Windows Central Insider
The budget laptop world was recently shaken up with Dell's XPS 13 and Apple's MacBook Neo, and while these devices are receiving a lot of attention, you're doing yourself a disservice if you're ignoring HP's OmniBook 5 series of PCs.
HP rebranded its entire PC lineup in 2024, and with that rebrand came OmniBook laptops. We've had plenty of experience with these new PCs, including the OmniBook 5. It's HP's "budget-but-premium" option, coming in just above the OmniBook 3 and available in standard notebook or more versatile convertible form factors.
Available in 14- and 16-inch sizes, HP OmniBook 5 laptops with Intel processors continue to represent some of the best value around even as RAM supply issues and spiking prices take hold.
Our hands-on experience with HP's OmniBook 5
Former Windows Central laptop aficionado Zachary Boddy reviewed a first-gen model of the OmniBook 5 14 last year, noting that it "sets the standard for how to do a value Windows laptop right." This was, of course, before the new XPS 13 was launched, but the sentiment holds true.
The OmniBook 5 that Boddy reviewed hit high points like a beautiful aluminum design, an OLED display, a comfortable keyboard and touchpad combo, quality audio/video hardware, and solid performance from a Snapdragon X Plus chip.
Although Qualcomm has proven its abilities in Windows 11 time and again with its Snapdragon X/X2 platform, there's a certain stigma around Windows on ARM that a fair share of users can't get around, whether it has to do with drivers or aging software support.
Luckily, there are plenty of Intel models that are just as (or more) affordable, especially when you factor in HP's frequent and long-running discounts on OmniBook laptops.
HP's OmniBook 5 16" is a superb choice for multitaskers thanks to its larger screen size
Take the OmniBook 5 16" as an example. It's often available for less than $600 and even less than the $599 price for students that other budget laptops demand. At the time of writing, for example, it's down to $579.99.
This budget model lands you an Intel Core 5 120U processor with 10 cores, 12 threads, and a 5.0GHz boost clock, making it well cut out for multitasking across common apps.
Its 16GB of LPDDR5x also doesn't make you worry about how Windows 11 will run on 8GB of RAM, which, by the way, we largely debunked recently with our own testing.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | HP OmniBook 5 16" |
CPU | Intel Core 5 120U, Core 7 150U |
RAM | 16GB, 32GB LPDDR5x |
Storage | 512GB, 1TB, 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
Display | 16 inches, 1920x1200 (FHD+), IPS, anti-glare, 300 nits, touch or non-touch |
Ports | HDMI 2.1, 2x USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2), 3.5mm audio, USB-A 3.2 (Gen 1), USB-A 3.2 (Gen 2) |
Camera | 1080p + IR |
Battery | 59Wh |
Wireless | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4 |
Speaking of multitasking, anyone who's used a 13-inch display knows how cramped it can feel. HP's OmniBooks are sized at either 14 or 16 inches, so either way you're getting more space to work with.
Port selection is also more generous, adding HDMI 2.1, a couple of USB-A ports, and a 3.5mm audio jack to the standard dual USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2) ports that budget laptops seem to be shipping with these days.
As usual, HP also delivers some extensive configuration options. If your budget allows, you can scale up hardware as needed, with stronger CPUs, more RAM and storage, and even an OLED display option.
What about when the OmniBook 5 isn't on sale?
As mentioned, HP is quite generous when offering deals, both in terms of discount percentages and deal frequency. However, HP isn't the only place that sells the OmniBook 5, and you might actually find a better deal elsewhere.
Best Buy currently has an OmniBook 5 16" available starting at $679. It's actually discounted by $80 at the time of writing, dropping it to $599, but it's a great deal even at its regular price.
It has a newer Core Ultra 5 225U CPU, 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 16-inch FHD+ display. Same generous port selection, same camera and speakers, and same durable build quality.
Basically, if HP's official store doesn't have the right config for your needs, Best Buy is usually the next best place to shop.
Bottom line
Just because the news cycle is favoring other budget laptops right now doesn't mean you should ignore HP's OmniBook 5 series of PCs.
Generally starting well below $1,000, they offer a wide range of configuration options, a couple of form factors, two different display sizes, and a ton of processor options. Intel might be many people's first choice, but Qualcomm and AMD also have a big stake in the series.
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