It might seem weird to you that we are releasing our review on the 2019 version of the Omen 15 after that of the 2020 version. Actually, we got some information from HP that the Omen 15 (15-dh1000) and the Omen 15 (15-ek0000) was meant to be released together. This means that there are two design choices for you that come with relatively similar hardware.
Essentially, this means decision making is harder than ever when going for an HP gaming notebook. Here, we see a lot sleeker outfit, compared to the aggressive and gamy 2018 Omen. Honestly, we do really like that, but our analysis, later on, will show you the pros and the cons of this setup.
Before we start, we just want to mention that this notebook can be maxed out with the Core i9-10885H and the GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, thus making it an extremely potent machine.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/hp-omen-15-15-dh0000-dh1000/
Contents
Specs Sheet
HP OMEN 15 (15-dh0000, dh1000) - Specs
All HP OMEN 15 (15-dh0000, dh1000) configurations
What’s in the box?
Inside the package, you will find a 200W power brick, as well as some paperwork and the laptop, itself.
Design and construction
One of the first pleasant surprises here is that almost the entire notebook is made out of aluminum. This makes the laptop cool to the touch and gives a premium feel to its user. Also, it weighs 2.23 kg and has a profile of 19.8mm. It is exactly this that makes the laptop feel dense. Especially, when it comes to the base, which is almost impossible to twist.
Additionally, the lid opens with a single hand, but it is slightly more susceptible to bends than the base. What can be clearly seen, however, are the top and bottom bezels, both of which are larger than those of the 2018 Omen 15. Also, you can see that the hinges are now even closer to each other, making the entire assembly even less structurally sound (thankfully HP fixed that with their entirely new design for 2020).
Next in line, there is the base. Ultimately, the entire layout is almost identical to what we saw in 2018, but the actual experience when typing is even better. The keys are super clicky, while the key travel is definitely long for a scissor-switch. And if you are a fan of RGB, you can configure your own pattern via the HP Omen Center. By the way, there is only one thing we don’t like about it, and it is the Arrow keys layout. However, this is another thing that HP has tackled with its redesign.
And beneath the keyboard, there is the touchpad, which has dedicated keys and is very comfortable to use. In terms of bend resistance, there is almost no flex on the entire base.
Interestingly, the bottom panel seems very different from the 2018 machine, especially given the fact that the laptops are still super similar in shape. Now, the ventilation grill is a lot larger and the vents on the back are definitely enlarged. Also on the bottom panel, you will find the speaker grills, which house Bang and Olufsen units, that sound deep and loud.
Ports
On the left side, you can see the charging plug, as well as an RJ-45 connector, an HDMI connector, two USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) ports, one MiniDisplayPort, a USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 2) port, and an audio jack. Yep, compared to the single USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port and the SD card reader on the right, the left seems overcrowded. Also, in some regions, the USB Type-C port will have Thunderbolt 3 connectivity as well.
Display quality
HP Omen 15 2019 (15-dh1000)’ display features a Full HD IPS panel with a model number B156HAN08.2 (AUO82ED) manufactured by AUO. It’s 15.6 inches in diagonal (39.62 cm) with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. The screen ratio is 16:9 while the pixel density is 142 ppi and the pixel pitch is 0.18 х 0.18 mm. The display becomes Retina when viewed from a distance greater than 23.6 inches (60 cm) (from this distance the human eye can’t see the individual pixels).
The HP Omen 15 delivers comfortable viewing angles. We offer images at 45° to evaluate image quality.
The maximum brightness we measured is high – 335 nits (cd/m2) in the center of the screen and 315 nits (cd/m2) average across the whole surface with a maximum deviation of 7%. The Correlated Color Temperature on a white screen is 7430K average – slightly colder than the 6500K standard for sRGB. The average color temperature through the grey scale before profiling is 7200K. In the illustration below you can see how the display performs from a uniformity perspective. In other words the leakage of light from the light source.
The illustration below shows how matters are for operational brightness levels (approximately 140 nits) – in this particular case at 72% Brightness (White level = 140 cd/m2, Black level = 0.11 cd/m2).
Values of dE2000 over 4.0 should not occur, and this parameter is one of the first you should check if you intend to use the laptop for color-sensitive work (a maximum tolerance of 2.0 ). The contrast ratio is good – 1260:1 (1100:1 after profiling).
Color reproduction
To make sure we are on the same page, we would like to give you a little introduction to the sRGB color gamut and the Adobe RGB. To start, there’s the CIE 1976 Uniform Chromaticity Diagram that represents the visible specter of colors by the human eye, giving you a better perception of the color gamut coverage and the color accuracy.
Inside the black triangle, you will see the standard color gamut (sRGB) that is being used by millions of people in HDTV and on the web. As for the Adobe RGB, this is used in professional cameras, monitors, etc for printing. Basically, colors inside the black triangle are used by everyone and this is the essential part of the color quality and color accuracy of a mainstream notebook.
Still, we’ve included other color spaces like the famous DCI-P3 standard used by movie studios, as well as the digital UHD Rec.2020 standard. Rec.2020, however, is still a thing of the future and it’s difficult for today’s displays to cover that well. We’ve also included the so-called Michael Pointer gamut, or Pointer’s gamut, which represents the colors that naturally occur around us every day.
The yellow dotted line shows HP Omen 15 2019 (15-dh1000)’s color gamut coverage.
Its display covers 95% of the sRGB/ITU-R BT.709 (web/HDTV standard) in CIE1976.
Our “Design and Gaming” profile delivers optimal color temperature (6500K) at 140 cd/m2 luminance and sRGB gamma mode.
We tested the accuracy of the display with 24 commonly used colors like light and dark human skin, blue sky, green grass, orange, etc. You can check out the results at factory condition and also, with the “Design and Gaming” profile.
Below you can compare the scores of HP Omen 15 2019 (15-dh1000) with the default settings (left), and with the “Gaming and Web design” profile (right).
The next figure shows how well the display is able to reproduce really dark parts of an image, which is essential when watching movies or playing games in low ambient light.
The left side of the image represents the display with stock settings, while the right one is with the “Gaming and Web Design” profile activated. On the horizontal axis, you will find the grayscale, and on the vertical axis – the luminance of the display. On the two graphs below you can easily check for yourself how your display handles the darkest nuances but keep in mind that this also depends on the settings of your current display, the calibration, the viewing angle, and the surrounding light conditions.
Response time (Gaming capabilities)
We test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “black-to-white” and “white-to-black” method from 10% to 90% and vice versa.
We recorded Fall Time + Rise Time = 9 ms.
PWM (Screen flickering)
Pulse-width modulation (PWM) is an easy way to control monitor brightness. When you lower the brightness, the light intensity of the backlight is not lowered, but instead turned off and on by the electronics with a frequency indistinguishable to the human eye. In these light impulses, the light/no-light time ratio varies, while brightness remains unchanged, which is harmful to your eyes. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM.
HP Omen 15 2019 (15-dh1000)’s display is not modulated for all brightness levels which makes the notebook suitable for prolonged use without causing unwanted effects.
Blue light emissions
Installing of our Health-Guard profile not only eliminates PWM but also reduces the harmful Blue Light emissions while keeping the colors of the screen perceptually accurate. If you’re not familiar with the Blue light, the TL;DR version is – emissions that negatively affect your eyes, skin and your whole body. You can find more information about that in our dedicated article on Blue Light.
You can see the levels of emitted blue light on the spectral power distribution (SPD) graph.
Conclusion
HP Omen 15 2019 (15-dh1000)’s 144Hz IPS Full HD panel has a good contrast ratio, comfortable viewing angles and it doesn’t flicker at any brightness level. Additionally, it covers the sRGB color gamut almost fully, and its color accuracy is decent, especially when our Gaming and Web design profile is present. And most importantly from the gamer’s point of view – the pixel response time is super quick, perfectly matching the 144Hz refresh rate.
Buy our profiles
Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for HP Omen 15 2019 (15-dh1000) configurations with 15.6″ AUO B156HAN08.2 (AUO82ED) (FHD, 1920 × 1080) IPS.
*Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at [email protected]
Read more about the profiles HERE.
In addition to receiving efficient and health-friendly profiles, by buying LaptopMedia's products you also support the development of our labs, where we test devices in order to produce the most objective reviews possible.
Office Work
Office Work should be used mostly by users who spend most of the time looking at pieces of text, tables or just surfing. This profile aims to deliver better distinctness and clarity by keeping a flat gamma curve (2.20), native color temperature and perceptually accurate colors.
Design and Gaming
This profile is aimed at designers who work with colors professionally, and for games and movies as well. Design and Gaming takes display panels to their limits, making them as accurate as possible in the sRGB IEC61966-2-1 standard for Web and HDTV, at white point D65.
Health-Guard
Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate. Health-Guard simulates paper so the pressure on the eyes is greatly reduced.
Drivers
All of the drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/omen-15-dh1000-laptop-pc-series/32827277
Battery
Now, we conduct the battery tests with Windows Better performance setting turned on, screen brightness adjusted to 120 nits, and all other programs turned off except for the one we are testing the notebook with. HP Omen 15 2019 (15-dh1000)’s battery has a capacity of 69Wh (naughty HP). It was only able to last for three hours and a half of Web browsing and two hours and 40 minutes of video playback.
In order to simulate real-life conditions, we used our own script for automatic web browsing through over 70 websites.
For every test like this, we use the same video in HD.
We use F1 2017’s built-in benchmark on loop in order to simulate real-life gaming.
CPU options
Generally, the 2019 version of the HP Omen 15 comes with a wide variety of processors, comprising of the past three generations. However, our particular model number can be found with the Comet Lake-H CPUs – Intel Core i5-10300H, Core i7-10750H, and the Core i9-10885H.
Results are from the Cinebench 20 CPU test (the higher the score, the better)
Results are from the Fritz chess benchmark (the higher the score, the better)
Results are from our Photoshop benchmark test (the lower the score, the better)
HP OMEN 15 (15-dh0000, dh1000) CPU variants
Here you can see an approximate comparison between the CPUs that can be found in the HP OMEN 15 (15-dh0000, dh1000) models on the market. This way you can decide for yourself which HP OMEN 15 (15-dh0000, dh1000) model is the best bang for your buck.
Note: The chart shows the cheapest different CPU configurations so you should check what the other specifications of these laptops are by clicking on the laptop’s name / CPU.
Results are from the Cinebench 20 CPU test (the higher the score, the better)
Results are from the Fritz chess benchmark (the higher the score, the better)
Results are from our Photoshop benchmark test (the lower the score, the better)
GPU options
At the same time, the graphics options include the GTX 1650, GTX 1660 Ti, the RTX 2060, RTX 2070 Max-Q, RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, RTX 2080 Max-Q, and the RTX 2080 Super Max-Q – quite the pool, isn’t it?
Results are from the 3DMark: Fire Strike (Graphics) benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Results are from the Unigine Heaven 3.0 benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Results are from the Unigine Heaven 4.0 benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Results are from the Unigine Superposition benchmark (higher the score, the better)
HP OMEN 15 (15-dh0000, dh1000) GPU variants
Here you can see an approximate comparison between the GPUs that can be found in the HP OMEN 15 (15-dh0000, dh1000) models on the market. This way you can decide for yourself which HP OMEN 15 (15-dh0000, dh1000) model is the best bang for your buck.
Note: The chart shows the cheapest different GPU configurations so you should check what the other specifications of these laptops are by clicking on the laptop’s name / GPU.
Results are from the 3DMark: Fire Strike (Graphics) benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Results are from the Unigine Heaven 3.0 benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Results are from the Unigine Heaven 4.0 benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Results are from the Unigine Superposition benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Gaming tests
| Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) | Full HD, Medium (Check settings) | Full HD, Very High (Check settings) | Full HD, MAX (Check settings) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q | 139 fps | 86 fps | 58 fps |
| Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands | Full HD, High (Check settings) | Full HD, Very High (Check settings) | Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q | 104 fps | 90 fps | 59 fps |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) | Full HD, Medium (Check settings) | Full HD, High (Check settings) | Full HD, Highest (Check settings) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q | 106 fps | 103 fps | 68 fps |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | Full HD, Low (Check settings) | Full HD, Medium (Check settings) | Full HD, High (Check settings) | Full HD, MAX (Check settings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q | 119 fps | 74 fps | 44 fps | 23 fps |
Temperatures and comfort
Max CPU load
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 2019 (15-dh1000) | 4.03 GHz (B+55%) @ 96°C | 3.87 GHz (B+45%) @ 97°C | 3.65 GHz (B+40%) @ 96°C |
| MSI GF65 Thin 10Sx | 3.59 GHz (B+38%) @ 95°C | 3.48 GHz (B+34%) @ 95°C | 3.08 GHz (B+18%) @ 91°C |
| HP Pavilion Gaming 16 (16-a0000) | 3.74 GHz (B+44%) @ 97°C | 3.17 GHz (B+22%) @ 88°C | 2.98 GHz (B+15%) @ 78°C |
| 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 |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 (PH315-53) | 3.56 GHz (B+37%) @ 76°C | 3.52 GHz (B+35%) @ 85°C | 2.98 GHz (B+15%) @ 75°C |
| Dell G5 15 5500 | 3.82 GHz (B+47%) @ 75°C | 3.63 GHz (B+40%) @ 99°C | 3.01 GHz (B+16%) @ 81°C |
| ASUS ROG Strix G15 G512 | 4.16 GHz (B+60%) @ 81°C | 3.99 GHz (B+53%) @ 95°C | 3.52 GHz (B+35%) @ 87°C |
| Acer Nitro 5 (AN515-55) | 3.02 GHz (B+16%) @ 82°C | 3.04 GHz (B+17%) @ 92°C | 2.67 GHz (B+3%) @ 92°C |
| Lenovo Legion 7 (15) | 3.78 GHz (B+45%) @ 80°C | 3.69 GHz (B+42%) @ 83°C | 3.51 GHz (B+35%) @ 83°C |
The CPU on this notebook is running really hot under heavy load. On the upside, however, there are the very high frequencies. Despite that, we’ve seen the ASUS ROG Strix G15 G512 and the Lenovo Legion 7 (15) perform better in terms of thermal management. Also, the redesigned HP Omen 15 2020 (15-ek0000) uses a lot more conservative throttle mode, which lowers the clock speeds quite dramatically, but runs at more than 25-degrees cooler.
Real-life gaming
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q | GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 2 min) | GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 30 min) | GPU frequency/ Core temp (Turbo mode) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP Omen 15 2019 (15-dh1000) | 1407 MHz @ 64°C | 1371 MHz @ 69°C | – |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q | GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 2 min) | GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 30 min) | GPU frequency/ Core temp (Turbo mode) |
| MSI GS75 Stealth | 1425 MHz @ 74°C | 1380 MHz @ 81°C | – |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 17 (2019) | 1364 MHz @ 66°C | 1351 MHz @ 78°C | 1529 MHz @ 71°C |
| Lenovo Legion Y740 17″ | 1269 MHz @ 76°C | 1236 MHz @ 80°C | – |
So, when it comes to graphics, the cooling solution actually works pretty well. And this result is when the GPU is running at its full 90W of TGP. Indeed, the laptop is pretty loud, but it generally fairs great against its RTX 2070 Non-Super Max-Q counterparts.
Gaming comfort
Also, we feel that 50C on the outside is actually in the “norm” for a laptop that powerful.
Verdict
If it only comes to performance and experience, the HP Omen 15 2019 (15-dh1000) is probably one of the best gaming laptops for the money. The configuration we got (Core i7-10750H + RTX 2070 Super Max-Q) was potent enough and won’t have any problems running the latest titles with high visual fidelity even in 2020 and perhaps the years to come.
However, there is one huge caveat, and it is called Ampere. We don’t really have information right now on when laptops with the latest RTX GPUs are going to come out, but given the huge performance bump over the last generation, you would probably want to wait before making a purchase decision. Based on what we saw with the RTX 2000 series, we expect the new notebooks to arrive as soon as Q1 2021, but this is only speculations, so don’t quote us on that one.
Regardless of what happens, fast-refresh rate displays are always going to have a positive impact on gaming, when they are executed well. And with the HP Omen 15 2019 (15-dh1000) we see nothing but greatness. It’s 144Hz IPS Full HD panel has a good contrast ratio, comfortable viewing angles and it doesn’t flicker at any brightness level. Additionally, it covers the sRGB color gamut almost fully, and its color accuracy is decent, especially when our Gaming and Web design profile is present. And most importantly from the gamer’s point of view – the pixel response time is super quick, perfectly matching the 144Hz refresh rate.
One thing that HP has definitely got an issue with is the optimization. Our model, equipped with a 69Wh battery was only able to last for three hours and a half of Web browsing and more than an hour less when watching HD videos. This is utterly pathetic. Well, if you take a look at the 2020 model, you got around 7 hours and a half of Web browsing, meaning HP can actually do it, but apparently, they needed one more year of development.
Ultimately, the price difference between the Omen 15 2019 (15-dh1000) and the Omen 15 2020 (15-ek0000) is around $100 for the same hardware configuration. Now you know what you basically give up with the “older” laptop, and if you don’t really care about battery life, we would strongly advise saving this amount of money and getting a decent gaming accessory (like a mouse for example). Or just take your girlfriend (or boyfriend) out for a nice dinner.
Pros
- Relatively cool gaming experience
- Two M.2 PCIe slots and two RAM SODIMM slots
- The display doesn’t flicker at any brightness level (AUO B156HAN08.2)
- Covers 91% of sRGB and has a decent color accuracy (with our Gaming and Web design profile) (AUO B156HAN08.2)
- 144Hz panel has great pixel response times (AUO B156HAN08.2)
- Wi-Fi 6 and configuration dependant Thunderbolt 3 support, plus an SD card reader on board
- Its keyboard is comfortable for typing and gaming at the same time (although it has small Arrow keys)
Cons
- Horrid battery life
- Questionable hinge placement
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/hp-omen-15-15-dh0000-dh1000/