HP Omen Transcend 14 review: Power and beauty in a compact package

Price When Reviewed

$1,699

Best Prices Today: HP Omen Transcend 14

$1699

The HP Omen Transcend 14 is a putting machine. The stunning OLED show and translucent key caps hit you with vibrant coloration as quickly as you flip it on. When you decide it up, you’re struck by how compact and light-weight it’s for the specs and all-metal chassis it provides. Fire up a sport and also you’re impressed by how effectively trendy video games run on a laptop computer this gentle, compact, and relatively cheap. Nothing is ideal, so there are some catches — and this isn’t the proper machine for everybody — however it’s an awesome laptop computer.

Looking for extra choices? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best gaming laptops.

HP Omen Transcend 14: Specs

IDG / Chris Hoffman

The HP Omen Transcend 14 is, like most gaming laptops, out there in quite a lot of configurations you may customise. The machine we reviewed comes at a retail value of $1,699 and had an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.

The laptop computer’s base mannequin begins at a retail value of $1,499 and consists of the identical CPU — however steps right down to GeForce RTX 4050 graphics and a 512 GB SSD. You can customise the laptop computer and stand up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics, an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage. Our overview mannequin included Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, though many fashions include Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

When we have been reviewing this laptop computer, HP was already providing a promotional low cost on its web site for $300 off, with the laptop computer’s base value beginning at $1,199. It’s a good higher worth throughout a promotion like that one.

CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H

Memory: 16 GB LPDDR5-7467

Graphics/GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060

Display: 14-inch 2.8k 2880×1800 120Hz HDR OLED

Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD

Webcam: 1080p webcam

Connectivity: 1x Thunderbolt 4 / USB Type-C 40Gbps with USB Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB Type-C 10Gbps with USB Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4, 2x USB Type-A 10Gbps, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo headphone jack

Networking: Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4

Biometrics: IR digicam for Windows Hello

Battery capability: 71 Watt-hours

Dimensions: 12.32 inches x 9.19 inches x 0.71 inches

Weight: 3.6 lbs

MSRP: $1,699 as examined ($1,499 base)

HP Omen Transcend 14: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Chris Hoffman

The HP Omen Transcend 14 seems to be much more vibrant and colourful in particular person than it does in pictures. It’s smooth, compact, and strong. There’s no glowing emblem on the again of the laptop computer — simply the phrase “OMEN.” If somebody isn’t conscious that is the identify of a gaming model, it could not even seem like a gaming laptop computer to them. On the within, the laptop computer additionally doesn’t look ostentatiously like a gaming laptop computer.

That is… till the LED keyboard lights come on! Then it actually seems to be like a gaming laptop computer. Our overview mannequin had a keyboard with 4 zones of lighting. (HP says per-key lighting might be out there in some future fashions.) The keys are modeled after the “Pudding” key caps discovered on HyperX keyboards, so that you see the LED lighting spill out from the keys. It’s vivid and colourful, and it stands out. Despite the understated general design, the keyboard LEDs give this a vivid and enticing gamer aesthetic while you need that type of factor. But, with the press of a key, you may flip off these LEDs and the laptop computer gained’t look misplaced in a classroom or convention room.

Personally, I really like the look — it’s colourful and doesn’t seem like most different gaming laptops I’ve come throughout. It stands out. The keyboard’s LED lighting can also be a pleasant praise to the additionally vivid and colourful OLED display, which I’ll get to in a second.

Build high quality is nice, too. It’s all metallic — no creaky plastic or something like that right here. At 3.6 kilos, it’s a little bit heavier than the common ultraportable — however solely a tad. It’s a pleasant compact dimension and feels loads sturdy. The hinge feels strong. The display doesn’t “lie flat” — in different phrases, open to 180 levels — like another laptops I’ve examined just lately, however that’s no large deal. The cooling works effectively, with the air blowing out the again of the machine (prefer it ought to) and never onto your mouse hand. The keyboard stays a really cheap temperature whereas gaming, too.

The software program setup out of the field isn’t nice, although. HP has gone the standard route of packing the laptop computer with numerous bloatware, together with McAfee antivirus preinstalled — the overview mannequin I examined included a completely licensed model, however I think about the patron mannequin will embrace a free trial with nag screens. There’s additionally the “Omen Gaming Hub” that may continuously pop up notifications telling you the way it “freed up RAM” with Boost, one thing that’s pointless and never value an interruption.

The HP Support Assistant app is pinned to the taskbar by default, promoting essential messages. When I opened it up, it began with 13 unread messages it wished me to learn. No one wants one other message-packed inbox to cope with, HP. It’s a ridiculous technique to set the laptop computer up out of the field, however after all you may take away all this software program in the event you like. It’s annoying at first, however it’s not a dealbreaker — it doesn’t matter that a lot when it’s simple to take away.

HP Omen Transcend 14: Keyboard and trackpad

IDG / Chris Hoffman

The laptop computer’s keyboard and trackpad are each strong and completely serviceable. I’ve already talked about how a lot I just like the look of the keyboard due to the clear edges that allow the LED lighting shine by way of.

I wouldn’t say it is a dangerous keyboard. I’ll say that I’ve used higher. The keys really feel a tad mushy. They really feel greater than high quality to sort on — however they don’t really feel fairly as snappy while you press every key right down to the underside. The laptop computer is so skinny that this isn’t an enormous shock — there’s not essentially as a lot area for these keys to journey as there’s on bulkier, thicker gaming laptops.

The trackpad is spacious, no issues there! I don’t assume it is a glass trackpad, and it’s not fairly as satisfying to slip your finger over because the trackpad on a high-end enterprise laptop computer just like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. The floor is a little tough in comparison with a glass trackpad. But it really works effectively sufficient. It’s a reasonably commonplace trackpad for a Windows laptop computer on this value vary today. There’s nothing mistaken with that.

HP Omen Transcend 14: Display and audio system

IDG / Chris Hoffman

The HP Omen’s OLED show is the star of the present. It’s a 14-inch 2.8K show (2880×1800 decision) with HDR assist and as much as 500 nits of brightness and as much as a 120Hz refresh charge. As somebody who makes use of IPS shows on his every day driver PCs, OLED shows like this one look extremely stunning to me. The colours on an OLED show actually “pop” — they’re way more vibrant.

I adore it, and it seems to be nice. Still, there are tradeoffs: The HP Omen Transcend 14 doesn’t assist variable refresh charges (VRR) in video games. In different phrases, you gained’t discover Nvidia G-Sync or AMD FreeSync assist right here. Also, that 120Hz refresh charge is slower than the refresh charges you’ll discover on many IPS panels, which frequently go as much as 240Hz or above.

If you’re looking for a gaming laptop computer, there’s nobody show expertise that’s finest for everybody. Personally, I feel I’d get pleasure from gaming extra on a gorgeous OLED show, even when the refresh charge didn’t match an IPS show. But that’s as much as you.

The audio system sound good to me — allowing for they’re audio system in a 14-inch laptop computer, naturally. The Omen’s followers don’t get extraordinarily loud whereas gaming, which helps the audio system ship good clear audio throughout gameplay.

HP included a HyperX Cloud III wireless headset with our overview mannequin. These headsets usually require a USB dongle, however HP has primarily “built the dongle into the laptop,” letting you employ this specific headset with none dongles getting in the best way. It’s one other boon for the laptop computer’s portability.

HP Omen Transcend 14: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

The webcam doesn’t look significantly nice. While it is a 1080p webcam, the image isn’t significantly sharp or spectacular, even in a brightly coloured room. It’s no shock to discover a cheaper webcam in a gaming laptop computer like this one, and that’s not going to be a giant deal to most individuals. Still, it might be good to have a greater webcam for on-line conferences since this laptop computer in any other case looks as if it may take the place of an ultraportable.

The microphone is definitely useful. I used to be not that impressed with the laptop computer’s built-in microphone, however I wasn’t anticipating to be. It’s high quality, and folks can definitely perceive what you’re saying. This isn’t a business laptop, so it’s no shock to see some compromises made right here.

The biometrics work high quality: You’ve acquired a reasonably commonplace IR digicam for logging in along with your face through Windows Hello. It labored effectively in numerous lighting situations.

HP Omen Transcend 14: Connectivity

IDG / Chris Hoffman

On the again of the Omen Transcend 14, you’ll discover an HDMI 2.1 port in addition to a Thunderbolt 4 port (USB-C 4 Gen 2 with 15W Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4.) The laptop computer costs through USB-C, so that you’ll most likely plug it in to cost right here.

On the left of the machine, you’ve acquired one other USB Type-C port together with a combo headphone jack. On the proper, you’ll discover two USB Type-A ports.

That’s it so far as ports are involved. There’s no SD card reader or Ethernet jack, for instance, so that you’ll want a dongle for issues like that. That’s no shock in any respect — it is a skinny and light-weight laptop computer, and it’s a really cheap number of ports.

The laptop computer we reviewed additionally included Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, though many configurations include Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. You most likely don’t want Wi-Fi 7 simply but — you virtually definitely don’t have a Wi-Fi 7 router but — however it’s very nice to have for futureproofing.

HP Omen Transcend 14: Performance

Let’s get to the efficiency assessments. We ran the HP Omen Transcend 14 by way of our battery of standard benchmarks to see the way it will carry out in the actual world.

The HP Omen Transcend 14 we reviewed included an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, which is certainly one of Intel’s new Meteor Lake chips. These new chips are more focused on power efficiency, so there’s no big efficiency improve. It additionally packed Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics, which is extra highly effective than RTX 4050 graphics, however not up there with a 4070, 4080, or 4090. So we all know this laptop computer doesn’t have the highest-end, quickest parts you’d discover in a bulkier, dearer gaming machine — it’s targeted on portability and staying compact.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

First, we run PCMark 10. This benchmark is designed as an general system efficiency benchmark. It’s an all-around benchmark, however the CPU is extra essential than the graphics {hardware} on this benchmark. Gaming efficiency isn’t the main target for this one.

There are not any large surprises within the outcomes. Performance is a bit slower than the Alienware m16 R2, a bulkier, bigger, 16-inch laptop computer with the identical CPU and louder followers. The HP Omen beats a laptop computer with a Core i5 CPU from final 12 months. The way more costly MSI Raider GE78 laptop with a high-end, power-hungry Intel Core i9 CPU comes out in entrance of all the opposite laptops.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

Next, we transfer on to Cinebench R20. This is a closely multithreaded benchmark that appears at CPU efficiency. It’s a fast benchmark, so cooling and efficiency underneath load isn’t a giant issue. But, because it’s closely multithreaded, CPUs with extra cores have a large benefit.

The Omen Transcend beats a laptop computer with an Intel Core i5 from final 12 months — and it’s throughout the margin of error of the efficiency of a Core i7 laptop computer from final 12 months, too. It is an effective quantity slower than the Alienware m16 R2, one other just lately launched laptop computer with the identical CPU. That laptop computer is bigger, heavier, makes use of extra energy, and has a beefier cooling system with louder followers, in order that’s not an enormous shock — however it does present that there’s extra to a laptop computer’s CPU efficiency than only a CPU mannequin quantity. (Unsurprisingly, the 24-core Core i9 laptop computer comes screaming forward. The HP Omen Transcend has a 16-core CPU.)

IDG / Chris Hoffman

We additionally run an encode with Handbrake. This is one other closely multithreaded benchmark, however it takes for much longer to finish. This calls for the laptop computer’s cooling kick in, and we are able to see whether or not the laptop computer slows down underneath load.

Unsurprisingly, that Alienware m16 R2 with the louder followers beats the Omen Transcend 14 as soon as once more. But that’s a 16-inch laptop computer, and that is as extra compact 14-inch laptop computer. What’s actually nice to see is the HP Omen beating bigger laptops from final 12 months — delivering stronger efficiency than 16-inch laptops with an Intel Core i7 laptop computer, for instance.

Is this the perfect laptop computer for sustained CPU efficiency? Well, no — however we already knew that from the laptop computer’s compact dimension. You’ll desire a larger, heavier laptop computer for that. The efficiency numbers aren’t dangerous, nevertheless — not dangerous in any respect.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

Now let’s get to the graphics benchmarks so we are able to give attention to GPU efficiency for gaming. We run 3Dmark Time Spy, a graphical benchmark that highlights the GPU’s efficiency. The benchmarks present the Omen Transcend 14’s RTX 4060 {hardware} performing about the way you’d count on — sooner than a laptop computer with an RTX 4050, however slower than a laptop computer with an RTX 4070.

The outcomes present the HP Omen is a little bit bit slower than the MSI Prestige 16 Studio, a 16-inch laptop computer with the identical GPU. But we discovered that laptop computer will get sizzling and loud underneath load. The Omen Transcend 14 stays on the cooler aspect underneath load, and its followers are on the quiet aspect for a gaming laptop computer, too. It’s inside spitting distance of that bigger machine whereas being smaller, cooling, and quieter. That appears like an accomplishment.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

Let’s take a look at some precise video games. We run the benchmark in Shadow of the Tomb Raider to check all of the gaming laptops we overview. This is an older sport, however it’s a wonderful technique to evaluate graphical efficiency throughout totally different PCs.

The HP Omen Transcend achieved 96 frames-per-second within the benchmark. Yes, that’s on the low finish for the graph — however each different laptop computer here’s a bigger 16-inch laptop computer. The Omen is delivering comparable efficiency to bigger 16-inch laptops with the identical graphics {hardware}, and solely seems actually outclassed by laptops with higher-end GPUs, naturally.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

Lastly, we run the benchmark in Metro Exodus, a extra demanding sport. We set the benchmark to 1080p decision on the Extreme element setting. Once once more, the HP Omen Transcend 14 was proper according to bigger gaming laptops with comparable GPUs at 31 frames-per-second. Only laptops with higher-end RTX 4070 and RTX 4090 graphics pulled noticeably forward of it.

In most video games, GPU efficiency might be extra essential than the CPU efficiency. And, relating to the GPU, the HP Omen Transcend 14 is delivering comparable efficiency to laptops which are bigger and extra power-hungry. That comparable efficiency is available in a small bundle that stays cool and runs pretty quiet, too. That’s precisely what we’d need to see from this laptop computer.

It’s value noting that this laptop computer isn’t the best-performing gaming laptop computer on the market. The RTX 4060 is operating at 65W of energy. That retains warmth and fan noise down. Other laptops with the identical RTX 4060 could also be offering extra energy to the GPU and delivering considerably larger efficiency — once more, at the price of warmth, fan noise, and extra energy consumption. But, for the dimensions and type issue, it’s very spectacular.

HP Omen Transcend 14: Battery life

Battery life is usually a weak level for gaming laptops. But the HP Omen Transcend 14 is all about portability, so we’d hope to see some strong battery life and we did.

This HP Omen packs a 71-Watt-hour battery — batteries are inclined to go as much as 100 Watt hours, as that’s the largest battery the U.S. Transportation Security Administration allows you to tackle an airplane, however these larger batteries might be present in bigger, heavier laptops.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

To benchmark the battery life, we play a 4K copy of Tears of Steel on repeat within the Movies & TV app on Windows 11 with airplane mode enabled and keyboard backlighting disabled till the laptop computer suspends itself. This is a best-case state of affairs for any laptop computer — native video playback may be very environment friendly and battery life in the actual world might be much less.

We at all times set the display to 250 nits of brightness for this. It’s wort noting that the HP Omen Transcend 14 will get a bonus from its OLED show right here, because the show wants much less energy to show the black bars across the video.

We’ve been watching different, bigger laptops pull forward of the HP Omen Transcend 14, so it was nice to see HP Omen Transcend 14 pull forward of them right here, operating for a median of 505 minutes (practically eight and a half hours.) That’s precisely what we’re seeking to see in a system designed for portability. But keep in mind that this isn’t consultant of real-world use and you will note decrease battery life runtimes in the actual world as you employ the laptop computer usually.

It’s value noting that HP informed us it was seeing longer battery life with the SAGV setting enabled within the system’s BIOS, and that HP might activate that setting by default within the BIOS sooner or later. We noticed the laptop computer’s battery life enhancing in our benchmark after enabling this setting, however the numbers we report listed here are with the laptop computer’s default settings. SAGV (System Agent Geyserville) provides energy financial savings for the system’s reminiscence when it isn’t getting used closely, so whereas it could end in considerably longer battery life numbers in a benchmark like this, that gained’t essentially translate to large enhancements in the actual world — although you may count on to see some enhancements.

HP Omen Transcend 14: Conclusion

The HP Omen Transcend 14 is a superb machine. It feels prefer it’s made for somebody who isn’t solely a gamer — if all you do is depart this on a desk and play video games all day, you should still have an awesome expertise due to that lovely OLED display. But the actual worth proposition comes when you decide it up and take it locations, utilizing it as a barely heavier than the common ultraportable machine that additionally delivers nice gaming efficiency while you need it.

With that in thoughts, the optimum viewers right here is individuals who need an awesome gaming machine with a gorgeous display that can be light-weight and transportable. Everything includes compromises: You can get extra efficiency in a heavier, beefier laptop computer. And you may get lighter weight in a laptop computer and not using a gaming GPU. But this machine is a superb compromise: You get numerous portability and numerous efficiency at an awesome value, and the OLED show is actually particular to take a look at. (I really like the LEDs on the keyboard, too — they provide the machine numerous character.)

For most efficiency, it’s best to undoubtedly look elsewhere — however you’re going to get a heavier machine, and in the event you discover a laptop computer with comparable specs that performs higher, it would virtually definitely have louder followers.

But it is a gaming laptop computer that actually sells that gaming laptops will be extra than simply highly effective, loud, heavy performance-driven beasts. With gaming laptops this inexpensive, compact, and light-weight, I don’t know why I’d purchase something however a gaming laptop computer sooner or later.