[In-depth Comparison] HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000) vs HP Omen 15 (15-dh1000) – a comparison between gaming’s finest

HP Omen is one of the more famous gaming lineups. HP has been constantly updating the lineup by not only adding a new yearly version to their laptop family but also updating the older models like the HP Omen 15 (15-dh1000) with more CPU and GPU options.

The HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000) has been one of the most interesting additions to the Omen family because it drastically changed the design of the laptop and made the series look a lot less “gaming”. Furthermore, not only did it made the laptop feel less gaming but it also made the cooling better.

In the next few lines, we are going to see if the new HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000) has any substantial differences over the HP Omen 15 (15-dh1000) and how exactly does it stack against its older version.

You can read our detailed reviews here: HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000) / HP Omen 15 (15-dh1000)

HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000):

HP Omen 15 (15-dh1000):

Contents

Design and construction

In terms of design, we instantly see the differences between the HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000) and Omen 15 (15-dh1000). Firstly, the 2020 version gives a completely new feeling to the laptop by making it a lot less gaming in terms of design and giving a more notebook-like feeling. Not only that, but the 2020 version also loses the sharp edges which were present on the 2019 version and makes the laptop a lot sleeker.

HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000)

The HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000) is an average-sized notebook and has a 15-inch display. It weighs approximately 2.45 kg and it has a profile of 22.6mm. The body of the laptop is a combination of plastic and aluminum. The bezels of the display are thin with the top one having the camera. The first difference that most people notice compared to the older model is the difference in the hinges. Whereas the older model featured very explicit hinges that very prominent and looked like they connect the whole body, now the hinges are part of the whole body and this makes the newer model look a lot more like an actual notebook and less like a gaming laptop.

The second difference that is very apparent is the new keyboard and overall redesign of the inside of the laptop. The new keyboard featured here lacks the Numpad presented on all previous models. Furthermore, the new keyboard arguably looks better than the older one and is part of the newer less gaming redesign. Another difference that is noticeable is the placement of the arrow keys and the new position of the power button. All in all, the new HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000) looks a lot less aggressive in terms of design.

HP Omen 15 (15-dh1000)

In comparison to the 2020 version, the older version of the Omen series is almost entirely made of aluminum. HP Omen 15 (15-dh1000) weighs 2.23 kg and has a profile of 19.8 mm. The 2019 version of the HP Omen 15 looks a lot more like a proper gaming laptop than its 2020 counterpart. The overall design of the device is much more aggressive-looking than the newer version. Firstly, the hinges that connect to the body are much more prominent and they make the whole connection between the body and the screen much more outstanding. Secondly, the overall design is a lot rougher and gives it a proper gaming outlook.

When opened the laptop shows a keyboard featuring a Numpad and full RGB lighting. The keyboard takes a big chunk of the space and can be programmed to light up in different colors.

Ports

Both laptops feature the same type of ports: 1 USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 2), 3 USB Type-A, HDMI 2.0, Displayport mini, card reader, and 3.5mm combo.

HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000):

HP Omen 15 (15-dh1000):

Inside

The HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000) offers a nice cooling solution by utilizing two heat pipes shared between the CPU and the GPU. There are two RAM SODIMM slots and two M.2 NVME slots. Overall, the laptop offers great cooling. (2020 version on the picture)

The HP Omen 15 (15-dh1000) offers 1 less M.2 NVME slot but in exchange for a hard drive slot. The 2019 version also has two slots for RAM.

Display

The two versions of Omen have multiple options when it comes to the panels. Both versions of this laptop have panels with a refresh rate that starts from 144Hz and goes all the way up to 300Hz. This will be a huge selling point for the more competitive gamers who strive for more refresh rates rather than bigger resolution. It is worth mentioning, however, that the 2020 version has slimmer bezels than the 2019 version.

What is more, the newer version also brings an updated UHD version with a 120Hz refresh rate. Even though the older version also has a 4K option, the older one was capped at 60Hz which is not suitable for most competitive gamers.

The HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000) is a change for those gamers that want to not only have the advantage of playing at 120Hz but also want to have a crispy and nice-looking game. In conclusion, the newer version not only has considerably more options for the screen but also offers more possibilities for those that might want a better-looking gaming experience.

Display quality

Both displays that we tested were Full HD IPS panels. Both displays have a screen ratio of 16:9 and both displays have a pixel density of 142 ppi. The HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000) display covers 91% of the sRGB/ITU-R BT.709 (web/HDTV standard) in CIE1976 while the HP Omen 15 (15-dh1000) covers 95%.

Response Time

In terms of response time, the 2019 version is doing better than its newer counterpart.

Specs comparison

Battery

One of the most striking differences between the two versions is the battery size. For the HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000) we have the 70.9Wh, 6-cell battery. HP Omen 15 (15-dh1000) however, has a 69Wh, 6-cell battery. This makes for a pretty large difference in terms of usage. When compared, the 2020 version has over 7 hours and 40 minutes of web browsing while the 2019 version only has 3 hours and 50 minutes. This is a pretty hefty difference if you’re considering picking up the 2019 model.

Hardware and Gaming Tests

We have tested both versions with Intel’s Core i7-10750H. Both Laptops have a wide variety of CPU options with the 2019 version having more options to choose from including Intel Core i9-9980HK, Intel Core i9-9880H, Intel Core i9-10885H, Intel Core i7-9750H, and Intel Core i7-8750H. The laptops also have a variety of GPU options, again with the older version having more options than the newer one. In our tests, the 2020 version has NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti whereas the 2019 version has the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER Max-Q.

CPU Benchmarks

GPU Benchmarks

Gaming

In our gaming tests, we can see the Omen 15 (15-dh1000) performing better than the newer counterpart. This is due to the fact that in our tests the 2019 version has the RTX 2070 versus the 1660 Ti. In Rise of The Tomb Raider, the 2019 version is 30% faster on average than the 2020 version. Similarly, the laptop also performs better in Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

 

Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016)	Full HD, Medium (Check settings)	Full HD, Very High (Check settings)	Full HD, MAX (Check settings)
HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000) – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti	125 FPS	63 FPS	41 FPS
HP Omen 15 (15-dh1000) – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q	139 FPS (+11%)	86 FPS (+37%)	58 FPS (+41%)

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands	Full HD, High (Check settings)	Full HD, Very High (Check settings)	Full HD, Ultra (Check settings)
HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000) – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti	76 FPS	67 FPS	44 FPS
HP Omen 15 (15-dh1000) – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q	104 FPS (+37%)	90 FPS (+34%)	59 FPS (+34%)

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018)	Full HD, Medium (Check settings)	Full HD, High (Check settings)	Full HD, Highest (Check settings)
HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000) – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti	85 FPS	80 FPS	50 FPS
HP Omen 15 (15-dh1000) – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q	106 FPS (+25%)	103 FPS (+29%)	68 FPS (+36%)

Temperature

In this test we use 100% on the CPU cores, monitoring their frequencies and chip temperature. The first column shows a computer’s reaction to a short load (2-10 seconds), the second column simulates a serious task (between 15 and 30 seconds), and the third column is a good indicator of how good the laptop is for long loads such as video rendering.
Average core frequency (base frequency + X); CPU temp.

Intel Core i7-10750H (45W TDP)	0:02 – 0:10 sec	0:15 – 0:30 sec	10:00 – 15:00 min
HP Omen 15 2020 (15-ek0000)	3.55 GHz (B+37%) @ 71°C	2.88 GHz (B+11%) @ 62°C	2.81 GHz (B+8%) @ 70°C
HP Omen 15 2019 (15-dh1000)	4.03 GHz (B+55%) @ 96°C	3.87 GHz (B+45%) @ 97°C	3.65 GHz (B+40%) @ 96°C

In terms of temperature management, both laptops are performing very well. Here, the newer version of the HP Omen 15 is performing slightly better than the older one but we can see that in terms of temperature both versions are doing perfectly.

Gaming Comfort

The hottest spot on the keyboard of the HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000) reached 48°C. This is a very good performance for a gaming laptop. The older version is also in the same range with the hottest spot hitting 50°C. Again, when it comes to temperatures both of these gaming machines are performing cool.

Verdict

In conclusion, the two laptops perform very similarly. Since both models have similar options for CPU and GPU, the decision depends on the consumer’s preferences rather than on anything else. In terms of design if you prefer the classic aggressive design of gaming notebooks and use NumPad you should go with the 2019 version. If your preference is the more sleek design of a notebook and you do not need the extra space on the keyboard than the newer version is for you.

Furthermore, if you want to have a 4K display with a 120Hz refresh rate you should again go with the 2020 version because that is not available in 2019 one. Also, a deciding factor for you could be that the 2020 version has better cooling than the 2019 version. All in all, both versions of Omen 15 perform great and you can’t go wrong with either of them if you want a stable gaming notebook that performs well in all scenarios.

HP Omen 15 (15-ek0000):

HP Omen 15 (15-dh1000):