The HP Omen devices can be found in different price categories and form factors. Some of them are high-end laptops like the HP Omen 17 (2023, 17-ck2000) that have big displays and top-of-the-line hardware. On the other hand, not everyone wants to buy a machine that costs an arm and a leg. Today we are going to show you the HP Omen 16 (16-wd0000) which is meant for the masses or enthusiasts who don't want to spend a lot of money on a new notebook. The gadget can be found with 13th Gen Intel H-series CPUs. Some are based on the Alder Lake architecture, while others are Raptor Lake chips. All looks good in the GPU department - you have a choice of three GeForce RTX video cards that have high TGP values. Two IPS 1080p display options are available. The base one has a 144Hz refresh rate while the optional screen boasts 165Hz. The Omen Gaming Hub app is here and it offers useful extras like Hybrid or Discrete GPU modes (yes, you get a MUX switch as well), three power presets, a custom fan curve, keyboard RGB control, and advanced system monitoring. The rest also look good for the class - Bang & Olufsen speakers, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, decent port selection, and adequate upgrade options. Some devices offer G-SYNC and Advanced Optimus support. You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/hp-omen-16-16-wd0000-2023/ Specs, Drivers, What's in the box Drivers All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/omen-by-hp-16.1-inch-gaming-laptop-pc-16-wd0000/2101566660 What's in the box? Inside the package, you'll find some paperwork and a 230W barrel plug charger. The GeForce RTX 3050-based iterations are bundled with a 200W charger. Design and construction HP doesn't mention the materials for the chassis. However, we are almost sure that the lid and the bottom panel are plastic while the upper side of the base is made of metal. We like the design of the laptop, it looks clean and mature in a dark color and the Omen logo on the lid isn't intrusive. Speaking of which, the lid can be opened with a single hand but it's flexible and bouncy. It's not the spongiest unit we've seen so far but its rigidity is questionable. The base is more stable. The whole zone right below the keyboard can be bent a bit but nothing serious. This machine isn't among the thinnest and lightest out there but it's not a porker - 2.39 kg starting weight and 23.5 mm profile thickness. The "chin" below the screen is a lot thicker than the other bezels. The top one houses a 1080p Web camera with temporal noise reduction. Yes, this device has a privacy shutter which is nice to see in a gaming laptop. The hinge mechanism allows a 180-degree angle of opening. There is a long grill on the base that is used for ventilation and it's placed above the keyboard. The latter can be found in many other Omen devices with its typical NumPad-less design. The board is comfortable for both typing and gaming because of the big keycaps that have long key travel and clicky feedback. The Arrow keys are full-sized, and there is an Omen Gaming Hub shortcut for faster access to the HP app. The backlight glows in a single color or you can pay more for the optional 4-zone RGB backlit version. The touchpad is smooth and its accuracy is above average. The bottom panel may look familiar to you because it reminds us of the one that can be seen in the HP Victus 16 (16-r0000) and the HP Victus 16 (16-s0000, 2023) devices. We can spot two long rubber feet, a huge ventilation grill, and two speaker cutouts. The hot air is being exhausted through two vents - one on the back and the left side of the notebook. Ports On the left, there is a LAN, a USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port with HP Sleep and Charge function, and an Audio combo jack. On the right, you have the power connector, an HDMI 2.1, two more USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) ports with charging capabilities, and a USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 1) port that supports USB Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4, and HP Sleep and Charge. Display quality, Health impact (PWM), Sound HP Omen 16 (16-wd0000) is equipped with a Full HD panel, model number BOE BOE0B9F. It comes with a 144Hz refresh rate. Its diagonal is 16.1" (40.6 cm), and the resolution - 1920 x 1080p. Additionally, the screen ratio is 16:9, the pixel density – 141 ppi, and their pitch – 0.19 x 0.19 mm. The screen can be considered Retina when viewed from at least 61 cm (from this distance, the average human eye can’t see the individual pixels). Viewing angles are good. We offer images at different angles to evaluate the quality. Also, a video with locked focus and exposure. The maximum measured brightness is 340 nits (cd/m2) in the middle of the screen and 321 nits (cd/m2) average across the surface with a maximum deviation of 10%. The Correlated Color Temperature on a white screen and at maximum brightness is 6310K. In the illustration below you can see how the display performs from a uniformity perspective. The illustration below shows how matters are for operational brightness levels (approximately 140 nits) – in this particular case at 74% Brightness (White level = 141 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 – 1320:1. 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 on 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 16 (16-wd0000)'s color gamut coverage. Its display covers 52% of the sRGB/ITU-R BT.709 (web/HDTV standard) in CIE1976 and 41% of DCI-P3. 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 the HP Omen 16 (16-wd0000) 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 = 13 ms. After that, we test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “Gray-to-Gray” method from 50% White to 80% White and vice versa between 10% and 90% of the amplitude. Health Impact: 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 16 (16-wd0000)'s display doesn't flicker at any brightness level. This makes the screen pretty comfortable for long periods of use. Health Impact: Blue light emissions Installing 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. Health Impact: Gloss-level measurement Glossy-coated displays are sometimes inconvenient in high ambient light conditions. We show the level of reflection on the screen for the respective laptop when the display is turned off and the measurement angle is 60° (in this case, the result is 49.9 GU). Sound HP Omen 16 (16-wd0000)'s Bang & Olufsen speakers produce a sound of very good quality. Its low, mid, and high tones are clear of deviations. 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 16 (16-wd0000) configurations with 16.1" BOE BOE0B9F (1920 x 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 bg.laptopmedia@gmail.com. Read more about the profiles HERE. Performance: CPU, GPU, Gaming Tests All benchmarks and tests were conducted with the "Performance" profile activated in the OMEN Gaming Hub. Also, the "Discrete" mode (dGPU-only) is turned on, and the "Best performance" preset is applied in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu. CPU options This device is offered with the Intel Core i5-13420H, Core i5-13500H, Core i7-13620H, or Core i7-13700H. GPU options GPU-wise, this laptop can be found with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 (Laptop, 95W, 6GB), GeForce RTX 4050 (Laptop, 120W), or GeForce RTX 4060 (Laptop, 120W). Gaming tests Assassin's Creed Valhalla Full HD, Low (Check settings) Full HD, Medium (Check settings) Full HD, High (Check settings) Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) Average FPS 151 fps 125 fps 102 fps 86 fps Borderlands 3 Full HD, V.Low (Check settings) Full HD, Medium (Check settings) Full HD, High (Check settings) Full HD, Badass (Check settings) Average FPS 175 fps 142 fps 98 fps 74 fps Far Cry 6 Full HD, Low (Check settings) Full HD, High (Check settings) Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) Average FPS 142 fps 115 fps 99 fps Gears 5 Full HD, Low (Check settings) Full HD, Medium (Check settings) Full HD, High (Check settings) Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) Average FPS 231 fps 170 fps 140 fps 110 fps The GeForce RTX 4050 (Laptop, 120W) is still a very capable GPU, especially for 1080p resolution. You can play a lot of heavy titles on Ultra or High details with more than 60 FPS. [eBook Guide + Tools] How to MAX OUT your Laptop Temperatures and comfort, Battery Life 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 P-core frequency; Average E-core frequency; CPU temp.; Package Power Intel Core i5-13420H (45W TDP) 0:02 - 0:10 sec 0:15 - 0:30 sec 10:00 - 15:00 min HP Omen 16 (16-wd0000) 4.38 GHz @ 3.25 GHz @ 88°C @ 99W 4.20 GHz @ 3.15 GHz @ 90°C @ 86W 4.10 GHz @ 3.07 GHz @ 83°C @ 75W Acer Nitro V 15 (ANV15-51) 4.38 GHz @ 3.30 GHz @ 96°C @ 104W 3.92 GHz @ 3.06 GHz @ 97°C @ 79W 3.40 GHz @ 2.75 GHz @ 87°C @ 55W The Core i5-13420H inside this laptop can maintain 4.10 GHz for the P cores and 3.07 GHz for the E cores in prolonged periods of max stress. This is a very good result and expectedly the frequencies are higher compared to the Acer Nitro V 15 (ANV15-51) clocks. Real-life gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 2 min) GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 30 min) HP Omen 16 (16-wd0000) 2565 MHz @ 72°C @ 92W 2565 MHz @ 70°C @ 91W HP Victus 16 (16-s0000) 2565 MHz @ 68°C @ 92W 2550 MHz @ 69°C @ 92W Acer Swift Edge (SFX16-61G) 2550 MHz @ 78°C @ 95W 2548 MHz @ 81°C @ 96W ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402 (2023) Turbo mode 2565 MHz @ 77°C @ 101W 2565 MHz @ 82°C @ 104W ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402 (2023) Performance mode 2364 MHz @ 78°C @ 86W 2325 MHz @ 83°C @ 86W Acer Nitro 16 (AN16-51) 2520 MHz @ 67°C @ 92W 2520 MHz @ 67°C @ 91W MSI Thin GF63 (12V) 1735 MHz @ 69°C @ 45W 1729 MHz @ 70°C @ 45W The GPU can sustain a stable 2565 MHz core clock after half an hour of gaming. The HP Victus 16 (16-s0000) can reach similar values which is normal since it has almost the same cooling solution. Gaming comfort In idle or during light loads, the two fans are turned off (this applies even to the "Performance" preset). When the CPU is heavily stressed, the noise levels are high (6200 RPM fan speed), but not unbearable. Still, in this case, the keyboard isn't too hot to the touch so you can use it comfortably for work. During gaming, the two fans are rotating with ~5000 RPM. The "Balanced" mode should be the way to go for most people. It offers lower noise levels when the processor is under 100% load (4100 RPM fan speed) but of course, the clocks are lower. The performance is still reasonable because the GPU TGP seems unchanged (~91W) and the core clock is a bit lower (2505 MHz) compared to the "Performance" mode. Battery Now, we conduct the battery tests with the 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. This device's 70Wh battery pack lasts for 11 hours and 7 minutes of Web browsing or 8 hours and 20 minutes of video playback. That's a very good result for a gaming laptop. To achieve that, you have to select the "Balanced" preset in the OMEN Gaming Hub app and apply the Hybrid mode so you can use the iGPU when the power adapter isn't plugged in. Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance To open this laptop, you need to undo 8 Phillips-head screws. After that, pry the bottom panel with a plastic tool starting from the front. Here's how the bottom plate looks on the inside. Our notebook has the default 70Wh battery model. There is an optional 83Wh variant as well. If you want to take out the unit, unplug the battery connector, and undo the 6 Phillips-head screws that hold the battery in place. The base capacity is enough for 11 hours and 7 minutes of Web browsing or 8 hours and 20 minutes of video playback. The two SODIMMs work with up to 32GB of DDR5-5200 MHz RAM in dual-channel mode. As for the storage, you get just one M.2 slot that fits Gen 4 SSDs. The preinstalled NVMe is protected by a metal plate that has a thin thermal pad on the inside. This cooling system looks familiar to us. Almost the same thermal design can be found in the HP Victus 16 (16-r0000) and the HP Victus 16 (16-s0000, 2023) siblings. It offers two fans as well as two long thick heat pipes shared between the processor and the graphics card. There is one more pipe that is dedicated to the GPU. Additionally, we can spot three heat sinks and three heat spreaders. Storage performance Our laptop is equipped with a 512GB WD PC SN810 SDCPNRY-512G-1006 SSD. Below you can see some benchmarks of this Gen 4 NVMe. Verdict The HP Omen 16 (16-wd0000) is a laptop that offers very good gaming performance but at the same time, its price isn't high. Because of the potent cooling solution, the CPU can maintain stable and high frequencies even in long periods of max load. The GPU also can sustain 2565 MHz during gaming and the thermals are always in check. You can play heavy titles on Ultra details like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Borderlands 3, or Far Cry 6 with more than 70 FPS on average - not bad! The OMEN Gaming Hub is very useful with its three power modes, custom fan control, and advanced system monitoring. The good news is that the fans aren't spinning in idle and they aren't noisy in "Balanced" mode which offers the same GPU TGP as the "Performance" preset. The latter can be used for CPU-intensive tasks but the fan speed is noticeably bumped (the noise isn't as loud as a vacuum cleaner). The chassis rigidity is average - the lid is flexible (but can be opened with one hand) while the base is almost stable with few exceptions here and there. The input devices are good - the keyboard is comfortable and the touchpad is smooth but it could be a bit more accurate. The upgradability is okay for the class - two SODIMMs for up to 32GB of DDR5-5200MHz RAM in dual-channel mode. Sadly, there is just one M.2 slot for 2280 Gen 4 SSDs. We are pleasantly surprised by the base 1080p 144Hz IPS panel (BOE BOE0B9F). It has wide viewing angles and a good contract ratio. The pixel response times are decent and the display is PWM-free which is very important no matter the kind of usage. The sRGB coverage is low which is normal given the price class. The amount of ports is good but all USB connectors are rated at 5 Gbps. Still, we are pleasantly surprised by the battery life of this gaming device. Our machine has the base 70Wh unit that lasts for 11 hours and 7 minutes of Web browsing or 8 hours and 20 minutes of video playback. The HP Omen 16 (16-wd0000) can attract buyers with its PWM-free IPS display, good cooling solution, a comfortable keyboard, and long battery life. You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/hp-omen-16-16-wd0000-2023/