The HP Omen Transcend 14 arrives on the gaming laptop scene with promises of high performance, thanks to its Intel Core Ultra CPU and Nvidia GPU. However, its sleek design and sharp OLED screen can’t conceal its shortcomings in both performance and value. Here’s our comprehensive review.
HP Omen Transcend 14 Review: Falling Short of Expectations
Design
The Omen Transcend 14 boasts a professional aesthetic with a choice of Ceramic White or Shadow Black colors. Its metallic chassis exudes maturity, but the keyboard is a letdown. Despite its solid build quality, the keyboard feels cheap and mushy, detracting from the overall experience. Additionally, the absence of per-key RGB lighting, except as an extra-cost option, feels like an unnecessary compromise.
Specs
Powered by an Intel Core Ultra processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, the Omen Transcend 14 offers decent gaming capabilities. However, the GPU’s 65W power limit hampers its performance, especially at higher resolutions. The soldered RAM and limited upgradability are further drawbacks.
Display
The laptop’s OLED display is undoubtedly its highlight, with a stunning 1800p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. However, the GPU struggles to fully leverage this high resolution, necessitating downscaling for smoother gaming experiences.
Performance
Benchmark tests reveal the limitations of the RTX 4060 GPU, particularly in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and F1 23. The Intel Core Ultra CPU falls behind its AMD Ryzen counterparts, especially in multi-core performance. The laptop’s cooling system maintains reasonable temperatures and noise levels under load, but performance remains middling overall.
Battery Life
Despite its power-efficient GPU, the Omen Transcend 14 falls short in battery life, lasting just around an hour in gaming scenarios. General use also requires frequent charging, with the Core Ultra CPU contributing to its power consumption.
Price
At $1,599.99, the Omen Transcend 14 competes directly with the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024). However, for the same price, the Zephyrus offers better graphics and storage options, making the HP laptop a tough sell.
Verdict
The HP Omen Transcend 14 showcases some strengths, including its stylish design and impressive OLED display. However, its subpar keyboard, middling gaming performance, and questionable value make it difficult to recommend over its competitors. Unless significant price cuts or performance improvements are made, the Omen Transcend 14 struggles to stand out in the competitive 14-inch gaming laptop market
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