Ever since the advent of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 back in 2020, the 14-inch gaming laptop market have effectively carved out an ecosystem of its own, pandering to the whims of the consumer that yearns for that delicate balance between power and portability. This year, it’s HP’s turn to deliver its punch-up, in the form of the Omen Transcend 14.
To be fair, I first saw the Omen Transcend 14 back at CES 2024 earlier this year, but never really got the chance to properly hold and fondle it. Well, it’s nearly half a year later and now that I have it in my hands, I’ve got to say, it actually feels solid and has the looks to match it, even. There are two colour options for the laptop, black and white, and then as now, I’d recommend the latter colour way, both because it looks classier and it’s less of a fingerprint magnet. I know the images here are dark but you’re going to have to trust me on this.
Moving on, the overall build quality of the Omen Transcend 14 feels solid. In my hands, there’s virtually no flex, bowing, or bending of the base, and likewise for the display. Honestly, it’s a far cry from the typical, if not usual design language and choice that you see HP applying to its other gaming laptops. Seriously, it’s almost as though the company has taken a page out of the playbook for Razer’s Blade 14. Of course, to separate itself from the crowd, the laptop has that protruding badonkadonk that juts out ever so slightly, just as Lenovo does with its Legion gaming lineup.
That protrusion isn’t just for show either. All the heat generated by the Omen Transcend 14 is vented out through the back. From an engineering perspective, it’s good design as it prevents hot air from being blown out the sides and potentially causing discomfort to your hands. This, in itself, is also another growing trend with brands and their laptop, as they consider the long-term effects of comfort for the consumer.
Making full use of the extra space in the back, there’s an HDMI 2.1 output and the Omen Transcend 14’s USB-C charging port. That port, by the way, is the laptop’s primary charging port, supporting 140W charging. You may not think that’s impressive but you have to remember that this laptop supports up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 discrete graphics. That said, I’ll have to get back to you all on the TGP of the RTX 4070, as I don’t think it can be that high if the power delivery is just 140W.
There’s a healthy number of ports on the machine, considering the 14-inch form factor of the Omen Transcend 14 – two 10Gbps USB-A ports on the right, and a 10Gbps USB-C port, and a Thunderbolt 4 port, the latter obviously because this is an Intel-powered laptop.
But enough about that, I want to talk about the keyboard and HP’s choice of the semi-pudding keycap design. These are, by far, the prettiest keycaps I’ve seen on a laptop, so long as the RGB is turned on. again, my camera doesn’t really do it justice but up close, it is a pretty thing to look at. That said, they are crammed rather tightly compared to other laptop keyboards, with a typing experience that feels like a cross between linear and clicky. I won’t spend too much time explaining this here, as this will require a review to really get a feel for it.
As for the display of the Omen Transcend 14, it’s safe to say that HP is playing it safe and going along with the crowd, sporting a 2.8K OLED display, along with a 120Hz variable refresh rate. As I said with the Zenbook 14 and, at current, the G14 that I’m testing, blacks are deep and inky, whites are absolutely blown out when maxed, and colours look absolutely crunchy.
The HP Omen Transcend 14 starts at RM7,999 and is already available. Needless to say, I’ll be waiting for the brand to provide me with a unit to review, so check back with us in the future.
