Why it matters to you
With the Omen X laptop, HP is targeting the do-it-yourself system building crowd who want the same insanely high performance in a mobile notebook form factor.
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 $2,300 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.
Screen size:
15.6 inches
15.6 inches
15.6 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
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 $2,300. It follows a batch of Omen-branded accessories announced in June spanning peripherals to displays.