HP OMEN 45L Gaming 2023 Review

The HP Omen 45L has a beastly i9-13900KF CPU and great cooling, but it's hamstrung by only 16GB of slow-running RAM. Its GPU performance is in the 79th percentile. Not worth the $2,300 price tag unless you plan to upgrade the memory right away.

The HP Omen 45L is a gaming tower that puts a top-tier Intel i9-13900KF processor front and center. It's built for raw speed, with an RTX 4070 Ti and a unique cooling system that looks like it belongs in a sci-fi movie.

But it's also a big, heavy beast. The compact score in our database is a dismal 27.6 out of 100, so you'll need the desk space. It's a classic trade-off: maximum power in exchange for a sizable footprint.

That i9-13900KF is a monster, landing in the 92nd percentile for CPU power. It'll crush any game or creative task you throw at it. The RTX 4070 Ti is no slouch either, sitting comfortably in the 79th percentile for GPU performance. The main hiccup, according to our data and user reports, is the RAM. It's only 16GB of DDR5, and several owners have noted it runs slower than expected out of the box, which can cause some stuttering in demanding scenarios.

At around $2,300, it's a tough sell. You're paying a premium for that fancy cooling and the HP Omen brand. The core specs—the i9 and 4070 Ti—are excellent, but the skimpy 16GB RAM feels like a cost-cutting move that hurts the overall value. You can find pre-builts with similar core performance and more balanced specs for less money.

Compared to something like the Dell Alienware Aurora, the Omen 45L often has a slight edge in pure cooling and CPU performance, but Alienware's support and design are more polished. The Lenovo Legion Tower 5i often undercuts it on price for similar GPU power, though with a less flashy CPU. And if you're looking at mini PCs like the new ROG NUC, forget it—this thing is the polar opposite in size. The Omen is for people who want a showpiece tower with no compromises on thermal headroom.

If you're on a tight budget or want a balanced, out-of-the-box experience, skip this. The RAM issue is a real problem you'll likely have to fix yourself. Also, if you have a small desk or need to move your PC often, this 50-pound behemoth is the wrong choice.

Buy this if you want a no-holds-barred gaming CPU in a well-cooled, conversation-starting case, and you're willing to immediately upgrade the RAM. It's for the enthusiast who values thermal performance and that specific Omen aesthetic over getting the most balanced specs for their dollar.