It’s been a little over a year since HP re-entered the PC gaming market with the OMEN line and whilst we met its flagship gaming desktop back in June 2016, Gamescom 2017 has given us the new OMEN X laptop to ogle. Here’s everything you need to know.
Specs at a glance
| Screen size | 17-inches |
|---|---|
| Screen resolution | 1080p (120Hz) or 4K (60Hz) |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Processor | Intel i7-7700HQ or i7-7820HK |
| RAM | 16GB or 32GB (DDR4) |
| Storage | 256GB SDD + 1TB HDD up to 1TB SSD (x2) + 1TB HDD |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 or GTX 1080 |
| Ports | Ethernet, USB-C 3.1 w/ Thunderbolt (x2), Mini DisplayPort, HDMI 2.0a w/ HDR support, USB-A 3.0 (x3), SD card reader, DC power input, 3.5mm DTS Headphone:X jack, microphone jack |
It looks like the existing OMEN laptops…
Whilst the OMEN X desktop brought its own unique case (which you can buy as a standalone piece for £250) and form factor to the table, on the surface this new laptop looks practically identical when compared alongside its existing OMEN gaming laptop brethren.
There are a few new design accoutrements like more prominent fins along the machine’s rear vents and a dual hinge in place of a wider, single effort but for the most part, you still get a familiar hairline pattern keyboard frame, Dragon Red accents, an angular body and the Voodoo-inspired logo on the dual-textured lid.
You get far more control over the backlit keyboard, which features an RGB LED array for greater personalisation, 2.5mm of travel within each key, programmable macro keys and N-Key rollover to prevent ghosting, addressing some of the shortcomings found on older OMEN laptop keyboards.
As before, you can expect Bang & Olufsen audio from dual speakers with HP’s own Audio Boost software onboard too. The 17-inch display can be picked up at a 4K panel or a Full HD offering with a 120Hz refresh rate for cleaner visuals and of course, the OMEN X laptop is Nvidia G-Sync friendly too.
…but it’s easier to upgrade (no, really)
Out the box, the OMEN X laptop features a fairly speedy array of SSDs and HDDs but HP has made it even easier than the existing machines if you want to tweak and change the internals, with a single access panel to both the drives and the RAM, all of which can be swapped out with a Phillip-head screwdriver; a real rarity in the laptop space.
Overclock away!
On the software side, the OMEN Command Centre should satiate tweaking and performance customisation needs, with CPU overclocking tools, network latency reduction options and management tools for the machine’s lighting setup.
The top-tier model features a 7th-generation Core i7-7820HK processor with its own overclocking capabilities and the Nvidia GTX 1080 card inside comes factory-overclocked too.
To keep all that hardware cool there’s a hybrid thermal system comprised of an improved fan-based setup and a vapour chamber with heat pipes linked to one of four radiators too.
It ain’t cheap
Right now the closest machine to the OMEN X laptop that HP UK is selling directly is the OMEN 17-an019na, which features an i7-7700HQ processor (which runs both a lower base clock and turbo) twinned with an Nvidia GTX 1070 graphics card, priced at £1799.
One version of the OMEN X laptop destined for Europe (although it’s unclear of the specific configuration at this point) has been priced at €2,799 (around £2560), with at least three variants confirmed for the US market (still unconfirmed for Europe).
Stateside, the base model will sport a GTX 1070 with a 1080p display, 16GB of RAM, and a 256 GB SSD paired with a 1TB HDD, all for $1999 (around £1,560), whilst a mid-range version will up the RAM to 32GB, bump the graphics to a GTX 1080 and give you a 4K display for $2349 (£1830). The top-tier OMEN X laptop will apparently offer the aforementioned beefier Core i7-7820HK processor, 32GB RAM, a 4K display, two 1TB SSDs and a 1TB HDD, and a GTX 1080 for a cool $3699 (£2880).
It launches just before Christmas
HP has slated a broad launch window for Europe of November this year.
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