HP Calls Forth New OMEN Gaming Machines, Monitors, And More At CES 2025
We'll start with the gaming systems by having a look-see at the gorgeous HP Omen MAX 16" gaming laptop. This machine can be had with your choice of the fastest AMD Ryzen AI CPUs with their 55 TOPS NPU, or the brand-new Intel Core Ultra 200HX processors with up to 24 CPU cores. Either way, you can have up to 64GB of socketed DDR5 memory, 2TB of PCIe storage, and an "NVIDIA GeForce Next-Gen Laptop GPU." We're not sure whether that goes all the way up to the new GeForce RTX 5090, but it'll be a 50-series, anyway.
There are a few options for the screen on the Omen MAX 16, but the finest is a WQXGA (2560×1600) OLED that supports 500 nits peak HDR brightness and a 48-240Hz variable refresh rate range. Connectivity comes in the form of dual Thunderbolt 4 ports with USB4 support, a pair of USB Type-A ports supporting 10-Gbps speeds, a physical Ethernet jack, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, and a full-sized HDMI 2.1 port. The Ethernet adapter is either Gigabit or 2.5G, while the Wi-Fi can be 6E or Wi-Fi 7, depending on configuration.
If you don't need the absolute max performance (or if your pocketbook isn't prepared for same), the OMEN 16 is the standard version of the MAX, above. It offers more mainstream processor options from both Intel and AMD, like the Ryzen AI 7 350 and the Core Ultra 7 255H. Some last-gen CPUs are available, too. The GPU options are similarly vague, but center around "next-gen" GeForce GPUs. Memory tops out at 32 GB, while storage tops out at 1TB, although these are both slotted so you could replace them yourself.
The HP OMEN MAX 16 gaming laptop will arrive "in the coming months" at a starting price of $2699.99; the standard OMEN 16 machine will start at $1599 when it arrives in March.
OMEN is HP's premium gaming brand, while Victus is targeted more at entry-level and casual gamers. HP is revising the Victus 15 this year with three new finishes, including the cute Powder Pink color above. Hardware options on these models are primarily AMD and Intel CPUs from the previous generation, like the Ryzen 9 8945HS, as well as previous-model GPUs like the GeForce RTX 4060 and Radeon RX 6550M. This likely contributes to the Victus 15's affordable price and ready availability: starting at just $1199 this month.
Finally, we have the only new desktop that AMD is debuting at CES, the Omen 16L. It's called that because it's 16 liters in size, which is pretty darn small for a gaming desktop with a discrete GPU. Despite the OMEN branding, this is decidedly an entry-level machine with CPU options topping out at the Core Ultra 265 and GPU options maxing out with a GeForce RTX 4060 Ti. You can have up to 32GB of DDR5 memory—no overclocking—and one 2TB NVMe SSD. The OMEN 16L gaming desktop will appear in February starting at $949.
When this old greybeard hears "32X" he thinks SEGA, but that's what HP has decided to name its new "Smart Gaming Monitor". This is a 32" 4K UHD monitor with a 144-Hz refresh rate that includes Google TV smart functions built in. In other words, if you really hate watching YouTube on your PC, you can simply watch it directly on your monitor. It has some pretty interesting picture-in-picture and multi-input functions, which HP actually previewed for us at CES; check out our First Look video below:
In terms of display specifications, this is a 31.5" IPS LCD monitor in 4K UHD resolution that refreshes at 144Hz and that can display 95% of the DCI-P3 colorspace. It includes two HDMI 2.1 jacks as well as a single DisplayPort 1.4 port and also a USB Type-C port that can deliver 65W USB power while accepting a second DisplayPort connection via USB Alt Mode. For its data functions, it also has a USB 2.0 hub as well as an RJ-45 jack to connect it to a wired network for Google TV mode. HP says this display is coming in April starting at $749.99.
For folks who are more into the Ultrawide fashion, HP has the OMEN 34c G2. This updates the 34c with a 180-Hz refresh rate and impressive 4000:1 static contrast. It's not really much of an HDR display; it only meets VESA's DisplayHDR 400 specification, but it should look fantastic for SDR gaming thanks to its 95% DCI-P3 coverage and the aforementioned excellent static contrast value. If you're concerned about VA LCD smearing, HP claims a 1-ms response time for this display with overdrive in use. This gaming ultrawide will show up in April for $479.99.
Arguably the most impressive of the gaming displays that HP is showing off this year is the OMEN 27qs. This is purportedly the world's first "280Hz QHD IPS Black gaming monitor." IPS Black is an LCD screen technology that offers much better contrast than previous IPS LCDs without risking the VA smear effect. HP claims that the 27qs can offer 2000:1 static contrast while operating at 280Hz; not bad for an LCD. The OMEN 27qs will appear in June for $449.99.
Lastly, the OMEN 27 and 27q are your standard issue FHD and QHD (respectively) gaming monitors. Both use IPS LCD panels and support 180Hz refresh rates while supposedly offering 95% coverage of the DCI-P3 spectrum, meaning they'll have bright, rich colors. The rated contrast on these is 1000:1, but that's probably a bit of a reach considering they don't use IPS Black panels. However, what they do have on their side is affordability: the QHD OMEN 27q G2 will show up in April for $299.99, while the FHD OMEN 27 G2 will appear in May for $249.99.
