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HP Omen 15 Laptop Review: GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q and 144 Hz gaming

RTX 2070 Max-Q and hexa-core 144 Hz gaming. The Omen 15 may look like its predecessor, but HP has overhauled its internals. A hexa-core CPU and cutting-edge GPU should make better use of the 144 Hz panel than the hardware in the last Omen 15 we reviewed did, although single-channel RAM may hinder performance slightly. Read on to find out what the Core i7-8750H and RTX 2070 Max-Q bring to the table.
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng

HP last redesigned the Omen 15 almost a year ago. Since then we have reviewed the Omen 15-dc0001ng, a laptop powered by an Intel Core i5-8300H processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU, and the Omen 15-dc0015ng, its more-powerful sibling. The latter has the more powerful combination of the Core i7-8750H and GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q GPU, but neither device was great value for money.

Now is the turn of the dc1303ng, a 2,000-Euro (~US$2,279) variant equipped with the same display as its siblings and the same CPU as the dc0015ng, but with a GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU instead. HP rounds off the system with 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, a 256 GB SSD and a 1 TB HDD.

We will compare our review unit against its Omen 15 siblings and other comparably priced 15.6-inch gaming laptops. Our comparison devices will include the Alienware m15 P79F, Aorus 15 X9, and Dell G5 15 5590. You can add other devices to our comparison tables too.

HP Omen 15-dc1303ng (Omen 15-dc Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8750H 6 x 2.2 - 4.1 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 885 MHz, Memory: 1500 MHz, 10DE 1F50, Nvidia 422.02
Memory
16 GB 
, Single channel
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, LG Philips LGD05C0, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM370
Storage
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ, 256 GB 
, + 1 TB HGST HTS721010A9E630, 1200 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S - cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech)
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Dedicated headphone and microphone jacks, Card Reader: SD
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 25 x 360 x 263 ( = 0.98 x 14.17 x 10.35 in)
Battery
70 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 0.9 MP, 16:9 (1,280 x 720)
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.38 kg ( = 83.95 oz / 5.25 pounds), Power Supply: 652 g ( = 23 oz / 1.44 pounds)
Price
2000 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case & Connectivity

As mentioned earlier, the dc1303ng shares its design with the dc0001ng and dc0015ng. Please see our dc0001ng review for our thoughts on the design of the Omen 15 and its connectivity.

HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng

Size Comparison

364.3 mm / 14.3 inch 273.4 mm / 10.8 inch 23.7 mm / 0.933 inch 2.7 kg5.91 lbs361 mm / 14.2 inch 246 mm / 9.69 inch 24.4 mm / 0.961 inch 2.4 kg5.29 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 263 mm / 10.4 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.4 kg5.25 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 263 mm / 10.4 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.5 kg5.56 lbs363 mm / 14.3 inch 275 mm / 10.8 inch 21 mm / 0.827 inch 2.2 kg4.76 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
Right-hand side: status LED, USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A, power supply connector
Right-hand side: status LED, USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A, power supply connector
Left-hand side: USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A, 3.5 mm headphone jack, 3.5 mm microphone jack, SD card reader
Left-hand side: USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A, 3.5 mm headphone jack, 3.5 mm microphone jack, SD card reader
Rear: RJ45 LAN, USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A, HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C 3.1, Kensington lock slot
Rear: RJ45 LAN, USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A, HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C 3.1, Kensington lock slot
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Average of class Gaming
  (19 - 202, n=104, last 2 years)
98.2 MB/s +25%
Aorus 15 X9
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
79.3 MB/s +1%
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
79.1 MB/s +1%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
78.4 MB/s
Dell G5 15 5590
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
19.1 MB/s -76%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Gaming
  (26 - 269, n=95, last 2 years)
122.3 MB/s +43%
Aorus 15 X9
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
86.1 MB/s +1%
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
86 MB/s +1%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
85.3 MB/s
Dell G5 15 5590
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
32.2 MB/s -62%

Communication

The dc1303ng supports Gigabit LAN and modern Wi-Fi standards up to IEEE 802.11ac. HP equips it with a 2x2 MIMO antenna, which helped our review unit average over 600 Mb/s in the iperf3 Client Wi-Fi tests to which we subjected it. In short, the Wi-Fi card will not bottleneck online gaming sessions.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (450 - 1412, n=13, last 2 years)
1030 MBit/s +71%
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
650 (605min - 668max) MBit/s +8%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
642 (581min - 693max) MBit/s +7%
Aorus 15 X9
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
622 MBit/s +3%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
601 (562min - 639max) MBit/s
Alienware m15 P79F
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
387 MBit/s -36%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
144 (113min - 190max) MBit/s -76%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (423 - 1700, n=13, last 2 years)
1242 MBit/s +86%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
666 (597min - 686max) MBit/s
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
657 (556min - 690max) MBit/s -1%
Alienware m15 P79F
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
652 MBit/s -2%
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
650 (569min - 693max) MBit/s -2%
Aorus 15 X9
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
645 MBit/s -3%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
293 (186min - 315max) MBit/s -56%
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630665Tooltip
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø666 (597-686)
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø601 (562-639)

Maintenance

The Omen 15 does not have a maintenance cover for accessing the RAM or SSD like some business laptops do, but you can still access its internal components. Doing so requires some skill though, as it can prove tricky to pry the bottom plate from the rest of the device once the screws holding them together are removed. You can switch the HDD, SSD, RAM and Wi-Fi card when you do though.

A look at the inside of the HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
A look at the inside of the HP Omen 15-dc1303ng

Warranty

All Omen 15 variants come with a 24-month limited manufacturer’s warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices

The dc1303ng also has the same keyboard and trackpad as its Omen 15 siblings. Please see our dc0001ng review for our thoughts on these areas.

A look at the keyboard and trackpad
A look at the keyboard and trackpad
A close-up of the trackpad and dedicated mouse buttons
A close-up of the trackpad and dedicated mouse buttons

Display

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

HP equips the dc1303ng with the same 15.6-inch IPS panel as in the dc0015ng. The LG Philips LGD05C0 runs natively at 1920x1080 with a 144 Hz refresh rate and achieved an average maximum brightness of 295 cd/m² according to X-Rite i1Pro 2. The panel falls just short of our 300 cd/m² threshold that we think all modern displays should achieve, but it is noticeably more evenly lit than the panel in the dc0015ng.

Please keep in mind that all displays are unique, so your dc1303ng may not get as bright or be as evenly lit as our review unit is. Positively, no LGD05C0 uses pulse-width modulation (PWM) to regulate brightness, so you should not experience eye strain or headaches when gaming for prolonged periods.

292
cd/m²
302
cd/m²
316
cd/m²
283
cd/m²
316
cd/m²
317
cd/m²
266
cd/m²
266
cd/m²
295
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG Philips LGD05C0 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 317 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 294.8 cd/m² Minimum: 17 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 324 cd/m²
Contrast: 752:1 (Black: 0.42 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.7 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1.58
ΔE Greyscale 2.35 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
93% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
60% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
65% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
93.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
63.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.41
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
LG Philips LGD05C0, , 1920x1080, 15.60
Aorus 15 X9
LG Philips LP156WFG-SPB2, , 1920x1080, 15.60
Alienware m15 P79F
Samsung SDCA029, 156WR04, , 3840x2160, 15.60
Dell G5 15 5590
AU Optronics B156HAN, , 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
LG Philips LGD05C0, , 1920x1080, 15.60
Display
2%
39%
-38%
0%
Display P3 Coverage
63.8
64.9
2%
99.9
57%
39.26
-38%
64.2
1%
sRGB Coverage
93.4
95.6
2%
100
7%
59.1
-37%
93.4
0%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
65
66.3
2%
100
54%
40.56
-38%
65.1
0%
Response Times
-11%
80%
-197%
-11%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
14 ?(7, 7)
15.2 ?(8.4, 6.8)
-9%
2.6 ?(1.2, 1.4)
81%
45 ?(22, 23)
-221%
17 ?(9, 8)
-21%
Response Time Black / White *
11 ?(7, 4)
12.4 ?(7.6, 4.8)
-13%
2.3 ?(1, 1.3)
79%
30 ?(17, 13)
-173%
11 ?(7, 4)
-0%
PWM Frequency
60.2 ?(100)
Screen
3%
-15%
-76%
-9%
Brightness middle
316
305.1
-3%
452.1
43%
234
-26%
317
0%
Brightness
295
295
0%
452
53%
219
-26%
283
-4%
Brightness Distribution
84
78
-7%
90
7%
82
-2%
76
-10%
Black Level *
0.42
0.33
21%
0.17
60%
0.62
-48%
Contrast
752
925
23%
1376
83%
511
-32%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.7
2.58
4%
6.34
-135%
8.6
-219%
2.83
-5%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
5.65
4.32
24%
12.97
-130%
17.49
-210%
5.78
-2%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.58
1.33
16%
4.06
-157%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.35
3.4
-45%
2.8
-19%
8.55
-264%
2
15%
Gamma
2.41 91%
2.28 96%
2.21 100%
3.02 73%
2.28 96%
CCT
6904 94%
6374 102%
6114 106%
7802 83%
6493 100%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
60
60.7
1%
91
52%
37
-38%
60
0%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
93
95.2
2%
100
8%
59
-37%
93
0%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-2% / 1%
35% / 12%
-104% / -84%
-7% / -7%

* ... smaller is better

93% sRGB colour-space coverage
93% sRGB colour-space coverage
60% AdobeRGB colour-space coverage
60% AdobeRGB colour-space coverage

The panel in our review unit has a lower black value than the display in the dc0015ng, but it is still unacceptably high at 0.42 cd/m². This helps yield an underwhelming 752:1 contrast ratio and gives dark areas a grey tint. Colours generally look washed-out compared to the displays in the Aorus 15 X9, G5 15 5590 and m15.

The main saving grace for the display in the dc1303ng is its colour accuracy. The panel has decent colour-space coverage and low DeltaE deviations out of the box. We improved these with additional calibration though, the ICC profile for which you can find in the box above our comparison table.

CalMAN: Colour Accuracy
CalMAN: Colour Accuracy
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Colour Saturation
CalMAN: Colour Saturation
CalMAN: Colour Accuracy - calibrated
CalMAN: Colour Accuracy - calibrated
CalMAN: Grayscale - calibrated
CalMAN: Grayscale - calibrated
CalMAN: Colour Saturation - calibrated
CalMAN: Colour Saturation - calibrated

The dc1303ng is not always easy to use outdoors. The display’s matte finish diffuses reflections well, but it looks washed-out in bright sunlight. Hence, we would recommend finding a shady spot if you must use the device outdoors.

Our review unit suffers from significant screen bleeding
Our review unit suffers from significant screen bleeding
Using the HP Omen 15-dc1303ng outside
Using the HP Omen 15-dc1303ng outside
A side-on view of the display in direct sunlight
A side-on view of the display in direct sunlight

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
11 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7 ms rise
↘ 4 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 24 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
14 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7 ms rise
↘ 7 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 22 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The dc1303ng has stable viewing angles thanks to its IPS panel. We noticed no brightness or colour distortions even at acute viewing angles, as demonstrated by the montage of photos below. Hence, you should have no issues with reading the display from practically any angle, unless it is outside.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance

HP has equipped our test device with a Core i7-8750H CPU, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU and 16 GB of RAM. The device also comes with a 256 GB SSD and a 1 TB HDD. This configuration currently retails for around 2,000 Euros (~US$2,279), but HP sells cheaper options if your budget does not stretch that far. Please see our dc0001ng and dc0015ng reviews for our thoughts on cheaper models.

 

Processor

The Core i7-8750H may have been replaced by the nominally more powerful Core i7-9750H, but it is still a potent companion for the GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q. The hexa-core CPU is based on Intel’s Coffee Lake architecture and can execute up to 12 threads simultaneously thanks to Intel Hyper-Threading. The Core i7-8750H has a 2.2 GHz base clock, but it can use Intel Turbo Boost to reach 3.9 GHz across all cores or 4.1 GHz on a single core. The 45 W chip can only temporarily maintain its turbo clock speeds though. The length of time that it can remain at 3.9 GHz or 4.1 GHz depends heavily on the effectiveness of the cooling system with which it is paired.

We ran the Cinebench R15 Multi 64bit benchmark on a loop to test how well our review unit maintains its peak performance. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the dc1303ng mimics the behaviour of its Omen 15 sibling. Both have Core i7-8750H processors and both throttle just as heavily following the first CB R15 Multi 64Bit pass-through. The dc1303ng stabilises at 1,004 points though, having initially scored 1,086 points, with benchmark scores fluctuating between 997 and 1,012 points for the remainder of the looped test.

Interestingly, our review unit consistently scores around 20 points more than the dc0015ng, for some reason. However, the dc1303ng falls well short of the G5 15 5590 and m15, with both maintaining about 10% better multi-core performance even at the end of our CB R15 loop. Overall, the Omen 15 simply cannot get as much from its CPU as its competitors can.

Please see our CPU benchmarks page for more information on the Core i7-8750H and how it compares against other processors.

060120180240300360420480540600660720780840900960102010801140Tooltip
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1006 (997.68-1086.13)
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø983 (970.71-1067.24)
Alienware m15 P79F Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1123 (1106.07-1188.78)
Dell G5 15 5590 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1144 (1121.11-1191.01)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 318, n=246, last 2 years)
265 Points +55%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (163 - 177, n=86)
172 Points +1%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
171 Points
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
169 Points -1%
Alienware m15 P79F
Intel Core i7-8750H
168 Points -2%
Aorus 15 X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
166 Points -3%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
165 Points -4%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=247, last 2 years)
2988 Points +176%
Alienware m15 P79F
Intel Core i7-8750H
1192 Points +10%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H
1191 Points +10%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (863 - 1251, n=93)
1113 Points +3%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
1082 Points
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
Intel Core i7-8750H
1067 Points -1%
Aorus 15 X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
1022 Points -6%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
171 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1082 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
119.5 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

Our review unit outperforms the G5 15 5590 and m15 in system performance benchmarks like PCMark, albeit it still finishes in the midfield of our comparison tables. Oddly, the dc1303ng scores about 2% less than its Core i7-8750H-powered sibling in PCMark 10, despite having a more powerful GPU.

Overall, you should experience no performance issues with the dc1303ng in daily use. Our review unit handled all the tasks we threw at it with ease with no lags or stutters even during heavy multitasking.

PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Gaming
  (4477 - 9852, n=207, last 2 years)
7532 Points +34%
Aorus 15 X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
5870 Points +5%
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
5728 Points +2%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5609 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (5279 - 5941, n=7)
5533 Points -1%
Alienware m15 P79F
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
5485 Points -2%
Dell G5 15 5590
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H, KBG30ZMS128G
5069 Points -10%
Essentials
Average of class Gaming
  (7334 - 12334, n=206, last 2 years)
10666 Points +8%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
9859 Points
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
9270 Points -6%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (8517 - 9859, n=7)
9041 Points -8%
Aorus 15 X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
8943 Points -9%
Alienware m15 P79F
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
8599 Points -13%
Dell G5 15 5590
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H, KBG30ZMS128G
8308 Points -16%
Productivity
Average of class Gaming
  (6161 - 11833, n=206, last 2 years)
9670 Points +32%
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
7532 Points +3%
Alienware m15 P79F
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
7445 Points +2%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (6783 - 7678, n=7)
7350 Points 0%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
7328 Points
Aorus 15 X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
7299 Points 0%
Dell G5 15 5590
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H, KBG30ZMS128G
6808 Points -7%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Gaming
  (5288 - 18475, n=206, last 2 years)
11332 Points +71%
Aorus 15 X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
8408 Points +27%
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
7303 Points +10%
Alienware m15 P79F
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
6998 Points +6%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (6565 - 8163, n=7)
6939 Points +5%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
6631 Points
Dell G5 15 5590
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H, KBG30ZMS128G
6252 Points -6%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (3570 - 6657, n=37, last 2 years)
5218 Points +3%
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
5130 Points +1%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5077 Points
Aorus 15 X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
4843 Points -5%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (3570 - 5115, n=7)
4406 Points -13%
Dell G5 15 5590
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H, KBG30ZMS128G
4165 Points -18%
Alienware m15 P79F
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
3570 Points -30%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (4622 - 7085, n=36, last 2 years)
6071 Points +4%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5857 Points
Aorus 15 X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
5828 Points 0%
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
5818 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (4465 - 5857, n=7)
5489 Points -6%
Dell G5 15 5590
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-8750H, KBG30ZMS128G
5291 Points -10%
Alienware m15 P79F
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
4465 Points -24%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
5077 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5857 points
PCMark 10 Score
5609 points
Help

Storage Devices

As we mentioned earlier, HP has equipped our review unit with a 256 GB SSD and a 1 TB HDD. The former is a Samsung PM981, an NVMe drive that has graced many high-end laptops since its release in 2017. The one in our review unit finished about 12% below our expectations in AS SSD and CrystalDiskMark, but it still achieved 21% faster transfer speeds than the Toshiba XG5 in the last Omen 15 that we reviewed.

The PM981 also finished in the midfield of our comparison table and had around 200 GB free upon delivery. You can always use the 1 TB HGST SATA HDD for storing data and programs if you need more than 200 GB. Alternatively, you could replace the 256 GB SSD with a larger one. We would not recommend installing the OS on the HDD though, as its slow transfer speeds will bog down the system.

Please see our HDD/SSD benchmarks page for more information about the Samsung PM981 and other drives.

HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Aorus 15 X9
Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
Alienware m15 P79F
Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
Dell G5 15 5590
KBG30ZMS128G
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
Average Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
53%
35%
-53%
-21%
70%
Write 4K
50.2
147.2
193%
148.4
196%
64.3
28%
87.5
74%
116.1 ?(50.2 - 183.6, n=25)
131%
Read 4K
35.32
63.7
80%
49.65
41%
29.3
-17%
16.08
-54%
189.5 ?(31.4 - 3738, n=25)
437%
Write Seq
991
1573
59%
1139
15%
131.1
-87%
614
-38%
1409 ?(991 - 1687, n=24)
42%
Read Seq
1526
2602
71%
2353
54%
776
-49%
1341
-12%
1624 ?(755 - 2300, n=24)
6%
Write 4K Q32T1
445.1
531
19%
484.7
9%
96.8
-78%
307.9
-31%
360 ?(205 - 568, n=25)
-19%
Read 4K Q32T1
526
598
14%
542
3%
198.6
-62%
358.4
-32%
396 ?(229 - 645, n=25)
-25%
Write Seq Q32T1
1647
1592
-3%
1139
-31%
127.8
-92%
525
-68%
1492 ?(1104 - 1712, n=25)
-9%
Read Seq Q32T1
3427
2981
-13%
3108
-9%
1044
-70%
3077
-10%
3313 ?(1529 - 3522, n=25)
-3%
AS SSD
-8%
-9%
-347%
-45%
-17%
Seq Read
2485
1912
-23%
1937
-22%
1036
-58%
2432
-2%
2032 ?(864 - 2724, n=25)
-18%
Seq Write
1575
1553
-1%
1066
-32%
115.1
-93%
843
-46%
1339 ?(827 - 1646, n=25)
-15%
4K Read
53.4
56.5
6%
31.76
-41%
29.6
-45%
21.24
-60%
46.1 ?(32.4 - 57.4, n=25)
-14%
4K Write
113.5
119.6
5%
102.6
-10%
67.8
-40%
99.3
-13%
107.4 ?(77.4 - 144.2, n=25)
-5%
4K-64 Read
725
869
20%
1140
57%
184.5
-75%
730
1%
712 ?(530 - 917, n=25)
-2%
4K-64 Write
1371
584
-57%
938
-32%
95.2
-93%
484.4
-65%
999 ?(274 - 1501, n=25)
-27%
Access Time Read *
0.059
0.049
17%
0.058
2%
1.519
-2475%
0.126
-114%
0.07076 ?(0.041 - 0.113, n=25)
-20%
Access Time Write *
0.032
0.031
3%
0.04
-25%
0.255
-697%
0.063
-97%
0.04352 ?(0.026 - 0.104, n=25)
-36%
Score Read
1027
1116
9%
1366
33%
318
-69%
994
-3%
961 ?(724 - 1152, n=25)
-6%
Score Write
1642
859
-48%
1147
-30%
174
-89%
668
-59%
1240 ?(514 - 1752, n=25)
-24%
Score Total
3163
2544
-20%
3168
0%
620
-80%
2091
-34%
2671 ?(1644 - 3380, n=25)
-16%
Copy ISO MB/s
1329
946
159.2
1632
1297 ?(697 - 1892, n=18)
Copy Program MB/s
404.3
452.8
94.4
30.89
409 ?(181.4 - 764, n=18)
Copy Game MB/s
1071
1013
106.3
980
786 ?(271 - 1298, n=18)
Total Average (Program / Settings)
23% / 17%
13% / 9%
-200% / -223%
-33% / -35%
27% / 20%

* ... smaller is better

Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Sequential Read: 1568 MB/s
Sequential Write: 1523 MB/s
512K Read: 524 MB/s
512K Write: 354.8 MB/s
4K Read: 38.39 MB/s
4K Write: 98.2 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 373.9 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 327.2 MB/s

Graphics Card

The GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q is one of NVIDIA’s Turing cards and is a more power-efficient version of the GeForce RTX 2070. Correspondingly, the Max-Q variant runs more economically than its bigger sibling, but we will cover this in the Power Management section of this review. The GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q has an 80 W TDP and an 885 MHz base clock that it can boost to 1,185 MHz when required.

Our review unit falls well short of expectations in synthetic benchmarks like 3DMark. The dc1303ng scores 23% less than its GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q-powered sibling and a whopping 38% less than the comparably equipped m15. Single-channel mode may be the cause of this discrepancy. Adding a second 16 GB SO-DIMM module would enable dual-channel mode and should close the performance gap between the dc1303ng and the m15.

Please see our GPU benchmarks page for more information about the GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q and how it compares against other cards.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=245, last 2 years)
39604 Points +169%
Aorus 15 X9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
26645 Points +81%
Alienware m15 P79F
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
23819 Points +62%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (14723 - 27694, n=31)
22548 Points +53%
Dell G5 15 5590
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
20196 Points +37%
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
19187 Points +30%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
14723 Points
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (15902 - 193851, n=156, last 2 years)
134711 Points +87%
Aorus 15 X9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
116232 Points +61%
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
101453 Points +41%
Dell G5 15 5590
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
95292 Points +32%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (39014 - 134255, n=28)
94310 Points +31%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
72026 Points
Alienware m15 P79F
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
39014 Points -46%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=249, last 2 years)
28989 Points +151%
Aorus 15 X9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
20227 Points +75%
Alienware m15 P79F
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
18443 Points +60%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (11563 - 21191, n=31)
17489 Points +51%
Dell G5 15 5590
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
15415 Points +33%
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
14724 Points +27%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
11563 Points
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (224 - 22547, n=247, last 2 years)
11797 Points
Aorus 15 X9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
7754 Points
Alienware m15 P79F
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
7105 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (5948 - 8065, n=28)
6745 Points
Dell G5 15 5590
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
5977 Points
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
4708 Points
3DMark 11 Performance
13166 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
31932 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
10797 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q makes good use of the 144 Hz 1080p panel in our review unit. Single-channel mode holds performance back though, with the dc1303ng averaging 20% lower frame rates than its sibling in BioShock Infinite at maximum graphics, despite having a more powerful GPU. In short, the dc1303ng is powerful enough to play modern triple-A titles at high graphics in 1080p. Adding a second SO-DIMM module would significantly improve performance though.

Please see our gaming benchmarks page for more information on the GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q and how it compares against other GPUs.

BioShock Infinite
1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF)
Aorus 15 X9
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
154.3 fps +33%
Alienware m15 P79F
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
153.7 fps +33%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (115.8 - 211, n=15)
150.1 fps +30%
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
139.4 fps +20%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
136.9 fps +18%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
115.8 fps
1366x768 High Preset
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
256 fps +5%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (203 - 297, n=14)
250 fps +2%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
244.6 fps
Alienware m15 P79F
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
243.7 fps 0%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
241.9 fps -1%
Aorus 15 X9
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
229.8 fps -6%
Dota 2 Reborn
1920x1080 ultra (3/3) best looking
Average of class Gaming
  (26.9 - 220, n=253, last 2 years)
140.4 fps +33%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (105.8 - 126, n=13)
119.2 fps +13%
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
109.7 fps +4%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
105.8 (93.9min) fps
1920x1080 high (2/3)
Average of class Gaming
  (29.9 - 244, n=252, last 2 years)
149.7 fps +34%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (111.4 - 135, n=13)
126.5 fps +14%
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
111.7 fps 0%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
111.4 (98.2min) fps
Anno 1800
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics Quality (DX11)
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
36.9 fps +30%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (28.5 - 40, n=5)
35.7 fps +25%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
28.45 fps
1920x1080 High Graphics Quality (DX11)
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (58.5 - 70.6, n=4)
67 fps +15%
Dell G5 15 5590
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
63.1 fps +8%
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
58.5 fps
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 308.7 264.3 244.6 115.8
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 126.5 117.4 111.4 105.8
Anno 1800 (2019) 58.5 28.45

Emissions

Fan Noise

Fan noise frequencies
Fan noise frequencies

The two fans in our review unit run constantly, peaking at 32.8 dB(A) when the system is idling. Most people should only be able to hear the fans in a quiet room, although they reached 47.5 dB(A) during our stress tests. While we would recommend using headphones when gaming, the dc1303ng does not run as loudly as the m15 does, for example.

Noise Level

Idle
32.8 / 32.8 / 32.8 dB(A)
Load
42.5 / 47.5 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.5 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2034.831.73332.834.82537.736.333.336.837.73138.837.938.936.138.84032.134.331.932.532.15030.834.629.532.830.86333.531.929.127.133.58027.828.52725.527.810027.227.727.526.527.212528.327.726.426.528.31602726.424.826.12720027.727.324.424.427.725029.126.723.722.529.131530.727.623.520.930.740031.427.622.421.131.450028.62621.419.728.66303026.922.319.73080033.73022.418.733.7100037.833.622.818.137.8125037.533.62217.937.516003934.620.917.739200039.532.819.817.339.525003831.819.917.938315034.328.319.217.734.3400032.727.219.51832.7500032.226.819.31832.2630030.825.319.11830.8800027.221.51918.127.21000024.920.118.91824.91250021.119.118.817.921.11600019.618.818.917.919.6SPL47.542.532.830.547.5N(Sone)5.33.61.71.35.3median 30.7median 27.3median 21.4median 18.1median 30.7Delta31.71.92.13hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseHP Omen 15-dc1303ng

Temperature

System information during a FurMark and Prime95 combined stress test
System information during a FurMark and Prime95 combined stress test

The dc1303ng does not manage its surface temperatures well. This is even true at idle, with all but the palm rest of our review unit exceeding 30 °C. Some parts of the top case reach around 36 °C too, which will feel warm to the touch.

Surface temperatures rise dramatically under load, with one area of the bottom case reaching 59.6 °C during our stress tests. While the palm rest area stays at around 30 °C, several areas of the bottom case may burn your thighs if you are gaming on your lap. In short, make sure to place the dc1303ng on a table or a flat surface if you are pushing the machine hard.

Internal temperatures are not much better, either. CPU core temperatures quickly peaked at 90 °C during our combined FurMark and Prime95 stress test, which caused it to downclock to 2.7 GHz to stop it from overheating. Core temperatures then stabilise at around 85 °C, and the CPU never drops below its 2.2 GHz base clock. In short, you should never see huge performance drops when pushing the dc1303ng hard.

Max. Load
 46.4 °C
116 F
47.6 °C
118 F
46.2 °C
115 F
 
 39.7 °C
103 F
45.8 °C
114 F
43.1 °C
110 F
 
 31.2 °C
88 F
30 °C
86 F
33 °C
91 F
 
Maximum: 47.6 °C = 118 F
Average: 40.3 °C = 105 F
46 °C
115 F
59.6 °C
139 F
54 °C
129 F
41.7 °C
107 F
49 °C
120 F
36.8 °C
98 F
31.5 °C
89 F
30.3 °C
87 F
31.2 °C
88 F
Maximum: 59.6 °C = 139 F
Average: 42.2 °C = 108 F
Power Supply (max.)  48.3 °C = 119 F | Room Temperature 24.6 °C = 76 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 40.3 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 47.6 °C / 118 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 59.6 °C / 139 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.6 °C / 89 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (33 °C / 91.4 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-4.1 °C / -7.4 F).
Heat map of the top of the device at idle
Heat map of the top of the device at idle
Heat map of the bottom of the device at idle
Heat map of the bottom of the device at idle
Heat map of the top of the device under load
Heat map of the top of the device under load
Heat map of the bottom of the device under load
Heat map of the bottom of the device under load

Speakers

Speaker characteristics
Speaker characteristics

The speakers in our review unit are rather quiet. They only reach 73.7 dB(A), restricting their use to just quiet environments. The fans will drown out most audio when gaming too, so we recommend using headphones where possible. Any audio that we can hear has a distinct lack of bass with an overrepresentation of mid and high-frequency tones.

We had no issues with connecting external audio equipment to the dc1303ng during our tests. The headphone jack grips cables firmly, but you could use Bluetooth if you prefer.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.832.833.82532.836.832.83137.736.137.74032.532.532.55031.132.831.16329.327.129.38030.225.530.210029.226.529.212527.626.527.616037.626.137.620045.524.445.525045.322.545.331553.320.953.340063.221.163.25006019.76063061.519.761.580063.318.763.3100061.518.161.5125059.617.959.6160064.917.764.9200062.817.362.825006017.96031506017.760400057.21857.2500057.91857.9630057.11857.1800062.518.162.51000067.41867.41250064.417.964.41600051.517.951.5SPL73.730.573.7N(Sone)311.331median 60median 18.1median 60Delta7.82.17.835.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHP Omen 15-dc1303ngApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (67.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.2% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 68% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 25% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 47% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 44% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Management

Power Consumption

Our tests certify that the dc1303ng consumes a minimum of 14.7 W when idling and up to 120 W under full load. This makes the device comparatively economic, with it averaging a 4% lower power draw than the m15. Interestingly, our review unit consumes almost what the m15 does under sustained load. The G5 15 5590 is our only comparison device that consumes less than the dc1303ng overall, although this is unsurprising considering that the former has a weaker CPU than the latter.

HP includes a 200 W charger with the dc1303ng. Our tests demonstrate that the charger is powerful enough to keep the laptop charging even when it is being pushed to its limits.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.2 / 0.26 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 14.7 / 18.6 / 22.6 Watt
Load midlight 90 / 120 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Aorus 15 X9
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Alienware m15 P79F
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G, OLED, 3840x2160, 15.60
Dell G5 15 5590
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, KBG30ZMS128G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
 
Average of class Gaming
 
Power Consumption
-60%
-4%
22%
-23%
-23%
-29%
Idle Minimum *
14.7
26
-77%
10.9
26%
3.5
76%
14
5%
15.4 ?(5 - 46, n=26)
-5%
13.7 ?(2 - 64, n=190, last 2 years)
7%
Idle Average *
18.6
30.8
-66%
12.3
34%
6.9
63%
18.2
2%
20 ?(10.1 - 59, n=26)
-8%
19 ?(6.5 - 67, n=190, last 2 years)
-2%
Idle Maximum *
22.6
34.9
-54%
19
16%
8.5
62%
24
-6%
26.7 ?(12.6 - 65.5, n=26)
-18%
26.6 ?(9 - 101.1, n=190, last 2 years)
-18%
Load Average *
90
90.7
-1%
96
-7%
127
-41%
143
-59%
105.2 ?(83.4 - 181, n=26)
-17%
112 ?(32.1 - 202, n=190, last 2 years)
-24%
Load Maximum *
120
241.2
-101%
229.1
-91%
179
-49%
190
-58%
201 ?(120 - 249, n=26)
-68%
249 ?(64.5 - 418, n=189, last 2 years)
-108%
Witcher 3 ultra *
175
161.7
126

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

HP equips the dc1303ng with a 70 Wh battery. Incidentally, this is the same capacity as the one it includes in the GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q variant of the Omen 15. In short, our review unit has dreadful battery life, especially considering the capacity of its battery. The device lasted for just 3:17 hours in our Wi-Fi battery life test before it needed recharging, putting it well below-average and far behind most of our comparison devices. Only the Aorus 15 X9 and its 62 Wh battery achieved a worse runtime in this test than the dc1303ng.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
5h 01min
WiFi Websurfing
3h 17min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 9min
HP Omen 15-dc1303ng
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 70 Wh
Aorus 15 X9
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 62 Wh
Alienware m15 P79F
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 90 Wh
Dell G5 15 5590
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, 60 Wh
HP Omen 15-dc0015ng
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, 70.07 Wh
Average of class Gaming
 
Battery Runtime
-43%
57%
158%
54%
64%
Reader / Idle
301
105
-65%
890
196%
460
53%
548 ?(57 - 1290, n=90, last 2 years)
82%
WiFi v1.3
197
95
-52%
309
57%
463
135%
274
39%
366 ?(57 - 745, n=191, last 2 years)
86%
Load
69
61
-12%
168
143%
117
70%
85.8 ?(36 - 173, n=154, last 2 years)
24%

Pros

+ good value for money
+ replaceable RAM and storage
+ 144 Hz panel
+ no PWM
+ comparatively low power consumption

Cons

- low contrast ratio
- high black level
- short battery life

Verdict

The HP Omen 15-dc1303ng laptop review. Test device courtesy of HP Germany.
The HP Omen 15-dc1303ng laptop review. Test device courtesy of HP Germany.

The HP Omen 15 remains a solid gaming laptop. The dc1303ng retains the strengths of its predecessor while having considerably more power under the hood. The device also runs comparatively quietly under load, which we always like to see. It is relatively simple to upgrade or repair, with it being possible to change the RAM, storage or Wi-Fi card among other components. However, some people may find removing the bottom plate a tad tricky.

The HP Omen 15-dc1303ng is good value for money, with its powerful hardware making good use of its 144 Hz 1080p display. A poor contrast ratio and weak battery life take the shine off this gaming laptop though.

The Omen 15 has surprisingly poor battery life, especially considering that HP has included a 70 Wh battery. Moreover, while we like that the manufacturer has included a PWM-free 144 Hz panel, its low contrast ratio and high black value are disappointing.

Overall, the HP Omen 15-dc1303ng is a gaming laptop designed for those who only plan to game with a power outlet nearby or with the device connected to an external monitor. RTX 2070 Max-Q and hexa-core gaming for 2,000 Euros (~US$2,279) is still good value for money though.

HP Omen 15-dc1303ng - 06/24/2019 v6(old)
Mike Wobker

Chassis
79 / 98 → 81%
Keyboard
81%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
69 / 81 → 85%
Weight
61 / 10-66 → 90%
Battery
71%
Display
89%
Games Performance
95%
Application Performance
95%
Temperature
84 / 95 → 88%
Noise
78 / 90 → 86%
Audio
74%
Camera
44 / 85 → 52%
Average
77%
86%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > HP Omen 15 Laptop Review: GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q and 144 Hz gaming
Mike Wobker, 2019-06-25 (Update: 2019-06-27)