HP Omen Transcend 14 Laptop Review

Introduction

Specifications

Model	OMEN Transcend 14 14-fb0089TX
CPU	Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 1.4Ghz
Total Cores	16 (6 Performance, 8 Efficiency, 2 Low Power Efficient cores)
Memory	16GB LPDDR5X
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 8GB, max 65W
Storage	1TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD
Networking	WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4
Display	14-inch 2,880×1,800 UWVA OLED (400 nits, 40-120Hz, VRR)
Ports	2x Thunderbolt 4/USB-C, 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI, 1x headphone jack
Battery	6-cell, 71 Wh
Dimensions	12.32 inches x 9.19 inches x 0.71 inches
Weight	3.6 lbs or 1.63 kg

Design and Build Quality

We have reviewed HP Omen machines since years and this is the first year where HP has completely changed the design language of Omen laptops. The HP OMEN Transcend 14 looks fresh and stands out. Omens in the past were dull and lifeless, but the HP OMEN Transcend 14 shrieks personality and is vibrant. Don’t mistake vibrancy for RGB lights all in and around the laptop, the HP OMEN Transcend 14 has none (expect the keyboard). A design in itself can be vibrant and lively too, and that is what the HP OMEN Transcend 14 is.

Another good thing about the HP OMEN Transcend 14’s design language is that nowhere does it shout “hey look at me I’m a gaming laptop!” The point we are trying to make here is that you can look vibrant without the need to be a gaming laptop.

HP has let go of the Omen emblem on the lid, which is now replaced by the words “OMEN”, a move we can approve. The laptop is available in Black and White colours, our review unit being the later. We love the white colour scheme, it can speak the language of people from various backgrounds, whether it is a designer or a hardcore gamer. The white colour scheme can certainly be a winner. The HP OMEN Transcend 14 passed the one finger lid open test.

The hinge of the screen is location a few millimetres off the corner of the base, which gives the laptop a very cutting-edge and refined look. The liveliness is added borders on each key caps. We have been complaining since years about LED lights leaking from keyboards, maybe HP heard us and implemented this key-cap design. Maybe their intention was to remove light leaking, but this change in design has given the laptop a great look. Summarising the design philosophy of the HP OMEN Transcend 14, we think HP has really knocked it out of the park with this one, design isn’t something HP has been historically associated with.

Portability

For a gaming laptop, the HP OMEN Transcend 14 is neither nor is it heavy. It is actually very reasonably sized and can be a legit travel companion. Sometimes I wished I pottered about this laptop instead of my MacBook Pro which I use on the daily. On the road, I forget I that there is a powerful gaming laptop in my bag, because at 1.63 kilograms, the weight is never the issue. The laptop’s smooth angular edges make the machine very grippy to hold.

Build Quality

The HP OMEN Transcend 14 is built completely with metal, there’s no creaky plastic anywhere on its outer body. The heavy internals contribute to the sturdy feeling when holding the laptop. Smashing the keys (within reasonable limits) did not flex the body whatsoever. The past Omen laptops, even though made of plastic, were still built to last. This one should be no different.

Display

Another beautiful OLED display. I’m a fan of the recent OLED trend. These OLED panels produce a striking image quality with brilliant colours. The display in the HP OMEN Transcend 14 is no different. HP uses a Samsung OLED panel, the same panel found in the 2024 ASUS Zephyrus G14. It supports HDR500, a native refresh rate of 120 Hz, the full spectrum of P3 colours and a 1800p native resolution.

A peak brightness of 500 nits can only be reached for HDR supporting content. For non-HDR content, the brightness peaks at 400 nits. This OLED display is one of the rare displays that support Variable Refresh Rate, however, there is no VRR support in games (G-SYNC and FreeSync).

The response time is very fast (0.99 ms rise and fall combined) and should hold up well for fast-paced or competitive gaming. Outdoor visibility is good but not great, owing to the fact the HP utilises a glossy and reflective panel. Viewing angles are great, like they are in most OLED panels. Overall, the display in the HP OMEN Transcend 14 is superb and will suit multiple use case scenarios including gaming, editing, productivity and movies. Don’t forget to scale the resolution in Windows, 200% worked for me, 125% and 150% can work for you.

Keyboard

We spent years complaining about light leakage in most RGB-LED laptop keyboards. Maybe HP heard us, or maybe they figured it out themselves, but the new keycap design does not have any light leaking whatsoever. It uses the leaked light to produce a beautiful effect on the borders of each key. Basically, the HP OMEN Transcend 14 utilises lattice-free keyboard design in contrast to chiclet keyboards.

Enough with the aesthetics, how does the HP OMEN Transcend 14 keyboard actually perform? The short answer to that is: crisp, precise and quick. The actuation pressure has lower than the averages, giving a less spongy feel. Key travel has been reduced too, and is very shallow compared to the previous Omens and other laptops of this category. This makes for a very precise typing feel, but it also results in more noise and clatter.

Touchpad

For a 14-inch laptop, the touchpad of the HP OMEN Transcend 14 is big. The gliding feel is smooth for medium to large distances for smaller distances there is resistance and friction, leading to loss in accuracy.

Clicking on the touchpad feels a little more clunky than what we would have liked. The travel distance is, just like the keyboard, is shallow. The touchpad overall feels generic with nothing spectacular. The last Windows laptop we saw with a great touchpad was the Samsung Galaxy Book series of laptops. Somehow there is still a deep desire for Windows touchpads to be as good as MacBook touchpads, but alas.

Webcam, microphone and biometrics

The HP OMEN Transcend 14 comes with a 1080p webcam that supports Windows Hello, a feature that allows you to sign-in and enter passwords by using your face, something like Apple’s FaceID. The camera quality is generic, but Windows Hello works like a charm. This is the first time I got to use Windows Hello seamlessly without any hindrance whatsoever. I hate typing in my PIN especially when there’s no Num Pad, and Windows Hello comes as a saving grace here, logging in and filling all my web passwords for me.

The image quality of the webcam won’t be winning any accolades. In low light conditions it produces images that are grainy. It also tends to overexpose pictures. This camera is suitable only for video conferencing and the occasional streaming.

The microphone, just like the webcam, is generic. With HP’s HyperX takeover one could expect professional quality but the HP OMEN Transcend 14 isn’t a professional laptop so you don’t get a professional microphone. Suitable only to get the job done in online calls.

CPU Performance

Productivity Performance

Gaming Performance

MUX Switch

SSD Performance

Networking Performance

The HP Omen Transcend 14 comes with an Intel BE200 wireless module that supports Wifi 6E. We noticed a reduced iperf3 transmit speed compared to laptops carrying the same module. The receive speed attained was 1418 MBit/s where other laptops attained 10% faster speeds. The Qualcomm FastConnect 7800 found in the Razer Blade and the MediaTek MT7922 perform better than the Intel BE200.

Heat and Noise

Charging and Battery Life