From PCMAG · Charles Jefferies · · 2m
HP's OmniBook Ultra 14 earns its elite price tag
A 14-inch aluminum OLED machine running Intel's newest silicon, priced from $1,800 to past $4,000, with an Editors' Choice to show for it.
In brief
A 14-inch aluminum OLED machine running Intel's newest silicon, priced from $1,800 to past $4,000, with an Editors' Choice to show for it. The OmniBook Ultra 14 is a genuine alternative to the 14-inch MacBook Pro and Dell XPS 14, as long as you can stomach a test config that runs past $4,000. Originally reported by…
A crowded luxury shelf
Premium 14-inch ultraportables have never been better, which is exactly the problem for anyone trying to launch one. Standing out takes more than good specs.
“We're in a golden age for luxe ultraportables, which makes it seriously challenging to stand out in this increasingly crowded segment.”
HP stands out anyway
Aluminum chassis, OLED screen, a webcam that actually looks good, speakers worth using, and battery that lasts the day. The parts add up.
“nearly every aspect of this 14-incher feels carefully considered”
Built for power users
HP is not chasing the mainstream buyer here. The pitch is aimed squarely at people who already expect this level of hardware and will pay for it.
“it delivers exactly the kind of experience that power users expect in this elite tier”
Editors' Choice
PCMag hands it the award and places it alongside Apple's 14-inch MacBook Pro and Dell's XPS 14 at the top of the category.
“earns its place among the best premium ultraportables available today”
Panther Lake lands
This is one of the first premium ultraportables carrying Intel's newest silicon, and HP put it across the whole product line rather than one halo model.
Sixteen cores, every config
Even the base machine gets a 16-core Core Ultra Series 3 chip, the Core Ultra 7 356H. The test unit stepped up to the flagship Core Ultra X9 388H.
“Every configuration is built around a 16-core Core Ultra Series 3 processor”
Arc B390 on the upper tiers
Pick a Core Ultra X7 or X9 and you get Intel's Arc B390 integrated graphics. The entry Core Ultra 7 does not include it.
Memory gated behind the X9
You can spec 64GB of LPDDR5X running at 9,600 megatransfers per second, but only if you also buy the top Core Ultra X9 chip.
Storage keeps up
Up to a 2TB PCI Express 5.0 SSD pairs with that memory, which is the combination video editors and heavy multitaskers actually need.
“Those specs make the OmniBook Ultra 14 a good fit for demanding multitasking and content-creation workloads.”
The RAM crunch bites
Prices run from $1,799.99 to $4,049.99 as tested, and the ongoing memory shortage is pushing that ceiling higher rather than lower.
“Naturally, the premium components come at a cost, and the ongoing component shortages don't help much.”
The key point
The OmniBook Ultra 14 is a genuine alternative to the 14-inch MacBook Pro and Dell XPS 14, as long as you can stomach a test config that runs past $4,000.
