There’s even a utility to program the optional Omen Gaming Mouse x9000 ($60), which is expected to be available in November. You can use HP Omen Control to customize key assignments, as well as the lighting for the keyboard and the Beats Audio speakers that run up and down the full depth of either side of the keyboard panel. Gamers can tweak the computer’s gaming settings and analyze performance through the Omen Central Ops collection of utilities. You can also see the blue-tinted hinge, inspired by a car’s heat-discolored chrome exhaust tips. The HP Omen has six programmable keys running along the left side of the keyboard. The Omen’s display is actually raised a little bit to keep it farther away from the hot exhaust. Dual intake fans pull in cool air from the front, and hot air exhausts out the back of the unit, underneath the hinge. Two rubber feet run almost all the way around the bottom, save for openings at the front and back. The anodized aluminum chassis includes a fully vented bottom panel. “Getting to run at their full potential is hard,” said Nash. The Omen’s advantage, per Nash, is its cooling system. Nash readily concedes that the Omen’s specs closely resemble those of other high-end competition. The entire bottom of the HP Omen is vented to aid in cooling. In other words: If you really care about gaming performance, you’ll take 30-plus fps on a “low” resolution over slower frame rates on a trendy 4K display. Sticking to 1080p also keeps heat and battery life under control. They prefer 30-plus fps at 1080p,” Nash explained.

Nash said the 15.6-inch display’s rather pedestrian 1080p resolution was a deliberate decision. While the entry-level Omen ($1500) will have a 128GB SATA SSD, higher-end units will use PCIe for even faster performance. Going with SSD obviously promotes fast boot times.

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