The best HP gaming PCs in 2022
Since it is one of the largest PC manufacturers in the world, HP has a massive lineup of pre-built PCs. The company sells everything from basic office machines to beastly gaming behemoths. HP’s also one of the largest manufacturers of hell’s spawn better known as printers, but that’s a story for another occasion.
Today, we’re looking at the best HP gaming PC. We’ve included six models in total and have something for everyone, no matter your budget and gaming preferences. The lineups shown here include the budget Pavilion and Victus models as well as a couple of higher-tier Omen pre-built configurations. While the first two brands primarily include budget and value picks, Omen gaming PCs usually include higher-tier hardware better suited for 1440p and 4K gaming.
While more affordable HP prebuilts offer excellent value for money, the PCs from their Omen lineup are quite pricey for what you get. If you want better value for money when it comes to mid-range and high-end options, check our lists of the best pre-built gaming PCs under $1500 and the best pre-built gaming PCs under $2000. Both lists feature a number of picks that include better hardware than Omen PCs while also costing less. Finally, if you want a big-name brand pre-built PC, you might want to check our guide for the best ASUS gaming PCs.
1. HP Pavilion TG-01: Best budget HP gaming PC
cpu Ryzen 5 5600G GPU RX 5500 memory 8 GB storage 256 GB SSD
This HP Pavilion TG-01 configuration is one of the best budget prebuilt gaming PCs overall and a definite pick for the best budget HP gaming PC. The Ryzen 5 5600G along with an RX 5500 create a gaming combo that simply can’t be trumped at this price. You might find a refurbished PC with a similar amount of gaming performance, but when it comes to new offerings, you’ll hardly find anything better.
The CPU here is on par with parts such as the Core i5-10400F/11400F/10600K, which is great to see for less than $600. While not the fastest kid in the block, the 5600G will play great with any GPU you might couple it with. Remember that once the RX 5500, the GPU part of the equation, stops being fast enough for new games.
At the moment, though, the RX 5500 can run any current AAA game between 40-60fps in 1080p with high or ultra details. Just turn texture quality down a notch since the card only has 4GB of video memory. Esports titles, of course, will run north of 100fps in 1080p and 1440p. Especially if you play those with competitive (read: low) settings.
Aside from the excellent CPU + GPU combo, this PC also includes 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD. While the former is standard when it comes to budget pre-built PC for gaming, HP could’ve offered a 1TB hard drive along with the SSD. Now, 8GB of single-channel memory isn’t enough for the latest and greatest games, so unless you’re satisfied with the out-of-box performance, we advise you to add another stick of RAM as soon as possible.
2. HP Victus 15L: Best white HP gaming PC
CPU Core i5-12400 gpu GTX 1660 Super memory 16 GB storage 512 GB SSD
Next pick on our list is the Intel CPU-flavored HP Victus 15L. This configuration, based on the Core i5-12400 and a GTX 1660 Super – the listing shows the PC includes GTX 1660 Super even though the title reads “GTX 1660” – is one of the best pre-built gaming PCs you can find for around $800. We’re talking about the version with 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD.
The base version is more affordable, but we strongly advise everyone to go for the 16GB of RAM instead. The price difference is about what you’d pay for adding 8GB of memory and a bigger SSD anyway; this way, you won’t have to open the case and manually install the extra RAM stick.
The Core i5-12400 is, along with the Ryzen 5 5600, the best mid-range gaming CPU you can get right now. And here, it’s found in a budget gaming machine. The CPU can work with any current GPU, which means you’ll be able to swap the GPU in the future for a newer one without creating a CPU bottleneck.
As for the GPU, the GTX 1660 Super can run almost any current game at 60fps or higher in 1080p with ultra settings. Some graphic hogs such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Dying Light 2 will run just below 60 frames per second but lowering a few options will push performance above the magic 60fps barrier. The card’s also great for esports titles in 1080p and 1440p. Overall, the Victus 15L offers incredible hardware for the price and gets a definite recommendation from us.
3. HP GM Pavilion: Best value HP gaming PC
cpu Ryzen 7 5700G gpu RTX 3060 memory 16 GB storage 512 GB SSD
If you’re looking for the best value HP gaming PC, take a look at this GM Pavilion desktop. It comes with a Ryzen 5700G CPU and an RTX 3060 GPU, a combo capable of pushing 60 frames per second or more in 1440p, and with most options set to high or ultra. In other words, this configuration is one tier above the previous two picks on this list.
The CPU here is an 8-core part that can be used both for gaming and serious work. It’s powerful enough to be kept once you decide to swap the GPU for something more powerful. As for the RTX 3060, the card’s perfect for high refresh rate 1080p gaming or ~60fps 1440p gaming, with high or ultra details.
The most demanding games will run below 60fps in 1440p but lowering a couple of most demanding settings will push these titles north of 60 frames per second. When it comes to esports games, the RTX 3060 can run those flawlessly in 1080p, 1440p, and even 4K.
Other specs include 16GB of memory and 512GB of SSD storage. 16GB of RAM is just right at this price point, while we would like to see a 1TB hard drive added to the SSD storage. Most other big-name brand pre-built PCs that cost around $1000 come with a 1TB HDD on top of the SSD storage. You also get the same plasticky case with zero airflow, but the thing is, even the pricier HP Omen PCs share the same issue with high thermals.
4. HP OMEN 30L: Best mid-range HP gaming PC
cpu Ryzen 7 5800X GPU RTX 3070 memory 16 GB storage 1 TB SSD
1 TB HDD
Our pick for the best mid-range HP gaming PC goes to the Omen 30L configuration based on the Ryzen 7 5800X and an RTX 3070. This combo is perfect for a high refresh rate 1440p gaming, no matter the game. And the 5800X is fast enough for heavy-CPU workloads such as video editing.
Every current title should run at or near 100fps per second on this PC with ultra visual settings, even stuff such as Cyberpunk 2077. Of course, you’ll have to turn on DLSS in the most demanding games to reach triple-digit performance metrics. An RTX 3070 can also churn around 60fps in 4K, but you’ll have to lower some visual settings in demanding games to keep a stable 60fps performance. Finally, you should reach 60 frames per second in 1440p if you turn on ray-tracing effects in games with RT support.
This PC also has 16GB of memory and a 1TB SSD + 1TB HDD storage combo. Both are fine offerings at this price, although you could argue that a gaming PC as pricey as this one should come with 32GB of memory. Further, HP paired the CPU with a 120mm AIO cooler. While not the greatest choice for CPU-heavy workloads, the included 120mm AIO cooler should be enough for gaming loads.
Finally, while the Omen 30L case isn’t the worst when it comes to thermals, you should get better temperatures if you place a single case fan on the bottom as an intake. Place it next to the PSU and ensure it blows fresh air into the PC. That way, you should get lower thermals for both the CPU and GPU. You can check out some great fans in our best RGB fans list.
5. CUK HP OMEN 30L: Best high-end HP gaming PC
cpu Core i9-10900KF gpu RTX 3090 memory 64 GB storage 1 TB SSD
3 TB HDD
Regarding high-end options, check out this upgraded Omen 30L featuring a core i9-10900KF and an RTX 3090. Now, HP does offer its Omen desktops with RTX 3080 GPUs. The thing is, the price difference between systems with 3080s and 3090s is too low for us to recommend the former.
So, unless you want to save every possible penny, this Omen 30L upgraded by CUK is the best high-end HP gaming PC we recommend buying. This is a perfect 4K gaming combo that delivers a butter smooth 60fps experience in any game with high-ultra visuals. Most games will run at 100 frames per second or higher, with DLSS on. And in 1440p, you can expect to see 100 frames per second on more, even in the latest AAA titles.
This PC comes with 64GB of memory, which is great for users who plan on doing more than gaming. 64GB of memory is excellent to have for semi-professional video editing or other CPU-heavy tasks such as rendering. You’ve also got a 1TB SSD and a 3TB hard drive. Plenty of storage no matter your needs.
Now, while a 120mm AIO was okay for the 5800X, an i9-10900KF will probably experience thermal issues when under load. The solution is to swap the included AIO cooler for something more powerful. A 240mm AIO should be fine if you don’t plan on overclocking. Also, a single case fan placed on the bottom of the case that blows fresh air inside the chassis should further improve thermals.
6. HP OMEN 30L GT13: Best refurbished HP gaming PC
cpu Ryzen 5 5600X GPU RTX 3080 memory 16 GB storage 256 GB SSD
Last but not least we have an excellent refurbished deal. The HP OMEN 30L GT13 features the Ryzen 5600X and an RTX 3080 while costing less than what you’d pay for an RTX 3060-equipped Omen 30L. In other words, this is a great deal! At the moment, a new pre-built gaming PC with an RTX 3080 would cost you about 40 percent more.
Overall, this is a powerful PC for high refresh rate 1440p & 4K gaming. A 1440p 240Hz monitor would go great alongside this build. The 5600X is slower than something like a 10900K or 5800X, but the differences in gaming performance between the three are minimal. It won’t impose a CPU bottleneck when paired with an RTX 3080, even at 1080p. Further, this CPU only needs 65W of power, meaning it will run cool & quiet even with the preinstalled 120mm AIO cooler.
Now, the rest of the specs are less than ideal. Only 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD are not what you’d expect at this price, even in a refurbished PC. But when you look at the CPU and graphics card you’re getting, low memory and storage become much more digestible. You can buy a budget 16GB DDR4 kit and a budget 512GB SSD and still pay less than $1500. Which, for an RTX 3080-powered pre-built gaming PC, is insanely low.
HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop review
The HP Omen 30L runs games beautifully, thanks to its powerful hardware and quiet cooling system. It's expensive, though, and packed with a lot of extraneous software and accessories.
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HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop review: Specs Price: Up to $3,280
Processor: Up to 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10900K
RAM: Up to 64 GB
Graphics Card: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090
Storage: Up to 2 TB SSD + 2 TB HDD
Accessories: HP USB Wired Keyboard, HP USB Wired Mouse
Ports: USB-A, USB-C, SD card, 3.5 mm audio, Ethernet, DisplayPort, HDMI
Size: 17.1 x 16.6 x 6.7 inches
Weight: 28.4 pounds
EDITOR'S NOTE: The HP Omen 30L won a "highly recommended" honor for best gaming desktop at the Tom's Guide Awards 2021 for gaming.
The HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop has one significant advantage over many of its competitors: It's quiet. It turns on with a gentle whirr, and provides ambient white noise when you're running demanding games. Compare and contrast to the jet engine sounds of other modern gaming rigs, and the Omen 30L has a lot going for it, even just as an everyday productivity machine.
And yet, once you do load up your favorite games, the Omen 30L renders them beautifully, running them in high resolutions, with fluid frame rates. Armed with an Nvidia 3080 GPU, an Intel Core i9 processor and 32 GB RAM, this machine can handle just about everything, from word-processing and music, to graphic design and video playback, to fully immersing you in demanding single- and multiplayer games.
Granted, you can't experience the Omen 30L's power if you can't find a unit. Tracking down one of these machines isn't necessarily easy, due to confusing availability and high prices. Furthermore, you'll have to uninstall a whole lot of needless bloatware, and replace the included mouse and keyboard ASAP.
Still, the Omen 30L is arguably one of the best gaming PCs, if you can get your hands on one. Read our full HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop review for the full story.
HP OMEN 30L at eBay for $649.99 (opens in new tab)
HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop review: Price and availability
The HP Omen 30L — like a lot of machines with Nvidia GeForce RTX 30-series GPUs — isn't easy to get ahold of right now. And if you can find one, it's not cheap.
The least expensive Omen 30L model on HP's website is the GT13-0295xt model. This costs $2,000 and comes with an Intel Core i7-10700K CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super GPU, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD + 2 TB HDD storage, and an air cooling system. This is out of stock at the time of writing.
Compare and contrast to the most expensive model: the Omen 30L GT13-0380t, which starts at $3,280. That will get you an Intel Core i7-10700K CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 GPU, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD + 2 TB HDD storage and a liquid cooling system. This model is in-stock — possibly because of its high asking price.
Our review model was the GT13-0093, which is somewhere in the middle. It's not currently available anywhere at MSRP, although an Amazon listing pegs it at $3,699. This model comes equipped with an Intel Core i9-10900K CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, 32 GB RAM, 2 TB SSD + 2 TB HDD storage and a liquid cooling system. It's an incredibly powerful machine, and given the high demand for 3080 GPUs, we're not surprised it's sold out at the moment.
HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop review: Design
The HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop is a gorgeous machine. It might actually be the best-looking gaming desktop I've ever reviewed, combining a sturdy black chassis, a striking front design and a handsome glass side panel. The front of the machine has a glass face with a colored LED diamond, and colored LED fan lighting; the side of the machine lets you see the gorgeous RGB components within. There are plenty of holes for ventilation on the sides, and they look like artistic choices rather than mechanical necessities.
Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: HP) (Image credit: HP) (Image credit: HP)
The device isn't obnoxiously large or heavy, either: 17.1 x 16.6 x 6.7 inches, and 28.4 pounds. This machine could probably live on top of a sturdy desk, although I kept our review unit on the floor with no ill effect (as is the case with many of the best gaming desks). Neither boring nor overdesigned, the Omen 30L illustrates that gaming desktops can look downright elegant with the right aesthetics.
HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop review: Ports and upgradability
There are plenty of ports on the HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop. Whether they're the ports you need, where you need them, is another matter. On the front of the machine, you get two USB-A ports, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a 3.5 mm mic jack and an SD card reader. You might notice that there's no USB-C port in the front; I certainly did. It's a strange, inconvenient oversight in what is otherwise such a powerful device.
(Image credit: HP)
Granted, you do get a single USB-C port on the back, along with five more USB-A ports, an Ethernet port and a handful of 3.5 mm audio ports. You'll also get DisplayPort and HDMI options, depending on your GPU. There's no optical audio port, which may come as a disappointment to audiophiles. Check out our picks for the best gaming headsets that will work with the Omen.
The inclusion of only a single USB-C port — on the back of the machine, no less — feels at-odds with the Omen 30L's state-of-the-art components. Many gaming peripherals (not to mention phones) have embraced USB-C connectivity, and that's not likely to change within the next few years. I can't imagine that the majority of gamers would rather have a front-facing SD card reader.
On the other hand, it's not too difficult to upgrade the Omen 30L. You can remove the side panel without using tools, and the layout inside is both spacious and clean.
HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop review: Gaming performance
The HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop delivers the kind of performance you'd expect from a PC with an Intel Core i9 processor and a GeForce RTX 3080 GPU. In the following chart, we've compared the Omen 30L to both the Dell XPS 8940 and the Corsair Vengeance i7200 . They're both powerful gaming desktops that can — but don't have to — cross the affordability threshold. The chart measures frame rates in frames per second, at both 1080p and 4K resolutions, with game settings turned up to Ultra.
Swipe to scroll horizontally Row 0 - Cell 0 HP Omen 30L Dell XPS 8940 Corsair Vengeance i7200 Assassin's Creed Valhalla 81 / 51 83 / 46 98 / 55 Grand Theft Auto V 150 / 54 135 / 42 161 / 56 Metro Exodus 118 / 64 99 / 49 126 / 68 Shadow of the Tomb Raider 143 / 56 118 / 41 151 / 59
The results are pretty clear across the board. The HP Omen 30L performed better than the XPS 8940, but not as well as the Corsair Vengeance i7200. In the case of the Dell, this makes sense, as that machine has an RTX 3070 GPU rather than an RTX 3080. It's interesting that the Vengeance i7200 performs better, however. While both systems have RTX 3080 GPUs, the Vengeance i7200 actually has a less powerful processor.
There are some significant differences in 1080p performance between the Omen 30L and the Vengeance i7200; almost 20 fps in Assassin's Creed, and more than 10 in GTAV. The 4K performance between the two is comparable, however, so bear that in mind if you plan to play in UHD.
Qualitatively speaking, the Omen 30L runs games beautifully. I tested the machine with Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, Doom Eternal, Baldur's Gate III and Final Fantasy XIV. Even with the graphics cranked up to Ultra on a QHD monitor, frame rates usually exceeded 60 fps, and the games themselves looked phenomenal. The Omen 30L can handle any PC game on the market with ease, and the outlook for the next few years looks good as well.
It's worth noting that if you want to expand your storage options, HP will offer you HDD space by default. You may want to simply install your own SSD instead; the difference in load times is considerable.
HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop review: Overall performance
When it comes to everyday productivity, the HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop is no slouch, either. Running all of my everyday programs at full tilt (word processor, music player, chat programs, e-mail client, etc.), I used about one-third of the system's memory and less than 10% of the CPU. As with most gaming desktops, office work can do very little to faze the Omen 30L.
Likewise, the Omen 30L actually performs better than the XPS 8940 and the Vengeance i7200 in certain productivity metrics. It can copy over 25 GB of media from a thumb drive at a rate of 1,166 MBps. Compare and contrast to the XPS 8940 at 439 MBps or the Vengeance i7200 at 824 MBps.
In terms of raw artificial metrics, the Omen 30L scored an 11,258 on the Geekbench 5.4 benchmarking test. We have not yet used Geekbench 5.4 to benchmark other gaming PCs, so it's difficult to say how the Omen 30L stacks up against competitors. In a vacuum, it's a high score, however. Everyday productivity machines can score around 1,500, as a point of comparison.
As mentioned above, the Omen 30L's liquid cooling system is a thing of beauty, keeping the GPU cool (up to 35 degrees Celsius for productivity; up to 80 degrees Celsius for gaming) and the system very quiet.
However, there are two components of the Omen 30L that will hamper your workflow, and those are the included mouse and keyboard. The HP USB Wired Keyboard and the HP USB Wired Mouse are, without a doubt, the worst pack-in peripherals I have ever tested, and I cannot recommend them, even just as a stopgap while you pick out better accessories.
Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: HP) (Image credit: HP)
The keyboard has an extremely low profile and shallow key travel, with little space between the keys and a design that puts the vital F and J keys slightly off-center. The mouse is likewise extremely low to the ground, and has a tiny, inefficient scroll wheel. These are not good gaming gadgets; they're not even good productivity gadgets. HP actually makes a handful of decent gaming accessories (opens in new tab), and I cannot fathom why it didn't include some of those.
HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop review: Software
Another area where the HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop falls short is in its included software package. There's a fair amount of preinstalled software, and none of it is really useful. There's an audio manager, which is no better than the regular Windows sound system. There's the HP JumpStarts program, which seems like a whole lot of ads on top of a serial number, and not much else. The Omen Gaming Hub controls the PC's lighting, which is useful — but it also delivers ads, and offers to manage your games in ways that the Nvidia GeForce Experience software already does better.
The real bugbear, however, is the preinstalled McAfee Antivirus. I've written before about how McAfee eats up system resources, while false-flagging game files and forcing you to run the program at all times. Uninstall it and use Windows Defender instead; you and your PC will both be happier. Better yet: As soon as you get the Omen 30L, just wipe it clean and install a fresh copy of Windows 10. You can download the Omen software to manage lighting separately.
HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop review: Verdict
In spite of some questionable accessories and software, the HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop is a thing of beauty. It's elegant, quiet and powerful. It's also extremely expensive, and it can be pretty confusing to buy the right one, so be prepared to do a little research if it sounds like the gaming rig for you.
The Corsair Vengeance i7200 is arguably a more powerful machine in the same general price range, and that's also quite a pretty machine. But the Vengeance is also slightly larger and bulkier, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to save a little space on top of your desk — or underneath it.
8 Best HP Laptops for Business
Another HP laptop designed for business and enterprise needs, the EliteBook 645 G9 contains the latest, powerful AMD Ryzen 7 Pro processor with 2 GHz base clock speed with 4.5 GHz max boost clock speed. This laptop weighs in at 3lbs, which is about par for the course of laptops in its class.
If you’re accident-prone when it comes to your devices, don’t fret--the chassis is all metal beside the bezels and comes in a silver matte color. Additionally, the EliteBook 645 G9 has run the gauntlet of 19 military-standardized tests (MIL-STD-810H), which includes water, high voltage and drop testing.
Display-wise, the EliteBook 645 G9 gives you options. While this particular configuration has an IPS panel, you can also select a TN panel, which are great for gamers who want high refresh rates for competitive gaming. Check out our article on types of monitors to learn more about the different panel types you can choose from when buying a computer. Also, there is a touchscreen variation of this laptop if you prefer.
For durability, portability and power all in one compact package, you can’t go wrong with the EliteBook 645 G9.
