With Omen 15, HP confirms that it deserves its place among the best manufacturers of PCs for gamers. Powerful, complete, and well made, we really liked this machine, despite a few flaws. The Omen 15 is supposed to offer a level of 3D performance worthy of a desktop PC, thanks to a powerful Nvidia GeForce 1070 GTX Max-Q chip, a high-end display, and Harman-Kardon speakers. HP is also highlighting the possibility of easily replacing the machine’s storage modules (SSD and hard drive) with higher capacity models.
Dell’s first “thin and light” laptop dedicated to gaming, the Alienware m15 integrates a powerful configuration with an Nvidia GTX 1070 3D chip, in an elegant case weighing only 2.2 kilos. With this Alienware m15, Dell is competing in a booming family of computers, that of “thin and light” laptops dedicated to video games. Machines that are at the same time very powerful, elegant, and truly nomadic.
Pros and Cons
| HP Omen 15 | Dell Alienware m15 |
| The high level of equipment and finish | The powerful configuration |
| Good 3D performance | Nice finish and compact |
| The discretion of ventilation | Annoying noise of the ventilation |
| Battery last for barely 3 hours | Narrow keyboard keys |
| Weak contrast and brightness |
General Info
| HP Omen 15 | Dell Alienware m15 | |
| Series | Omen 15 | Alienware m15 |
| Brand | HP | Dell |
| Model Number | 15-dc0002nf | m15 r2 |
| Weight | 2.52 kg | 2.16 kg |
| OS | Windows 10 Home 64 | Windows 10 Home |
| Display | 15.6 Inch | 15.6 Inch |
| Type | Laptop | Laptop |
Display
| HP Omen 15 | Dell Alienware m15 | |
| Display Type | FHD WLED | LED |
| Display Size | 15.6 Inches | 15.6 Inches |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 Pixels | 1920 x 1080 Pixel |
| Dimensions | 360 x 263 x 25 mm | 380 x 260 x 29 mm |
| Display Touchscreen | No | No |
HP Omen 15
The screen holds some very good surprises. and some disappointments. Gamers will be in heaven, with a Full-HD (1920 x 1080) panel certified G-Sync, Nvidia’s adaptive synchronization system which optimizes the fluidity of games. As a bonus, the HP Omen panel can display up to 144 images per second. To play or to work, we also appreciate the matte coating of the panel, which greatly limits reflections.
Very well. But we also note, under Windows, that the panel lacks uniformity: we quickly perceive small differences in brightness on the edges of the screen. Our measuring devices also show a small deficit in brightness (289 cd / m²) and contrast (769: 1).
Another disappointment, the camera placed above the screen is not an infrared model, which makes it incompatible with Microsoft’s Windows Hello biometric recognition system. No way, suddenly, to open a Windows session without entering your password, as on the small ZenBook 13 from Asus or the Blade Stealth 13 from Razer previously tested by the editorial staff.
Dell Alienware m15
On the screen side, Dell retains a 15.6-inch panel in Full HD definition (1920 x 1080 pixels), framed by fairly wide borders. On our high-end model, this screen offers a maximum refresh rate of 144 Hz (the basic version is limited to 60 Hz). The image is very clean, crisp, and homogeneous, even if the brightness of the panel (314 cd / m²) and especially its contrast ratio (987: 1) are a little low. Namely, Dell does not offer – for the moment? – a QHD (2560 x 1440) or 4K (3840 x 2160) panel for its Alienware m15, even with the most expensive options offered on its site.
Small disappointment on this Dell yet high-end, the camera housed above the screen is not compatible with the Windows Hello biometric identification system. As with other laptops like the Asus ZenBook 13, it does not allow you to automatically open your Windows session by recognizing your face. The Alienware m51 also lacks a fingerprint reader, the other biometric sensor managed by Windows Hello.
Specification
| HP Omen 15 | Dell Alienware m15 | |
| Processor Name | Intel Core i7-8750H (8th Gen) | Core i7-9750H (9th Gen) |
| Chipset | Intel® HM370 | Intel |
| Graphics | NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1070 | Dedicated Graphics NVIDIA |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR4 | 8 GB DDR4 RAM |
| Storage | 1 TB SATA | 512 SSD |
HP Omen 15
HP offers its device in several versions, accessible from 999 euros. Here we are testing the most high-end version of the Omen 15 (complete reference: 15-dc0002nf), which costs nearly 2300 USD. At this price point, we are entitled to a very solid configuration, based on an excellent 6-core processor from Intel, the Core i7-8750H (2.2 GHz for the base frequency, up to 4.1 GHz at top speed), and 16 GB of DDR4 RAM.
For storage, HP combines an ultra-fast 256 GB SSD, in M.2 format (NVMe), and a 1 TB mechanical hard drive, a nice little Hitachi at 7,200 rpm. The Windows 10 operating system and the various HP utilities are obviously installed on the SSD.
Dell Alienware m15
The Alienware m15 can be personalized via a large set of options offered on its website. One of the only common, unchangeable elements is the processor, an excellent 6-core Intel model (Core i7-8750H). In its basic version at 2000 USD, the Alienware m15 also includes 8 GB of DDR4 memory, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 chip, and a 256 GB SSD storage module.
Performance
| HP Omen 15 | Dell Alienware m15 | ||
| Graphic Processor | GeForce | Dedicated Graphics | |
| Processor | GTX 1070 | Nvidia | |
| Graphic Ram | 8 GB | 6 GB |
In terms of performance: for playing or for work, the Omen 15 is an excellent companion. For many, many users, it will make a great replacement for an aging desktop PC.
On the Alienware m15, the chip is helped, it is true, by the impressive power of the Intel processor, a large amount of RAM, and the responsiveness of the SSD module. This high-end configuration is obviously very suitable, beyond the game, for all “heavy” applications such as photo and video editing, 3D creation, website management.
Powerful and versatile, the Dell machine is also, unfortunately, very noisy as soon as it is called upon a little. Clearly audible, but bearable, during image editing or intensive office work. No big problem insight if you play with headphones on the m15.
Multimedia
| HP Omen 15 | Dell Alienware m15 | ||
| Web-cam | Yes | HD Webcam | |
| Speakers | Dual Speakers | Dual Speakers | |
| Microphone Jack | Yes | Yes | |
| Wireless Lan | Wireless-AC 9560 802.11b/g/n/ac | IEEE 802.11ac | |
| Bluetooth | v5.0 | v5.0 | |
| Memory Slots | Yes | Yes | |
| HDMI Port | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| HP Omen 15 | Dell Alienware m15 | |
| Battery Cell | 4 Cell | – |
| Battery Power Supply | 200 W AC power adapter | – |
| Battery Type | Lithium-Ion Polymer | Lithium-Ion Polymer |
| Battery Life | Up to 6 hours and 15 minutes | Up to 4 hours |
The only real big weak point of the HP, even if we hardly expected miracles from such a powerful machine, is really low when it comes to battery life. At best, we can count on 3 hours and 20 minutes of battery freedom for light use surfing the Internet, viewing photos, messaging. The battery life drops to 2.50 hours for continuous HD video playback: just what it takes to distract yourself with a good movie during a train trip. And to play, let’s be clear, you have to stay very close to an electrical outlet.
Gaming laptops rarely make very good travelers. If the reasonable dimensions and weight of the Alienware m15 make it easy to carry around, its battery does not last very long: no more than three hours on average in our various tests imposed, streaming video, surfing the Internet, or office applications.
Which is better!
Powerful, complete, and pleasant to use, this HP Omen laptop will be a good replacement for a large desktop computer, including for gaming. This HP machine is indeed very well equipped, with a large 6-core processor, a chip 3D Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070, and a G-Sync certified Full-HD display. The correct set of sockets allows the use of many devices. Relatively compact and discreet for a gaming machine, however, the HP Omen is not a big traveler. It’s a bit heavy – 2.5 kilos for the case, and its battery only gives it three hours of battery life on average.
The Alienware m15 is a powerful gaming machine, housed in a surprisingly thin and light portable case, weighing just over 2 kilos. Capable of running all recent games in Full HD with a very good level of detail, this highly customizable gaming laptop is also a good multimedia creation tool (video editing, 3D imagery, etc.). Unfortunately, this excellent technical record is tarnished by a major defect, the very annoying noise of the ventilation when the machine is under heavy strain. Hopefully, the problem can be corrected by updating the drivers or the Bios.
