• Lightweight and minimalistic

  HP Omen Transcend 14

  $1200 $1500 Save $300

  CPU

  Up to Intel Core Ultra 9 185H

  GPU

  Integrated Intel Arc graphics, Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (8GB)

  RAM

  Up to 32GB LPDDR5x RAM (7467MHz)

  Storage

  Up to 2TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD

  Battery

  6-cell, 71 Wh Li-ion polymer. 140W USB Type-C power adapter included

  This new gaming laptop from HP is lightweight and delivers what you need in terms of gaming power. It's powered by Intel Core Ultra processors and Nvidia RTX graphics. It's redesigned to seem more like a regular laptop than a gaming one.

  Pros & Cons

  • Intel Core Ultra processors
  • 2.8K OLED panel
  • Incredibly thin

  • Need to upgrade GPU for better gaming resolution

  $1200 at HP
• Portable and flashy

  ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)

  CPU

  Up to AMD Ryzen 9 8940HS

  GPU

  Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU

  RAM

  Up to 32GB LPDDR5X-6400 onboard memory

  Storage

  Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe Gen4 SSD

  Battery

  73Wh

  Display (Size, Resolution)

  16:10 3K 120Hz/0.2ms Nebula Display with OLED panel

  The completely redesigned Zephyrus G14 is simple but packs a punch. This gaming laptop has a G-SYNC capable OLED display and your games come through so clearly, even if it's filled with fast movement. This has up to an AMD Ryzen 9 processor and Nvidia RTX GPUs crammed into its thin and lightweight build.

  Pros & Cons

  • 3K OLED display
  • AMD Ryzen 9 CPU
  • G-SYNC capabilities

  $2200 at Asus

CES is packed with amazing product reveals each year and this year was no different. In terms of laptops, there were a ton of debuts that caught the world's eye, as some of the best laptops got even better this year. For gaming laptops, two of the most reliable lines are the HP Omen and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus. For 2024, two of the best gaming laptops have been redesigned and they are simpler and thinner than previous versions. But don't be fooled by the design and the portability of these, as they pack a huge punch in terms of power. You can use them for gaming and work and you'll be wowed by the experience. If you're in the market for a new gaming laptop, let us help with the decision, as we break down the HP Omen Transcend 14 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14.

Price, specs, and availability

One is a lot pricier than the other

Both the HP Omen Transcend and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 are currently available for preorder from their manufacturer. They will likely be available soon at third party retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. The Omen Transcend starts at $1,500 and offers up to 2TB of storage and 32GB of RAM. You'll get one Thunderbolt 4 port, a USB-C and two USB-A ports, a combo audio jack, and an HDMI port.

The Zephyrus G14 starts at $1,600 and provides up to 1TB of storage and 32GB of RAM. For ports, you'll see one USB 4 port, two USB-A and one USB-C port, an HDMI port, a MicroSD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack. You're getting a lot of the same in terms of connections.

• HP Omen Transcend 14

  CPU

  Up to Intel Core Ultra 9 185H

  GPU

  Integrated Intel Arc graphics, Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (8GB)

  RAM

  Up to 32GB LPDDR5x RAM (7467MHz)

  Storage

  Up to 2TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD

  Battery

  6-cell, 71 Wh Li-ion polymer. 140W USB Type-C power adapter included

  Display (Size, Resolution)

  14-inch 2.8K (2880x1800) resolution OLED panel with 48-120 Hz refresh rate, 400 nits peak brightness, and 0.2ms response time

  Ports

  Thunderbolt 4, USB-C (10Gbps), two USB-A (10Gbps), HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio

  Weight

  3.87 pounds (1.76kg)

  Connectivity

  Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) Bluetooth 5.4 wireless card

  Starting Price

  $1,500

  Webcam

  HP True Vision 1080p FHD IR camera

• ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)

  CPU

  Up to AMD Ryzen 9 8940HS

  GPU

  Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU

  RAM

  Up to 32GB LPDDR5X-6400 onboard memory

  Storage

  Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe Gen4 SSD

  Battery

  73Wh

  Display (Size, Resolution)

  16:10 3K 120Hz/0.2ms Nebula Display with OLED panel

  Ports

  1 x Type-C USB4 with DP + PD 1 x Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 with DP 2 x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 2 1 x HDMI 2.1 1 x Micro SD Card Reader (UHS II) 1 x 3.5mm Audio Jack

  Weight

  3.3 pounds

  Connectivity

  WiFi 6E Bluetooth 5.3

  Starting Price

  $1,600

  Webcam

  1080P

  $2200 at Asus

Design

Both are easy to transport

The point of the redesign of both of these laptops was to make them more portable. When you think of gaming laptops, they tend to be a bit heavier and be very flashy. Both of these laptops are more simple in their design. The Omen Transcend measures just 0.71 inches thick and that's at its thickest part. It's only 3.87 pounds and has an aluminum chassis that is sleek. It comes in either Shadow Black or Ceramic White for the color. You'll get a HP TrueVision 1080p FHD camera for the webcam but you can choose one with an FHD IR camera. It has a four-zone RGB backlit keyboard and the precision touchpad provides ample space. For connectivity, it utilizes either Bluetooth 5.3 or up to Intel Wi-Fi 7.

The Zephyrus G14 is also incredibly thin, measuring just 0.62 inches at its thickest part. This only weighs 3.3 pounds, making it even lighter than the Omen Transcend. It also has an aluminum chassis and is offered in either Platinum White or Eclipse Grey. This too has a 1080p FHD IR webcam. It also has a backlit keyboard, but only the touchpad has RGB lighting. The keyboard is spaced for easy use and the touchpad is very responsive. The connectivity comes from either Wi-Fi 6E or Bluetooth 5.3.

Display

Special features from both

Both of these have gorgeous panels that will make gaming special. The Omen Transcend only provides one option when it comes to a display, but that doesn't take away from how good it is. You'll get a 2.8K OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate that's sure to please any gamer. The response time is miniscule at 0.2ms. Not only that, it has a variable refresh rate that will refresh as you're using it in order to provide you with the best optics and the smoothest view. It offers up to 500 nits in HDR and low blue light on its edge-to-edge glass display. The screen-to-body ratio is 83.73%, so you're getting a ton to look at.

To compare, the Zephyrus G14 also has a 2.8K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The 16:10 aspect ratio and the 0.2 response time make it a top-notch laptop for gaming. The glossy display looks brilliant and games and HDR content can really shine, thanks to the 100% DCI-P3 and True Black 500 certification. The Zephyrus G14 is the first Asus OLED gaming laptop with Nvidia G-Sync, which delivers motion clarity while you're gaming, even when the framerate dips.

Performance and battery life

Power that matters

Both of these laptops have updated processors from their previous iterations. The Omen Transcend has upgraded to the Intel Meteor Lake processor line, the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, a 16-core, 22-thread processor with a max clock speed of 5.1GHz for its top-of-the-line model. You can also opt for an Intel Core Ultra 7, which is also a 16-core, 22-thread processor but has a max clock speed of 4.8GHz. It also includes an NPU to help with AI-driven workloads, giving your laptop a boost for heavier tasks. The Intel Core Ultra line of processors also helps with battery life, which can only help when you have a portable gaming laptop. For GPU, either Nvidia RTX 4050, 4060, or 4070 graphics. The RTX 4070 are only available with 32GB of RAM, which is the max you can get. For storage, you can get up to 2TB.

The Zephyrus G14 uses an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor, which is an eight-core, 16-thread processor with a max clock speed of 5.2GHz. This has 16TOPS for the NPU, based on the XDNA architecture, allowing it to work well with AMD Ryzen AI and Windows Studio Effects. You'll be able to get the Nvidia RTX 4060 or 4070 for graphics. So both of these laptops provide stellar graphics and are boosted for AI capabilities. You're able to get either 8GB or 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage.

While we haven't been able to test out the battery life for either of these laptops yet, the Zephyrus G14 does have a slightly larger one, 73Whr compared to 71Whr. But the Intel Core Ultra processor has proven to do wonders for the battery life of its laptops, so the Omen Transcend may have a longer battery life.

Which one is right for you?

If you're looking for a gaming laptop that is truly going to pop with color, not lag behind, and be a breeze to carry it wherever you want to game, either of these laptops will work well. Both laptops are packed with ports, offer beautiful OLED displays, and are powered by impressive CPUs. We are giving the slight edge to the HP Omen Transcend 14 solely because we like the Intel Core Ultra processors' overall performance better and love the RGB backlighting for a gaming laptop. It also has more storage capabilities, which can be important if you're using your gaming laptop for more than just gaming. The variable refresh rate will really help as you're gaming, so you're seeing the smoothest levels of gameplay.

If you are someone that has used ASUS ROG devices in the past, the newest Zephyrus G14 is sure to impress you. It's a minimalist laptop with a ton of power and the G-SYNC feature is an impressive add-on that is new to OLED laptops. It's incredibly lightweight and will work well in nearly any gaming situation.