HP Omen 17 is a powerful gaming laptop that will give you the power of a gaming PC with the portability of a laptop. While it's not the cheapest gaming laptop out there, it'll be able to run any game with ease on high graphic settings and is worth the price.
Features:
- Killer graphics card - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (6 GB GDDR6 dedicated)
- Awesome processor - 9th Generation intel(r) core(tm) i7-9750h Processor, 6-Core, 2.6GHz up to 4.5GHz
- Memory and storage: 16 GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM (upgradable)
- 4 USB ports, HDMI, Ethernet
- Constant software updates and improvements
- Easily play League of Legends, Fortnite, PubG, Apex Gaming, Minecraft, GTA, Call of Duty, and More
Specs
| Screen Size | 17.3 inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Processor | 4.5 GHz Core i7 Family |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR4 |
| Memory Speed | 2666 MHz |
| Hard Drive | 1 TB Hybrid Drive |
| Graphics Coprocessor | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 |
| Chipset Brand | NVIDIA |
| Card Description | Dedicated |
| Wireless Type | Bluetooth |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 5 hours |
HP Omen 17 Review
The HP Omen is an awesome gaming laptop that'll let you not only play any game with ease, but it'll also let you stream while doing so. Although it's not pricey, its the cheapest option out there with this CPU & GPU - competitors with the same are usually about $2,300-$3,000 ($900-$1600 more than this one) making this one of the top options at this price point.
Build Quality
The overall build quality is pretty great, especially the chassis (outer shell of the laptop) which is super solid.
If you're used to a gaming PC then adjusting to this will be of little issue. It's fairly large and comfortable to maneuver, with one exception. The edges of the laptop are very sharp and it can be painful if you finish a gaming session only to realize you've been writing your arms on the edges. Yeah, it hurts and can make your arms sore, so get some wrist rests or silicone to make the edges more comfortable.
Upgradability
What's nice about the HP Omen 17 is that the CPU/GPU get dual channel memory, but the 16GB RAM takes up both slots (2 8 GB modules). That means if you want to upgrade, instead of buying an additional 16GB you'd have to buy an entire 32GB. It's not a deal breaker, but it is a little inconvenient.
Software and Capabilities
It's also one of the few machines that don't have bloated software. I HATE bloated software as it takes up unnecessary space and even slows down your computer a bit. This way, you're able to maximize the power of the HP Omen. In fact, in doing testing with steam it has VR capability to the upper limits due to its RTX 2080. You can also pay less for an RTX 2060, but I opted for the RTX 2080.
The i7 processor does run hot, but nothing to be seriously concerned about. Laptops don't have the same cooling capabilities as desktops so I recommend getting a laptop cooling pad juts to make sure your laptop doesn't overheat and melt into itself just to be safe.
Out of the box, you'll be able to start up this beast within 15 seconds with its 144hz FPS display and 1080p.
Another slight con is the omen command center is a little slow and not super intuitive. You don't have to go into it too often so it's not that annoying - just something to be aware of.
Battery Life
The Advertised battery life is five hours - I thought it was closer to four while gaming and not plugged in, but of course it also depends on what game you're playing and how hard you'd have your HP Omen 17 working. Either way, four hours is still pretty good if you need to game on the go, but if possible just keep it plugged in.
Hardware
I found the keyboard to be rather average - some people didn't like it at all claiming it's not very responsive, but I tap the keys pretty hard and never had issues. You can definitely considering using an external keyboard - it's up to you. Personally, I'm not too picky about my keyboards, but if you are then just use your favorite keyboard instead of the one it comes with.
The BIGGEST con is that the sound quality isn't great because of the Bang & Olufsen speakers. I highly suggest getting a gaming headset or gaming speakers if you really want to immerse yourself in your games, because the default ones that come with the Omen 17 don't do games justice.
HP Omen 17 Vs Other Gaming Laptops
Specs
Laptop | Processor | Graphics | Memory & Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
HP Omen 17 | Intel Core i7-9750H (2.6HZ) | Nvida GeForce RTX 2060 or 2080 (8 GB) | 16 GB RAM - 256 SSD - 1 TBD HDD |
Digital Storm Avon | Intel Core i7-9750H (2.6HZ) | Nvida GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB | 16 GB RAM - 512 SSD |
Acer Predator Helios 700 | Intel Core i7-9750H (2.6HZ)e 3 | Nvida GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB | 16 GB RAM - 512 SSD |
MSI GE75 Raider 8SG | Intel Core i7-8750H (2.2HZ) | Nvida GeForce RTX 2080 | 32 GB RAM - 1TB SSD - 2 TBD HDD |
Far Cry Performance Rankings in FPS
- HP Omen 17 (186 FPS, Low Preset)
- Acer Predator Helios 700 (174) FPS, Low Preset)
- Digital Storm Avon (172 FPS, Low Preset)
- MSI GE75 Raider 8SG (162 FPS, Low Preset)
Battery Rankings
- Digital Storm Avon (5 hours 48 minutes)
- HP Omen 17 (4 hours 4 minutes)
- Acer Predator (2 hours 34 minutes)
- MSI GE75 Raider 8SG (1 hour 39 minutes)
Conclusion
The HP Omen 17 is an awesome machine that is absolutely worth the money. You can do some serious gaming on this machine and it's as powerful as a lot of mid-range gaming PCs, allowing you to play with high graphic settings on almost all games. If you're looking for a serious, portable gaming laptop then you've found it.
If it's too pricey check out these lists of laptops based on budget:
Hey Branton, great laptop. I own one of these and your right it is an awesome machine and definitely worth the money. Although, my HP omen has an AMD 4000 series CPU, but, still it is a beast.
Also, it has the same RTX 2060 graphics card and 16 GB RAM. And, I am looking forward to upgrading my laptop as you have suggested to have 32 GB RAM. As well as adding additional storage.
Great Review!!!