HP Omen Transcend 14: Beautiful, quiet, but weaker than expected
The HP Omen Transcend 14 impresses with its metal design, 2.8K OLED display, and super-quiet operation. However, the RTX 4070 graphics card is severely limited in power, making gaming performance on par with an RTX 4060.
HP OMEN Transcend 14 (fb0031nf) Overview
The HP Omen Transcend 14 is a 14-inch laptop aimed at gamers, packing powerful specs into a compact body. However, the decision to sacrifice graphics performance for a thin, light, and quiet design raises a big question about product positioning: is this a laptop for gamers or for content creators?
The core issue lies in the TGP (Total Graphics Power) index, which determines the actual power of the graphics card. With the Omen Transcend 14, the RTX 4070 card is limited to a very low TGP, which significantly affects the gaming experience.
Detailed specifications
| Properties | Detail |
|---|---|
| Model | HP OMEN Transcend 14 (fb0031nf) |
| Size | 313 mm x 233.5 mm x 16.9 mm |
| Weight | 1.63 kg |
| Processor (CPU) | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H |
| Graphics chip (GPU) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 (TGP 65W) |
| RAM | 32GB LPDDR5x 7467 MT/s |
| Storage memory (SSD) | 1TB PCIe 4.0 |
| Screen | 14 inch OLED, 2880 x 1800 pixels (16:10), 120 Hz |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows 11 |
Premium design: When gaming laptops have a business look
The HP Omen Transcend 14 has a minimalist and luxurious white metal design, different from the bulky style often seen on gaming laptops. With a weight of only 1.63 kg and rounded lines, the device brings a high-end and professional feel, similar to its rival Asus Zephyrus G14.
Keyboard and touchpad
The keyboard has a brilliant RGB backlight thanks to the diffuser surrounding each key, creating an impressive visual highlight. However, the typing experience is quite classic with scissor switches. The touchpad is located in the center, but the mouse feels a bit sticky and the click response is a bit soft, not very reliable.
Full connectivity ports
HP has made good use of the available space for ports. There’s a Thunderbolt 4 port and audio jack on the left, and two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports on the right. Around back, there’s a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port (for charging) and an HDMI 2.1 port. While that’s plenty for a 14-inch machine, the lack of an SD card slot is a bummer for creatives, even though the machine is NVIDIA Studio certified.
2.8K OLED display: The undeniable highlight
The display is one of the biggest advantages of the Omen Transcend 14. The 14-inch OLED panel has a 2.8K resolution (2880 x 1800 pixels), a 16:10 aspect ratio, and a 120 Hz refresh rate. Measurements show that the screen covers 170.6% of the sRGB and 120.8% of the DCI-P3 color spaces, with a maximum brightness of 409 cd/m². Colors are vivid and accurate with an average Delta E of 1.53, although calibration is needed to achieve perfection for professional graphics work.
Controversial Performance: The True Power of the RTX 4070 65W
This is the most disappointing aspect of the machine. Despite being equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, its TGP is limited to only 65W. This is significantly lower than the chip's maximum of 140W and even lower than its direct competitor, the Asus Zephyrus G14 (90W).
Consequences of TGP limitation
The TGP limitation makes the RTX 4070 gaming performance on the Omen Transcend 14 equivalent to an uncapped RTX 4060 card. This can be seen as a form of misleading advertising as users pay for an RTX 4070 but do not receive the power commensurate with it.
Realistic gaming experience
In games like Cyberpunk 2077, the machine loses 10 to 20 FPS compared to a standard RTX 4070. With Horizon Forbidden West, the frame rate only reached 71 FPS with DLSS 3 on and dropped to 30 FPS with it off, compared to the usual 60 FPS. This confirms that the Omen Transcend 14 is not a true gaming machine.
Performance for creative work
On the other hand, the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor and 32 GB of RAM perform very well. In Procyon's tests based on the Adobe Suite, the machine scored high, proving to be a powerful tool for video and photo editing. The PCIe 4.0 SSD also delivered impressive sequential read/write speeds (6975 MB/s and 5429 MB/s).
Trade-off: Cool and quiet operation
The reason for the performance sacrifice is the ability to dissipate heat. The HP Omen Transcend 14 runs extremely cool, with surface temperatures not exceeding 45°C. The cooling fan is almost always quiet, even when handling heavy tasks. This is an absolute advantage for those who need a work environment without being disturbed by noise.
Battery life and software
With a 71 Wh battery, the device can operate for 7 to 8 hours for office tasks at 50% brightness. This is acceptable for a powerful configuration. In terms of software, the HP Omen application allows you to manage your game library, but the interface could be improved to make important functions easier to find.
Conclusion: Laptop for creators, not for gamers
The HP Omen Transcend 14 (2024) is an excellent computer in terms of design, display, and quiet operation. It is an ideal choice for content creators who need a portable, powerful, and elegant device. However, HP's promotion of this as a "gaming PC" is a mistake. The gaming performance of the machine is severely limited and cannot meet the expectations of gamers. Those looking for maximum performance for every dollar should consider other options like the Asus Zephyrus G14.
