Windows Central Verdict
HP’s debut premium 14-inch gaming laptop is beautiful and slim with an incredible display and standout keyboard, but its lackluster performance and slightly higher pricing makes it a tough recommendation over its biggest direct competitor.
Sleek and attractive design with solid build quality
Beautiful and responsive OLED display
Good productivity performance
Comfortable keyboard and touchpad
Gaming performance is sorely lacking at this price point
Inconsistent battery life
Lots of software bloat
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•Pricing & specs•Design & build quality•Display•Performance & gaming•Battery•Keyboard & other features•Competition•Score card & final thoughts
Reviewing theHPOMEN Transcend 14 almost feels like repeating history, in a sense. By that, I mean this laptop seems like an excellent option on paper… Until you compare it to its closest competitor fromASUS. HP’s debut premium 14-inch gaming laptop is slim and beautiful, but it’s simply lacking in a major area of importance for gaming devices: performance.
A low wattage GPU, inconsistent battery life, and other minor oddities combine headfirst with a price taggreaterthan the equivalent configuration from ASUS' competitor. That’s not to say the OMEN Transcend 14 is actually bad; the display is gorgeous, the design is wonderful, and the keyboard is responsive and comfortable (despite its divisive RGB lighting setup).
Unfortunately, it seems the OMEN Transcend 14 may fall victim to picking a fight it just can’t win, obscuring all the genuinely amazing things about it. At a lower price, though, it’d be a lot easier to recommend over its rival.
This review was made possible with a review sample provided by HP. The company did not see the contents of the review before publishing.
OMEN Transcend 14: Pricing and specifications
Pricing highlights
• Price:$1,699.99 at Best Buy• Display:14-inch OLED, 16:10 aspect ratio, 2.8K (2,880 x 1,800), 48-120Hz refresh rate, 0.2ms response time, up to 500nits (HDR), 100% DCI-P3 color gamut• CPU:Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (up to 4.8GHz, 16 cores, 22 threads)• GPU:NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (8GB GDDR6 VRAM)• RAM:16GB LPDDR5X @ 7,467MHz• Storage:1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD• Battery:71WHr w/ 140W USB Type-C fast charging• Dimensions:313 x 233.4 x 17-18mm (12.32 x 9.19 x 0.67-0.71in)• Weight:1.63kg (3.6lbs)
The HP OMEN Transcend 14startsfrom $1,599.99 at HP, cementing its place among premium Windows laptops. That entry-level model isn’t particularly impressive with anIntel Core Ultra7 155H CPU,NVIDIA GeForceRTX 4050 GPU, 16GB of soldered RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. For me, the real entry-level configuration is $100 more for$1,699.99 at Best Buyand upgrades you to an RTX 4060 and 1TB of SSD storage, a very reasonable upcharge in stark comparison to the exorbitant upgrades you’ll find elsewhere.
That’s the configuration I reviewed, and it’s nearly identical to the configuration of theASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) I reviewed. Yes, expect me to mention the Zephyrus G14 a lot throughout this review, as that laptop is the biggest obstacle between the OMEN Transcend 14 and success. Reason #1? The Zephyrus G14 with an AMD Ryzen 8945HS (a competitor for the Core Ultra 9), an RTX 4060, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD retails for$1,599.99 at Best Buy— $100 less than HP’s alternative, while also boasting a more powerful CPU and a higher wattage GPU.
At the higher end, HP and ASUS more-or-less match each other in price, capping out at$1,999.99 at Best Buyfor the OMEN Transcend 14 with a Core Ultra 9, an RTX 4070, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. The equivalent Zephyrus G14 retails for$1,999.99 at Best Buy, too. Of course, you can also configure your own HP OMEN Transcend 14 at HP for more granular control.
In the box, you get the HP OMEN Transcend 14 gaming laptop and a 140W USB Type-C fast charger. I can’t comment on packaging in this case, since HP sent me a special review sample that also included aHyperX Cloud III Wireless gaming headset.
HP OMEN Transcend 14 | Core Ultra 7 155H | RTX 4060 | 16GB RAM | 1TB SSD —$1,699.99 at Best Buy
My recommended OMEN Transcend 14 is the same configuration I reviewed, as it’s well-balanced and an easy jump up from the base model. It’s $100 more expensive at retail than ASUS' more capable Zephyrus G14, but this laptop could still be an awesome purchase when on sale. You can also always configure your own.
Also see:Configure your HP OMEN Transcend 14from $1,599.99 at HP
OMEN Transcend 14: Design and build quality
Design highlights
• Materials:High-strength aluminum (50% recycled), Corning Gorilla Glass, plastic (45% recycled & 5% ocean-bound in bezels/speaker enclosure, 50% post-consumer recycled in keyboard)• Design features:Ceramic white & black colorways, unique RGB backlit keyboard, protruding rear shelf• Ports:1x USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 w/ DisplayPort 2.1 & Power Delivery, 1x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 w/ DisplayPort 1.4 & Power Delivery, 1x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2 w/ always-on power, 1x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm audio• Dimensions:313 x 233.4 x 17-18mm (12.32 x 9.19 x 0.67-0.71in)• Weight:1.63kg (3.6lbs)
HP knows how to make a beautiful laptop — I said as much in myHP Spectre x360 14 (2024) review. Among the OMEN gaming laptops, however, the Transcend 14 stands supreme. It’s slim and compact, constructed of matte black (or white) aluminum and glass, and looks every bit the premium laptop it’s supposed to be. It’s an awesome design overall that looks sharp and sloped compared to the boxy design of the Zephyrus G14.
Ports-wise, HP adopts the shelf design we’ve seen in other laptops (like Lenovo’s Legion line), which houses the rear-facing 140W Thunderbolt 4 port and an HDMI 2.1 port. On the right side are two USB Type-A ports (one of which can be always on for charging), and on the left side is a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm audio jack. Although strangely, these two ports are situated in the center of the chassis, rather than near the rear. Small oddity.
Open it up via the smooth dual-hinge, and you’ll be met with the wonderful OLED display flanked on three sides by thin bezels, and the immediately odd RGB backlit keyboard. This unique “transparent edge” key design has no bearing on the actual usability of the keyboard, but it’ll undoubtedly be divisive aesthetics-wise. After using the OMEN Transcend 14, I think it’s… fine. Weird design or not, these RGB lights aren’t the most vibrant or smoothest I’ve seen.
Great use of materials and high build quality, slim and attractive design, solid port selection — What’s not to love? Well, once again, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) is the OMEN Transcend 14’s biggest competitor. Actually, it’s smaller in this case; the Zephyrus G14 is more compact in every dimension than the Transcend 14 on top of being lighter. It doesn’t lose anything to achieve this, either, as you actuallygaina microSD card slot without losing any other ports.
I prefer the design and construction of the Zephyrus G14, too. It feels considerably more refined and solid, as the OMEN Transcend 14 has noticeable flexing in its keyboard deck, lid, and bottom cover where you’ll struggle to find such weaknesses in ASUS' premium gaming laptop.
OMEN Transcend 14: Display quality
Display highlights
• Display type:14-inch, 16:10 aspect ratio, OLED, non-touch• Display specs:2.8K (2880 x 1800) resolution, 48-120Hz refresh rate, 0.2ms response time, 500nits mx brightness w/ HDR, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut• Display features:IMAX Enhanced certified
Here we are again. This 14-inch, 2.8K OLED Samsung panel is rapidly becoming unavoidable in the Windows laptop market, and I have no qualms about that. It’s a brilliant display that’s practically perfect for most people, and it predictably looks just as good here. That being said, it’s not the absolute best version of this panel I’ve seen in every category.
First, let’s get the basics out of the way. The display on the HP OMEN Transcend 14 is positively gorgeous. It gets bright enough for use in well-lit environments, the colors are vibrant and accurate, and it feels buttery smooth and responsive. HP doesn’t specify the HDR standard to which this panel adheres, but it is IMAX Enhanced certified like the HP Spectre x360 14 and adopts HP’s low blue light tech.
In tests, you’ll notice that the display meets HP’s promised 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamutandhas astoundingly consistent white balance across brightness levels. This is one area where the OMEN Transcend 14 actually stands out among other laptops with this panel, as many tend to range slightly more between cool and warm hues (and a few even have a weird 0% brightness bug, like the Zephyrus G14).
However, for regular usage, I still prefer the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14. ASUS' version of the panel is the first to featureNVIDIA G-Syncadaptive sync, for example, and also boastsDolby Visionsupport alongside its VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 rating. Beyond that, it genuinely looks more vibrant, is more color accurate, and feels more responsive and smoother across the board. These are tiny advantages, but they exist.
OMEN Transcend 14: Performance and thermals
Performance highlights
• CPU:Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (up to 4.8GHz, 16 cores, 22 threads) / Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (up to 5.1GHz, 16 cores, 22 threads)• GPU:NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 (6GB GDDR6 VRAM) / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (8GB GDDR6 VRAM) / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 (8GB GDDR6 VRAM)• RAM:Up to 32GB LPDDR5X @ 7,467MHz• Storage:Up to 2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD• Other features:Rear ventilation, Intel Dual Channel Flow, DirectX Cross Adapter Scan-Out (CASO)
In many ways, the HP OMEN Transcend 14 is a strong performer. The combination of Intel Core Ultra and NVIDIA GeForce RTX is bound to be capable in any configuration, but the Transcend 14 falls short in enough ways to warrant criticism in this department. It feels more like a creator-focused Ultrabook than a gaming laptop, except its real-world usage often doesn’t reflect its benchmark scores.
The OMEN Transcend 14 can be configured with up to a Core Ultra 9 185H and a GeForce RTX 4070, but any configuration you get will be restricted by the laptop’s maxThermal Design Power, or TDP. The advantage of having USB Type-C charging comes with the disadvantage of being limited to 140W, meaning HP lowered the wattage of the Transcend 14’s components (namely its GPU, capped at 65W versus 90W in the Zephyrus G14) in the name of efficiency.
The result? The OMEN Transcend 14 performs well in CPU-focused productivity benchmarks, but falls short versus the competition in GPU-focused tasks and gaming.
As you can see in the benchmarks above, the HP OMEN Transcend 14 actually test impressively well in multiple CPU-centric benchmarks, beating the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and its (on paper) more powerful CPU. Predictably, it in turn struggles to keep up when pitted against the Zephyrus G14’s RTX 4060, which is getting a lot more juice fed into it.
While the OMEN Transcend excels in CPU-focused benchmarks, though, its real-world performance leaves a lot to be desired compared to the Zephyrus G14. It’s slower to wake up, slower to sign you in, slower to open apps, and more likely to lag or stutter when multitasking, moving between browser tabs, and performing various actions. I want to be clear — this laptop isn’tslow. The hardware is far too good for that. But it does feelslowerthan it should at this price, and slower than the Zephyrus G14 at the same price. That’s not good.
One area where I can praise the OMEN Transcend 14 is with thermal management. While these dual fans do get very loud (a little louder than I’d like), it’s a low and warm sound versus a high-pitched whine. On top of that, this laptopnevergot hot to the touch, no matter how much I pushed it, and it resisted thermal throttling with surprising adeptness.
Running 40 loops of 3DMark’s Time Spy, the OMEN Transcend 14 managed a frame rate stability (the difference between the best and worst performing loops) of 98.9%. I expect a frame rate dip of 2-3% for most laptops, and the ROG Zephyrus G14 (with its biggest flaw being running hot) experienced thermal throttling after just 25 loops. Overall performance isn’t as good as the competition, but at least your laptop will never run hot.
OMEN Transcend 14: Gaming performance
Gaming highlights
The HP OMEN Transcend 14 is marketed as a gaming laptop, and it does game better than some creator-focused Ultrabooks like theDell XPS 16 (9640). However, HP seems to have gone much further in the same direction ASUS took the latest Zephyrus G14, meaning sacrificing some top-end performance in favor of portability and efficiency. Unfortunately, HP goes too far in that direction without gaining any meaningful advantages.
Consistently, in both benchmarks and real-world usage, the OMEN Transcend 14 is considerably slower graphically than the Zephyrus G14 with the same GPU, without actually being more compact, lighter, or longer lasting. The biggest reason behind this is the ROG Zephyrus G14 runs its RTX 4060 GPU at up to 90W, while the OMEN Transcend 14’s 4060 is limited to 65W.
I’ll let the numbers do the talking, though, because of course I gamed on the OMEN Transcend 14. I’ll post the results from several games below, then talk briefly on how it compares to similar tests done on ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14.
InForza Horizon 5, a famously well optimized game that can run on a huge variety of hardware, dropped16 frames-per-secondon average versus the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 running thesamesettings at ahigher(1800p) resolution. That’s a huge discrepancy that was immediately noticeable, and no matter what I changed or how many times I repeated the test, the results were the same — the OMEN Transcend 14 fell short.
InGears 5, the OMEN Transcend 14 kept up better with the same settings and the same average frame rate, but performance overall was unstable and inconsistent in comparison. InCyberpunk 2077, I set the options the same on both systems, but had to lower the resolution on the OMEN Transcend 14 (1600p versus 1800p) just to get a lower average frame rate (40 FPS versus 41 FPS) with more instability and stuttering. At 1800p, the OMEN Transcend 14 struggled even to hit 30 FPS.
Finally, Counter-Strike 2 ran well on the OMEN Transcend 14 overall, but the frame rate swung wildly back and forth between ~75-80 and ~100-115 FPS at 1600p, while the Zephyrus G14 pretty consistently stayed above 100 FPS at 1800p. From game to game, preset to preset, the HP OMEN Transcend 14 kept to its pattern of lower frame rates and stability when gaming.
OMEN Transcend 14: Battery experience
Battery highlights
One area where I had high hopes for the HP OMEN Transcend 14 is battery life. A lower wattage TDP with 140W USB Type-C fast charging and marketing clearly aimed at students and creatives, I thought the OMEN Transcend 14 would at least impress with its endurance. Unfortunately, it onlyoccasionallydoes that. At least you don’t need to lug around a proprietary charger if you want to get some gaming done.
In PCMark 10’s battery test, the HP OMEN Transcend 14 clocked out after 4 hours and 41 minutes, which is far from the worst I’ve seen but isn’t as good as I expected. I also ran aWindows Battery Report, and it returned what I had observed myself. Sometimes, the OMEN Transcend 14 can last 5-6 solid hours on a charge — but that’s often when its off-charger performance suffers the most.
Other times, I struggled to see a few hours of usage. Average it out, and at first glance the OMEN Transcend 14 seems to have similar endurance to the Zephyrus G14, but again my biggest issue here is consistency. I could always rely on the Zephyrus G14 to last at least 3 and a half hours of real, screen-on usage, while the OMEN Transcend 14 might give that or it might die in half the time… Or it may last an hour or two longer, if I could deal with the stuttering.
In this case, I believe the issue lies with HP’s optimization, given the general instability. As a disclaimer, all of my testing was done with the latest firmware and drivers, including a BIOS update that enabled a new option to improve battery life (and it did, a bit).
OMEN Transcend 14: Keyboard and touchpad
Keyboard highlights
The keyboard may be the first thing you notice on the HP OMEN Transcend 14, but both its design and RGB lighting are just fine; some people will like it, some will hate it, but overall it’s fine. Having to pay extra for per-key RGB lighting is odd, though.
However, the keyboard itself is great! It doesn’t quite hit the heights of HP’s brilliant Spectre x360 14 keyboard, but I place it somewhere between theRazer Blade 16 (2024)and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) keyboards — more responsive and tactile than the former, but less comfortable and practical than the latter. It would’ve been nice to get some extra macro keys and the layout’s a bit strange in places, but those are minor issues.
As for the touchpad, it’s as good as we’ve come to expect from Windows laptops. Glass surface, spacious, and usingMicrosoft Precision drivers. It’s reliable and responsive, but I do prefer the silky texture of the ROG Zephyrus G14’s touchpad a little more. Plus, there’s sadly nohaptic touchpadhere, but those are still uncommon among laptops.
OMEN Transcend 14: Everything else
Other features highlights
• Camera & mic:FHD (1080p) front-facing webcam (IR sensor, Windows Hello facial recognition biometric authentication), dual-array digital microphones• Audio:Dual-speaker HyperX speakers w/ DTS:X Ultra• Wireless:Wi-Fi 6E 2x2, Bluetooth 5.3 / Wi-Fi 7 2x2, Bluetooth 5.4• Other features:HP OMEN Gaming Hub, RGB lighting zones, integrated HyperX wireless receiver
Running through everything else, let’s start with software. Unfortunately, the HP OMEN Transcend 14 suffers where other HP laptops do — itsWindows 11is filled with bloatware. 21 preinstalled apps and programs, several being buried hyperlinks and many others being a fragmented assortment of HP apps that definitely do not all need to be separate. The OMEN Gaming Hub also almost feels more like an advertisement than a proper game launcher.
Moving on, the OMEN Transcend 14 has an average webcam and mic array, but you do getWindows Hellofacial recognition that isn’t the most reliable compared to other recent laptops, but does work. There’s solid wireless support with options for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, but Wi-Fi performance was simply not as good as other laptops I’ve used, including the ROG Zephyrus G14; stability is fine, but speeds are below average.
The audio is experience is also a mixed bag. The dual speakers are tuned by HyperX and sound fine for casual listening, but lack bass and separation, and quickly lose detail as you go up in volume. High volumes are far lower than the average for a good laptop, too, on top of sounding tinny. These speakers are mediocre, but at least you get the interesting added feature of an integratedHyperXwireless receiver. That means you can connect wireless HyperX headsets without the need for a dongle; setup is easy, but the connection quality isn’t great, with frequent stutters and interference.
OMEN Transcend 14: Competition
It probably won’t surprise you to hear at this point, but if the HP OMEN Transcend 14 andASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)are around the same price, buy the Zephyrus G14. In fact, you can pick up the configuration I reviewed (and compared the OMEN Transcend 14 to) for$1,599.99 at Best Buy.
If the OMEN Transcend 14 is on sale, it can be an excellent option, however. Elsewhere, you can also consider the more premiumRazer Blade 14 (2024), or theDell XPS 14 (9440)if you’d rather trade graphical power for a more premium, compact design. Check out our list of thebest gaming laptopsfor some other recommendations.
OMEN Transcend 14: Score card
OMEN Transcend 14: Final thoughts
You should buy this if …
✅You want a premium Windows laptop that can also game
Marketed as a gaming laptop, in reality the HP OMEN Transcend 14 is closer to a premium Windows Ultrabook that canalsogame, not a device with gaming as its primary focus. For many that value premium, compact design, though, that’s not a bad thing.
✅You can find it on sale
At full retail price, it’s difficult to recommend the HP OMEN Transcend 14 over its biggest competitor. If you can find it on sale for at least $2-300 less, though, it’s far easier to recommend as a fantastic overall Windows laptop with solid gaming capabilities.
You should not buy this if …
❌You can buy the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) for the same or similar price
I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but the main focal point of my time with the OMEN Transcend 14 is just how hard it wasnotto compare it to the Zephyrus G14, which is smaller in every dimension, lighter, more performant in day-to-day tasks, more powerful with gaming, and more refined in every sense from the display and design to the keyboard and speakers. For the same (or even lower) price, why wouldn’t you choose the Zephyrus G14?
•ThinkPad X1 Carbon•Lenovo LOQ 15•240W charging hub•Razer Rogue backpack
When Ireviewed the Acer Swift X 14 (SFX14-71G), I found myself constantly comparing it to theASUS Zenbook 14X OLED (UX3404) I reviewedbefore it, which managed to be better than the Acer in almost every single category while being around the same price. With the HP OMEN Transcend 14 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024), history is repeating itself — it’s so hard to recommend HP’s laptop for$1,699.99 at Best Buywhen the equivalent Zephyrus G14 exists for$1,599.99 at Best Buy.
I want to be clear on two points, though. 1) The HP OMEN Transcend 14 isnota bad laptop. It has genuine flaws, but if I handed this laptop to random people on the street, 9/10 would absolutely love it. 2) Never buy a product for what it could be rather than what it is — That being said, the OMEN Transcend 14 does have the potential to improve its performance, battery life, and wireless performance with future firmware and driver updates.
If you’re looking for a slim, compact 14-inch gaming laptop for $1,500-2,000, get the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14. However, if the HP OMEN Transcend 14 is on sale for $2-300 less than ASUS' alternative, then it’s a lot easier to forgive its weaknesses and recognize its very real greatness. I wanted to love the OMEN Transcend 14, and Istilldo, but given the choice, I’d never choose it over its biggest competitor.
I was so excited to test the HP OMEN Transcend 14, and I can absolutely see the hints of greatness here. However, after extensive testing, it’s just not priced well to go up against the ROG Zephyrus G14. With updates and a price cut, though, this could be an absolutely wonderful laptop for many people.
Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter@BoddyZachary.
