The upcoming HP Omen X2 and Alienware M15 are arguably the two most powerful gaming laptops of 2020. What will set them apart?
The “omen 15 vs alienware m15 r3” is a comparison between the HP Omen Vs Alienware M15 / M17 (2020). The article will explore what each machine has to offer, and which one is better for you.
In terms of gaming performance, display quality, battery duration, keyboard / trackpad, and heating, we compared the HP Omen against the Alienware M15/M17. The results of our ranking, as well as an overview of the many aspects of each Laptop, may be seen below (Hardware). An in-depth examination of each Gaming Laptop can be found below our ranking.
Result of the Test
April 2020 Result of the Test 9.6/10 Excellent
April 2020 Result of the Test 9.3/10 Very Good
Computer Computer Graphics Card
4 GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
Pros
- Best Gaming Capabilities
- Silent
- Excellent Design and Customizability
- Design is excellent.
- Excellent gaming performance
- SSD storage is quick.
Cons
- While gaming, it may become a little loud (work intensive apps)
Winner
Test Result
April 2020 Test Result 9.6/10 Excellent
Pros
- Best Gaming Capabilities
- Silent
- Excellent Design and Customizability
Cons
- While gaming, it may become a little loud (work intensive apps)
Best Deal
Test Result
April 2020 Test Result 9.3/10 Very Good
Graphics Card
4 GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
Pros
- Design is excellent.
- Excellent gaming performance
- SSD storage is quick.
Alienware M15 / M17 comes in first place.
Yamato is the codename for the Dell Alienware m17 (R2) non-touch non-tobii gaming notebook computer.
- Best Gaming Capabilities
- Silent
- Excellent Design and Customizability
- While gaming, it may become a little loud (work intensive apps)
Dell, or Alienware as its gaming brand is known, has substantially slimmed down its machines without losing sight of their intended audience. On the contrary, even in the new Alienware m15, which is substantially smaller and lighter than its predecessors, fast hardware is there, reaching up to the Intel Core i7-8750H or the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q. On the next pages of this Hardwareluxx article, you may learn how the smallest Alienware gadget so far outperforms the competition.
The Dell XPS 13 is unquestionably one of the slimmest and lightest office laptops available, and has therefore gained a lot of traction in recent years and months. The American computer maker now aims to build on its gaming triumphs and has slimmed down and lightened its Alienware computers without sacrificing speed.
On the contrary, the new Alienware m15 uses very fast hardware, such as the Intel Core i7-8750H with six CPU cores on a Coffee Lake H platform or the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 in the Max-Q model.
Despite not having the same proportions as the famous XPS 13, the gadget is comparably light and small, weighing just 4,76 lbs and having a size that is more akin to the 14-inch model. It is the company’s most compact gaming laptop to date, with which Dell and Alienware want to catch up with their rivals, who have powerful gadgets in their back pockets like the Gigabyte Aero 15 v8, the MSI GS65 Stealth Thin, the Razer Blade 15, or the Schenker Technologies XMG Neo 15.
The Alienware m15’s color choice is a little out of the ordinary for the company, since the device is available in two colors: a subtle silver on the screen lid and a bold red that should appeal to the demanding workaholic.
The battery bears witness to this, as Alienware, like Gigabyte, installs a 90 Wh powerful energy dispenser upon request, which should give up to 17 hours of runtime and so comfortably last for a whole workday.
Hardware
There is always an Intel Core i7-8750H processor under the hood, which can access up to 32 GB of DDR4 RAM. Depending on the model, 3D acceleration is supplied by an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB of GDDR5 video memory or an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 with 8 GB of GDDR5 video memory in the Max-Q version.
There are a variety of memory configurations available, including up to two M.S-SSDs with PCI Express interface, a combination of fast SSD and HDD, or even an SSHD setup. Optane from Intel may also be customized.
Depending on the budget, the display spans 15.6 inches diagonally and runs at a rapid 144 Hz or a slower 60 Hz with a native resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. It’s also feasible to upgrade to a high-resolution UHD display. A gaming keyboard with RGB illumination and macro keys, as well as modern connectivity like Thunderbolt 3 or Killer network chips, should not be overlooked.
Design
Alienware was on the verge of providing us with the best model for our test. Our test computer is equipped with an Intel Core i7-8750H processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q graphics card, as well as 32 GB of DDR4 RAM and two 512 GB M.2 SSDs. The display is Full-HD with a refresh rate of 144 Hz. Alienware has provided us with the red color scheme.
The complete hardware is housed in a 363 x 275 x 21 mm enclosure made of a stable magnesium and plastic blend. The top casing is composed of magnesium, while the palm rest and display are made of plastic.
Overall, the Alienware m15 is quite sturdy; the chassis does not give even when subjected to tremendous pressure, there are no sharp edges, and the gap measurements are well-designed. Only the two display hinges might be made more torsionally rigid; the display already wobbles when subjected to minor vibrations, but it can be opened with one hand without difficulty.
In terms of both the footprint and total height, the Alienware m15 is bigger than the competitors. With 17.8 to 19.9 mm, the Gigabyte Aero 15 v8, Razer Blade 15, ASUS ROG Zephyrus M, and MSI GS65 Stealth Thin are all thinner than the Alienware model’s 21.0 mm.
The Schenker XMG Neo 15 is the only one that takes up a little more room. The Alienware m15 is a decent middle model in terms of weight, weighing roughly 4,76 lbs: The competition is tougher here, with weights ranging from 5.4 to 5.4 pounds. However, there aren’t many significant changes.
In terms of appearance, the Alienware m15 is quite basic, particularly when compared to the prior gaming machines from the US-American Producers. The 15-inch monitor is black throughout, with the exception of the display lid, which has a little color shift. Dell uses either “Epic Silver” or “Nebula Red.”
The latter is particularly odd, although the red isn’t nearly as garish and massive. However, the upper casing region of the gaming bolide is kept very basic. The keyboard’s RGB illumination is set to monochrome by default, however it may be customized in four separate zones.
During operation, the Alienware logo on the display lid is automatically lighted, and when switched off, it even notifies you about the battery performance. If the alien’s eyes flash red, the power dispenser is nearly empty; if they glow orange or green, the power dispenser is almost completely charged.
The Alienware logo may also be seen in the middle of the keyboard, where it doubles as an on/off switch. A honeycomb structure just beneath enables improved cooling for the circuitry underneath, as well as improving the acoustics of the integrated speakers.
Display
Alienware offers three display choices to its customers: a high-resolution UHD panel, a Full-HD display with 60 or fast 144 Hz, or a Full-HD display with 60 or fast 144 Hz. For our review, Alienware chose the 144 Hz model. The AUO80ED panel from AU Optronics is used in our test gadget.
With a maximum brightness of just 289 cd/m2, this is exceptionally high-contrast and well-lit, but not particularly bright, and hence can only be recommended for outdoor usage to a limited degree. However, since the difference in brightness between the brightest and darkest values is just 27 cd/m2, the homogeneity is about 91 percent. The 1.103:1 contrast ratio is excellent.
The Alienware m15’s IPS panel virtually reaches optimal rates, but many gaming laptops struggle with a little to significant blue cast on the display. While the ideal color temperatures are approximately 6.500 K, our test device comes close to nailing the perfect number with an average of 6.504 K. The highest point is merely 6.582 K. As a result, the panel is perfectly calibrated and suited for the hardworking professional who has to edit photos and movies on the move.
Otherwise, the 144 Hz panel is quite snappy, but you won’t be able to use G-Sync. When the fast dedicated solution isn’t in use, Alienware uses NVIDIA’s Optimus technology, which automatically changes to the more cost-effective CPU graphics. Our device’s native resolution is Full HD, which is 1,920 x 1,080 pixels.
Ports and Keyboard/Trackpad
The Alienware m15’s up to that point fairly nice first impression in the keyboard and mouse replacement must leave something to be desired. Alienware has a normal keyboard layout with its own number pad, but the chiclet keys have a short stroke and operate smoothly. That’s why the pressure point is ideal. The Alienware Command Center may be used to customize the RGB lights.
Not only the hue, but also the lighting effect, may be controlled here. This, however, does not apply to each button separately, but rather to a total of four zones. During operation, the Alienware logo on the back of the screen cover may also be independently lighted.
The lighting is excellent and even, the text is amply dimensioned, and even on tiny keys, it is still quite simple to see. In addition, there are four additional macro keys just above the number pad, which can be programmed through software and should delight number aficionados. The FN key may also be used to control a variety of other tasks, such as screen brightness, audio, and video output.
The touchpad has been shifted somewhat to the left, although it is still rather tiny at 106 x 65 mm. Although the gliding properties are excellent, the accuracy and dependability do not compare to those of a glass touchpad. It drops dramatically as you go closer to the corners and edges.
Furthermore, the clickpad is really responsive. For left and right mouse clicks, there are no designated keys. In any case, the ambitious gamer should attach a genuine gaming mouse to the laptop. It’s a shame the tochpad doesn’t have a simple key configuration or even its own sliding control to turn it off.
On the connectivity front, the Alienware m15 offers everything the gamer’s heart, as well as the demanding worker, need. The port location is well-considered, with unusually big and bulky connections situated just behind the display, making cabling on the desk and on the road a breeze.
The Alienware m15 has HDMI 2.0 and Mini DisplayPort outputs, as well as an external 180W power supply connector. The proprietary connection for the in-house graphics amplifier, an external graphics box that accommodates current desktop graphics cards and theoretically accelerates 3D performance even further, is located directly next to the USB type C interface, which works according to the Thunderbolt 3 protocol and thus supports especially high data transfer rates of up to 40 GBit/s. This isn’t essential right now thanks to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, but it’s not wholly incorrect in the long run.
The Alienware m15 has a USB 3.1 Type A interface on the left side of the device, as well as a Gigabit Ethernet port with killer capability, which prioritizes the notebook’s network gaming data.
A 3.5 mm jack connection is also included for attaching a headset that may be used as both input and output. It would have been more feasible to use two different sockets in this case. All of the interfaces are in the middle, and there are some cooling air inlets in the front and back. As an anti-theft feature, a Kensington lock is installed at the far back.
The test device, on the other hand, only has two additional USB 3.1 ports, both of which are output as type A. They’re also in the middle of everything, surrounded by air inlets.
Cooling
Despite the fact that our Alienware m15 has an Intel Core i7-8750H, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, and two fast M.2 SSDs, which all demand a lot from the cooling system and aren’t simple to manage, it is incredibly restrained. There are just a few air inlets and outlets for cooling beneath the display lid, on both side panels, and on the case bottom on the Alienware m15.
Inside, the graphic card and CPU each have their own cooling system with up to 8 mm thick copper heatpipes and 90 radial fans with just 0.2 mm thin rotor blades.
On the road, the Alienware m15 is powered by a 60 Wh battery. Those who pay an extra $20 for the top model, however, will obtain a bigger power source that comes close to the gigabyte Aero 15, which is certainly the best in this category, with roughly 90 Wh. Our test sample, on the other hand, will have to make do with the smaller 60 Wh battery. Dell claims a runtime of up to 13.4 or even 17 hours.
If the 15-inch monitor does need to connect to the mains, an external power supply with an output power of 180 W will suffice. In the lower model variants with GeForce GTX 1060, Dell provides a lesser 150 W power supply.
Performance
All model variations are powered by an Intel Core i7-8750H processor. Intel had inherited the direct Kaby Lake predecessors with it in April, and therefore offered six processing cores in the laptop, which increased multi-core performance above all. Up to twelve threads may be handled at once thanks to SMT support.
Intel has revised the clock rates parts drastically lower in order to avoid further increasing the TDP class in comparison to the previous generation. Unlike its immediate predecessor, the Intel Core i7-7700HQ, which had a base and turbo speed of 2.8 to 3.8 GHz, the new Core i7-8750H only has a base frequency of 2.2 GHz. However, in order to improve single-threaded performance, it may attain speeds of up to 4.1 GHz in turbo mode, which boosts the clock speed somewhat.
A 9 MB L3 cache and a 1.5 MB buffer in the second row round out the Coffee Lake H CPU’s features. Each data and instruction cache has a capacity of 32 KB. The CPU, like other modern Chipreis CPUs, is made using the 14-nm technology. As long as manufacturers do not limit the cTDP below, which has not been the case so far, at least not in the gaming laptop market, the TDP is still indicated as 45 W.
While some rivals choose to employ either a single or 2.133 MHz only a very slowly clocked memory module, Alienware links two 2.666 MHz fast modules in the m15 to the Coffee Lake H CPU’s memory controller in fast dual channel mode, which boosts the memory bandwidth. In our testing, it reached speeds of up to 29.34 GB/s, placing it among the quickest models. It also comes with 32 GB of RAM.
In terms of mass storage, our test equipment has two M.2 plug-in card SSDs, each with 512 GB of memory. They boost the read speed to well over 3.0 GB/s, but the write performance suffers significantly, reaching just approximately 450 MB/s in our testing.
This is still quite fast for day-to-day usage, but it is noticeably slower for a PCI Express SSD. The Alienware m15, on the other hand, is available with both a slower HDD and hence more memory, as well as an SSHD, which combines rapid flash memory with traditional magnetic memory. There are a variety of configurations available, which may be chosen from the online store.
In the 7-Zip compression test, our Alienware m15 obtains a very respectable 35,034 MIPS, which is slightly higher than the comparative devices with Coffee Lake H. The same can be said for both Cinebench evaluations, with the device scoring 12.96 and 1,177 points in the multi-core setting, respectively. It still gets 168 and 1.93 points in the single-core configuration, respectively. As a result, there is no throttling.
Gaming Capabilities
Of course, a specialized graphics card is required for a proper gaming laptop, such as the Alienware m15. In the Max-Q variant, the gaming bolide is available with either an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070. The latter is present on our test device.
It is based on the 7.2 billion transistor GP104 GPU, which is manufactured at TSMC in the 16nm FinFET process like most current Pascal graphics chips and is technically almost identical to the desktop offshoot, which has already been converted to the new Turing architecture in contrast to the notebook, and is based on the 7.2 billion transistor GP104 GPU, which is manufactured at TSMC in the 16nm FinFET process like most current Pascal graphics chips and is technically almost identical to its desktop counterpart
The desktop version of the GeForce GTX 1070 has 1,920 shader units, while the laptop version has 2,048. As a result, the clock rates are a little lower. The laptop model only achieves clock speeds of 1.443 and 1.645 MHz in base and boost, respectively, instead of 1.506 and at least 1.683 MHz in base and boost.
The more efficient and cost-effective Max-Q model, as shown above, is a little more defensive in terms of waste heat and power consumption, settling for speeds of 1.215, respectively at least 1.379 MHz. In earlier testing, the Max-Q version was roughly 10% to 15% slower, but it was a whopping 20% quicker than a standard GeForce GTX 1060.
Our test equipment meets the minimal NVIDIA standards for boosting even under absolute full load, which we simulate with Prime95 and Furmark. In game mode, though, it may easily approach 1.400 MHz.
The GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q can also use an 8 GB GDDR5 video memory module, which is coupled to the GPU via a 256-bit wide interface and runs at a clock rate of 2.002 MHz. The 3D accelerator can now attain a memory bandwidth of up to 256 GB/s as a result of this.
All of our benchmark games are therefore playable without issue, thanks to the Alienware m15’s gamer-friendly resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (a high-resolution UHD screen is available for an extra price). The hardware would thus hit its performance limitations considerably more quickly. Games like “Grand Theft Auto 5” and “Wolfenstein 2” run at around 80 to 140 frames per second in Full HD, which is on par with similar devices and well ahead of comparable devices with GeForce GTX 1060.
It’s also considerably over the magic 60 FPS level in “Call of Duty: WWII” and “Assassin’s Creed: Origins,” indicating that the games are quite enjoyable even at the highest quality settings.
As a result, with the Alienware m15, you won’t have to worry about present or potential graphic impacts. If you want to play in QHD or even UHD, you’ll have to wait for the gaming upgrade, which is expected to arrive at the start of the new year. Alienware intends to follow up with an update.
Software
For Alienware and Dell, the Windows 10 installation on our test device is quite clean. A tool for quick driver updates is supplied, as well as all key tools for the GPU, killer network chips, Realtek audio chip, and Thunderbolt device software, in addition to a yearlong subscription for McAfee LiveSafe. The Alienware Command Center, which acts as a central center for all key device settings, is undoubtedly a standout.
Not only can it manage the RGB lights of the keyboard or the Alienware logo on the display lid, but it can also read and change several crucial system data, up to custom overclocking profiles. Temperature and voltage information, as well as the current clock rate for CPU and GPU, are all available here. The load is, of course, also read out.
The cooling system’s two axial fans may be independently operated or configured in premade thermal profiles depending on the temperature and load. The Alienware m15’s fans are set to balanced ex works, which means they switch off entirely while the computer is idle.
The Alienware Command Center may also be used to modify power management, the Realtek chip’s audio profile, and create fast start shortcuts for favorite games.
Heating
The Alienware m15 becomes quite hot in our test, both inside and on the surface, due to the somewhat hot NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q and the Intel Core i7-8750H with its six CPU cores and the tiny casing.
In regular office usage, the surface temperature reaches 29.5 to 30.4°C, with the bottom becoming somewhat warmer as usual. With 36.5°C in the second quadrant below the base unit, we found the hottest point, which is also where the CPU and GPU heat pipes connect.
Significantly higher numbers are obtained if you push the cooling to its performance limitations in the worst-case scenario, which we simulate as usual using Furmark and Prime95. The average temperatures are 31.6 and 33.9 degrees Celsius. Temperatures as high as 47.6 °C are obtained near the apex, indicating that intense activity on the lap is not suggested.
The temperature is significantly higher behind the hood. Even the economical Max-Q version of the Pascal GPU gets comparably heated rates of 83 °C. The Intel Core i7-8750H keeps just below the critical 100 °C threshold with 99 °C. High temperatures have no detrimental effect on performance, quite the contrary:
During our severe testing, the Alienware m15 can always summon the greatest performance. The Coffee Lake H CPU has a clock speed of at least 2.8 GHz, while the GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q has a clock speed of at least 1.328 MHz. Both are based on the respective manufacturer’s minimum criteria.
The Alienware m15, on the other hand, isn’t entirely silent. It’s nice that the fans don’t turn on in idle mode until a particular temperature is achieved, allowing the device to cool passively and absolutely quietly. Even while browsing or doing simple things, the fans do not turn on.
When the hardware is put to the test, the 15-inch monitor can’t escape active cooling and speeds up significantly. We measured a noise level of up to 51.4 dB(A) in our worst-case scenario, indicating that our test sample is anything from quiet, and is partly substantially noisier than several competing devices. After all, if you merely play, the sound level is only roughly 50.6 dB lower (A).
Battery
The Alienware m15 is powered by a 180W external power source and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q stationary graphics card. It then authorizes itself with roughly 18.9 to 168.6 W, depending on the power condition, with a fully charged battery. It can even reach 175.6 W at its max, which is well within the performance standards.
However, for travel, a 60 Wh battery be enough. In business mode, it lasts for roughly four hours or 236 minutes, while in gaming mode, it lasts just about one and a half hours. After around 85 minutes, the screen goes dark. Stamina seems to be different.
For an extra charge, the Alienware m15 is also available with a more powerful 90 Wh battery. That would be $20 extra in our test sample, a very tiny cost that should be worth it, as we believe. After slightly over an hour, the power supply is completely functional again. With a 94 Wh battery and identical technology, the Gigabyte Aero 15X v8 delivers much longer runtimes.
Verdict
The Alienware m15 brings the US-Americans up to speed with the competition, which includes gaming laptops like the Gigabyte Aero 15 v8, the MSI GS65 Stealth Thin, the Razer Blade 15 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus GM501 that are also acceptable as regular work computers on the road.
The 15 incher falls into the midrange with a weight of 4.76 lbs, but its footprint and total height are somewhat greater. Despite this, the gadget is still somewhat small. The color scheme and appearance are nearly uncharacteristic of an Alienware gaming device, but the red on the display lid doesn’t overpower the Alienware m15; on the contrary, it makes it a great eye-catcher.
There are no issues with craftsmanship or stability thanks to the use of magnesium and high-quality plastic. Only the display hinges might be made more secure. Even if it becomes extremely hot inside, particularly while under stress, and the graphic card and CPU reach temperatures of up to 83 and 99 degrees Celsius, our test equipment can always call on its maximum performance since no throttling is used.
The Intel Core i7-8750H and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 in the Max-Q version are more than fast enough to render the most recent games on the display at the maximum graphics settings without jerkiness, earning the Alienware M15 / M17 the top Rank vs. the HP Omen.
HP Omen is ranked second.
- Design is excellent.
- Excellent gaming performance
- SSD storage is quick.
The OMEN 15-dc1211ng is the company’s first foray into mobile gaming. The idea is compelling: a stylish appearance, impeccable craftsmanship, a decent display, and a fast SSD combine to provide a performance that is silent and cool even when under high load. All three Thunderbolt ports, as well as an SD card reader and a LAN port, are included. The various bloatware programs may be deleted and an HDD can be retrofitted. If you’re searching for greater performance, the GTX 1660 Ti is the way to go.
If you’re just getting started with mobile gaming, the current test device HP Omen for around $900 is a good place to start. It has an Intel® CoreTM i7-9750H CPU, a GeForce GTX 1650, 16 GB RAM, and a 512 GB SSD.
At first appearance, the OMEN 15 seems to be a solid performer. The design is well-thought-out and not too fun, and the craftsmanship appears to be of high quality. Although just a 60 Hz panel is included, it should be more than enough for the GTX 1650’s capabilities. The connectors are strategically placed on both sides and at the back by OMEN. A LAN connector and an SD card reader are also provided, making the device appealing to content makers, broadcasters, and others. But first, let’s look at the technical information.
Delivery’s Scope
A 150 Watt power supply unit and a three-pole power cord are included in the OMEN 15 box, in addition to the device itself. OMEN also comes with a nice brief handbook that covers everything in detail and with images. The various pieces, as well as the warranty labels, are unfortunately foil-wrapped.
Design
The design is outstanding. Despite the fact that it is obvious that this is a gaming laptop, OMEN avoids excessive RGB flickering and overflowing borders. Apart from the red-lit power button, the American manufacturer uses only minor color accents in the OMEN emblem and text. The keyboard, like nearly other gaming laptops, incorporates RGB illumination.
An X-shaped structure may be seen on the top side. Each of the opposing portions has a carbon and brushed aluminum finish. With four red stripes around the borders and a sparkling OMEN emblem on the upper side, OMEN stands out. On the interior, brushed aluminum is utilized.
The display frames are slim and attractive. This frame is a little broader than the sides since the camera is above the display. A chrome frame has also been added to the touchpad.
In the beginner’s class, you won’t find a whole aluminum body for less than $900, but the OMEN 15 creates a high-quality impression thanks to its surface structures. Because the interior is constructed of brushed metal, the gap measurements are clean, there are no rough edges, and the laptop is sturdy.
Because the top side of the display is constructed of plastic, it may easily be twisted. The plastic, on the other hand, does not seem to be as cheap as it has in the past with gaming laptops in this price range. Overall, the craftsmanship is excellent, as is the inconspicuous design.
Trackpad and Keyboard
The keyboard’s keys lack a white border, making them seem extremely basic. In regular room lighting, the illumination is hardly visible beneath the keys, but this adds to the gaming notebook’s restrained demeanor. Unfortunately, there are just two lighting modes: on and off.
The layout is very standard, with complete arrow keys and, thankfully, no special keys. An OMEN key, which is used to access the OMEN Command Center, is the only exception. The space bar is likewise a little lower than the rest of the keys.
The keyboard has a nice typing feel to it. Although it is not a mechanical keyboard, the feedback is crisp, and even lengthier sentences should be doable. The trackpad is OK, but most gamers would prefer to use a dedicated gaming mouse. The OMEN Reactor is recommended for people who desire to remain in the OMEN world. After all, OMEN employs two full-fledged buttons on the trackpad with a short stroke.
There are four zones to the RGB lights. As a result, the buttons cannot be independently manipulated.
Sound
The Bang & Olufsen-certified stereo sound system is used in the OMEN 15. The lows are devoid of bass, as they are in virtually all laptops, but the sound is acceptable at medium loudness. At maximum volume, the speakers may become pretty loud, however the sound picture suffers greatly due to the harsh highs.
Ports
Many of the latest interfaces are available on the OMEN 15. The two jack connections for microphone and headset, as well as a USB 3.2 type A port, are located on the left side of the back end. The SD card reader is located on the front of the side and is readily accessible. A USB 3.2 type A port and the power connector are located on the right side.
The remaining connectors are cleverly placed on the back by OMEN. HDMI, Thunderbolt 3 (USB-Type-C), and Mini DisplayPort are among the visual interfaces available. You’ll also discover a LAN (RJ45) connector and another USB 3.2 Type A port. The Kensington lock device is likewise positioned on the rear.
Overall, all critical connections are accessible and organized in a user-friendly manner. The sole exception is the power supply, which I would like to have on the back.
Screen
The OMEN 15 has a 15.6-inch IPS display with Full HD (1920×1080 pixels) resolution. The dots have a density of 141 PPI. BOE provided the panel. It’s the BOE080D model. The display features a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 60 Hz refresh rate. The OMEN 15 laptops with more powerful components feature a 144 Hz refresh rate equivalent.
The display has excellent illumination, with a brightness of 270 cd/m2 above average. The brightest region is in the centre, and the brightness drops by around 10% towards the bottom corners. The display is not calibrated right out of the box. The display becomes much warmer after calibration with our Spyder5Elite, lowering the maximum brightness by an average of 40 cd/m2. With 230 cd/m2, the display isn’t nearly as brilliant, but it’s still usable.
The screen is matte. As a result, you may work on your laptop in any setting without having to worry about light sources behind you. The IPS panel shows colors brightly yet naturally, and the viewing angles are consistent. sRGB coverage is 94 percent, NTSC coverage is 69 percent, and AdobeRGB coverage is 72 percent. Since the figure demonstrates, it’s in the middle of the pack when it comes to gaming laptops, as many of them have the same or comparable panels.
If you want the Gigabyte AERO 15 OLED or the MSI GT76 Titan to have a wider color gamut, you’ll have to pay a lot more money. A better color coverage is usually ideal, but it’s especially important for journalists. The color profile may be downloaded here.
Software
On the OMEN 15 ex works, Windows 10 Home 64 Bit is installed. There is also a variety of other software that is more or less beneficial, such as Candy Crush Friends & Saga, Dropbox, LinkedIn, Netflix, Spotify, and Xing. OMEN couldn’t help himself from installing McAfee virus protection as well. Of course, this is merely a test version, since popups are obnoxious. Dropbox, by the way, accomplishes the same thing.
The OMEN Command Center, Energy Star, HP Audio Switch, HP Connection Optimizer, HP Documentation, HP JumpStarts, HP Smart, and other OMEN and HP applications are included. Almost anything, after all, can be removed.
The unique key adjacent to the delete key may be used to access the OMEN Command Center. You can use the app to keep track of CPU, GPU, and memory utilization, as well as change the lighting and turn on an energy-saving comfort mode. You may also use the program to browse the game library or utilize the Game Stream service if you have an OMEN account. The program is well-organized, clean, and quick. When it comes to lighting up the keyboard, though, there are no animations to pick from.
There is 475 GB of free space on the SSD, of which 440 GB is usable. You may retrofit an HDD to your laptop if you want to install a lot of apps and games and don’t want the storage capacity to become a bottleneck.
Performance
In the tested version, the OMEN 15 includes a Core i7-9750H processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a GTX 1650 graphics card. The graphics card is NVidia’s first foray into the realm of specialized gaming GPUs, and it is suitably powerful. In layman’s terms, this implies that gaming is only feasible at Full-HD quality with little details. The available detail level ranges from medium to maximum depending on the graphics engine and the age of the games.
Games that are CPU-intensive or older, such as Far Cry 5 (54 FPS), run quite well with maximum details, however Ghost Recon Wildlands is only playable to a limited degree with an average of 29 FPS on the ULTRA setting. With an average of 52 frames per second, you’re far better off with the third highest detail setting, “High.”
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and The Division 2 are similar in that, depending on your pain tolerance, there are more and fewer details for a seamless gaming experience. Even with greater details, competitive online shooters like Apex Legends, Overwatch, and Fortnite work flawlessly.
In games, the GTX 1660 Ti and GTX 1070 produce 60 to 70 percent higher FPS than the GTX 1650. In games, the RTX 2060 is much faster and enables raytracing effects (DXR).
The OMEN 15 scores nearly 2,000 points on Cinebench R20, putting it in the lower midrange. It comes in last position in the Photoshop test, although the rates are surprisingly acceptable considering the entry-level graphics card.
The Samsung PM981 MZ-VLB512HAJQ NVMe SSD in the laptop features 512 GB of RAM. With little over 4,000 points on the AS SSD test, the SSD achieves a respectable result. In contrast, the Samsung EVO 970 Plus scores 6,255 points. In normal life, you should hardly notice the difference. In the copy benchmark, the SSD also performs well.
Battery
When compared to more powerful gaming laptops, entry-level gaming notebooks have the benefit of having substantially longer battery life. This is also true of the OMEN 15, which has a somewhat lengthy duration of little about three hours. Many more powerful gaming laptops can barely last approximately two hours in this environment.
In battery mode, however, the maximum brightness is reduced to 200 cd/m2. Only modest work should be done in this mode.
Any gaming laptop can’t be used in battery mode since the performance is lowered to a bare minimum and the battery can’t provide enough power for the needed performance.
Noise / Heating
The emissions chapter is typically not an issue for an entry-level gaming laptop with middling performance and a standard form factor. We investigated the temperature behavior in the AIDA64 system stability test and during gaming The Witcher 3 in UHD at medium detail level, as we did with all gaming laptops with HWiNFO64 in idle.
In idle mode, the CPU and GPU are at 51°C and 43°C, respectively. The average temperature rises to 78°C (CPU) and 73°C (CPU) throughout the stress test (GPU). The stress test takes place at very low temperatures, so it’s not unexpected that the cores aren’t throttled. As a result, the six-core can keep the clock frequency constant. With the tested equipment in the stress test, the OMEN 15 did not become annoyingly loud. Although the fans are audible, they are rather quiet for a gaming laptop.
The OMEN 15 also performs well in games. Despite the fact that The Witcher 3 with medium details puts the laptop to the test and does not exceed 30 FPS, the temperature and noise levels remain at an acceptable level. The CPU heats up to 71°C on average, while the GTX 1650 heats up to 68°C on average.
As a result, the components remain cool and the casing does not get too hot. It just becomes slightly warmer above the keyboard, but it is still safe to touch. This is also true at the bottom.
Upgrading
You must unscrew the eight screws on the bottom side to open it. The plate is hooked into the centre of the underbelly, and entirely removing it requires a lot of power and guts. A plastic card isn’t required for this, and it’s better to start by removing it from the front corners.
The inside looks to be clean. The SSD, battery, and WiFi module may all be accessed directly. There is merely a protective foil that can be folded above the two RAM bars. There is merely a placeholder here since the tested OMEN 15 does not come with a 2.5′′ HDD installed out of the box.
However, there is a link. You may add an HDD if the 512 GB of the M.2 SSD isn’t enough for you. You must replace the present hardware with better hardware if you wish to improve the other components as well.
Verdict
Wow, the OMEN 15 blew me away – and I’m not just saying that since I’ve had the chance to test a few OMEN laptops. The essential structure for a highly effective gaming laptop for beginners is formed by a simple and stylish design, thin display frames, immaculate craftsmanship, a nice keyboard, and a fast SSD.
The 60 Hz IPS display is merely average in the gaming laptop market, but it serves its purpose well. A 144 Hz monitor would be ideal, but the GTX 1650’s performance would be limited to extremely old games or games with less details. If you’re moving about in modern games in medium to high fidelity, you won’t notice anything around 30 to 55 frames per second.
I propose the version with the RTX 2060 or GTX 1660 Ti to everyone who wants to be on the go with better frame rates or more details in FHD and generally want to play a lot with the laptop. It improves performance by 60-100 percent while only requiring an incremental investment of 25-30 percent in percentage terms. A 144 Hz monitor is included as well. In my opinion, this is an investment that will pay off in the form of a longer feasible laptop service life.
Of course, with more powerful hardware, the heat and noise behavior is less evident. With the tested hardware, the OMEN 15 gives exceptional performance. It doesn’t become extremely hot or noisy. Retrofitting a 2.5′′ HDD is doable without causing any issues with the computer.
Furthermore, the gadget has all necessary ports as well as an SD card reader, making it appealing to anybody who sometimes edits films or photographs. Only the several pre-installed apps and the McAfee test version are really bothersome.
Overall, the HP Omen is a close second to the Alienware M15 / M17, but it is much less expensive, which means that if you don’t want the very finest gaming laptop and prefer to save money, the HP Omen is the ideal starter gaming laptop, earning it our ‘Best Price’ designation.
The “hp omen 17-inch” is a laptop computer from HP. It is the successor to the HP Omen 15 and HP Omen 17 laptops. The new model has been released in 2020, and it comes with a number of improvements over its predecessor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better HP omen or Alienware?
A: Alienware and HP OEM both provide similar options in terms of design and performance. It all comes down to personal preference in this case.
Is HP Omen 17 good for gaming?
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