Overview: What They Are
The HP Omen 16 and Omen 16 Slim sit in HP’s gaming lineup as affordable, well-rounded laptops that pair mid-tier GPUs with solid build quality and a modern design. Both share most core features—screen options, port layout, and keyboard—making them look nearly identical on paper. Their differences come down to size, power limits, and the trade-offs that follow.
Expect pricing around $1,000–$1,500 depending on configuration, with big discounts frequently dropping them closer to the $1,000 mark. At that price, they’re among the best values in gaming laptops right now.
Key Differences
The Omen 16 is thicker, heavier, and houses a more powerful HX-series CPU (either Intel or AMD from the prior generation). This extra bulk allows its GPU to run at full wattage—115 watts in our RTX 5060 test unit—giving it the edge in sustained performance.
Pros
- Powerful: Full power gpu and powerful HX CPU
- Full power gpu
- Excellent value when on sale
- Runs cool & quiet for a gaming laptop
- Upgradeable: RAM, SSD, and Wi-Fi
- Keyboard is comfortable
- Solid value when on sale
- Chassis feels solid and welll built even though its plastic
Cons
- Big and heavy
- Avoid the cheaper 300 nit 1920 by 1200 display it is bad
- No High-End Features: No Thunderbolt, Advanced Optimus, G-Sync, Windows Hello Facial Recognition, and Fingerprint Reader
- No option for higher tier GPUs 5070 Ti etc.
The Omen 16 Slim, by contrast, uses Intel’s newer Arrow Lake H processor. It’s more power-efficient, runs cooler, and offers significantly longer battery life. However, its GPU is limited to 90 watts, slightly constraining gaming performance.
Pros
- Solid value when on sale
- Oustanding battery life with 1920 resolution 400 nit display
- Runs cool & quiet for a gaming laptop
- Upgradeable: RAM, SSD, and Wi-Fi
- Keyboard is comfortable
- Modern CPU
Cons
- The cheaper 300 nit 1920 by 1200 display is bad and should be avoided. Lacks brightness and bad colors
- GPU capped - Limited to 90 W
- Battery slowly drains while gaming - Not the worst we've seen for this
- Large and heavy for a slim laptop
- No High-End Features: No Thunderbolt, Advanced Optimus, G-Sync, Windows Hello Facial Recognition, and Fingerprint Reader
Think of the Slim as the more balanced, portable option, while the standard Omen 16 prioritizes raw performance.
At 2560×1600 resolution, the Omen 16’s RTX 5060 keeps pace with the Slim’s RTX 5070 despite the spec difference, thanks to its higher GPU wattage. The performance gap between the two narrows or even flips depending on the title.
In Cyberpunk 2077 and Forza Horizon, frame rates stay above 60 FPS when using the laptops’ native 1920×1200 displays. However, both suffer in demanding new releases like Monster Hunter Wilds due to the GPUs’ limited 8GB of VRAM. Lowering texture quality from Ultra to High resolves this and boosts frame rates significantly.
For creators, the Omen 16 performs well in Premiere Pro but lags slightly behind Lenovo’s Legion 5i. In DaVinci Resolve, the Slim struggled—likely a software issue during testing—but overall, both laptops deliver predictable mid-tier creator performance.
Thermals & Acoustics
Thermals are one of the standout positives for both machines. Even under heavy load, neither becomes uncomfortably hot. Surfaces remain cool to the touch, and fan noise stays reasonable in Performance mode. The Slim’s higher “Unleashed” setting adds unnecessary noise without noticeable gains.
Both models vent air from the sides—something to note if your mouse hand sits close to the laptop, as warm exhaust might be noticeable.
Battery Life
This is where the Slim pulls ahead. With its power-efficient CPU, the Omen 16 Slim offers excellent endurance—among the best in its class. Expect a full workday of light use or around eight hours of mixed productivity.
The standard Omen 16, meanwhile, struggles to last long unplugged, averaging several hours less under identical conditions.
However, there’s a catch: the Slim ships with a 150-watt charger, which isn’t quite enough for gaming at full tilt. The battery slowly drains even while plugged in on Performance mode. HP’s software mitigates this with a “limit battery drain” feature, but it also throttles performance slightly. Using a larger HP charger resolves the issue entirely.
Display Options
Both laptops come with three display options:
- Base 1920×1200 panel: Avoid this one—it’s dim, inaccurate, and shows ghosting.
- Upgraded 1920×1200 panel: Brighter, sharper, and free from ghosting or backlight bleed.
- 2560×1600 panel: The best option, but it often pushes pricing into Legion 7i territory, where stronger alternatives exist.
All displays are matte and non-touch, and while the 1920×1200 resolution is good for gaming, text clarity suffers slightly for coding or productivity on a 16-inch screen.
No Advanced Optimus, G-Sync, or biometric logins are included, but you do get a MUX switch (manual reboot required).
Pros
- Very comfortable keyboard
- Fast full size SD card reader (UHS-II)
- Stunning display
- Portable for a gaming laptop
- Glacier White version looks cool
- Upgradeable memory
Cons
- Maxes out at an RTX 5070 8 GB
- Gets warm under load
Keyboard, Trackpad & Ports
The keyboard feels fine but falls short of HP’s higher-end Omen Max or Transcend 14 models. It’s soft, with noticeable light bleed around keys. Two lighting options exist—single-zone or four-zone RGB—so check your configuration carefully.
The trackpad is mechanical, accurate, but slightly resistant to glide.
Port selection is identical across both:
- USB-A and USB-C ports
- HDMI (the only port connected directly to the GPU)
- Ethernet
- Headphone jack
None are high-speed—there’s no Thunderbolt, USB 4, or DisplayPort 2.1.
Build & Portability
Despite their names, both laptops are chunky. The Omen 16 Slim pushes the definition of “slim” at all, and the Omen 16 is larger still—roughly comparable to ASUS’s Strix G16. The thick edge may press into your wrists during long sessions.
On the plus side, build quality is solid with minimal deck flex. Only the lid shows slight give. Both allow easy upgrades for RAM, storage, and Wi-Fi.
Value & Competitors
At $1,200 or less, both Omens deliver excellent value—especially if you get one with the better display.
At higher prices, Lenovo’s Legion 5i is often the smarter buy. It’s faster, better built, and frequently discounted to similar levels. The Aero X16 is another strong contender if you prefer a higher-resolution screen.
Pros
- Very comfortable keyboard
- Excellent OLED display
- Compact and portable
- Well built
- Fast current gen CPU
- Powerful GPU (full wattage)
- Pricing is very competitive
Cons
- Ports are far forward and may get in your way
- Speakers aren't great
- No fingerprint reader or facial recognition
- No Advanced Optimus
Pros
- Exceptional value for money
- Strong battery life for a laptop with a dedicated GPU
- Matt screen makes it excellent for using in bright environments
- Trackpad is great
- Plenty of performance for most users
- Its quite light for a laptop like this
- Upgradeable memory
- Very little fan noise and remains cool to the touch
Cons
- Display's colors aren't entirely accurate
- Port placement is right down the front. Left handers will struggle with this
- Other laptops this size are more powerful
- Speakers lack volume
- Keyboard feels mushy
Compared to Acer’s Nitro V 16S or Gigabyte’s Gaming A16, the Omen 16 Slim outperforms both while running cooler and quieter.
Verdict
The HP Omen 16 and Omen 16 Slim aren’t groundbreaking, but they strike a compelling balance of price, performance, and thermals when on sale.
- Buy the Omen 16 Slim if you prioritize portability, battery life, and a quieter experience.
- Buy the Omen 16 if you want stronger performance and don’t mind extra weight or shorter battery life.
Either way, snag one during a big sale (around $900–$1,200) and you’ll be getting a lot of laptop for your money.
