HP vies for ‘best 14-inch gaming laptop’ title with an OLED display and Intel Core Ultra
HP takes the foundation of the premium Spectre x360 and builds a compact 14-inch gaming laptop on top.
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What you need to know
The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is for all the tech under the sun, but there’s definitely a lot of PC gaming hardware and accessories shown during the multi-day event. One of the most exciting announcements for me personally comes fromHP, with a brand-new addition to its OMEN lineup. More specifically, this is a newHP OMENTranscend laptop, marking another attempt by HP to break into the premium PC gaming sector.
Shown off atCES, the HP OMEN Transcend 14 is a compact, powerful 14-inch gaming laptop withIntel Core Ultrainside, an OLED display, discreteNVIDIAgraphics, and a svelte and attractive design that comes in two colors. It’s an exciting addition to a rapidly expanding market for small gaming laptops, and you can already go and preorder it at HP and Best Buy.
Another 14-inch gaming laptop to drool over
At its core, the HP OMEN Transcend 14 actually appears quite similar to thejust-announced HP Spectre x360 14, the company’s ultra-premium 2-in-1 laptop. You get the same 14-inch OLED display, for one, which pairs a variable 48-120Hz refresh rate with vibrant and accurate colors, boundless contrast levels, a rapid response time, and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 and IMAX Enhanced certification. You also get up to 32GB and 2TB of the fastest RAM and SSD storage, just like the Spectre x360.
On top of that, the OMEN Transcend 14 actually boasts Intel Core Ultra CPUs rather than the more traditionalIntel 14th Genchipsets that most new gaming laptops are opting to stick with. That means greater efficiency to help the OMEN Transcend 14 last all day, as well as a dedicated NPU for AI-specific features and capabilities. Where the Spectre x360 taps out at the Core Ultra 7, however, the OMEN Transcend 14 can be equipped with the beastly 16-core Intel Core Ultra 9-185H for a big boost in power. Intel Core Ultra also grants this laptop upgraded wireless connectivity, with support forWi-Fi 7and Bluetooth 5.4.
For graphical duties, the OMEN Transcend 14 starts with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 for creative work and light gaming, but can be fitted with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 with 8GB of VRAM. There’s a respectable number of ports, includingThunderbolt 4, as well as a dual-speaker system tuned by none other thanHyperX. Despite all these gaming chops, the OMEN Transcend 14 is still pretty thin (18mm) and light (3.6lbs), and the design is both understated when closed and frankly (in my opinion) wonderful to look at.
You can pick up the HP OMEN Transcend 14 in black or white, but either way you’ll get an RGB-lit keyboard. You may believe you’ll have to wait to get your hands on a brand-new gaming laptop powered by the latest and greatest Intel Core Ultra CPUs, but the HP OMEN Transcend 14 is actually available to preorder starting today from HP and Best Buy, and will start at $1,499.99.
HP OMEN Transcend 14 —Preorder at Best Buy (Core Ultra 7)|Best Buy (Core Ultra 9)|HP (Core Ultra 9)
The brand-new OMEN Transcend 14 isn’t just one of the most interesting and desirable gaming laptops announced at CES so far, it’s also one of the first available with new Intel Core Ultra CPUs inside… Because you can go and preorder it now.
Yes, the OMEN Transcend 16 got an update, too
If you were interested in a larger gaming laptop, then fret not — The HP OMEN Transcend 16 was also updated, but this is definitely a more traditional refresh rather than a redesign or brand-new product. The Transcend 16 now comes with Intel 14th Gen inside, and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070. There’s also an option for a new 16-inch, 1600p, 240Hz OLED display with a variable refresh rate.
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The updated HP OMEN Transcend 16 should be available from Jan. 10, 2024 with a starting price of $1,899.99.
Using Spectre x360 DNA to build a better gaming laptop
•Best Xbox headsets•Best Windows laptops•Best Xbox storage•Best gaming laptops
The HP Spectre x360 14 is one of the best Windows laptops you can buy, so it makes a lot of sense to take from that winning formula. The OMEN Transcend 14 uses the same brilliant OLED display and the same Intel Core Ultra platform for superior efficiency and AI capabilities. It trades a little portability and that 360-degrees hinge for a whole lot more graphical power, and squeezes it all into a design that’s clearly built for gaming… But doesn’t necessarily scream “gaming laptop,” similar to theultra-premium 32-inch, 4K, OLED OMEN Transcend 32 monitor HP announced today.
The HP OMEN Transcend 14 may have what it takes to be one of thebest gaming laptopsfor those wanting a more portable, multipurpose gaming machine they can also use for work or school, but there are some unanswered questions. How long the OMEN Transcend 14 lasts on a charge and how good it does at staying cool will be the biggest deciders, and learning the truth will require going hands-on with the laptop. If it delivers, though, this may be one of the most fun ways to play all thebest PC gameson the go.
HP OMEN Transcend 14 —Preorder at Best Buy (Core Ultra 7)|Best Buy (Core Ultra 9)|HP (Core Ultra 9)
The brand-new OMEN Transcend 14 isn’t just one of the most interesting and desirable gaming laptops announced at CES so far, it’s also one of the first available with new Intel Core Ultra CPUs inside… Because you can go and preorder it now.
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.
