HP Omen X – Performance

The Omen’s GTX 1080 propelled the HP to good benchmark results. Its 3D Mark Fire Strike score of 17,223 is solid, and it soared beyond 120fps in every Full HD gaming benchmark.

This card is designed for 4K, really, and it performed well here. It ran at 70fps in GTA V, nearly hit 65fps in Dirt Rally, and it romped through Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor at 61fps.

Those are excellent scores that mean the HP will play games at 4K or on VR headsets, but the dual-GPU setup inside the Overclockers Titan Gladius easily outpaced the Omen X. That machine scored 23,039 in Fire Strike, and then ran Dirt Rally and Shadow of Mordor at beyond 100fps at 3,840 x 2,160.

The Omen X’s great application benchmark results were, again, outclassed by the Overclockers rig. The HP’s single- and multi-core Geekbench results of 4,295 and 17,198 are excellent, but the Titan Gladius romped through with scores of 4,938 and 19,523.

The Omen X had a slightly quicker SSD, but that’s a minor point. HP’s machine is fast in benchmarks, but the Titan Gladius is faster.

The HP delivers mixed cooling performance. The graphics card’s peak temperature of 74 degrees is fine, but the processor peaked at 83 degrees. That’s not dangerous, but it’s high for a stock-speed i7-6700K that uses liquid-cooling – and higher than many overclocked gaming PCs, too.

Thankfully, the Omen X was quieter than most of its gaming rivals, which is a crumb of comfort from a consistently underwhelming machine.

Related: 2017’s Best PC Games

Should I Buy the HP Omen X?

The Omen X looks striking, offers reasonable performance, has an accessible design, and is, generally speaking, a completely competent 4K and VR gaming machine. But there are many shortcomings.

The huge chassis is heavier and wider than any rival, but it offers less in terms of upgrade room and features. The motherboard is plain and basic, the memory is slow, the storage is middling and the power supply is unbranded and uncertified. The GTX 1080 and Core i7-6700K are fine, but neither are overclocked. That means rival machines are routinely far faster.

The warranty is another issue. It prevents tweaking and upgrading, despite the boasts on HP’s website, and rivals’ machines offer lengthier and more versatile coverage.

Better-specced machines from UK-based system builders deliver better performance and components, alongside more comprehensive warranties and better prices. There’s no competition here: ignore HP and buy local instead.

One additional note: you can buy a barebones version of this PC, which includes a power supply and a motherboard, for around £500. That way you can fill it with your own components and choose your own suppliers. But bear in mind the BIOS on the motherboard won’t allow for processor overclocking, so don’t bother with sourcing overclockable Intel chips.

There are also cheaper options with less powerful components, but they represent equally poor value.

Related: Our Favourite Mechanical Gaming Keyboards

Verdict

HP should be applauded for creativity, but the Omen X is a bad deal.

Trusted Score