Tested: I expected good battery life, but this HP laptop blew me away

Price When Reviewed

$899.99

Best Prices Today: HP OmniBook 5 14

$599.99

$899.99

Want a Windows laptop computer with nice battery life and portability? The HP OmniBook 5 14 must be in your shortlist. It reached as much as 25 hours of endurance in our battery life check. And, to sweeten the deal, it has each a quick charging mode (as much as 50 % of a full cost in 30 minutes) and a tiny 65-watt GaN charger.

HP OmniBook 5 14: Specs and options

The HP OmniBook 5 14 is designed round a Snapdragon X Plus chip, on this case the X1P-42-100. It is paired with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB stable state drive. While it’s good to see the 32GB/1TB mixture at this worth level, the X1P-42-100 is among the many least succesful Snapdragon X Plus chips. That’s a perk for battery life, and a destructive for efficiency.

• CPU: Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100
• Memory: 32GB LPDDR5X-8448
• Graphics/GPU: Qualcomm Adreno
• NPU: Qualcomm NPU as much as 45 TOPs
• Display: 14-inch 1920×1200 60Hz OLED touchscreen
• Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
• Webcam: 1080p 30fps
• Connectivity: 2x USB-C 10Gbps with USB Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-A 10Gbps, 1x 3.5mm combo audio jack
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
• Biometrics: Facial recognition
• Battery capability: 59 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.29 x 8.56 x 0.61 inches
• Weight: 2.98 kilos
• Operating System: Windows 11 Home
• Additional options: 65-watt GaN energy adapter
• Price: $899.99 MSRP

HP lists an MSRP of $899.99 and has but to problem reductions on this mannequin. However, HP additionally sells inexpensive fashions of the OmniBook 5 that begin at an MSRP of $699.99. They are already discounted to as little as $549.99. They begin at 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, nevertheless, and have a much less highly effective Snapdragon X chip.

HP OmniBook 5 14: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Matthew Smith

The HP OmniBook 5 makes a superb first impression, although not as a result of it stands out. Instead, it delivers a easy however cohesive design that appears basic and feels sturdy. It’s constructed from a mix of aluminum (on the lid) and plastic (throughout the remainder of the chassis) in a “Glacier Silver” colorway. The supplies feel and look extra premium than the laptop computer’s price ticket would counsel.

It’s not all excellent news, nevertheless. While the construct is first rate, I observed an odd thunk as I picked up the laptop computer from one nook and moved it from hand-to-hand. It appears the chassis flexes sufficient to contact the internals. It’s not instantly apparent, however as soon as I heard it, I discovered it onerous to neglect.

The OmniBook 5’s design and construct high quality is about common for the class. I’d rank the OmniBook 5 forward of an Acer Swift Go 14 AI, however the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13 and Asus ZenBook S 14 supply extra drama and really feel extra premium.

HP OmniBook 5 14: Keyboard, trackpad, mouse

IDG / Matthew Smith

The keyboard is among the many OmniBook 5’s greatest options. It offers a easy, spacious structure. Most keys are near full measurement, with solely the left-side Shift, Caps, and Tab keys a bit truncated. Key really feel is great with good journey and a definitive, swift bottoming motion.

Most Windows laptops offered on this worth vary have a keyboard that’s at the least adequate, however the OmniBook 5’s keyboard is a standout.

The touchpad is much less exceptional, however nonetheless good. It measures roughly 5 inches large and 3 inches deep, which is common for a laptop computer on this class. It offers a clean, responsive floor and sufficient room to deal with Windows multi-touch gestures (like a five-finger pinch) with ease.

While the laptop computer I examined didn’t have a touchscreen, HP says that the delivery configuration will embrace one. However, this isn’t true for each OmniBook 5, as the bottom mannequin lacks a touchscreen

It doesn’t matter a lot both manner, because the OmniBook 5 isn’t a 2-in-1, and the show solely tilts again 130 levels (not far sufficient to put flat). Still, a touchscreen is a comfort that may be useful when vegging out on the sofa or in cramped quarters, like an economy-class airline seat.

HP OmniBook 5 14: Display, audio

IDG / Matthew Smith

All HP OmniBook 5 fashions with the Snapdragon Plus chip have an OLED show with 1920×1200 decision and a 60Hz refresh charge.

HP calls this a “2K” show, which is a bit cheeky. It’s principally a 1080p show with a number of extra vertical pixels. Laptop firms have lately determined to redefine quoted pixel counts by specializing in the horizontal quite than vertical decision.

That apart, there’s nothing incorrect with 1920×1200 decision in a 14-inch laptop computer offered below $1,000. Indeed, whereas costlier opponents just like the Asus ZenBook S 14 supply the next decision (similar to 3,200 x 1,800), the added sharpness is usually a bit tough to understand. The 1920×1200 panel has a pixel density of 161 pixels per inch, which is sort of similar to the sharpness of a 27-inch 4K monitor.

Sharpness apart, the panel seems to be nice. It’s an OLED show and offers the benefits typical of the panel sort, together with a large shade gamut and excessive distinction ratio. The solely actual problem is brightness, because the panel is rated at 300 nits and barely nudged previous that in my testing. That’s not sufficient to comfortably use the laptop computer close to a sunlit window or different shiny gentle supply.

The OmniBook 5 has a dual-speaker sound system that gives good quantity and a good sound stage; nevertheless, turning up the amount can overwhelm the sound system, making a harsh and muddy expertise. This is a basic mistake many mid-range Windows laptops make; they usually enable the audio system to hit quantity ranges they’ll’t deal with. Still, the audio system aren’t unhealthy for a mid-range Windows laptop computer at extra modest volumes.

HP OmniBook 5 14: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

Every OmniBook 5 ships with a 1080p webcam and twin array microphone. Both present good although not distinctive high quality. Video is fairly sharp and the microphones choose up crisp audio however, like most laptops, each are solely satisfactory for Zoom or Google Meet. The laptop computer does assist Windows Studio Effects options, together with background blur and computerized framing.

The digital camera offers a bodily privateness shutter to completely impede the digital camera when it’s not in use. This function, although more and more widespread, is nice to see on an reasonably priced laptop computer. It’s extra widespread on high-end fashions.

Biometric login is supported by Windows Hello facial recognition. As traditional, it really works nicely offering quick and dependable login with out the necessity to enter a password. A fingerprint reader just isn’t out there.

HP OmniBook 5 14: Connectivity

IDG / Matthew Smith

The OmniBook 5 has a slim port choice. On the left flank you’ll discover two USB-C ports, whereas on the proper you’ll discover USB-A and a 3.5mm audio jack.

Both USB-C ports assist DisplayPort and Power Delivery, so each can be utilized to cost the laptop computer and/or connect with a USB-C show (or DisplayPort/HDMI should you purchase an adapter).

However, the ports solely assist knowledge charges as much as 10Gbps. This marks a significant distinction between the OmniBook 5 and laptops that assist Thunderbolt 4, which offers 40Gbps of knowledge. 10Gbps remains to be sufficient for many conditions. But it is perhaps a limitation should you have been planning to hook up with a USB-C dock after which join a number of high-speed exterior storage units.

While the restricted USB-C ports are disappointing, it’s widespread for Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus laptops. Those who need Thunderbolt might want to take a look at an Apple MacBook Air or entry-level laptops with an Intel Core Ultra processor.

It’s an analogous story with wi-fi connectivity, because the OmniBook 5 helps Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. Both are effective, however neither is the latest model of every wi-fi normal. As with Thunderbolt, Wi-Fi 7 assist just isn’t that widespread in machines below $1,000, and most frequently supplied by laptops with Intel Core Ultra processors.

HP OmniBook 5 14: Performance

The HP OmniBook 5 provides the Qualcomm Snapdragon X chip. It’s necessary to notice there are variations between fashions. Base fashions have the Snapdragon X X1-26-100 with eight cores as much as 2.97GHz, however the mannequin I examined had the Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 with eight cores as much as 3.4GHz.

Even the X1P-42-100 is a reasonably tame model of the Snapdragon X, sitting on the backside of the Snapdragon X Plus product stack. It has fewer cores than different Snapdragon X chips (which supply as much as 10 in Snapdragon X Plus and as much as 12 in Snapdragon X Elite) and a much less succesful model of the Qualcomm Adreno GPU. The Qualcomm NPU is similar throughout chips, although, with quoted efficiency as much as 45 TOPS.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Let’s begin with Cinebench 2024, a benchmark that gives native assist for each Arm and x86. It stories a multi-core rating of 495 and a single-core rating of 105. As the graph signifies, these scores are effective however not spectacular for a laptop computer priced at $899.

Depending on the specifics of gross sales on the time you might be shopping for, it is perhaps potential to discover a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, Ryzen AI 7, or Intel Core Ultra 7 laptop computer in the identical worth bracket. All of those will are likely to beat the OmniBook 5 with Snapdragon X Plus.

IDG / Matthew Smith

3D efficiency is a sneaky weak spot of the entry-level Snapdragon X and Snapdragon X Plus chips. While all variations of the Snapdragon X have a Qualcomm Adreno, efficiency ranges range enormously. The greatest Snapdragon X Elite quotes 4.6 TFLOPs of efficiency, however the Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 quotes simply 1.7 TFLOPs. That’s nicely lower than half the efficiency.

How a lot that issues relies upon each in your wants and your body of reference. Laptops on this worth vary usually have both Intel Arc 130V or AMD Radeon 860M graphics, each of which additionally surrender a good bit of efficiency when in comparison with their costlier and premium siblings. But should you evaluate the HP OmniBook 5 to a laptop computer with Intel Arc 140V, Radeon 880M, or a Snapdragon X Elite chip, it’s going to fall fairly a bit behind.

At the top of the day, the HP OmniBook 5’s efficiency is okay however not distinctive. Like most laptops which have an entry-level Snapdragon X or Snapdragon X Plus chip, the OmniBook 5 is susceptible to cost stress from discounted Snapdragon X Elite laptops, which have a tendency to supply significantly better efficiency for a slight bounce in worth.

Still, the HP OmniBook 5 remains to be lots fast for a variety of productiveness duties. And it has a significant perk that, for a lot of, may justify settling for modest efficiency.

HP OmniBook 5 14: Battery life and portability

That perk is battery life.

HP says that the OmniBook 5 14 can obtain as much as 34 hours of battery life. That unimaginable declare didn’t match our testing, however the laptop computer nonetheless managed to exceed 25 hours in a video playback check.

IDG / Matthew Smith

As the graph exhibits, that’s a very staggering determine for any laptop computer, by no means thoughts one offered under $1,000. I used to be additionally shocked to see this determine regardless of the usage of an OLED show. In some circumstances OLED shows seem to scale back battery life relative to an IPS show, however that’s clearly not the scenario right here.

The laptop computer can also be extraordinarily simple to maintain charged up. Both USB-C ports assist Power Delivery and the laptop computer has a quick cost mode that may add as much as 50 % capability in 30 minutes (although solely when the laptop computer is totally shut down and under 50 % capability).

HP additionally offers a tiny 65-watt GaN energy adapter with some OmniBook 5 fashions, together with the mannequin I examined. It measures solely 2.5 inches lengthy and about an inch thick, which makes it the smallest included energy adapter I’ve ever examined. This additional contributes to the already nice battery life, because it’s simple to pack the adapter for fast top-offs at any time when an outlet is out there.

All of this combines to make the HP OmniBook 5 a remarkably transportable Windows laptop computer and, I believe, probably the most transportable mid-range laptop computer available in the market proper now. Some opponents are smaller, however few are near the OmniBook 5’s battery life, and HP’s inclusion of the GaN energy adapter provides it an edge.

HP OmniBook 5 14: Conclusion

The HP OmniBook 5 is a robust contender if you would like a Windows laptop computer with nice battery life. Though not a prime performer, it does nicely sufficient for a laptop computer below $1,000. And it advantages from different perks like an pleasing keyboard and OLED show. Pricing could not all the time be to HP’s profit, as steep discounting on laptops with extra highly effective chips can dip into worth territory much like the OmniBook 5. But the HP’s 25-hour endurance and tiny GaN charger present buyers a superb purpose to purchase it over the options.