[Hardware] HP OmniBook Ultra review: AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 power with few compromises

[Revo]

 

It’s an exciting time to be in the market for a new ultraportable laptop. Qualcomm wants to make waves with its Snapdragon X Series of Arm processors, which boast incredible battery life. Intel just launched its new Core Ultra 200 “Lunar Lake” chips, which have a large focus on overall efficiency. And, of course, AMD is pushing its frontline Ryzen AI 300 processors in the laptop space.

The HP OmniBook Ultra review unit we tested comes from the latter series of chips; specifically, it features a Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 processor. That powerful mobile chip is ensconced within an attractive and lightweight aluminum chassis. The design is understated, with the only bold move being a light blue power button that doubles as a fingerprint reader.

The OmniBook Ultra proved to be a swift performer in our benchmark suite, putting it in contention among the best ultrabooks.
Less is more when it comes to the OmniBook. The laptop doesn’t draw attention to itself, which suits those who like to fly under the radar sans blaring.

The lid is simple and finished in aluminum with the HP logo polished to a mirror finish. Opening the lid reveals a no-nonsense keyboard deck flanked by two rectangular-shaped speaker grilles. The keyboard is dark gray in finish, while the top function row is a lighter shade of gray. The only design embellishment is the power button, which is finished in a pale blue and doubles as a fingerprint reader.

The display is covered in glossy glass, which is a boon for increasing color fidelity, but amplifies reflections. The bezels are minimal along the sides, but are more sizable for the top and bottom (where you’ll find another HP logo).
There are also two Copilot logos on the chassis. One is located at the base of the display lid, and is only visible when the lid is closed. The second is located under the left CTRL key on the keyboard. And if you didn’t already know that this machine was powered by AMD, two stickers are placed on the right palm rest to advertise the Ryzen AI 9 HX processor and Radeon Graphics inside.

Regarding external ports, the OmniBook Ultra doesn’t include many. There are two Thunderbolt 4 ports on the right side of the chassis (a huge rarity for AMD systems, as Intel licenses Thunderbolt 4), while a 3.5 mm combo jack and a USB-A port are on the left side. However, the USB-A port has a fussy, spring-loaded half-cover that mirrors the contour of the laptop. This design is often included with laptops with a built-in Ethernet port, but I’ve never seen it for a USB-A port before. It seems like an unnecessary part that could become easily broken.

The OmniBook Ultra measures 12.41 x 8.96 x 0.65 inches and weighs 3.47 pounds. That is slightly heavier than the larger Asus ZenBook S16, which weighs 3.31 pounds and measures 13.92 x 9.57 x 0.47 inches. The ZenBook S14 has dimensions of 12.22 x 8.45 x 0.51 inches and weighs 2.65 pounds, while the Dell XPS 13 (9345) measures 11.63 x 7.84 x 0.60 inches and weighs 2.62 pounds.

HP OmniBook Ultra Specifications
CPU    AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (12 cores / 24 threads, up to 5.1 GHz)
Graphics    AMD Radeon 890M graphics (integrated)
NPU    XDNA 2, up to 55 TOPS
Memory    32GB LPDDR5x-7500 onboard
Storage    2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
Display    13-inch, 2240 x 1400, IPS, 16:10, 60 Hz, Touch
Networking    MediaTek Wi-Fi 7 MT7925 (802.11be), Bluetooth 5.4
Ports    2x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Camera    1080p IR
Battery    68 WHr
Power Adapter    65W, USB Type-C
Operating System    Windows 11 Pro
Dimensions (WxDxH)    12.41 x 8.96 x 0.65 inches
Weight    3.47 pounds (1.57 kg)
Price (as configured)    $1,748.99

Kicking things off with the synthetic Geekbench 6 benchmark, the OmniBook Ultra flexed its muscles with wins in single-core (2,847) and multi-core (14,838) performance. The XPS 13 (Snapdragon X Elite) was nipping at its heels, scoring 2,797 and 14,635, respectively. Rounding out the slate of competitors was the ZenBook S16 (Ryzen AI 9 HX 370) at 2,765/13,282 and the ZenBook S14 (Core 7 Ultra 258V) at 2,751/11,157.

The OmniBook Ultra had another convincing win in our file transfer test, where it copied 25GB of files at 1,708.23 Mbps. The next-closest competitor was the XPS 13 at 1,342 Mbps, while the ZenBook S16 lagged well behind in last place with 908.45 Mbps.

The dominance of HP’s new OmniBook Ultra extended to our Handbrake test, which transcodes a 4K video file to 1080p. The OmniBook Ultra completed the task in 4:18, putting it nearly 30 seconds ahead of the second-place XPS 13. The ZenBook S14, with its newly launched Lunar Lake-based processor, took almost twice as long as the OmniBook Ultra to complete the Handbrake test (8:28).

To stress test ultrabooks, we rely on Cinebench 2024, which we run through ten loops. The first run was the highest, at 960.85, while subsequent runs meandered through the mid-900s to low-900s. During the stress test, the Zen 5 cores averaged 3.1 GHz, while the Zen 5c cores averaged 2.37 GHz. During the test, the CPU measured an average of 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit).

NPU and AI
The Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 is nearly identical to the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 in key specifications, apart from the NPU. The NPU in the former receives a 10 percent performance uplift, maxing out at 55 TOPS instead of 50 TOPS. To qualify for Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC certification, the PC must be capable of 40 TOPS, which means that the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 easily clears the bar.

Copilot+ PCs will use the NPU for features like Cocreate, an AI tool to augment your drawings, and Windows Studio Effects, which provides real-time effects for your camera. However, the biggest headliner for the NPU will be its use with the controversial Recall feature in Windows 11. Recall takes snapshots of everything you’ve done on your computer, which is then accessible by searching for keywords or browsing through a timeline of your PC’s recorded history. Microsoft now intends for Recall to become available for Copilot+ PCs in October via the Windows Insider program.

Display on the HP OmniBook Ultra
While many ultrabooks opt for OLED panels for deeper blacks and richer colors, HP sticks with tried-and-true IPS technology for the OmniBook Ultra. The 14-inch panel has a 16:10 aspect ratio and a relatively uncommon 2240 x 1400 resolution. Our review unit was equipped with the touch panel option, and the refresh rate clocks in at 60 Hz.

The OmniBook Ultra covers 75.6 percent of DCI-P3 and 107 percent of sRGB, putting it about average in this assembled group of laptops. Maximum brightness measured 359.4 nits, slightly edging out the ZenBook S16 (357 nits) for second place. The XPS 13 took top honors at 456 nits.
 

https://www.tomshardware.com/laptops/ultrabooks-ultraportables/hp-omnibook-ultra-review