HP recently announced its Omen line and fans of the company are looking forward to a few affordable gaming laptops and a powerful desktop rig that fully supports VR.
What is it about the new gaming laptops from HP that gets us excited? First off, they are performance driven but maintain a big degree of portability and competitive pricing. Some might appreciate the design approach, which turns the devices from powerhouse-looking machines into rather inconspicuous workstations.
The two Omen gaming laptops are set apart by specs and size.
While the more affordable model has a 1,920 × 1,080 IPS 15.6-inch display and a starting configuration packing an i3 Intel CPU, the more expensive laptop comes with a 1,920 × 1,080 IPS 17.3-inch display and a default i5 processor. With extra investment, both devices can be boosted with an i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, a GeForce GTX 965M GPU and a 4K display.
Connectivity wise, the systems sport 2 × 2 802.11ac Wi-Fi, wired gigabit Ethernet, two USB 3 ports and an HDMI output. To make typing easier, even in mid-game, the keyboards are built using the 15-inch form factor. A full number pad sits next to the keys, which could be a deal maker for some laptop customers.
The smaller laptop pulls only 4.6 pounds, while the bigger one weighs 6.3 pounds. This makes them both rather portable, something that not all gaming gadgets manage to achieve.
Looking at the default price points, the 15.6-inch costs $899.99, while the 17.3-inch asks users to shell out $979.99. The larger laptop even lands with an embedded DVD writer. Both models start shipping on July 10.
Those who want to make a long-term investment can opt for the 512 GB PCIe SSD, 16 GB RAM, GTX 965M GPU and 4K screen for the 17.3-inch Omen gaming laptop. It should be mentioned that modest workloads will wield a battery span of six to ten hours.
The manufacturer put much effort into creating devices that are comfortable, regardless of the workload. This means that even under heavy load the Omen gaming laptops will stay cool. Not just that, but HP chose to direct the exhaust slits towards the back of the devices, further increasing the comfort for users and players alike.
Ars Technica reports that the devices seemed to remain cool under heavy-duty use.
An appreciative nod also goes towards the design choice. In spite of being branded as laptops for gamers, the laptops can still be used as productivity tools without drawing much attention. Believe it or not, some gamers do have day jobs. Customers of the Omen series can simply shut off the ominously looking glow from their gadgets when it's work time.
HP also announced that it is working on a desktop rig for the Omen line, which should come out in August.
We expect to see solid specs, such as a Core i7-6700K that can be overclocked via firmware and an Nvidia GTX 1080 Founder Edition, or its direct rival, the AMD Radeon R9 390X. A beefy 32 GB of RAM is not outlandish to speak of and neither is the 512 GB SSD that will pair with 3 TB storage drive.
The Omen gaming desktop rig looks like it means business: its front features numerous LEDs which can be customized to show the performance or just the pretty colors of your choice. HP built the configuration with VR demands in mind, making sure that customers will just have to plug in their Oculus Rift or HTC Vive headsets to start enjoying virtual reality.
HP is also preparing to launch a monitor to fit the desktop gaming machine. The Omen-branded screen is a 32-inch monitor capable of displaying 2,560 × 1,440p resolutions and comes with FreeSync.
The Omen portfolio is powered by Windows 10, which means gamers who choose the line will get full access to goodies from Microsoft's yard, such as the Windows Store and the Xbox app. They will also be able to join the fun with their console-wielding friends due to the cross-platform capability of some titles.
