Skip to main content

It’s no coincidence HP’s Omen X gaming laptop arrives after the eclipse

During Gamescom, HP introduced its latest product for high-end PC gaming, the Omen X laptop. The company first introduced its Omen brand in May 2016 with the launch of a desktop and two laptops focused on the mainstream gamer. HP followed up with the high-end Omen X desktop for the do-it-yourself PC builder who targets only premium components, and a backpack PC for virtual reality in June. Now HP is targeting the same DIY crowd with a premium Omen X-branded laptop.

Below you will find three of many configurations. HP says a starting point will be $1,200 and include the GeForce GTX 1070 graphics chip, 8GB of DDR4 system memory, and a G-Sync-enabled screen with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution at 120Hz. Note that HP will overclock the GTX 1070 in the factory, providing a faster base clock speed of 1,480MHz and a boost clock speed of 1,695MHz. The overclocked GTX 1080 speeds are provided below.

Recommended Videos
Screen size: 17.3 inches 17.3 inches 17.3 inches
Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 at 120Hz 3,840 x 2,160 3,840 x 2,160
Screen brightness: 300 nits 300 nits 300 nits
Adobe RGB Support: 72 percent 95 percent 95 percent
G-Sync: Yes Yes Yes
Processor: Intel Core i7-7700HQ Intel Core i7-7700HQ Intel Core i7-7820HK
Graphics: GeForce GTX 1080
(No Max-Q)
GeForce GTX 1080
(No Max-Q)
GeForce GTX 1080
(No Max-Q)
Overclocked
GPU speeds:
1,582MHz base
1,771MHz boost
1,582MHz base
1,771MHz boost
1,582MHz base
1,771MHz boost
Memory: 16GB DDR4
Optional 2,800MHz
32GB DDR4
Optional 2,800MHz
32GB DDR4
Optional 2,800MHz
Storage 1: 256GB NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD 256GB NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD 1x 1TB NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
Storage 2: N/A N/A 1x 1TB NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
Storage 3: 1TB 7,200 RPM SATA HDD 2TB 7,200 RPM SATA HDD 1TB 7,200 RPM SATA SSD
Ports (left): 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Headphone jack
1x Microphone jack
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Headphone jack
1x Microphone jack
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Headphone jack
1x Microphone jack
Ports (back): 1x Gigabit Ethernet
2x Thunderbolt 3 Type-C
1x Mini DisplayPort
1x HDMI 2.0a (HDR)
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Gigabit Ethernet
2x Thunderbolt 3 Type-C
1x Mini DisplayPort
1x HDMI 2.0a (HDR)
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x Gigabit Ethernet
2x Thunderbolt 3 Type-C
1x Mini DisplayPort
1x HDMI 2.0a (HDR)
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
Ports (right): 1x SD card reader
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x SD card reader
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
1x SD card reader
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A
Audio: DTS HeadphoneX
Audio by Bang & Olufsen
2x stereo speakers
DTS HeadphoneX
Audio by Bang & Olufsen
2x stereo speakers
DTS HeadphoneX
Audio by Bang & Olufsen
2x stereo speakers
Dimensions (inches): 1.43 (H) x 16.73 (W) x 12.88 (D) 1.43 (H) x 16.73 (W) x 12.88 (D) 1.43 (H) x 16.73 (W) x 12.88 (D)
Weight: 10.69 pounds 10.69 pounds 10.69 pounds
External power supply: 330 watts 330 watts 330 watts
Please enable Javascript to view this content

To keep the GTX 1080 cool, HP said it had to take a much more aggressive approach with the Omen X than it did with its other gaming laptops based on the GTX 1070. To do this, the company ripped out the optical drive to pack in two large fans that reside in the left and right rear sections of the laptop. These fans pull air in through vents mounted on the bottom and eject hot air through two exhaust vents on the sides and two on the back. HP said it managed a 61.7 percent increase in airflow using this method.

Also included in the cooling layout is an integrated vapor chamber connecting the two fans, and four 3.5mm heat pipes that pull the heat away from the processor and graphics chip, and away from the PC gamer in the process. Overall, this cooling design enables the company and users to overclock the CPU, GPU, and the memory.

Given that HP’s new cooling design pulls heat away from the gamer, Omen X’s keyboard should stay somewhat cool. It relies on mechanical switches developed exclusively for this laptop and provides the clicky tactile feel similar to Cherry MX Blue switches. Other features include per-key RGB LED illumination, N-key rollover on every key, a 2.5mm travel distance, an oversized space bar, and eight programmable macro keys.

That said, the entire notebook supports full RGB lighting across eight different zones. These zones can be highly customized through HP’s revamped Omen Command Center, which is also used for prioritizing network traffic, overclocking the CPU and memory on the fly, customizing the macro keys, and running a benchmark to see if the laptop is performing optimally.

Finally, HP says you can easily upgrade the laptop’s storage and memory via a special access panel that is secured by Philips-head screws. HP did not say what the memory limit would be at the time of this publication, but you are likely facing a 32GB memory ceiling versus 64GB or 128GB in a desktop.

HP’s new Omen X laptop will be made available in November for a starting price of $1,200. It follows a batch of Omen-branded accessories announced in June spanning peripherals to displays.

Kevin Parrish
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
HP takes on Alienware and Samsung with its 4K QD-OLED gaming monitor
Two HP Omen Transcend monitors, showing the back and front.

There’s a massive wave of monitors heading to CES 2024, and the newest one from HP is going to gain a lot of attention.

The Omen Transcend 32 is the company’s latest 4K gaming monitor, and features a 31.5-inch 4K QD-OLED panel, presumably the same next-gen variant that was recently teased by Samsung. This is HP's first QD-OLED monitor, and it has a striking new design to boot.

Read more
It’s official — AMD’s best gaming CPU is coming to laptops
Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 sitting on a table.

We don't see a ton of innovation in the world of gaming CPUs, but AMD's 3D V-Cache tech catapulted Team Red to the front of the best gaming CPU pack. And now, AMD is bringing that tech to laptops.

The AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D is the first mobile processor sporting AMD's 3D V-Cache tech, packing 144MB of cache on top of the chip to improve gaming performance. In addition, the processor comes with 16 cores, up to a 5.4GHz boost clock speed, and a 55-watt power design.

Read more
HP’s new Envy x360 14 looks like a killer value for what you get
HP Envy x360 15.6 media mode showing display and pen.

HP's Envy line is an interesting mix of midrange pricing and premium design. It sits between the budget-oriented Pavilion and the ultra-premium Spectre, offering some of the best attributes of both. This year's upgrades introduced to the Envy x360 convertible 2-in-1 lineup include a very affordable Envy x360 14 and an Envy x360 15.6 that offers the first IMAX-certified multimedia experience.

Starting at just $850, the Envy x360 14 might be the most interesting of the three new machines, which also include the Envy x360 17.3. Its combination of design, components, and likely build quality make it a compelling budget option. And media consumers will appreciate the upgraded experience offered by the Envy x360 15.6.
Envy x360 14

Read more