The new HP Omen 16 Slim isn't actually that skinny, but it is a surprisingly good budget gaming laptop - if you can get it at the right price

What happened

Recommended (Image credit: &copy Future) TechRadar Verdict With memory prices spiralling, you wouldn't give HP much chance of delivering a good value gaming laptop. But the Omen 16 Slim does an impressive job given market constraints. You get decent gaming performance, good build quality and excellent battery life. The connectivity could be better and it's not terribly portable, despite the "Slim" branding. But if you can bag it at the right price, this is one of the best mainstream gaming laptops available today.

Practical impact for readers

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you're buying the best. Find out more about how we test. In gaming, the meaningful changes are the ones that touch frame rate, latency, release timing, or the things players will keep talking about for days. In gaming, the first readers to react are usually regular players, leak-watchers, and anyone waiting to decide on a console or a game purchase.

Details worth verifying

Jump To: Price & availability Specs Design Performance Battery life Should you buy it? Also consider How we tested HP Omen 16 Slim: Two-minute review In these strange times where PC memory prices seemingly double by the day , an affordable gaming laptop is a tantalising prospect. But is it actually realistic? Enter the HP Omen 16 Slim, HP's latest mainstream gaming portable.

Who should act or wait

There are two core variants of the Omen 16, a standard-sized model and this so-called "Slim". Long story short, this Slim model is a little skinnier but still isn't exactly super compact for a 16-inch laptop, thanks to not only a fairly hefty lower screen bezel, but also a chassis that sticks out beyond the base of the display. At least the slightly tanky proportions translate into a tanky chassis with a solid feeling keyboard bed.

What is still unclear

There are two core variants of the Omen 16, a standard-sized model and this so-called "Slim". Long story short, this Slim model is a little skinnier but still isn't exactly super compact for a 16-inch laptop, thanks to not only a fairly hefty lower screen bezel, but also a chassis that sticks out beyond the base of the display. At least the slightly tanky proportions translate into a tanky chassis with a solid feeling keyboard bed.

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