HP 16" OmniBook 5 AI Silver Review

The HP OmniBook 5 AI is a solidly average laptop with a few specific strengths. Its Intel 225U CPU and 16GB of RAM put it right in the middle of the pack for performance, landing at the 52nd and 50th percentiles respectively. That means it's fine for everyday tasks, but don't expect it to pull ahead of the crowd.

Where it gets interesting is the 16-inch touchscreen and the 67th percentile port score. You're getting a big, interactive display and a decent selection of ports, including HDMI 2.1, in a package that weighs 1.78kg. It's clearly built more for media and light work than for heavy lifting.

Performance is exactly what the numbers suggest: middle of the road. The 12-core Intel 225U is a modern chip, but its 1.5GHz base clock means it's not built for sustained heavy loads. In our benchmarks, it scores a 48.8 overall, with entertainment being its strongest suit at 50.9. That makes sense with the big touchscreen. Gaming, however, is a non-starter with integrated Intel Graphics, scoring a dismal 15 out of 100. The 512GB SSD is also on the smaller side, sitting in the 46th percentile for storage. It's got enough power for web browsing, office apps, and streaming, but that's about it.

At around $960, the value proposition is tricky. You're paying for the large touchscreen form factor more than raw power. Compared to a standard clamshell laptop at this price, you could get much stronger CPU and GPU performance. But if the 16-inch touch interface is a must-have for you, there aren't many options, and the OmniBook 5's middling specs might be the trade-off you have to accept.

Stacked against the competition, the OmniBook's role is clear. The ASUS Zenbook Duo offers a far more innovative dual-screen setup for creators. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and MSI Vector 16 are in a different league for gaming and raw power. Even the Apple MacBook Pro, while more expensive, offers transformative performance and battery life. The OmniBook's real competition might be other large-screen touch laptops, where its decent port selection and RAM could be advantages. But if you don't need the touchscreen, almost any other laptop near $1,000 will give you better performance or battery life.

The HP OmniBook 5 AI is a niche laptop. If your priority is a large, 16-inch touchscreen for media and light work, and you value having good ports, it's a reasonable choice. But the data doesn't lie: its performance is average, its storage is small, and its gaming chops are zero. For most people, that $960 is better spent on a laptop with more power, a better screen, or longer battery life. Only buy this if the specific touchscreen form factor is non-negotiable for you.