The new HP Omen Transcend 14 is a laptop marketed to gaming customers, but it can also be considered for a hybrid work-and-play style. Thanks to its compact design and 14-inch screen, the new HP Omen Transcend 14 weighs only 1.6 Kg, which, in my view, makes it a viable alternative for mobile computing.
The model I received for review was powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD. The benchmark software Passmark gave it a respectable 9,709 rating (91 percentile), and thanks to its NVIDIA RTX 6040 discreet GPU, it also showed a 15,685 3D rating.
This means that the HP Omen Transcend 14 is fast and feels fast.
Gaming is a breeze, and I pushed the latest Diablo IV to the extreme with all video settings turned to high. Combined with a beautiful 2.8k 120Hz OLED screen with HDR support, the experience is brought to the next level.
You will also notice the colourful RGB keyboard, which you manage through the Omen app. It allows you to set static colours or rotate through different effects, making it fun to have. The Omen app can also automatically detect a gaming session, tuning your PC for more processing power where it needs it.
There are plenty of ports available, including 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A, a 3.5 mm headphone/mic jack and even an HDMI port. It also comes with the latest Wi-Fi 7 version, so if you have a compatible Wi-Fi access point, you can get consistently great speeds over a wireless connection.
One of the new features available in this model is the Neural Processing Unit (NPU), which is built into the Intel 7 processor.
Although the HP Omen Transcend 14 has an NPU and has only recently entered the market, it is not a Copilot+ PC, a designation currently available for ARM-based PCs only.
However, its NPU can do some local AI processing, albeit with limited software support. You need to dig deep to find current software that supports NPUs.
Microsoft Windows, for example, doesn’t use the NPU for its current Copilot feature. The only Windows-based AI feature I could test is Studio Effects, which filters your camera and audio. It’s neat, but most third-party software already does camera filters without having to use an NPU.
The NPU is compatible with OpenVINO, WindowsML, DirectML and ONNX RT AI software frameworks. To use a resource like OpenVINO, you must install plug-ins to extend the software you want to use. OBS Studio and Gimp are examples of two software that can work with the OpenVINO standard. I did not test OBS Studio, although the documentation says it can get up to 24.6% improved frame rate encoding.
I did find a benchmark software that tests the NPU, UL Procyon. The developers allowed me to use it for a limited time to benchmark the HP Omen Transcend 14.
What I found is that whatever the NPU does, the GPU can do faster. The main difference, though, is that the NPU is more economical, extending battery life. It can also be used for some functions that free up the GPU for heavy graphics work.
We expect gaming laptops to get hot, but this is not true with the HP Omen Transcend 14. Even during long gaming sessions, it did not feel hot at all. HP says they have redesigned the inbound airflow to create a pressure zone that pushes hot air through the rear vents. Whatever it is, it seems to work.
This mix of speed, comfort and convenience makes me say this laptop is a great work-and-play combination, albeit with a price tag that matches its results.
