, for productivity tasks, a 16:10 ratio would have been slightly better, offering more screen real estate and less need for scrolling during web browsing. However, it’s essential to remember that the main focus here is gaming, where the 16:9 ratio excels. Although the trend has leaned towards 16:10, the question of preference arises.
Audio Quality
The audio quality, which is a delightful surprise. It appears there has been a marked improvement year over year, and this is a positive trend to witness. Typically, gaming laptops tend to prioritize other features, assuming users will rely heavily on gaming headsets. As a result, audio quality often becomes an afterthought. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case with this year’s Omen 16. There’s a noticeable enhancement in terms of volume, midrange tones, and bass. It’s safe to say that the audio quality seems superior to that of last year’s version. On the whole, the audio quality is quite impressive.
FHD Webcam
Camera on the HP Omen 16 for 2023. It’s a 1080p camera, there’s a physical shutter switch that adds an extra layer of security and privacy – a nice touch. It’s great to have a 1080p camera on a gaming-focused laptop. However, it’s worth noting that this isn’t an infrared (IR) camera, meaning there’s no facial recognition or built-in fingerprint scanner. But, as mentioned, the emphasis here lies on gaming performance rather than secondary features like advanced security. Nonetheless, you can still log in using a PIN or your password to access Windows.
Performance, Benchmarks and Gaming
| PCMARK 0 | 7,325 |
| GEEKBENCH 5 (Single-Core) | 1,873 |
| GEEKBENCH 5 (Multi-Core) | 13,501 |
| CINEBENCH R20 | 5,890 |
| CINEBENCH R15 | 2,814 cb | 207 fps |
| CINEBENCH R23 | Single-core 1,878 | Multi-Core 16,246 |
| 3DMARK Time Spy | 10,014 |
| 3DMARK Fire Strike | 21,230 |
HP Omen 16 laptop is equipped with the Core i7 13700 HX processor, though it’s worth noting that you have the option to configure it with the Core i9 13900 HX for a bit more power. Additionally, it features the Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU with a 145-watt total TGP. This combination of CPU and GPU offers a robust performance not only for gaming but also for productivity tasks like Lightroom, Photoshop, video editing in Premiere Pro, or DaVinci Resolve.
| Lenovo Legion 5 Pro | 19,219 |
| MSI Stealth GS66 | 16,246 |
| HP Omen 16 | 16,031 |
| Aorus 17 XE4 | 16,029 |
Speaking of DaVinci Resolve, I managed to render a three-minute 4K gaming video in H.264 format in just one minute and 49 seconds. This is a commendable outcome, although it doesn’t match up to some dedicated creator laptops, as shown here. When rendering the same video in a different codec, H.265, it took only one minute and 26 seconds. Therefore, for those seeking a versatile laptop that excels not just in gaming but also in content creation and video editing, this laptop certainly delivers.
| Games | Low (1920 x 1080) | High (1920 x 1080) |
|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 131 FPS | 94 FPS |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | 127 FPS | 87 FPS |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 204 FPS | 128 FPS |
| GTA V | 175 FPS | 164 FPS |
| Dota 2 Reborn | 181 FPS | 149 FPS |
| X-Plane 11.11 | 151 FPS | 113 FPS |
Performance control is facilitated through the Omen Gaming app, which offers extensive customization. You can choose from Eco Mode, Balance Mode, and Performance Mode. The thermal control can be set to automatic or manual, allowing for a wealth of customization right at your fingertips. The potent CPU-GPU pairing translates into impressive gaming performance, evident from the consistently playable frame rates across popular titles.
AAA games like Cyberpunk 2077, known for its graphics intensity, can be played smoothly, even at 4K resolution with a respectable 35 frames per second. Of course, performance may vary with different game settings, but these outcomes reflect strong results overall.
Thermals and Surface Temps
During the Time Spy stress test, it attained a score of 88.5 percent, falling short of a passing score but not displaying excessive thermal throttling. There was a minor indication of thermal throttling, as evident from the score. It’s worth noting that a passing score would have been 97 percent or higher.
In terms of surface temperatures, the area above the keyboard and beneath the display recorded temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius. On the other side, there’s a hotspot reaching about 55 degrees Celsius, as shown in the diagram. Generally, the laptop remained relatively cool. As for the exhaust vent on the rear, it reached temperatures of around 46 degrees Celsius, which is logical. However, where your hands typically rest remained quite cool, providing a comfortable experience.
Considering fan noise, you’re looking at approximately 58 decibels under maximum load while playing AAA titles. This level of noise is fairly typical for a gaming laptop operating in this mode.
Battery Life
| Laptop | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| HP Omen 16 (2023) 83Wh, Core i713700HX | 5 hours 33 minutes | 4 hours 49 minutes | 1 hours 07 minutes |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7 16 99.9Wh, Core i9-13900HX RTX 4080 (175W) | 5 hours 11 minutes | 4 hours 22 minutes | 2 hours 08 minutes |
HP Omen 16 laptop is equipped with a 6-cell, 83-watt-hour battery, and it managed to run for 5 hours and 33 minutes on the PC Mark 10 modern office battery test. To be honest, this result is a bit better than I initially anticipated. Considering that this is a gaming laptop, optimized for performance rather than maximum battery life, it’s a fairly decent outcome.
Comparing it to other laptops in the same category, such as the Legion Pro 7 16-inch, the results are quite similar. Both laptops showed comparable performance in the PC Mark 10 modern office battery test as well as the video playback test. When it comes to gaming, you can expect around an hour of battery life, perhaps a bit more, but not significantly beyond that. This duration is quite typical for gaming laptops. However, it’s worth noting that the Legion Pro 7 performed admirably, nearly doubling the runtime for gaming tasks.
Final Thought
My overall impression of the HP Omen 16 gaming laptop for 2023 are definitely some standout features. The 16.1-inch display, boasting a 240Hz refresh rate and a three-millisecond response time, is a gamer’s dream. The keyboard offers ample space and comfort, and the CPU and GPU performance are excellent. The laptop excels in competitive gaming scenarios, with no significant throttling issues detected. The accessibility for servicing is a plus, along with the inclusion of Thunderbolt 4 support. Moreover, it manages to maintain a relatively slim and lightweight profile within its class.
On the downside, there are a few drawbacks to consider. Fan noise can become quite loud under heavy loads, which might be a bit bothersome for some users. Unfortunately, this time around, the absence of an SD card slot is noticeable. Additionally, the battery life falls somewhat short of expectations, though this is somewhat anticipated for this type of gaming laptop.
