HP Omen Transcend 16 (2024) laptop review: An RTX 4070 gaming machine with an OLED display

Omen Transcend 16 competitor can be found in the form of other 16-inch gamers equipped with the GeForce RTX 4070 as well as the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 (Ultra 7 155H), the Schenker XMG Core 16 L23 (Ryzen 7 7840HS) and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16ARX8 (Ryzen 7 7745HX) all of which appear in our comparison device table.

Since the chassis is mostly identical to the predecessor which had a Core i9-13900HX (see our review), we will only briefly go into the case, features and input device categories.

The Transcend 16 offers an eye-catching design and, from a visual point of view, it cuts an impressively slim figure (all of the competing devices are thicker apart from the Zephyrus G16). When it comes to stability, the base unit at least manages to deliver solid performance. By contrast, the lid – as with so many devices – could have done with better torsional rigidity. At first glance, the matte surface has a premium look, however, HP has mostly only used plastic. No complaints can be made in terms of build quality. The manufacturer deserves praise for the generous 180° opening angle although the hinges could be stronger. When it comes to weight, at 2.3 kg, the device sits in the middle of the pack and this makes the 16-incher neither particularly light nor heavy. 

The port selection can be described as very modern. While the rear houses an RJ45 port (unfortunately not 2.5 Gbit LAN), an HDMI 2.1 output and a USB 3.0 port (type A), the left side is home to two Thunderbolt 4 ports (including Power Delivery) and an audio jack. On the right-hand side, there is only one lonely USB 3.0 port (type A). Buyers have to make do without a Kensington lock and a card reader.

The Wi-Fi performance is at a high level and with a send speed of almost 1,400 Mbit/s and around 1,700 Mbit/s when it comes to receiving data (1 m distance from the reference router) the performance is somewhere between good and very good. With the Wi-Fi 6E AX211, HP has installed an up-to-date Intel wireless module. 

We have mixed feelings regarding the 2 MP webcam. While the image sharpness is above average, the color accuracy leaves a lot to be desired. What is good is the manual shutter for privacy.

Our review device also came with a very slim 230-watt PSU as well as a HyperX headset (Cloud II Core wireless).

In terms of maintenance, the Omen 16 is not particularly complicated. After taking care of six, small, cross-headed screws, the base plate can be lifted from its anchored position with the help of a flat tool. Inside the device, all of the important components are accessible, be it the RAM banks, battery, M.2 slot, fans or the wireless module.  

The warranty is for 24 months.

At around 13.5 x 8.5 cm, the pleasingly large touchpad can be described as unassuming, when it comes to precision, smoothness, and click areas. Likewise, the gesture support is intuitive.

Opinions differ when it comes to OLED panels. On the negative side, a few problems are the very reflective surfaces (which can make outdoor use tortuous), the screen flickering on every brightness level and the issue of potential burn-in.  

Price-wise the Omen Transcend 16 starts at around $1,600. The entry-level variant is equipped with a Core i7-13700HX, a GeForce RTX 4060, 16 GB of RAM and a poor-resolution IPS display. Our review model finds itself more at the upper end of the price and specification scale.

The Core i9-14900HX is almost outsized compared to the GPU power and case thickness. The Raptor Lake series 10 nm model offers 8 performance cores with hyper threading and 16 efficiency cores without HT which results in a total of 32 threads. In the balanced mode, the CPU only reaches its potential to a limited extent. The best example is our Cinebench loop: Although the performance was relatively high in the first few runs, after a short time, the score dropped quite sharply (but then it remained on a constant level). All in all, it is only sufficient to reach the level of the Ultra 7 155H (ROG Zephyrus G16) or the Ryzen 7 7840HS (Schenker XMG Core 16).

The system performance cuts a good figure without being amongst the front runners. When it comes to the RAM speed, the Transcend secures second spot in the comparison field.

Compared to the CPU performance, we observed no dips in the SSD's performance. The installed Kioxia drive is a little slower than the SK hynix drive found in the old Transcend but, despite this, it delivers sufficiently high speeds. What is a pity is that the 16-incher only has one M.2 slot and this means the built-in SSD will have to be replaced to expand the storage.