Laptop Review HP Omen 17t (i7-8750H, GTX 1070)

Giant Calm down. The Omen 17t is a balanced notebook. Its internals are consistently strong, its 144 Hz G-Sync screen is one of the best on the market, and manages heat and noise with confidence. With competitive prices, Omen 17t is one of the best overall packages in the gaming laptop market.

When you think of a powerful gaming laptop, what names come to mind? Brands like Asus, MSI, and Alienware dominate this space. While HP is a big player in the other notebook market, they have struggled to get traction in the high-end gaming segment. That can change with Omen 17t.

We have seen several Omen machines in the past, and they usually compete well. However, this brand is not known for bringing something new to the table. In contrast, the HP gaming line seems to be more reactive than proactive, choosing to take on features introduced by other brands. The Omen 17t is no different in that, but instead of just reflecting its competition, laptops feel more like a refinement of the trends we have seen in gaming laptops over the past year. The result is a machine that has a good balance in terms of performance, features, heat management, and sound output. To complete it, Omen 17t at an aggressive price, starting from USD $ 1530 from Computer Upgrade King. Our review unit is configured with a 512GB SSD and 16 GB RAM, so the price is $ 1,750.

The Omen 17t cellphone has the same chassis as the 17 Omen HP that we reviewed last summer, except for one small difference. Newer 17t omen has dropped the optical drive, leaving an empty cavity inside the engine casing. Everything else has been carried away from an older device. As such, we will include some internal images that are addressed but will avoid discussion of exterior cases, including ports, build quality, and input devices. For more details about the pieces from the 17 minute Omen, please see our original 17 HP Omen here.

The 17t Omen sits among giants like the MSI GT75 Titan and a more affordable engine like the MSI GE73 Raider. As such, there is no shortage of comparable devices. We will see how Omen 17t builds up against Alienware 17 R4, Asus G752VS, Acer Predator 17, Eurocom Q8, and EVGA SC17. Let's dive.

HP Omen 17t-3AW55AV_1 (Omen Series)

• ProcessorIntel Core i7-8750H (Intel Core i7)
• Graphics adapterNVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (Laptop) - 8192 MB, Core: 1443 MHz, Memory: 2002 MHz, GDDR5 @ 2003.4 MHz (8013.6 effective), 256-bit bus, 2048 CUDA cores, Nvidia GeForce Game Ready Driver 398.82
• Memory16384 MB  
• , 2x 8 GB DDR4-2666 SODIMM
• Display17.3 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, AU Optronics AUO309D, IPS, 144 Hz refresh rate, glossy: no
• MainboardIntel HM370
• StorageSamsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ-000L7, 512 GB  
• , 512 GB Samsung PCIe NVMe SSD + 1 TB 7200 RPM HGST HDD, 1406 GB free
• Weight3.654 kg ( = 128.89 oz / 8.06 pounds), Power Supply: 727 g ( = 25.64 oz / 1.6 pounds)
• Price1750 USD

Display 

The Omen 17t's screen is one of its greatest strengths. The AU Optronics panel's best feature is undoubtedly its 144 Hz refresh rate with support for Nvidia's G-Sync. In addition, response times are lightning fast, and PWM is absent. Currently, this configuration (144 Hz, IPS, FHD) is the only one available for the Omen 17t. The screen is bright (~320 nits on average) and beats most competitors, which average between 250-300 nits. The backlight is also fairly even (87% distribution). Contrast levels are good; blacks are deep and images look crisp and detailed. All these details, combined with good color reproduction (more on that below), create a great all-around display

Color space coverage is fairly good. The Omen 17t's panel covers most of the sRGB color space (90%) and a little more than half the AdobeRGB color space (58%), putting it in line with most of its competitors. While professionals may want more colors, the color space is more than adequate for gaming. Those looking for wider color reproduction should look at EVGA's SC17.

As mentioned, color accuracy is excellent. Out of the box, the DeltaE2000 for colors averages about 3.74. This is on the better side of average for a gaming laptop. The Omen 17t could also be used for some colorwork, though it falls just short what is generally considered acceptable for professionals (DeltaE2000 of 3 or below). Calibration improves this score slightly, suggesting that the display may have been calibrated prior to being sent to us. The Aorus X9 DT, which uses the same AU Optronics panel, shows that there is some room for improvement. Some users may be able to improve the display's color accuracy.

Show Response Time

ampilkanDisplaying the response time shows how fast the screen can change from one color to the next. Slow response times can cause afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear ghosting. Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles must pay special attention to fast response times.

Performance

The internals of the Omen 17t are well-balanced. The hexacore Intel Core i7-8750H compliments the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU well, resulting in a finely-tuned gaming laptop that can often push enough pixels to take advantage of its high-refresh rate display without generating an exorbitant amount of heat or noise. There is room for improvement, but the overall experience is excellent.

Processor

We've seen the Intel Core i7-8750H in several gaming laptops since its release earlier this year, and the processor has proved itself to be a worthy upgrade over last year's Kaby Lake Core i7-7700HQ. The 2 additional cores often improve multithreaded benchmarks by close to 50%, and that is indeed what we see here. Compared to the Asus G752VS, which uses the 7700HQ, the Omen 17t scores 45% better in Cinebench R15's multi-core test. There are more powerful options available, however. Intel's Core i9-8950HK beats the Omen 17t by 28%. AMD's desktop Ryzen 7 1700, which continues to dominate our CPU benchmarks, bests the Omen 17t by 31%. Keep in mind that the Ryzen 7 1700 has a TDP of 65 W compared to the 8750H's 45 W.

Long-term CPU performance is consistent, if a bit subdued. In our Cinebench R15 loop, the Omen 17t settles in at about 980 cb, about 9% lower than its single-pass score. There are some small spikes and dips (+/- 2%), but these shouldn't adversely affect performance. When unplugged, the Omen 17t averages 1020-1035 cb, or about a 5% reduction in performance.

Battery Life

Due to the 144 Hz G-Sync display, Nvidia's Optimus is not available on the Omen 17t. As a result, battery life is a definite weak point of the machine. Under normal use, tested using our WiFi v1.3 battery test, the Omen 17t only manages to last about 4 hours 15 minutes. Even when idle, the Omen gives up the ghost after 4.5 hours. This isn't unexpected for this segment of the market, however; similar machines post similar run times. The 86 Wh battery is able to power through gaming sessions for about 1.5 hours, so the power adapter is a requirement when out and about.

Verdict

In review: HP Omen 17t (i7-8750H, GTX 1070). Review unit courtesy of CUKUSA. Use coupon code NBC20 for $20 Off

In review: HP Omen 17t (i7-8750H, GTX 1070). Review unit courtesy of CUKUSA. Use coupon code NBC20 for $20 Off

The story of the Omen 17t is one of balance. The machine's components compliment each other well, resulting in an overall excellent package with little room for complaint. The display is bright with good color reproduction. The powerful CPU and GPU are well-tuned for gaming at Full HD. The keyboard and build quality are excellent, and the selection of ports is ample. To top it off, heat management and fan noise are both above average for this category.

The standout feature here is the 144 Hz panel. High-refresh rate displays, which were commonly relegated to expensive notebooks in the past, are slowly creeping their way into lower-priced devices, and the Omen 17t is an excellent example of the quality that can be had at this price point. While the Omen 17t is by no means a "budget laptop," it is priced more aggressively than most of its competitors, especially those that boast a high-refresh rate display.

The Omen 17t does have some weaknesses. In particular, battery life is poor (due to the lack of Optimus) and the speakers are abhorrent (thanks to the unpleasant rattle at higher volumes). Also, the Samsung PM981 boot drive exhibits some odd behavior, but this may be specific to our unit. HP also misstepped by not using the additional space made available by the removal of the optical drive. All of these downfalls are not critical for a gaming laptop, however.

In sum, the HP Omen 17t is a well-built package that feels thoughtfully designed. The 144 Hz display is a nice feature at this price point, and the internals are (mostly) able to take advantage of the higher refresh rate and G-Sync. The Omen 17t is a good example of a "jack of all trades, master of some" gaming laptop, and its competitive pricing makes it worth considering.