HP Omen Transcend 14 Review: Creator-Friendly Gaming Laptop

The HP Omen Transcend 14 stands out in the crowded arena of thin-and-light 14-inch gaming laptops, striking a balance between portability, performance, and design. HP's attempt to pack full-fledged gaming capabilities into a svelte 1.6kg chassis is commendable. Still, it's important to note that while HP markets this as a gaming laptop, it's more accurately described as a creator-focused laptop that can handle some gaming. Let's delve into the specifics to see how well it performs in different scenarios.

The HP Omen Transcend 14-fb0007TX is priced at ₹1,74,999 and is available across HP's India website, Amazon, Flipkart and major online and offline retailers.

Design and Build Quality

The HP Omen Transcend 14 immediately impresses with its sleek and modern design. The laptop measures 17.9 mm thick. At 1.6kg, it is not the lightest in its category, but it is still remarkably portable for a laptop with dedicated graphics. The aluminium lid, frame and base gives it a premium feel and it is available in 'Ceramic White' and 'Shadow Black'. The smooth matte black finish on my unit might seem practical, but it was prone to dirt and smudges. 

One unique design element is the distinct translucent RGB key borders, which create a captivating light show in dim rooms. This is thanks to HP’s acquisition of Kingston’s HyperX gaming brand and product lineup.

The laptop generally feels solid, with a sturdy keyboard deck that shows minimal flex while typing intensely. However, the lid, while thin, exhibits some flex when pressure is applied – not alarming, but noticeable. The hinge mechanism is smooth, and holds the screen firmly at any angle. The lid can easily be opened with one hand. It is a subtle yet significant convenience feature.

Full disclosure: When HP first sent me an Omen Transcend 14 unit for review, I found that the display panel would slightly separate from the lid until opened to 90 degrees. HP attributed this to weak adhesive between the lid and screen and said this was an isolated incident. However, a second replacement unit also exhibited the same problem. The units Acko Drive received were not factory sealed and had been previously used for demonstration purposes. I have asked HP for further clarification and will update this review when the company responds.

Display and Viewing Experience

The 14-inch OLED display is, without doubt, the star of the show. With a 2.8K (2880x1800) resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, it's a visual treat. The OLED panel offers deep blacks and colours pop with vivid intensity, enhancing the overall visual experience. The high refresh rate ensures smooth and fluid visuals, which is crucial for gaming, though you'll need to balance graphics settings to hit high enough frame rates in most games.

HP says it has used Corning Gorilla Glass to reinforce this panel. The OLED panel offers uniform luminosity and colour accuracy with 400 nits of SDR brightness and a wide colour gamut coverage (100% DCI-P3, 150% sRGB), as per HP. This makes it an excellent choice for content creators who need accurate colour representation when editing photos and videos. 

The glossy finish enhances image quality but can be reflective in bright environments. When working near windows or overhead lights, I found myself adjusting the screen angle, to mitigate glare. Otherwise, this is a really good screen for watching HDR content on.

Keyboard, Trackpad and Webcam

The keyboard on the HP Omen Transcend 14 features a dual-tone design. The keys have a satisfying 1.5mm of travel, providing a tactile typing experience that's rare in slim laptops. During long writing sessions, my fingers glided across the keys with minimal fatigue.

RGB lighting effects are customisable through the Omen Hub software. I particularly enjoyed setting up different colour schemes for work and gaming modes.

You get a large trackpad which is smooth and responsive, flawlessly supporting all Windows multi-touch gestures. However, the click mechanism feels a bit shallow. Meanwhile, the webcam is decent for basic video calls and meetings, with noise reduction and voice enhancement features.

I/O Ports and Connectivity

The port selection on the Omen Transcend 14 is versatile for a thin laptop. The extensive connectivity options make it suitable for creative work that involves using various peripherals and external displays, eliminating the need for dongles in most situations. However, you will still need an external SD card reader.

Performance and Benchmarks

The HP Omen Transcend 14 is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU (8GB). This combination delivers robust performance across gaming and everyday tasks. There’s 16GB of RAM, and thanks to the 1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD, booting is impressively quick. 

For everyday tasks, the HP Omen Transcend 14 is a powerhouse. The Intel Core Ultra 7 processor easily handles multitasking, applications launch almost instantly, and file transfers are blazing fast. In my typical workday, running multiple Chrome tabs, WhatsApp, YouTube Music, and occasionally Photoshop simultaneously, the laptop never stuttered or lagged.

I was able to edit 4K footage in Adobe Premiere Pro without any issues. Exporting a 10-minute 4K project to 1080p H.264 took about 12 minutes, which is respectable for a laptop of this size, but slower than larger mainstream options.

The laptop handled large RAW photos without issues in Photoshop and Lightroom, and the vibrant display made colour-critical work a pleasure.

To quantify performance more clearly, here are some benchmark results:

These numbers indicate that the HP Omen Transcend 14 performs admirably in GPU and CPU-intensive tasks, comparable to more power-hungry gaming laptops. The Omen Hub software is a highlight, offering intuitive controls for performance modes, fan profiles, and RGB lighting.

Gaming Performance

While HP markets the Omen Transcend 14 as a gaming laptop, its performance in this area is mixed. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU is capable, but its 65W power limit constrains its potential.

These results show that the Transcend 14 can handle modern games at reasonable settings. However, you might not be able to run all current-day and future games at high settings, and you’ll have to use DLSS upscaling to achieve smooth frame rates at the native 2.8K resolution.

Thermal Management

Given the Omen Transcend 14's thin profile, it manages heat well. The CPU can reach 90 degrees Celsius, while the GPU stays cooler at around 75 degrees. The laptop's cooling system effectively dissipates heat, keeping it comfortable to use. In day-to-day use, the fan noise is not very noticeable. Under load, it becomes audible but not annoyingly so.

Battery Life

Battery life varies significantly based on usage. In my experience, the battery lasted around 3 to 3.5 hours in Performance mode, typical for a gaming laptop. Switching to Balanced settings with integrated graphics can extend battery life to approximately 8 hours. 

In my typical workday usage (Web browsing, document editing, occasional photo editing), I consistently got between 6-7 hours of use. Gaming drains the battery quickly, and it only lasted 1.5 to 2 hours when not plugged in, depending on the game and settings.

Verdict

After using it extensively, I found the HP Omen Transcend 14 a compelling option for users seeking a balance of portability, performance, and premium features. Its stunning OLED display, sleek design, and impressive battery life make it a versatile machine for both work and play.

While it might not satisfy hardcore gamers or professional video editors who need desktop-class performance, the HP Omen Transcend 14 excels as a jack-of-all-trades laptop with a bit of extra power. It can seamlessly transition from a boardroom presentation to a coffee shop writing session to an evening of casual gaming.