Part of the reason why so many gaming purists prefer playing on a custom desktop PC over a gaming laptop is the easy ability to upgrade the components on a piece-by-piece basis. You can grab a new graphics card when the need arises without having to buy a whole new tower. Some laptops are user upgradeable, but they can be finicky or tricky. The new HP Omen X could be the solution to all your portable gaming woes.
Yes, there are plenty of high-end gaming laptops out there from lines like Asus Republic of Gamers and Dell’s Alienware, but what’s unique about the high-end HP Omen X is that you can easily pop it open through a single access panel to swap out the HDD, SDD, and RAM with just a Philips screwdriver. No, you’re not upgrading the CPU or GPU, it’s a start.
The HP Omen X will effectively come in three main configurations, all with an extra large 17-inch display to accommodate the higher end components found within. The base model, priced at $1,999 MSRP, gets you started with a 1080p display, an Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD paired with a 1TB HDD. Not too shabby for “entry level.”
Move up in the middle SKU for $2,349 and you upgrade to a 4K display, GTX 1080 graphics and 32GB of RAM, while retaining the CPU and storage of the entry level. At the high end, for $3,699, you keep the GTX 1080 graphics, 4K display and 32GB of RAM, upgrading to a pair of 1TB SSD drives, plus a 1TB HDD and the overclockable Core i7-7820HK processor. In all cases, you get G-Sync with support for two external displays too.
Rounding out the spec sheet are the mechanical keyboard with 2.5mm of key travel, customizable RGB LED lighting, an oversized space bar, three USB ports, two USB-C Thunderbol ports, HDMI out with HDR, mini DisplayPort, a card reader, and Ethernet wired connectivity.
Look for the HP Omen X to drop in November.