The HP OmniBook 5 is arguably the best value laptop series currently available. Not only do they deliver reliable performance and long-lasting battery life, but they also have an ultraportable design that’s perfect for travel. And if you’re into on-device AI features, these notebooks also have you covered.
Right now, HP offers the OmniBook 5 14 and OmniBook 5 16, which are 14- and 16-inch laptops (respectively). You can opt for models featuring a traditional clamshell design, or a 2-in-1 with the OmniBook 5 Flip. Inside, these laptops pack your choice of a Snapdragon X, an AMD Ryzen AI, or an Intel Core chip. You can see available models on HP's dedicated OmniBook 5 product page.
Starting for as low as $729 (or lower, depending on sales), the HP OmniBook 5 laptops could be the ideal choice for budget-minded folks. Here’s everything you need to know about the HP OmniBook 5 series, including our in-house performance benchmark and battery life test results.
HP OmniBook 5 series: Specs
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | HP OmniBook 5 14 |
Price (starting) | $799 |
Display | 14-inch, 1920 x 1200, OLED |
CPU | Up to Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus 8-core |
GPU | Qualcomm Adreno Graphics |
RAM | Up to 32GB |
Storage | Up to 1TB |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Dimensions | 12.29 x 8.56 x 0.5 inches |
Weight | 2.84 pounds (starting) |
Design
Like last year’s OmniBooks, these laptops are thin and light devices tailor-made to take around your home or across the world. They’re aesthetically pleasing, thanks to their plain aluminum chassis that’s adorned only with an HP logo on the lid. Because of that, they’re laptops that blend into just about every environment.
You’ll get a decent number of ports on the regular 14- and 16-inch OmniBook 5 laptops. This includes a pair of USB-C ports, a USB-A port, and a headphone jack. The 16-inch model with a full keyboard has two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, a headphone jack and an HDMI port.
The keys are pretty thick and evenly spaced. The large font on each letter is also a nice touch. You’ll probably also enjoy the large trackpad, which is smooth and responsive.
Display
The HP OmniBook 5 laptops come in 14- and 16-inch variants. They offer a minimum of 1920 x 1200 resolution, and you can configure some models with an OLED panel. Regardless, you’ll get a good, if unexceptional, viewing experience when watching videos or getting work done.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | HP OmniBook 5 | HP OmniBook 5 Flip | HP OmniBook 5 NGAI |
Nits (brightness) | 306 | 270 | 274 |
sRGB | 61.8% | 62.3% | 194.5% |
DCI-P3 | 43.8% | 44.2% | 138.4% |
Delta-E | 0.18 | 0.28 | 0.28 |
We’ve put three HP OmniBook 5 laptops through our display benchmarks. As you can see in the table above, the OmniBook 5 and OmniBook 5 Flip don’t hit the desired 100% of sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts, which means you won’t get the most vivid colors. Conversely, the OmniBook 5 NGAI with an OLED display has very oversaturated color reproduction. That said, their color accuracy (Delta-E) is generally good.
The OmniBook 5 laptops we’ve tested generally deliver decent brightness, though all fall below 300 nits of brightness, even the OLED model. This could be a turn-off if you want a brighter screen, but a bonus if you don’t want to stare at a bright screen for hours on end.
Performance
The models we tested have mid-range CPUs such as the AMD Ryzen AI 5 350, Snapdragon X Plus, and Intel Core 7 150U. Thanks to these processors, the HP OmniBook 5 laptops are good for everyday tasks like surfing the web, checking email, and watching streaming videos. However, don’t expect these laptops for demanding tasks like video editing or high-end gaming.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | HP OmniBook 5 | HP OmniBook 5 Flip | HP OmniBook 5 NGAI |
Geekbench 6 (single-core) | 2732 | 2,581 | 2,414 |
Geekbench 6 (multi-core) | 10,223 | 8,956 | 11,309 |
On the Geekbench 6 CPU test, the OmniBook 5 laptops delivered decent performance in single- and multi-core tasks. The Intel-powered machine did the worst of the lot, while the Snapdragon X Plus machine fared the best.
Our thermal testing also revealed that these laptops can get uncomfortably hot. We consider 95 degrees as our comfort threshold, and all three test laptops went well above that—with the OmniBook 5 getting as hot as 108 degrees Fahrenheit on its rear underside. In short, you’ll want to keep these laptops on a desk to spare your lap.
Battery Life
HP marketed the OmniBook 5 laptops as having up to 34 hours of battery life. While none of the laptops we tested achieved that lofty number, they still deliver better than expected battery life for Windows laptops. Sure, they don’t last as long as the best MacBooks, but they should last you for more than a full workday.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Time (hours:mins) |
HP OmniBook 5 | 16:02 |
HP OmniBook 5 Flip | 11:47 |
HP OmniBook 5 NGAI | 11:30 |
Our battery life test involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi with the display set to 150 nits. At those settings, the Snapdragon X Plus-powered OmniBook 5 NG AI lasted for an impressive 16 hours and 2 minutes. For comparison, the 15-inch MacBook Air M4 lasted for 15 hours and 22 minutes.
The OmniBook 5 Flip lasted for 11 hours and 47 minutes, while the OmniBook 5 endured for 11 hours and 30 minutes. While that’s not as long as the OmniBook 5 NG AI, this is still longer than a standard 8-hour workday.
Bottom line
If you’re looking for a reliable laptop for everyday tasks, the HP OmniBook 5 series is a smart option. Not only are they great for things like checking emails and surfing the web, but they also offer phenomenal battery life for Windows 11 laptops. Best of all, these laptops cost well under $1,000, meaning you won’t have to break the bank.
With the rising cost of electronics, the OmniBook 5 series provides a great option for people who just want a solid machine for work. If you’re looking for a new laptop, then we highly recommend you consider an HP OmniBook 5 laptop. So long as you keep expectations in check regarding performance, you’ll get a truly dependable PC.
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- Top 5 Windows 11 picks to get after Windows 10 ends
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