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HP Omen 17 Laptop Review: High-end gaming with some small limitations

A cost factor.

Despite its high price, the current high-end configuration of the HP Omen 17 is still significantly cheaper than other RTX 2080 laptops. Find out whether the HP Omen 17 can keep up with its competition in aspects other than performance in our detailed review.
HP Omen 17

HP's Omen series has been producing potent gaming devices with both an attractive exterior and an attractive price for several years now. The 2019 generation is no exception. Let us take a look at the Omen 17, for example, which has a starting price of around $1400. For this price, buyers will receive a Core i7-9750H from Intel and a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti from Nvidia as well as 16 GB of RAM and 1.25 TB of storage capacity (SSD + HDD). On top of all that, the device features a matte 144-Hz IPS panel. Today's test unit is a more elaborate model and is equipped with a Core i9-9880H (8 instead of 6 cores), a GeForce RTX 2080, 32 GB of DDR4 RAM and a total of 3 TB of storage (SSD-RAID + HDD). Its price point: $2500. 

As mentioned above, the Omen 17 still is quite affordable compared to its competitors. You will currently need to cough up an additional $1000 for a similarly-equipped MSI GE75 9SG. Other RTX 2080 laptops, such as the MSI GT76 9SG, the Schenker XMG Ultra 17 and the Alienware Area-51m (each with desktop CPU), can cost as much as $4000+ for a similar configuration.

HP Omen 17-cb0020ng (Omen 17-cb Series)
Processor
Intel Core i9-9880H 8 x 2.3 - 4.8 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 1380 MHz, RAM: 1750 MHz, GDDR6, ForceWare 430.86
Memory
32 GB 
, 2x 16 GB DDR4-2666 SO-DIMM, Dual-Channel, all slots occupied
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, CMN175D, IPS, Full-HD, 144 Hz, G-Sync, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM370
Storage
2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0), 1024 GB 
, + TOSHIBA MQ04ABD200, 2 TB HDD @5400 rpm. Slots: 2x M.2 Typ 2280 & 1x 2,5 inch
Soundcard
Intel Cannon Point PCH - cAVS
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: 1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack, Card Reader: SD,SDHC,SDXC
Networking
Realtek Gaming GBE Family Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 27 x 405 x 295 ( = 1.06 x 15.94 x 11.61 in)
Battery
70 Wh, 4550 mAh Lithium-Ion, 8 Zellen
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: 2.0 Bang & Olufsen, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 330-watt AC adapter, quick start guide, Command Center, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
3.3 kg ( = 116.4 oz / 7.28 pounds), Power Supply: 1.146 kg ( = 40.42 oz / 2.53 pounds)
Price
2879 EUR
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

While the quality of the case is not particularly impressive (only the top of the base unit is made of metal), we were still very pleased with it in general. This is mainly due to its unique design, which sets itself apart from other gaming notebooks thanks to its unusual form and contours.

Unlike with the last generation, HP has now decided against using red elements as highlights, which we think was a good choice. This makes the case appear a great deal more grown-up. Although the bottom bezel continues to be rather wide, we  appreciate the general change to a slim-bezel design. Particularly the side and top bezels were significantly wider on the predecessor.

HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17

Another advantage of the new generation is its lower weight. The Omen 17 now weighs 3.3 kg (~7.3 lb) instead of 3.7 kg (~8.2 lb). This is still heavier than the MSI GE75 9SG (2.7 kg/~6 lb), but lighter than the MSI GT76 9SG, Schenker XMG Ultra 17 and Alienware Area 51m (3.9/~8.6 to 4.3 kg/~9.5 lb). The Omen 17 can beat all of its competitors in terms of thickness: 2.7 cm (~1.1 in) is the lowest you can get in this comparison field.

Apart from its size, weight and look, we would describe this case as average. The workmanship is fine apart from some minor details and the hinges are not particularly noteworthy either. HP could, however, improve the stability of the display cover, as this can be warped and squeezed together quite easily in some areas. But then again, the same can be said for a lot of other notebooks as well. The base unit does not give way even under strong pressure. 

Size Comparison

418 mm / 16.5 in 295 mm / 11.6 in 41 mm / 1.614 in 4.3 kg9.59 lbs402.6 mm / 15.9 in 319.2 mm / 12.6 in 42 mm / 1.654 in 3.9 kg8.53 lbs397 mm / 15.6 in 330 mm / 13 in 42 mm / 1.654 in 4.2 kg9.19 lbs405 mm / 15.9 in 295 mm / 11.6 in 27 mm / 1.063 in 3.3 kg7.28 lbs397 mm / 15.6 in 268.5 mm / 10.6 in 27.5 mm / 1.083 in 2.7 kg5.86 lbs297 mm / 11.7 in 210 mm / 8.27 in 1 mm / 0.03937 in 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Ports

The Omen 17 has a decent port selection that includes three classic USB 3.0 Type A ports as well as a modern Type C port that supports USB 3.1 Gen 2, DisplayPort and Thunderbolt 3. The other ports include an HDMI connector and a Mini-DisplayPort for connecting external monitors, an SD card reader and an RJ45 port as well as two audio jacks. The Omen 17 does not have a Kensington Lock connector. 

As most of the ports are positioned towards the back of the sides, there is sufficient space for using a physical mouse on either side of the device.

Left: DC-in, RJ45-LAN, HDMI, Mini-DisplayPort, 2x USB 3.0, Thunderbolt 3, audio jack out, audio jack in
Left: DC-in, RJ45-LAN, HDMI, Mini-DisplayPort, 2x USB 3.0, Thunderbolt 3, audio jack out, audio jack in
Right: SD card reader, USB 3.0
Right: SD card reader, USB 3.0

SD card reader

The performance of the card reader is average - neither particularly bad, nor particularly good. We measured a rate of 80 MB/s for sequential reading and transferring photos. This positions the Omen 17 between the MSI GE75 9SG (~30 MB/s) and the Schenker XMG Ultra 17 (~200 MB/s). The MSI GT76 9SG only has space for a microSD card while the Alienware Area 51m has completely foregone an SD card reader.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
190 MB/s +150%
Average of class Gaming
  (19 - 202, n=87, last 2 years)
95.9 MB/s +26%
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
76 MB/s
MSI GE75 9SG
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27.14 MB/s -64%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
206 MB/s +154%
Average of class Gaming
  (25.8 - 269, n=88, last 2 years)
120 MB/s +48%
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
81 MB/s
MSI GE75 9SG
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
33.17 MB/s -59%

Communication

HP has made no compromises in terms of Wi-Fi performance and has equipped our test unit with an Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200, a very fast and up-to-date WLAN module. The transfer rates of 749 Mbit/s and reception rates of 675 Mbit/s comfortably position our Omen 17 in first and second place, respectively.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
749 MBit/s
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
730 MBit/s -3%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
712 MBit/s -5%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
680 MBit/s -9%
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
629 MBit/s -16%
iperf3 receive AX12
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
690 MBit/s +2%
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
675 MBit/s
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
673 MBit/s 0%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
661 MBit/s -2%
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
652 MBit/s -3%

Software

We would like to mention the Command Center, a kind of central hub that pulls together various features, monitoring options and settings. Apart from getting an idea of the load level and temperature of the CPU, GPU and storage, you can also use it to control network traffic (including an optional booster), customize the macro keys, adjust the keyboard backlighting and change the power control. As you can see from the sixth screenshot, the available power modes are comfort, standard and performance. We ran our tests on standard settings, which is the mode that is activated ex-works.

Command Center
Command Center
Command Center
Command Center
Command Center
Command Center

Accessories

The AC adapter that comes with the RTX 2080 version of the Omen 17 has a rated output of 330 watts and has a rather unusual shape. It is around 15 x 15 x 4 cm (~5.9 x 5.9 x 1.6 in) large. All other 330-watt AC adapters that we have seen up until now were narrower, but usually significantly longer and thicker. The only other thing in the Omen 17's box is a small quick-start guide.

Maintenance

We are not quite sure what to think of maintenance on this 17-inch gamer. The good news is that you can access all components by removing the bottom cover (see photos). The bad news is that the bottom cover is rather difficult to remove in the first place. Users will need a fine spatula, which might discourage some less experienced laptop owners. Removing the 10 Philipps screws was no issue. 

HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17
HP Omen 17

Warranty

Like most gaming laptops, the HP Omen 17 comes with a two-year warranty.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The input devices do a good job, although we are not completely satisfied with them. HP has decided to go with a chiclet keyboard with 4-zone backlighting (which is rather weak, unfortunately). The WASD area is considered an individual zone. These keys are already set-off from the area around them by having a white border.

We are quite happy with the size of the keyboard and keys. However, the small arrow keys were a little tiresome during testing. To make up for this, users will be pleased to hear that the Omen 17 features a full-sized number pad. The macro keys to the left of the keyboard are an additional feature which some users will appreciate more than others. Special keys do tend to lead to wrong entries at first, because the main keyboard is moved slightly to the right in order to accommodate them. Typing is comfortable enough. The well-defined stop is accompanied by a relatively loud clatter, which is why the Omen 17 is not really suitable for quiet surroundings.

Chiclet keyboard...
Chiclet keyboard...
... with 4-zone backlighting
... with 4-zone backlighting

Touchpad

The touchpad has a good size at 10.2 x 5.6 cm (~4 x 2.2 in). Due to its slightly rough finish, fingers do not glide over the surface as easily as on some other gaming notebooks. The dedicated mouse keys have a clear (and loud) pressure point and feedback. Not surprisingly, the touchpad supports several gestures. We had no issues zooming and scrolling with two fingers. The precision of the touchpad is average. 

Display

HP has joined in the current trend of using high-refresh-rate displays and has equipped the Omen 17 with a 144-Hz IPS display with a matte surface. The panel (CMN175D) is quite impressive. It has a contrast ratio of 1385:1 and a black value of 0.26 cd/m². This places our 17-inch gamer right at the front of our comparison field.

343
cd/m²
355
cd/m²
328
cd/m²
342
cd/m²
360
cd/m²
343
cd/m²
337
cd/m²
336
cd/m²
335
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
CMN175D tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 360 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 342.1 cd/m² Minimum: 23 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 360 cd/m²
Contrast: 1385:1 (Black: 0.26 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.91 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91, calibrated: 0.78
ΔE Greyscale 2.72 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
96% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
60% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
65.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
96% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
63.7% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.37
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
CMN175D, IPS, 1920x1080
MSI GE75 9SG
Chi Mei N173HCE-G33, AHVA, 1920x1080
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Chi Mei N173HCE-G33 (CMN175C), IPS, 1920x1080
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
AU Optronics B173ZAN01.0 (AUO109B), IPS, 3840x2160
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
LG Philips 173WFG, IPS, 1920x1080
Display
-3%
-2%
30%
2%
Display P3 Coverage
63.7
61.5
-3%
62.3
-2%
86.3
35%
66.3
4%
sRGB Coverage
96
92
-4%
93.4
-3%
100
4%
96.9
1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
65.8
63.5
-3%
64.3
-2%
99.1
51%
66.5
1%
Response Times
34%
23%
-115%
15%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
17.6 ?(8.4, 9.2)
7.2 ?(3.8, 3.4)
59%
8 ?(4.4, 3.6)
55%
41.6 ?(20.4, 21.2)
-136%
13.2 ?(8, 5.2)
25%
Response Time Black / White *
11.2 ?(6, 5.2)
6.6 ?(3.2, 3.4)
41%
10 ?(5.2, 4.8)
11%
21.6 ?(9.6, 12)
-93%
10.8 ?(6, 4.8)
4%
PWM Frequency
25510 ?(44)
26040 ?(10)
2%
26040 ?(20)
2%
Screen
-2%
-3%
-37%
-36%
Brightness middle
360
400.7
11%
396
10%
343
-5%
335.2
-7%
Brightness
342
372
9%
373
9%
328
-4%
297
-13%
Brightness Distribution
91
89
-2%
89
-2%
82
-10%
82
-10%
Black Level *
0.26
0.34
-31%
0.33
-27%
0.31
-19%
0.66
-154%
Contrast
1385
1179
-15%
1200
-13%
1106
-20%
508
-63%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.91
1.33
30%
2.04
-7%
5.03
-163%
2.02
-6%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
4.08
3.51
14%
3.85
6%
7.91
-94%
7.23
-77%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
0.78
1.39
-78%
0.82
-5%
0.86
-10%
1.17
-50%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.72
1.3
52%
2.83
-4%
6.29
-131%
3.2
-18%
Gamma
2.37 93%
2.24 98%
2.49 88%
2.38 92%
2.16 102%
CCT
6692 97%
6735 97%
7113 91%
6389 102%
6746 96%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
60
58.2
-3%
59
-2%
88
47%
61.3
2%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
96
92.1
-4%
94
-2%
100
4%
96.9
1%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
10% / 4%
6% / 1%
-41% / -34%
-6% / -23%

* ... smaller is better

The average brightness of 342 cd/m² is great as well and enables users to use this device outdoors. We are also impressed by the color accuracy. The display manages to stay within the ideal range (DeltaE below 3) both in the grayscale and the color test. The package is completed with a decent color space, which covers 96 percent of sRGB and 60 percent of the AdobeRGB color space. 

CalMAN: Grayscales
CalMAN: Grayscales
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: Grayscales (calibrated)
CalMAN: Grayscales (calibrated)
CalMAN: Saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: Saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)

The display also has rather low response times (for an IPS panel). Most gamers should be quite happy with 11.2 ms black-to-white and 17.6 ms grey-to-grey. There is room for improvement in terms of brightness distribution, however. We noticed backlight bleeding both along the top and bottom edge.

HP Omen 17 vs sRGB (96%)
HP Omen 17 vs sRGB (96%)
Subpixel array
Subpixel array
HP Omen 17 vs AdobeRGB (60%)
HP Omen 17 vs AdobeRGB (60%)

PWM is used up to a brightness level of 44 percent. However, this flickering should not be an issue even for sensitive users due to the high frequency of 25 kHz. All in all, the image quality of this panel meets our expectations for this price range.

Reflections
Reflections
Backlight Bleeding
Backlight Bleeding
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

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
11.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6 ms rise
↘ 5.2 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. » 27 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
17.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 8.4 ms rise
↘ 9.2 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 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 28 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.8 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 detected 25510 Hz ≤ 44 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 25510 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 44 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 25510 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured.

Performance

The best configuration of the Omen 17, which we are testing today, features a Core i9-9880H, a GeForce RTX 2080 and 32 GB of DDR4 RAM (2x 16 GB, dual channel). This hardware combination makes this device suitable for almost any area of use and should future-proof it for quite some time. The SSD RAID also guarantees a fast system performance with short load and boot times.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
HWiNFO
GPU-Z
LatencyMon

Processor

The Core i9-9880H is currently the second fastest mobile processor on the market. The eight-core chip from Intel's optimized Coffee Lake generation has a generous 16-MP L3 cache and, like its slower six-core siblings (the Core i7-9750H, for example), is rated at 45 watts. Thanks to hyperthreading technology, the octa-core processor can work up to 16 threads simultaneously.

Single-core rendering
Single-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
GPU load
GPU load

The clock rates are quite impressive, too. As long as the cooling system allows it, the Core i9-9880H can reach clock rates up to 4.8 GHz, which is quite a lot for a laptop. Unfortunately, the Omen 17 cannot make the most out of the CPU's potential. While it does fairly well in single-core and 3D applications with low core utilization, reaching clock rates over 4 GHz, the CPU can only reach between 2.9 and 4.0 GHz in applications that use all cores. The clock rate even drops to 2.9 GHz permanently after a while.

01052103154205256307358409451050115512601365147015751680178518901995Tooltip
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng Intel Core i9-9880H, Intel Core i9-9880H: Ø1291 (1278.24-1450)
MSI GE75 9SG Intel Core i9-9880H, Intel Core i9-9880H: Ø1619 (1602.44-1728.31)
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG Intel Core i9-9900K, Intel Core i9-9900K: Ø1998 (1943.92-2022.14)
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing Intel Core i9-9900K, Intel Core i9-9900K: Ø1887 (1858.65-1934.33)
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080 Intel Core i9-9900K, Intel Core i9-9900K: Ø1875 (1847.15-1952.27)

This behavior is depicted very nicely in our Cinebench graph, which shows a drop in performance of around 10 percent from the second round onwards. While other 9880H laptops, such as the MSI GE75 9SG, also lose several percent in this scenario, their clock rate is higher from the start. The Omen 17 cannot compete with notebooks that are equipped with the Core i9-9900K. Both the MSI GT76 9SG and the Schenker XMG Ultra 17, as well as the Alienware Area 51m easily beat the Omen 17 in our Cinebench loop and multi-core test.

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (191.9 - 318, n=191, last 2 years)
277 Points +41%
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
212 Points +8%
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
Intel Core i9-9900K
207 Points +5%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
Intel Core i9-9900K
207 Points +5%
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
Intel Core i9-9880H
197 Points
Average Intel Core i9-9880H
  (181 - 198, n=11)
190.1 Points -4%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
189 Points -4%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (905 - 5663, n=194, last 2 years)
3416 Points +136%
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
2022 Points +39%
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
Intel Core i9-9900K
1979 Points +36%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
Intel Core i9-9900K
1944 Points +34%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
1721 Points +19%
Average Intel Core i9-9880H
  (1317 - 1721, n=11)
1506 Points +4%
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
Intel Core i9-9880H
1450 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
197 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1450 Points
Cinebench R20 CPU (Multi Core)
2953 Points
Cinebench R20 CPU (Single Core)
467 Points
Help

System Performance

We cannot criticize the overall system performance of our test unit. The HP notebook does not make the podium in PCMark 10, but its score of 6558 points is very good nonetheless, and promises a fast and smooth-running system.

PCMark 10 - Score
Average of class Gaming
  (5776 - 9852, n=165, last 2 years)
7788 Points +19%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9900K, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
7050 Points +8%
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9900K, 2x SK Hynix PC400 512GB (RAID 0)
7006 Points +7%
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9900K, 2x Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP (RAID 0)
6599 Points +1%
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
6558 Points
MSI GE75 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
6306 Points -4%

Storage Devices

A large part of the Omen 17's strong overall performance is due to the SSD. In order to get the most out of the 17-inch device, HP has combined two M.2 drives from Samsung (PM981) to a RAID 0 set up with a capacity of 1 TB. The CrystalDiskMark shows no weaknesses. The results are great when dealing with both small and large files. Still, some devices manage to reach comparable speeds with only one SSD (see the Samsung 970 Evo Plus in the Schenker XMG Ultra 17).

SSDs
SSDs
SSDs
SSDs
HDD
HDD
HDD
HDD

Most users should be well-equipped in terms of storage capacity for quite a while. The combination of the SSD RAID with an additional 2.5-inch HDD hard drive means that this configuration of the Omen 17 has a total storage capacity of 3 TB. The Toshiba MQ04ABD200 HDD, offers a fairly decent performance for a 5400-RPM drive.

HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
MSI GE75 9SG
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
2x Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP (RAID 0)
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
2x SK Hynix PC400 512GB (RAID 0)
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-13%
-11%
11%
5%
Write 4K
103.8
116.1
12%
101.4
-2%
183.2
76%
111.1
7%
Read 4K
41.67
44.98
8%
40.57
-3%
52.4
26%
45.47
9%
Write Seq
2639
2370
-10%
2229
-16%
1790
-32%
2454
-7%
Read Seq
2702
1465
-46%
2528
-6%
1743
-35%
2212
-18%
Write 4K Q32T1
487.3
337.5
-31%
379.6
-22%
550
13%
622
28%
Read 4K Q32T1
555
453.6
-18%
421.9
-24%
648
17%
695
25%
Write Seq Q32T1
2967
2399
-19%
2439
-18%
3236
9%
2675
-10%
Read Seq Q32T1
3102
3087
0%
3199
3%
3538
14%
3184
3%
2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0)
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3102 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 2967 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 555 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 487.3 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 2702 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 2639 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 41.67 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 103.8 MB/s

Graphics

The GeForce RTX 2080 currently is Nvidia's strongest notebook GPU. The Turing-based DirectX 12 monster has 2944 shaders and an 8-GB GDDR6 VRAM (256-bit interface). Its base clock rate is 1380 MHz, although the GPU boost (works similar to Intel's turbo boost) enables far higher clock rates.

3DMark 11 Performance
25017 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
44234 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
19351 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
9177 points
Help

As with the CPU, the clock rate of the GPU is not used to its full potential. Both in 3DMark 11 and in 3DMark 12, the performance of the RTX 2080 is around 10 percent below the average of previously tested competitors. The same goes for games, during which the clock rate settles at around 1600 MHz. This is not a particularly bad result, but it does not place our test unit in the top range, either. We would like to mention that almost every competitor pays for the higher performance with a thicker case. The Omen 17, on the other hand, is one of the slimmest RTX 2080 laptops available. This puts the difference in performance into perspective.

3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=193, last 2 years)
31462 Points +38%
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
27080 Points +19%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (22504 - 27319, n=16)
25211 Points +10%
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
25126 Points +10%
MSI GE75 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
24623 Points +8%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
23089 Points +1%
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
22820 Points
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (224 - 22717, n=188, last 2 years)
13136 Points +39%
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
10720 Points +13%
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
10243 Points +8%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (9411 - 10992, n=15)
10046 Points +6%
MSI GE75 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
9754 Points +3%
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
9480 Points
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72178, n=182, last 2 years)
43904 Points +38%
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
38485 Points +21%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (31826 - 38809, n=17)
35286 Points +11%
MSI GE75 9SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
34050 Points +7%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
33396 Points +5%
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
31826 Points

We did not notice any anomalies in our gaming test with "The Witcher 3" (1920x1080, maximum details). The frame rate remained constant and there were no drops in performance. By the way, HP has foregone the graphics switching feature Optimus in exchange for using G-Sync to improve the image.

05101520253035404550556065707580859095100Tooltip
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ (RAID 0): Ø94 (88-99)
MSI GE75 9SG GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR: Ø89.4 (84-96)
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9900K, 2x Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP (RAID 0): Ø95.9 (90-101)
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080 GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9900K, 2x SK Hynix PC400 512GB (RAID 0): Ø96.3 (88-103)

Gaming Performance

The gaming capabilities of the Omen 17 were tested with 13 games dating from 2015 to 2019. In short: Users can play demanding titles such as "Anno 1800" and "Metro Exodus" at native resolution and maximum settings.

The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Gaming
  (18.4 - 216, n=164, last 2 years)
128.3 fps +40%
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9900K
101.1 fps +10%
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9900K
100 fps +9%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (82.2 - 105, n=16)
95.6 fps +4%
MSI GE75 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
95.3 fps +4%
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9900K
94.5 fps +3%
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H
91.7 (76min) fps

The GeForce RTX 2080 displays less CPU-intensive games such as "F1 2019", "Rage 2" and "Apex Legends" at over 100 FPS. Therefore, we can confirm that the 144-Hz panel is here for a reason. The Omen 17 would also do well with an (external) WQHD or 4K display.

lowmed.highultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 173 91.7
Hitman 2 (2018) 81.2 78.5
Farming Simulator 19 (2018) 153 140
Just Cause 4 (2018) 117 100
Apex Legends (2019) 144 144
Far Cry New Dawn (2019) 105 93
Metro Exodus (2019) 81.9 67.7
Anthem (2019) 102 96
Dirt Rally 2.0 (2019) 167 98.3
The Division 2 (2019) 125 95
Anno 1800 (2019) 78.8 45.3
Rage 2 (2019) 118 117
F1 2019 (2019) 153 142

Emissions

System Noise

The combination of high-end hardware, a relatively slim case and the missing graphics switching software leads to very loud system noise. The 17-inch gamer is clearly audible at 34 to 36 dB(A), even while idling. Light to medium loads, such as Windows Updates, soon cause the cooling fan to speed up, which could bother many users.

Noise level while idling
Noise level while idling
Noise level under load
Noise level under load
Noise level speaker
Noise level speaker

The device becomes particularly loud when running 3D applications. Although the Omen 17 is quieter than some other RTX 2080 laptops (despite its slim build), sensitive users will still have difficulties with a noise level of 47 to 51 dB(A) under load, which is why we would recommend using headphones in these situations.

Noise Level

Idle
34 / 35 / 36 dB(A)
HDD
33 dB(A)
Load
51 / 51 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 dB(A)
HP Omen 17-cb0020ng
i9-9880H, GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
MSI GE75 9SG
i9-9880H, GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
i9-9900K, GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
SCHENKER XMG Ultra 17 Turing
i9-9900K, GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
Alienware Area-51m i9-9900K RTX 2080
i9-9900K, GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
Average of class Gaming
 
Noise
5%
-5%
1%
-1%
16%
off / environment *
30
28.2
6%
30
-0%
30
-0%
28.1
6%
Idle Minimum *
34
30.4
11%
33
3%
30
12%
28.1
17%
Idle Average *
35
30.4
13%
34
3%
33
6%
28.6
18%
Idle Maximum *
36
33.4
7%
44
-22%
35
3%
51
-42%
30.3 ?(