“ Play Together ”, was the name of the event organized by HP within its HyperX Arena, usually dedicated to e-sport. On the menu for this press evening organized during the CES 2024 ? A concert by American DJ Steve Aoki, certainly, but the real star of the moment was in fact the new HP Omen Transcend 14: we’re telling you about it.
Intel Core Ultra 9, RTX 4070, 2.8K OLED screen and slick design… no, we’re not talking about yet another 16-inch gaming laptop, but an ultraportable model running Juvamine, designed for gamers. In Las Vegas, HP was keen to present its brand new Omen Transcend 14 to us. This 14-inch laptop PC, super thin and light for its category, was approached. Enough to let us appreciate the proposal made to us by the Californian manufacturer, despite some reservations.
A modern and relatively atypical look
The first thing that jumps out at you when you handle the Omen Transcend 14 is its (very) colorful keys. Available in black or white, the device features a somewhat special RGB keyboard. Compared to other similar models, the backlighting occupies a much larger space on the edges of each key, to the point of giving the impression that they are placed on an RGB ocean. The effect is successful and gives the Transcend 14 a modern look, and above all its own: you can distinguish it from the competition at first glance.
Successful effect therefore, but this keyboard also seems to be a success in terms of comfort. Having tried it briefly, its keys offer an astonishing depth of travel for such a slender ultraportable, and typing is as soft as possible. We will of course wait for further testing to ensure that the set is accurate in everyday use or in play, but as it stands, the first impression is excellent.
It’s also difficult not to agree with the formidable compactness of this product (a little less than 18 mm thick for 1.6 kg on the scale), which is indeed close to what Alienware can offer with its small X14, launched for the first time almost two years ago. The Transcend 14 is therefore barely more bulky and heavier than a MacBook Air M2.
The device, however, suffers from somewhat sparse connectivity, with only two USB-A ports, a USB-C port and a headphone jack. For an ultraportable PC, it’s OK, but for a gaming laptop… it’s too little.
Fortunately, HP compensates with impeccable assembly quality and, above all, with a superb 2.8K OLED screen going up to 120 Hz, and offering full coverage of the colorimetric spectrum. In short: one of the very best screens currently available on a 14-inch ultraportable.
Top of the range in miniature, but what about the power?
To accompany this panel, and as mentioned above, the Omen Transcend 14 will be able to count on a maximum of an Intel Core Ultra 9-185H processor, coupled with 32 GB of LPDDR5X at 7467 MHz and a GeForce RTX 4070. Where the problem lies The hurt is that a priori, the thermal envelopes allocated to the CPU/GPU duo will be relatively modest: 15 W of TDP and 65 W of TGP in performance mode and with Dynamic Boost, explains HP. A limitation surely imposed by the finesse of the product, but which could have serious consequences on in-game performance.
It’s a safe bet that playing the most demanding AAAs, at the highest settings, and in native 2.8K definition, will be a little complicated. As we have not been able to test the product in real playing conditions, we will simply assume that Full HD+ definition will be preferred.
© Nathan Le Gohlisse for Clubic
HP announces in any case that it has worked in partnership with Intel to achieve an effective dissipation system. The brand explains that its Transcend 14 is the best-cooled 14-inch gaming ultraportable on the market. An advertisement perhaps not so ambitious if the thermal envelope of the components is rather low as HP has announced.
The brand also mentions a battery life of up to 11 hours and 30 minutes, which would make this new Omen a truly interesting product for everyday life and mobility. Fast charging technology is finally mentioned, with the promise of a 30-minute recharge time to reach 50% autonomy.
Expected in the spring, the HP Omen Transcend 14 can be pre-ordered in France from March, starting at 999.99 euros.
Source: HP event, CES 2024
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