The trend for gaming laptops is now starting to shift to 16-inch screens. Fast refresh rate and fast performance also remain excellent features. One of them is OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx . Is this gaming laptop able to compete in the gaming laptop class under 30 million whose competition is getting tougher? Check out his review as follows.
OMEN Design by HP 16-b0172tx
OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx looks minimalist with an all black body color. The design is still similar to the previous HP OMEN 15. The new identity of the OMEN logo in the form of a diamond with a purplish green-blue gradient can still be seen on the body cover.
Although carrying a 16-inch screen panel, the overall dimensions are equivalent to a 15-inch laptop in general. Its weight which is around 2.3 kg is still relatively light and is quite ideal for mobility. Thanks to its minimalist design, this laptop won’t steal the show when you’re working or playing games at the coffee shop.
The connectivity is very complete. The connectivity ports it carries consist of one USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port, one SuperSpeed USB Type-A port, one HDMI 2.1 port, one mini DisplayPort, one RJ-45 port, SD memory card slot and one combo audio jack port on the left side. . On the right side there are only two SuperSpeed USB Type-A ports. These two ports will also not interfere with gaming sessions with the mouse.
Screen OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx
The screen sector is one of the advantages of OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx. The screen is very pleasing to the eye. The resolution of the 16.1-inch IPS screen panel that it brings is QHD 2560 x 1440 pixels. The response time is 3 milliseconds with a refresh rate of 165 Hz. Very convenient to use for playing fast action games such as FPS games. The screen is also adequate for content creation needs thanks to the support for 100% sRGB color coverage.
Playing games for long periods of time also doesn’t tire the eyes. This is because the screen has been coated with an anti-glare or anti-reflective coating and is equipped with a Low Blue Light filter. At the top of the screen panel can be found the HP Wide Vision camera with 720p resolution. Reliable enough for video conferencing needs. One feature that is absent this camera is not yet equipped with a cover feature to protect privacy.
Keyboard OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx
The HP OMEN 16-b0172tx comes with a chiclet-style keyboard typical of OMEN gaming laptops. On the right side there is a numpad button. The shortcut keys to access the OMEN Gaming Hub are also still available.
The size of each button is quite large. The distance between the buttons is also not too close. Thanks to the Rollover Anti-Ghosting Keyb feature, the keyboard feels very responsive. This makes it comfortable to use from typing to playing games. Like other gaming laptops, the keyboard is also equipped with 4-Zone RGB backlit lights whose output can be adjusted according to gamers’ tastes.
The trackpad at the bottom of the keyboard is quite large. Left and right clicks on the trackpad feel comfortable and not noisy. The response with the touch of a finger is very good. This trackpad also supports multi-touch gestures.
Audio OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx
OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx still carries a speaker design that is placed right above the keyboard. The dual speakers from Bang & Olufsen are supported by the DTS:X Ultra and HP Audio Boost features. When we tried the sound quality of the speakers, it was clear and powerful. Very adequate for gaming to enjoying multimedia content.
OMEN performance by HP 16-b0172tx
As a high-end gaming laptop, the OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx is powered by an 11th Generation Intel Core processor, Intel Core i7-11800H. The processor is supported by 16GB RAM with a 2 x 8GB configuration. For storage space, there is an M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD with a capacity of 1TB. So, you don’t have to worry about the storage space running out quickly. If you’re not a gamer, it’s also still possible to upgrade RAM to max 64GB or increase storage space thanks to the one empty SSD slot available. For the graphics sector, it is entrusted to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 6GB graphics card. Here are the results of the OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx benchmark:
With these specifications, OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx is able to deliver very powerful performance for various needs from productivity, content creation to gaming. The gaming performance is very fast. Qualified for graphics-hungry AAA games. Some of the game titles that we tried, such as Metro Exodus Enhance Edition and God Of War.
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition at 2K resolution, extreme graphics settings, Ultra Ray tracing, DLSS Quality options are quite comfortable to play at around 30fps. In our opinion, it will be more comfortable to play when the resolution is lowered to Full HD with an average of around 40-50 fps. Meanwhile, in the God Of War game the average is around 60-70 fps to play at 2K resolution, ultra graphics settings and DLSS quality options. Both of these tests were performed with the performance settings in Performance mode. For content creation needs, OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx is also very reliable. High resolution photo and video editing up to 4K resolution can be done without problems.
Like other modern gaming laptops, the OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx features performance settings that can be accessed via the OMEN Gaming Hub. At OMEN Gaming HUB gamers can access system information, Network Booster, RGB keyboard settings, to performance settings. In fact, there is an undervolting option that is useful for lowering the voltage of the CPU core to make it more power efficient and not hot. For performance mode, only Balanced and Performance modes are available. In addition, there is also a Thermal Control option with MAX, auto and Manual options.
In the MAX option the sound of the cooling fan will sound very noisy. However, it is effective at keeping the laptop temperature stable and not overheating. Surface temperature in the keyboard area can also be maintained very well. For long gaming sessions, the keyboard area, especially the WSAD keys and palm rest, only feels a little warm. For productivity use, the Thermal Control Auto options and balance mode are more ideal because the cooling fan performance is almost silent.
OMEN battery by HP 16-b0172tx
For battery life, the HP OMEN 16-b0172tx is average. From our tests for productivity use connected to WiFi the battery lasts up to about 7 hours. Tests were carried out using Balanced performance mode, Thermal Control auto mode, screen brightness level of 50%, activating Windows power saver mode and turning off Bluetooth and location features.
Conclusion OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx
The presence of OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx in the 16-inch gaming laptop segment is clearly a must for gamers to look at. Admittedly, the HP OMEN 16-b0172tx is very tempting in its class. Such as a fast 2K 165Hz display panel, fast graphics performance with RTX 3060, large SSD storage space and is sold directly with Windows 11. The specifications are very adequate for various needs from gaming to content creation. Until this review, we wrote that the price of the HP OMEN 16-b0172tx was in the range of 24,499,000 Rupiah. Making it the cheapest 16-inch gaming laptop with 2K 165HZ display, RTX 3060 and 1TB SSD on the market today.
Advantages of OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx
– Beautiful screen
– Comfortable keyboard
– Fast performance
– RAM and SSD can be upgraded
– Undervolting mode available
– Powerful audio
– Full connectivity port – Cheapest
price in its class
– Already Windows 11
Lack of OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx
– Cooling fan is a bit noisy in maximum mode
– Performance Mode can only be accessed via Omen Gaming Hub
– Average battery life
– Webcam is not equipped with features to protect privacy
OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx is suitable for:
Hardcore gamers: Powerful performance supported by a powerful cooling system. Comfortable to use for long gaming sessions in right-aligned graphics settings.
E-Sports Athletes : With a very fast 165Hz display panel, the OMEN by HP 16-b0172tx can be an option for e-sports athletes who play competitive-class fps games.
Creator content : 2K display panel resolution and 100% sRGB support makes for a very sharp display. The colors are accurate too. Suitable for content creation.
Workers who still like to play games: Its minimalistic and unobtrusive design can be brought by workers for meetings or playing games in public places.
