The HP Omen 30L is a large and powerful gaming tower desktop, with Esports configurations that start as low as one grand, while our review model, the HP Omen GT13-0092, will set you back a little more, but it packs a rampaging Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU for 4K Cyberpunk 2077 pursuits. It also features an overclockable Intel Core i9-10850K CPU, modern gaming design and customizable RGB lighting.
It also features high-end brand components from cooler Master, Western Digital, and HyperX that make the Omen 30L a compelling alternative to the Alienware Aurora R11, our Editors’ Choice from last year. In fact, given late-2020 challenges in finding high-end towers in stock, the HP GT13-0092 might be just the right rig to gets your hands on.
Design
The HP Omen 30L is a refreshed replacement of the company’s Omen Obelisk, sporting a redesigned case, new technology and better components altogether. The HP 30L model we’re reviewing gets its name from the approximately 30-liter interior volume, with a chassis measuring 17.7 x 6.5 x 16.6 inches (HWD). The tempered glass front panel looks great, and serves to set it apart from the smaller and less powerful HP Omen 25L.
HP throws in an additional tempered glass left panel fused with bright interior RGB lighting, giving the Omen 30L a sleek modern vibe. There are tiny triangle cutouts around the front panel, which, apart from giving the chassis a cool look, provide airflow to the 120mm Cooler Master RGB fan encased within. The top-mounted men logo is also backlit, and all lighting (interior and exterior) are individually customizable for color, brightness, and patterns via the Omen Command Center app.
As with all big-size towers, this case has ample working room, despite the skinny outlook. In fact, everything is destined for a custom look, but the interior wiring could be neater. Everything else looks the part of a gaming desktop, with the Intel Z490-based ATX motherboard featuring passive heatsinks for cooling. For additional cooling, there’s a 92mm fan at the rear, it fits perfectly given the Omen 30L’s slim profile.
Ports
Port selection is excellent, with minimal top selection ports that include: two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, an audio combo jack, and a separate microphone jack. The later is meant for older headsets that have separate connectors. The front ports are recessed, and the downward slope acts as a guide for inserting peripheral connectors, while the recessed location ensures that the connectors don’t stick out so much.
Around the back, there are more ports including, six USB Type-A ports; a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports; and microphone, line-in, and line-out jacks. On the GeForce RTX 3080 card, there is a single HDMI and three DisplayPort video outputs.
Gaming & Graphics Performance
In our review configuration, HP pairs Intel’s top-end consumer-oriented Core i9-10850K processor and one of our current best pick for graphics card, Nvidia’s flagship RTX 3080 graphics card. As configured, HP’s latest Omen is a gaming powerhouse, although it doesn’t always win against some of its peers, like the Corsair Vengeance i7200 (Core i9-10850K CPU, RTX 3080 GPU) or the Alienware Aurora R11 (Nvidia 10900KF, RTX 3080).
The Omen GT13-0092 faces its most direct challenge in the desktop battle with the ASUS ROG Strix G35CZ, which pairs a factory overclocked Intel Core i9-10900KF and an RTX 3080 graphics card, effectively the same as the Omen, for the same price, but with less hard drive storage. But in most cases, the storage shouldn’t be an hindrance when it comes to gaming.
In Shadow of the Tomb Raider (highest settings), the high-end CPU and class-leading graphics card delivers impressive performance, with enough pixel-pushing power to match similarly configured systems. However, it fails to match Corsair and Alienware machines with higher-end RTX 3090s, but is at part with RTX 3080 models.
On Far Cry New Dawn (ultra), the Omen 30L GT13-0092 ties with the ROG Strix at 1080p (FHD) resolution, and it does the leverage at 4K resolution.
On Grand Theft Auto V (very high settings), the same trend is replicated, seeing the Omen 30L and the Corsair Vengeance i7200 tie, but the Omen falls back a bit at 4K.
Overall, the Omen 30L’s numbers look compelling, with just a few frame rates separating it from the Corsair. The Falcon Northwest Talon (2020) with Ryzen 9 chips gets a little advantage at a UHD/4K resolution, considering that the GPU, not the CPU, is the defining factor.
HP OMEN 30L productivity performance
By pairing a high-end CPU and GPU, along 32GB or RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD and 2 TB hard drive, the Omen 30L shines at productivity as well. In fact, it manages to beat the Corsair and Alienware systems slightly, with better transfer speeds and resilience in graphics-intensive projects.
The Omen 30L supports CPU overclocking when equipped with an Intel K-series multiplier-unlocked chip, such as the Intel Core i9-10850K in our review unit. The Omen Command Center app features an intelligent overclocking mode that automatically determines the highest stable overclock, with better speeds without necessarily increasing the core voltage.
Bottom Line
So, is the Omen 30L a worthy addition to the HP line? From what we’ve seen, absolutely. That distinctive case is a bold new chapter in the Omen playbook, crammed with high-end features like the Intel Core i9 CPU and flagship RTX 3080 GPU; clever, practical flourishes like the recessed front ports and a tempered glass front panel.
There’s also a tremendous amount of available builds, so you can pick up a version that’s within your budget and suits your individual gaming/productivity needs. While some of the available models veer off the pricey side, it’s clear that our review unit, the HP Omen GT13-0092 works hard to earn its price tag. This is a premium gaming device, and it feels like one.
Recommended Configuration
Dell Alienware Aurora R10 Gaming Desktop, AMD Ryzen 9 3900, 32GB Dual Channel HyperX Fury DDR4 XMP, 1TB SSD, AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 8GB GDDR6, Lunar Light
The Review
HP Omen 30L GT13-0092
The HP Omen 30L GT13-0092 is a sleek, bold and unassuming machine that doesn’t feel the need to shout its gaming credentials, especially its impressive 1440p and 4K performance
PROS
- Built-in overclocking with Intel K-series CPU
- Classy yet subtle design
- The perfect blend of form and function
CONS
- Cooling would be better
Review Breakdown
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EDITORS RATING
