Despite the increasing performance that integrated graphics, the prospect of obtaining high-resolution, high-quality gaming capabilities in an ultrabook-sized laptop is a long way off becoming a reality. For now, slimmer gaming laptops such as those from HP Omen Transcend 16 remain the closest representation of the ideal, fitting discrete GPUs – like the Nvidia Geforce the RTX4060 in this case in lighter, slimmer chassis models.
The main issue with these devices is a desire to make it appear like aspire. This is the case, and it’s the most pleasant thing I could say about the Razer Blade 16 costing PS2500 for its own RTX 4060 model. Contrary to the name Omen Transcend 16 isn’t as expensive. Omen Transcend 16 is much more affluent and still has sufficient premium features that make it make it feel like a leap from larger laptops however, at the current price of PS1199 (or $1429) this is a fair price also. It’s also compatible with Nvidia DLS 3 and has a touch of futureproofing technology that may ease the fears of purchasing an 2023-spec computer in 2024.
It’s not that the Omen Transcend 16 is lacking in terms of modernity, but it is. The slim bodywork cut an elegant silhouette, thankfully free of unnecessary gimmicks (coloured WASD keys aside) and cleverly shifting some ports back to its rear which means that plugged-in cables won’t interfere with your mouse’s movement. These connections are of high-end quality as well, sporting HDMI 2.1 with two Thunderbolt four-ready USB-C ports that come as standard. I would have exchanged one of those ports to get a third USB-A port, however, two ports are more than adequate to play games. The webcam can also be used for face-to-face sign-in to Windows another feature that was always fast and reliable on my mug with a bespectacled face.
At 2.2kg The Omen Transcend 16’s weight is significantly less than the average weight for a gaming laptop of 16 inches. It’s possible to get it lower by using 14in or 15.6in models, of course however, this is a great option to split your shoulders if you require a larger laptop and can still be used for a brief journey on a backpack. There are benefits of the size, but ensure that the keyboard’s chiclet is nicely balanced, as can it’s (massive) trackpad. The keys will not scream your fingers either since HP’s twin-blower cooling system is efficient enough to prevent the internals from scorching the chassis. Expect plenty of noise from fans while playing games, though that the speakers could block it out however, headsets are a must. headset is a great accessory.
The display’s resolution of 1920×1200 pixels, however is superb. It’s a vivid IPS display that is able to cover 98.4 percent of the sRGB spectrum and its highest intensity and brightness are at 472cd/m2 as well as 1255:1 respectively – the best I’ve ever tested personally in the past. Nvidia G-Sync support as well as the 165Hz refresh rate offer real gaming performance that are protected in normal usage, with very little to report in terms in terms of ghosting or tearing or excessive blurring. The resolution is less than thrilling, and is just an inch over ordinary Full HD. In other words there aren’t that many pixels are cover a 16-inch screen. It’s still good enough and at the very least, the resolution doesn’t strain that RTX 4060.
This means that Omen Transcend 16 Omen Transcend 16 can comfortably play game titles (and the individual settings for quality) which are far superior to the other options for light gaming on PCs, including handhelds such as Steam Deck and Lenovo Legion Go. Steam deck as well as Lenovo Legion Go. It can manage Starfield using our suggested settings and, with upgrades from DLSS the Omen Transcend 16 can attain the Psycho-quality Ray Tracing running with ease within Cyberpunk 2077 with an average of 48 frames per second with everything else running playing at Ultra. Also, add DLSS 3-frame generation which can increase the speed to 76fps.
The rest of our standard gaming tests confirm the RTX 4060 to be an extremely capable, but not always impressive low-end mobile GPU. It’s easily better than the laptop-quality RTX 3070 in native resolution, and delivers seamless results like 73fps on Total War: Three Kingdoms and 92fps in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, 88fps in Forza Horizon 5, and 91fps in Horizon Zero Dawn. These were all on Ultra (or the highest equivalent) settings, which means it’s not necessary to change settings.
However, Ray Tracing is best with some upscaling for example, even at 1200p. For Watch Dogs Legion Omen Transcend 16, the initial result of 70fps (on Ultra quality) fell to 40fps after the addition to Ultra Effects on RT. It’s still playable, however as Cyberpunk 2077 demonstrates, hacking on the DLSS (or AMD FSR based of the specific game) is a simple method to keep the quality and performance at a higher level.
In terms of performance the laptop is a good gaming laptop that is priced right. However, it’s not as than a multi-purpose workstation it is not perfect due on its processor, the Intel Core i7-13700K. It’s good for games however, it’s not a great multitasker with a score of just 6012 in the Cinebench R20 multicore test. This is less than half of what AMD ROG Strix Scar 17’s AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX scored, however to the Intel chips’ advantage they both scored the same 714 on the single-core test. See? It’s fine for games, particularly games that aren’t making heavy use of multithreading.
It’s a bit difficult to see positive aspects of Omen Transcend 16’s battery lifespan. HP states that light use can keep it going for more than eight hours, however under the pressure of playing an actual game, this kind of endurance is nowhere to be seen. I lasted only 53 minutes in Shadow of the Tomb Raider before the battery went out. This was when the screen’s brightness was at maximum, however with a typical batch of settings. It’s a bit disappointing to see this level of drain on an ultra-light and thin gaming laptop, which is certainly designed for greater performance and portability.
The SSD isn’t a standout it’s also not that special. It has an AS SSD sequential read test result of 4357MB/s and the sequential write test result of a whopping 1970MB/s, it’s significantly faster than the speeds you’d get from budget laptops such as those from the the Gigabyte G5. The SSDs in higher-end notebooks like ROG Strix Scar 17 ROG Strix Scar 17, can often outperform it.
However, they won’t always feature the gorgeous design like The Omen Transcend 16, nor the screen quality and the array of options to keep frame rates high. The fact that it’s not long-lasting is frustrating However, if you’re looking to have the general performance and sleekness of the Razer Blade without the self-imposed financial blunder This will certainly accomplish the job.
