HP Omen 40L Gaming PC Review: Great Potential, Hampered Performance

HP has made commendable strides in its Omen desktop lineup, aiming to secure a spot among the top gaming PCs. The Omen 40L, a mid-range option readily available at major retailers, boasts an attractive price and decent specs. However, its performance doesn’t quite live up to expectations.

While the case design excels in aesthetics and ease of access for upgrades, and the cooling solution performs admirably, the Omen 40L falters in software configuration and overall performance. The components, while capable, are often underutilized due to these shortcomings.

Specifications and Pricing

The internals of the HP Omen 40L.Image: Inside the HP Omen 40L, showcasing its components and layout.

The Omen 40L offers a wide range of customization options. Entry-level configurations start around $1,000, featuring an Intel Core i5-13400 and Nvidia RTX 4060, alongside 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. Higher-end options, including a Core i9-14900K with an RTX 4080 Super, can exceed $3,700 depending on storage choices.

This review examines a configuration balancing value and performance:

Retailers like Best Buy typically price this configuration at $1,480, but frequent sales can drop the price below $1,100. This represents good value, considering the cost of building a similar PC independently would be around $1,100, excluding warranty and support.

Compared to competitors like the similarly configured Dell XPS Desktop at $1,450, the Omen 40L offers a competitive price point for gamers seeking a pre-built solution.

Design and Build Quality

The HP Omen 40L with the front panel removed.Image: The HP Omen 40L with its front panel removed, highlighting the tool-less design and accessibility for upgrades.

The Omen 40L’s sleek black exterior, tempered glass panels, and subtle RGB lighting offer an attractive, gamer-focused aesthetic without being overly flashy. The tool-less design allows for easy access to the internal components, facilitated by clearly marked instructions on the case itself.

Removable dust filters at the front and bottom protect the components, while additional fan mounts and spare connections on the fan hub offer flexibility for future upgrades. Ample storage expansion options are available with four slots for additional drives and included SATA power connectors.

While the interior design is generally well-considered, cable management could be improved. Dangling cables, particularly one stretched across the motherboard, detract from the otherwise clean internal presentation. Furthermore, the lack of internal protective packaging beyond a basic GPU bracket raises concerns about potential shipping damage.

Cooling Performance

A fan controller at the back of the HP Omen 40L.Image: Rear view of the HP Omen 40L, showcasing the fan controller and connectivity options.

HP’s cooling solution in the Omen 40L proves surprisingly effective. Two front intake fans provide ample airflow to the CPU cooler, while a rear exhaust fan expels hot air. The CPU temperatures remained well within acceptable limits during testing, peaking at 70 degrees Celsius under full load.

However, the fan curve is aggressively tuned, resulting in sudden bursts of noise when the fans ramp up to maximum speed. A more gradual curve would provide a better acoustic experience. Unfortunately, the Omen Gaming Hub software offers no customization options for the fan curve.

Bloatware and Configuration

A cable stretched across the top of the HP Omen 40L.Image: A close-up highlighting a cable management issue within the HP Omen 40L’s case.

Like many pre-built PCs, the Omen 40L suffers from bloatware. Numerous HP utilities and the Omen Gaming Hub, while offering some configuration options, are cluttered with advertisements. Crucially, the RAM’s overclocking profile is disabled by default, requiring manual activation within the Omen Gaming Hub. The pre-installed McAfee antivirus software is intrusive and adds to the overall bloatware experience.

This lack of optimal out-of-the-box configuration, particularly for critical components like RAM, is a significant drawback. While users can manually adjust these settings, it requires technical knowledge and detracts from the convenience of a pre-built system.

Performance Analysis

The CPU cooler on the HP Omen 40L.Image: Detail of the CPU cooler within the HP Omen 40L, showcasing its design and implementation.

The Ryzen 7 7700 and RTX 4060 Ti target high-end 1080p and 1440p gaming. While the CPU delivers strong multi-core performance, comparable to the more expensive Core i7-13700F, gaming benchmarks reveal a consistent performance deficit compared to a custom-built RTX 4060 Ti system.

This performance gap is evident across various resolutions and titles, likely attributed to the default RAM configuration and potential limitations of the custom motherboard. Enabling the XMP profile and utilizing PBO can improve performance, but this necessitates manual intervention.

Gaming benchmarks at 4K, 1440p, and 1080p consistently show the Omen 40L trailing behind a custom-built system with the same GPU. This performance disparity highlights the impact of the suboptimal configuration.

Should You Buy the HP Omen 40L?

The HP Omen 40L sitting on a coffee table.Image: The HP Omen 40L in a home setting, showcasing its overall design and aesthetic.

The HP Omen 40L offers a compelling combination of design, upgradability, and value. However, its hampered performance due to suboptimal configuration and bloatware ultimately holds it back. While manual tweaking can unlock its full potential, this defeats the purpose of opting for a pre-built system.

Considering the competition, including more aggressively priced options with better out-of-the-box performance, the Omen 40L’s value proposition becomes less clear. HP has created a PC with great potential, but its failure to maximize that potential makes it difficult to recommend wholeheartedly.