HP HP OMEN 16 (2022)
Laptops

HP

HP OMEN 16 (2022): What Real Users Actually Think

Mar 2026

Last Analyzed

6/10

Overall Rating

13

Positive Reviews

16

Negative Reviews

Summary

The HP OMEN 16 (2022) is a capable mid-range gaming laptop that earns cautious approval from Reddit owners, particularly those who picked it up at a discount. It targets students and light-to-moderate gamers who want solid 1080p performance without paying a premium, and most users report satisfaction after months of daily use. Thermals are manageable with the right software tuning, though heavy workloads can push temps into the 84–92°C range. Build quality improved over the 2021 model, fixing the worst hinge wobble complaints, though the plastic lid still draws criticism. WiFi reliability is a recurring pain point that HP support has struggled to address, and the lack of USB-C charging is a notable inconvenience for a laptop in this class.

Pros

  • 12th Gen Intel (i5-12500H / i7-12700H) and Ryzen 6000-series CPUs still hold up well for coding, video editing, and 1080p gaming — the i7-12700H in particular is considered overkill-proof
  • 100% sRGB coverage on the 1080p 144Hz panel, with brightness testing above the rated 300 nits — a solid display for content creation and gaming
  • Advanced Optimus (on Nvidia variants) or manual MUX switch via BIOS lets users control which GPU drives the display, improving gaming performance
  • Aluminum keyboard deck gives the chassis a premium feel despite the plastic top lid, and the overall build held up well for multiple owners after months of daily carry
  • Gaming performance at 1080p with RTX 3060 or RX 6650M configurations is genuinely good, with Omen Gaming Hub + MSI Afterburner enabling stable 70°C gaming sessions
  • Dual Thunderbolt 4 ports on the refreshed model add versatile connectivity for docking and peripherals

Cons

  • RTX 3060 laptop variant ships with only 6GB VRAM, which is already limiting in newer titles at 1440p — the QHD screen option is largely wasted on this GPU
  • WiFi card is known to be unreliable on AMD models, and HP explicitly warns that swapping to an Intel AX210 voids the warranty, leaving users stuck
  • No USB-C charging — requires the proprietary AC adapter, which is a real inconvenience for students and travelers
  • Battery shipped in some units was manufactured years before purchase, arriving with measurable capacity loss out of the box — a quality control issue HP has not acknowledged
  • Thermals spike to 84–92°C under rendering and gaming loads without manual tuning, and HP support has been slow and unhelpful for hardware-level complaints
  • The 2023 model with RTX 4050 offers better efficiency and Frame Generation support at similar price points — buying the 2022 version at anything above $500–600 USD is hard to justify

The WiFi Problem HP Won't Fix

Multiple AMD model owners report persistent WiFi disconnects and degraded signal. HP support refuses to authorize third-party card swaps and threatens warranty voids, leaving users with an expensive brick if the issue persists.

A Solid Buy — If the Price Is Right

Reddit consensus is clear: the OMEN 16 (2022) makes sense at $474–700 USD but loses its value proposition fast above that. At launch MSRP, the 2023 generation or competing Lenovo Legion 5 were better options by almost every metric.

Students Are Its Best Audience

Owners consistently describe it as a reliable daily driver for coding, photo editing, and occasional gaming — not a dedicated rig. The non-aggressive design and aluminum deck make it easier to carry into class than most gaming laptops.

User Reviews (29 of 63 analyzed)

7
0
Significant_Link_901r/AMDLaptops9d agonegative

AMD is behind on mobile GPU marketshare because they basically don't exist in that market — they're only competing on paper. Unavailable everywhere. I've been in the market for a good laptop but I don't want to give Nvidia my money, and AMD doesn't want to give me their products either.

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6
0
Stiven_Crysisr/GamingLaptops9d agonegative

AMD advantage laptops are poorly advertised and reviews are late. For Black Friday, there was an Asus advantage with R9-5980HX and 6800M 12GB for 1150 USD, which is a better buy than this one.

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4
0
JDMWeebr/HPOmen9d agopositive

Build quality is good yes, the lid is a bit wobbly but doesn't affect me. To prevent sagging there are rubber stoppers installed. No MUX switch afaik but you do get Advanced Optimus. Yes it is 100% sRGB, 300nit panel (tho it has been tested to 400 nits).

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4
0
KrolFilantropr/HPOmen9d agonegative

I would consider 2023 model with rtx 4050 - you would get similar performance with less heat.

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2
0
Phantasm907r/HPOmen9d agopositive

Definitely love mine with the i7 and the 4050. It's a solid laptop and I travel between towns a lot with mine.

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2
0
AveryLazyCovfefer/HPOmen9d agopositive

The 2022 model I believe was the first one that fixed the screen wobble issue. For Nvidia GPU models, you do get Advanced Optimus. No, it needs standard AC — no USB-C charging.

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2
0
jesterc0rer/HPOmen9d agopositive

I have the exact laptop. The case is sturdy, with sharp edges, and feels good overall. You can choose which GPU will be connected to the display. Rebooting is necessary, it's not Advanced Optimus. Modes can be chosen using Omen Gaming Hub or BIOS.

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2
0
thescouselanderr/HPOmen9d agopositive

I've got a very similar 3060 model and I'm very happy with it - it even does a reasonable job of running Starfield, but if I was buying now I'd probably go for a 40 series as they perform a bit better and have frame generation.

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2
0
NCResident5r/laptops9d agopositive

Thanks for posting. I had wondered about those. Many people just abuse their equipment. So I definitely take it with a grain of salt these claims that HP is trash.

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2
0
Ezrampage15r/laptops9d agopositive

Some people open and close the lid using one hand from the sides and then complain about hinge problems. If the user cares, then the laptop will be usable for years. You just need to know how to properly open and close the lid and get a padded sleeve or bag.

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2
0
tbvrr/HPOmen9d agonegative

The battery shipped in my unit was manufactured on July 24, 2021 — 732 days old in a laptop sold as new. It has already lost 5% of its design capacity from just lying around, with actual wear level around 10%. The box was factory-sealed, so it's not a seller issue.

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2
0
JDMWeeb2r/HPOmen9d agopositive

You actually bought the pre-refresh 2022 model (3 vent, 1 TB4 vs 4 vent, 2 TB4 for the refresh). I still want to repaste and bump my RAM and storage up.

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2
0
Return_Educationalr/HPOmen9d agopositive

I haven't had any issues. The one issue I had is that I had to replace the SSD — somehow it got corrupted and broke giving me a 3F0 error. I changed it and now it is fixed.

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2
0
Party-Ad-8498r/HPOmen9d agonegative

Having the same problem with the WiFi card. HP support says I can't put an Intel AX210 in it — they only support the shipped hardware components. Plus they say I'll void my warranty if I try to open it in a local shop for cleaning purposes, so I'm pretty much stuck here on what to do.

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2
0
gplusplus314r/AMDLaptops9d agonegative

Technically, there's no number pad, but they still shifted the home position to the left, so you're still typing at an angle. They completely missed the point.

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2
0
UnionSlavStanRepublkr/GamingLaptops9d agonegative

That's decent. Remember no MUX switch so the 6600M is best enjoyed with an external monitor.

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2
0
jesterc0re2r/HPOmen9d agonegative

The Omen 16 2022 is just Omen 16 2021 with a newer CPU, so the chassis is older and batteries are still the same. HP must have a huge warehouse with these batteries. Most products with short life cycles are just produced in batches at launch — they don't have many revisions.

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1
0
xXSoulKingr/HPOmen9d agonegative

It sucks. I never had so much trouble with a PC ever. Despite the price, it came with underperforming features and defects. The touchpad never worked properly since I bought it. Did everything they told me to do — reboot, redownloading the OS, updating already updated drivers. They could not replace my laptop, they offered to fix it, which I turned down as it would take a month.

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1
0
cufishguyr/HPOmen9d agonegative

1000 USD is not a good deal for that CPU and GPU combo, you can get better stuff for that money.

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1
0
Albryx765r/GamingLaptops9d agonegative

It's good, the CPU is still powerful. However the 1440p screen is overkill for a 3060. Definitely not future proof though — 6GB of VRAM won't get you far.

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1
0
Digbijoy1197r/HPOmen9d agopositive

I have the Ryzen 6800H version. I get 5 hours of video playback with hybrid mode and 4 hours on discrete mode. Nothing to complain about gaming performance — it's top notch with pretty decent thermals. My only complaint is the plastic fingerprint magnet top lid and the screen wobble when sitting under a direct fan.

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1
0
lollypop44445r/HPOmen9d agonegative

I have the same Ryzen 6800H version. In gaming or rendering software, the thermals do get pretty high very fast — like 84–92°C. And for some reason I get stutters, though I think it would be fixed with a reinstall of Windows.

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1
0
Wolfyz24r/HPOmen9d agopositive

I have the AMD 5800, RTX 3070 version. It is a beast of a machine — good performance while gaming, great ventilation using Omen Hub and MSI Afterburner to limit temperatures. I'm able to play at 70°C. The design is not too futuristic and it's not too loud. Having said this, I've had a huge problem with the WiFi card.

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1
0
Milkshickr/HPOmen9d agonegative

I had blue screen issues. Replacing the motherboard fixed my issue.

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1
0
Digbijoy1197_2r/HPOmen9d agopositive

Keyboard deck is aluminium.

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1
0
Mundane_Back5397r/HPOmen9d agonegative

The display not working without an external monitor seems to be the issue with TPM on AMD processors. You can try Windows Event Viewer to check what is happening during start up and then check if TPM is initialized correctly.

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1
0
ThinkinBigr/HPOmen9d agopositive

With the exception of games that support Frame Generation, at 1080p the RTX 3060 averages over 5fps better than the RTX 4050.

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1
0
Inresponsibleoner/GamingLaptops9d agonegative

The RTX 3060 graphics card on laptops had 6GB VRAM — I checked and there was no other memory configuration for the laptop 3060.

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0
0
jdh724r/HPOmen9d agonegative

I personally hate the keyboard layout.

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