HP Omen 15-1502na has a spec and price that marks it out as a gaming laptop, but it is a different than most of its rivals. With slim and lightweight and amazing functionality. It is increased by red LEDs and a cylindrical metal hinge, which is incorporating the kind of smart pattern we would normally associate with a high-class Ultrabook.
Trackpad & Keyboard
The trackpad is not without issues, either. It is wider than most laptop pads, but the extra width does not do much to better the overall experience. No extra characteristics are contained to take advantage of the space. The most salient issue with the keyboard is poor travel: the MSI’s has a little more, and the Alienware’s traditional keyboard is much closer to the mechanical units that gaming players prefer, and is therefore better for gameplay.
The full-sized Return key is welcome, as are the larger Shift and Control buttons. The Scrabble-tile keyboard impresses with its column of macro keys, but the rest of the layout is a mixed bag. There is no number pad, and the cursor keys are tiny and have to share shortcuts with other functions.
Designing & Battery Life
The power button is illuminated, and the keyboard is backlit. The only item that is not red or black is the hinge it is chrome, with a blue tinge at either end. The metal used to build the Omen is all black, with a hint of color supplied by the red LEDs. The speaker grilles that stretch down each side of the keyboard glow with these LEDs, which pulse in time to music.
Access to the inside is challenging too. The screws to remove the base panel are hidden beneath rubber strips, which cannot be re-attached once they have been removed.
The Omen recovers a middling 32% of its battery during a 30-minute charge, which means it will last for only about an hour before falling over. That is only eight minutes behind the MSI, but it is more than two hours less than the Alienware, and perhaps a symptom of this slimmer, lighter machine having less room for a battery.
Functioning
The GTX 860M, which is built using current-generation hardware, despite its name, proved impressive in games benchmarks. Its BioShock Infinite average frame rate of 53fps matched the MSI machine housing the GTX 960M graphics core, and in Battlefield 4 at High settings the Omen averaged 42fps.
Conclusion
The Omen attracts attention with its smart design and a build that is slimmer and thinner than rivals.
