HP Omen 16 (AMD) Laptop Review: Gaming Powerhouse

Leading laptop brand HP launched the HP Omen 16 (AMD) Gaming laptop in India in June 2023. The Omen 16 is claimed to be a powerhouse of gaming loaded with features for work as well as play. Ryzen 7 series processor powers the laptop and features a 16.1-inch display, 165Hz refresh rate, advanced thermal cooling system, super-fast charging, and an aesthetic design. For a price of 1.3 lakhs, is HP Omen 16 worth it or can you give it a miss? Let’s find out.

HP Omen 16 (AMD) Laptop 2023 Snapshot

Editor’s rating: 3.7/5

Design

Display

Software

Performance

Web Camera

Battery

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

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Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

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Rating: 3 out of 5.

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Rating: 3 out of 5.

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Jump To..

• Design
• Display
• I/O Ports & Connectivity
• Keyboard & Trackpad
• Performance
• Battery
• Should you buy an HP Omen 16 Laptop?

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Pros

• Immersive Gaming
• Fast performance
• Superfast charging

Cons

• Low display brightness
• Underwhelming trackpad
• Mediocre battery life

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HP Omen 16 (AMD) Laptop Price In India

• The HP Omen 16 is priced at Rs. 1,34,990 and can be bought via the HP Online Store, Omen Playground stores, and HP retail stores across India. Omen 16 is available in the Shadow Black colorway.

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HP Omen 16 (AMD) Laptop review: Design

Unlike many gaming laptops, the HP Omen 16 sports a minimalistic yet solid design. It has a matte black body with a brushed metallic finish that gives it s sporty and elegant look. The Omen 16 has a traditional all-black body (Shadow black variant) with the company’s logo in the middle and 16 engraved under the keyboard. The matte feel makes the device a magnet for fingerprints, dust, and smudges which is annoying at times but otherwise, the build is worth it.

When I first held the laptop in my hand it felt bulky as it weighs 2.32kg. However, it is still lighter than Omen 17 which weighs over 2.6 kgs. With a thickness of 2.4cm, HP describes the design of Omen 16 to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing which means the brand has crafted a plastic body laptop that never feels cheap or inferior. The lid is made of aluminum and there are vents at both sides and the bottom for good thermal performance. The vents have been placed aesthetically and don’t interfere with the premium look of the laptop. The bezels on the display are thin and light and the lid can easily be opened and closed with one hand.

The design and build of HP Omen 16 don’t leave much room for complaints.

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HP Omen 16 (AMD) Laptop review: Display & Speakers

HP Omen 16 laptop sports a 16.1-inch Full HD IPS display with anti-glare technology and a 165Hz refresh rate. With a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels, visuals are crisp, clear, and vibrant. The display brings visuals to life as it comes with sRGB color space tech. 300 nits brightness is apt for indoor usage but feels underwhelming when you use the device outdoors as the screen isn’t properly legible under sunlight. The display comes with support for Low Blue Light which reduces the strain on one’s eyes when working on the laptop for long hours.

HP Omen 16 features a webcam on the top bezel of the display. It has a 1080p FHD webcam that comes with a privacy shutter for security. While most of the webcams on laptops don’t click usable images, this one breaks the myth as the photos clicked using the webcam are satisfactory for everyday tasks. Dual digital microphones ensure clear audio during calls.

HP Omen 16 features Bang & Olufsen speakers that offer decent audio quality while gaming, watching videos, or listening to music. The bass is not top-notch but overall the speakers offer a balanced and loud output as the room echoes with sound at a 75% volume level.

When audio and display are decent, the gaming laptop is bound to offer an immersive gaming experience. Titles like Genshin Impact, Asphalt 9, and Starfield were played enjoyably.

HP Omen 16 (AMD) Laptop review: I/O Ports & Connectivity

The HP Omen 16 features a plethora of ports for connectivity purposes. The ports are strategically placed all around the device. The left side of the laptop has two USB-C ports with one of them supporting USB power delivery, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack for those who want to use wired headphones. The right side features a USB-A port that can be used by those who want to work with a mouse.

The rear end of the device also features important ports. There is a full-size HDMI 2.1 port, an Ethernet port, a Power jack, and a solo USB-A port. The ports have been thus arranged so that no wires or cables obstruct the work dampening the functionality of the professional. Port availability and placement are top-notch.

HP Omen 16 (AMD) Laptop Review: Performance & Gaming

HP Omen 16 is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7780HS processor having 8 cores, 16 threads, and a top clock speed of 5.1GHz. There is also a GeForce RTX 4060 GPU paired with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM. The combination of processor and GPU ensures that the laptop offers an impressive performance throughout the day. Whether you are working or gaming, watching content, or doing anything else, HP Omen 16 can multitask with ease.

For thermal performance, there is Therman First airflow and improved dissipation of heat. Even during heavy gaming sessions, the laptop remained cool and fast. For gaming, there is an Omen Gaming Hub that not only offers control over the keyboard’s RGB but also allows you to monitor the temperature and fan curve customization for improved cooling. Various benchmark tests were performed and the results are given in the table below-

Gaming is an immersive and seamless experience on Omen 16 as not only are the audio and display top-notch but the games run smoothly without any lags even during long sessions. The advanced thermal performance of the Omen 16 laptop gives it an edge over some of its competitors. The system never warmed even while I played Far Cry 6, COD Warzone 2.0, and Asphalt 9 for over 40 minutes. The fans on HP Omen 16 are slightly loud but not so much as to distract one from their gaming session. It has an MUX switch using which gamers can swing between hybrid and discreet display modes. Games with the highest hardware requirements can run on HP Omen 16 which makes it a decent choice for avid gamers.

512GB storage ensures that one can store whatever you want on your system. It runs Windows 11 Home Operating System which is user-friendly and comes with various customizations and personalization.

HP Omen 16 (AMD) Review: Keyboard & Trackpad

HP Omen 16 has a full-size keyboard with keys that feel clicky and soft. RGB elements are incorporated into the keyboard as the keyboard has 4 RGB zones that can be customized using built-in software. You can keep your gamer personality and no-nonsense professional personality segregated as the lights will work only when you want them to and however, you want them to. The Light Studio where all the customizations can take place is located in the Omen Game Hub. As mentioned before, the keyboard is very comfortable to work with as it offers an enjoyable typing experience.

There is a full-size trackpad as well which felt unresponsive on some occasions so you would feel like switching to a mouse. Although it is easy to use and suitable for daily usage but still the overall output of the trackpad was still underwhelming.

HP Omen 16 (AMD) review: Battery and Charging

The HP Omen 16 packs an 83Wh battery under the hood. At about 60% screen brightness, moderate to heavy usage offers 5.5 hours of battery backup. The usage includes video calling, typing, watching videos, reading articles, light gaming, and more. We can deduce that like many gaming laptops, the battery life of Omen 16 is also mediocre.

What is good is that the battery supports fast charging. Boxed inside is a 280W adapter that charges the device from 0 to 50% in around 30 minutes. This comes in handy when you have to take your laptop with you and don’t have much time to charge it. 50% battery means you can easily work on the device for around 2.5 hours without needing an adapter.

HP Omen 16 (AMD) Laptop Review Verdict: Should You Buy It?

HP Omen 16 is a gaming powerhouse that not only gives an immersive gaming experience but also functionality during work hours. The laptop is fast, has an IPS display, and charges super quickly. It has a good keyboard and the design is minimalist yet aesthetic. However, just like every other device, this one too has its share of drawbacks. The Omen 16 features an underwhelming trackpad and low display brightness along with a limited battery life which is common for most gaming laptops. However, gaming on Omen 16 is one of the high points as it can handle even the heaviest of titles with ease. This recently launched gaming laptop by HP is a feature-packed device that might be one of your choices if you are looking for a gaming laptop that costs under 1.5 lakhs.