The gaming laptop landscape is shifting, and HP is making a strategic play to capture a wider audience. Following the well-received Omen 17, the newly tested Omen 16 is the latest model to embrace HP’s new two-tier philosophy. In a significant move, the "Omen Max" line has been anointed as the company's true flagship, while the standard Omen models are now positioned squarely in a more accessible, budget-friendly range.
But does a more attractive price tag mean a significant step down in quality? Our in-depth time with the 2024 Omen 16 reveals that HP's gaming laptop still delivers much of the magic that made previous generations great—though, as with any product in this segment, there are a few calculated trade-offs.
A New Strategy: Redefining the OMEN Lineup
Gone are the days of a single, monolithic Omen series trying to compete at every price point. HP’s new approach is refreshingly clear. For gamers who want the absolute best performance, top-tier materials, and no-compromise features, the Omen Max is the answer. For the vast majority of players seeking exceptional performance per dollar, the regular Omen, like this new Omen 16, is the new champion.
This bifurcation allows HP to focus on value engineering without sacrificing the core gaming experience, a balance that our testing found they have largely achieved.
First Impressions: Sleek Design, Surprising Build
One of the most immediately noticeable changes is the chassis. HP has made the decision to drop the aluminum construction found on previous models and has gone all-in on a plastic build for the 2024 Omen 16. On paper, this sounds like a major compromise, but in practice, it’s far less so.
The Omen 16 still looks sleek and modern, avoiding the bulky, "gamer-y" aesthetic and cheap feel that often plagues budget gaming laptops. The fit and finish are excellent, with minimal flex in the lid and a robust-feeling base. It’s a testament to how far plastic engineering has come; this doesn't feel like a cost-cutting measure so much as a smart reallocation of the budget.
Where Your Money Really Goes: Keyboard and Performance
If the savings from the aluminum chassis are being spent elsewhere, it shows in two critical areas: the input devices and the raw performance.
The keyboard is a standout. It offers a pleasantly quiet, cushioned, and responsive typing experience that is far removed from the rattly, hollow feel of many competitors in this price bracket. It’s a keyboard you can comfortably game on for hours and also use for productive work without annoying your colleagues or yourself. The touchpad is equally impressive, feeling solid with precise, satisfying clicks.
More importantly, the performance is where the Omen 16 truly shines. Our review unit was equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 that, crucially, runs at its full Thermal Design Power (TGP). This means you're getting every last bit of performance that the GPU is capable of, a spec that some manufacturers sometimes cut corners on. Paired with the formidable AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and its 16 cores, the Omen 16 delivers consistently high frame rates and handles demanding tasks with ease.
For a deep dive into all the performance benchmarks and technical data, be sure to check out the full, detailed review over at NotebookCheck.
Thermals and Acoustics: Cool and Collected
A powerful chip is nothing without a competent cooling solution, and this is another area where the Omen 16 pleasantly surprised us. During extended gaming sessions and even during combined CPU/GPU stress tests, the surface temperatures on the keyboard and palm rests remained remarkably cool.
The cooling system, with its updated internals, does its job efficiently without becoming noticeably louder than last year’s more expensive model. It strikes a great balance between dissipating heat effectively and maintaining a reasonable acoustic profile—you’ll hear the fans during intense gaming, but it won’t sound like a jet engine taking off.
The Verdict: A Calculated and Successful Repositioning
So, is the new Omen 16 an all-around winner? It’s important to remember its new place in the world. Starting at an attractive €999, it is positioned explicitly as a budget-friendly gaming laptop, and with that come a few downsides. The display, while good, isn't the absolute top-of-the-line, and you do lose the premium feel of an all-metal chassis.
However, by making those strategic compromises, HP has delivered a machine that excels where it matters most for most gamers: raw, fully-powered performance, excellent thermals, and a superb keyboard. The Omen 16 proves that you don’t need to break the bank to get a high-quality, well-engineered gaming laptop that doesn’t feel cheap.
**Ready to see if the HP Omen 16 is the right budget gaming laptop for you? You can find the latest pricing and availability on Amazon.
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