HP Omen 17 review

The jump to 4K and VR started before the hardware was truly ready. Earlier 4K enabled computers could barely handle the content they were marketed to run, and initial requirements for VR made a lot of people realize their powerful gaming rigs weren't going to handle the next "big" thing in gaming. 

We've come a long way in a short time, and not only is hardware powerful enough to handle the next big gaming buzz, the HP Omen 17 proves it can come at a reasonable price.

We liked

The huge, G-Sync display really let’s modern games stretch their graphical legs. I already put 100 hours into Metal Gear Solid 5 on consoles and I can honestly say, looking as good as it does on the Omen 17, I wouldn't mind putting in another 100 hours.

Sound quality from the built-in speakers is good enough to not detract from the experience, and if you want to stream some music, loudly, the Omen has you covered.

We disliked

It seems very unlikely this desktop replacement will ever venture too far from a desktop. A 17-inch laptop is bulky by anyone's standards, and the seven pound weight coupled with the huge power brick makes traveling a real chore.

The screen doesn't handle bright light very well, even when it's coming through a window. As long as there's no light source to reflect off of it, the screen looks quite nice, but you won't be showing this laptop off at the park.

Final verdict

The powerful HP Omen 17 makes up for its shortcomings through the application of pure power at a price point well below other comparably equipped machines. Sure, it has creaky hinges and a plastic chassis, but who cares? 

It's worth the trade-off to get your hands on such a powerful machine at a sub-$2000 price. Even if you don't care about 4K, once you see your games at their highest settings in 1080p, you'll forgive the HP Omen 17 for not looking the part.