The HP OMEN MAX 16 (2025) is a premium gaming laptop. It's available with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX or Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU and various discrete NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50-series GPUs, from an RTX 5060 to an RTX 5090. Memory and storage max out at 64GB and 2TB, respectively. Display options include a 165Hz FHD+, a 240Hz QHD+ IPS, and a 240Hz QHD+ OLED panel—all three support G-SYNC variable refresh rate. This laptop has a 1080p webcam with facial recognition, a Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 wireless adapter, and RGB keyboard backlighting. Ports comprise two 10Gbps USB-As, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4s, an HDMI 2.1, a 1Gbps Ethernet, and a headphone jack.
See our unit's specifications and the available configuration options in the Differences Between Variants section.
Our Verdict
The HP OMEN MAX 16 is alright for general productivity. Its Intel CPU and discrete GPU can easily handle productivity tasks like web browsing, text formatting, and spreadsheets. However, the user experience is so-so; it has a large 16-inch display that's well suited for multitasking, but the keyboard feels mushy and might take some time to get used to it. The webcam is pretty good, though, and you also get tons of ports for peripherals and external displays. Unfortunately, this is a rather bulky laptop, and its battery lasts only seven to eight hours in light uses, so you'll need to keep the charger nearby.
Sturdy build.
Large screen for multitasking.
Responsive touchpad.
Good 1080p webcam.
Bulky and heavy.
Battery lasts less than eight hours in light uses.
Keyboard requires some adaptation.
The HP OMEN MAX 16 is decent for media consumption. It has a large 16-inch screen, and there are multiple display options, including a QHD+ OLED panel that'll deliver an amazing dark room and HDR viewing experience. The speakers get reasonably loud with minimal compression artifacts at higher volume levels. They sound okay—clear but slightly boxy, with only a small amount of bass. Unfortunately, this is a rather bulky laptop that's hard to carry. Its battery life isn't bad, though, lasting around six hours of local video playback.
Large screen.
Available with OLED panel for better dark room and HDR viewing experience.
Battery lasts around six hours of local video playback.
Bulky and heavy.
Speakers lack bass.
The HP OMEN MAX 16 is a great gaming laptop. Available with Intel Arrow Lake CPUs and NVIDIA 50-series GPUs, this 16-inch laptop can deliver smooth gameplay in demanding AAA titles. There are multiple display options, including a 165Hz FHD+ and two 240Hz QHD+ (IPS and OLED) panels, all with G-SYNC support to reduce screen tearing. You can choose between a Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 wireless adapter, and if that isn't good enough, there's also a gigabit Ethernet port to ensure you get the best internet connection when gaming online. RAM and storage are user-upgradeable, so you can upgrade or add more later. Thermal throttling is very minimal, but the fans are extremely loud.
Delivers high, consistent frame rates in demanding games.
High-refresh display with decent response time.
VRR support.
Minimal thermal throttling.
User-replaceable RAM and storage.
Loud fans under load.
Although the HP OMEN MAX 16 isn't designed for use as a workstation, it can be a great option, as it has plenty of processing power to handle demanding tasks. The downside is that you can only get this laptop with NVIDIA's more mainstream GeForce GPUs, which aren't optimal for some professional workloads. This system can handle content creation, though it's best to get a model with the QHD+ 100% DCI-P3 OLED panel, as the other displays only have full sRGB coverage. You get plenty of ports for peripherals and external displays, including two Thunderbolt 4s and a gigabit Ethernet. RAM configuration maxes out at 64GB; however, the memory is user-replaceable, and so is the storage drive. There's very little thermal throttling under load, but the fans get extremely loud.
CPU and discrete GPU can handle demanding workloads.
Minimal thermal throttling.
User-replaceable RAM and storage.
Loud fans under load.
No professional discrete GPU option.
Changelog
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Updated Nov 18, 2025:
Added mention of the Dell Alienware 18 Area-51 (2025) as an alternative with a larger display in the Screen Specs section.
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Updated Oct 30, 2025:
We've updated text throughout the review after converting to Test Bench 0.9.
- Updated Oct 30, 2025: We've updated the review to Test Bench 0.9, which adds several test boxes in the performance section, including CPU/RAM Performance, Low Tier Graphics, High Tier Graphics, Professional 3D (GPU accelerated), CPU-Intensive Game Performance, GPU-Intensive Game Performance, and Ray Tracing Performance. See the 0.9 changelog here.
- Updated Jun 04, 2025: Review published.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the HP OMEN MAX 16 (model 16-ah0070ca) with a 240Hz QHD+ IPS screen, an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. The screen, CPU, GPU, memory, and storage are configurable; the available options are below.
SCREEN
- 16" IPS 1920 x 1200 165Hz (matte, 400 cd/m², 100% sRGB)
- 16" IPS 2560 x 1600 240Hz (matte, 500 cd/m², 100% sRGB)
- 16" OLED 2560 x 1600 240Hz (glossy, 400 cd/m² SDR/500 cd/m² HDR, 100% DCI-P3)
CPU
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX (20 cores/20 threads, up to 5.2GHz, 30MB L3 cache)
- Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (24 cores/24 threads, up to 5.4GHz, 36MB L3 cache)
GPU
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU 8GB GDDR7 (unknown TGP)
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU 8GB GDDR7 (unknown TGP)
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU 12GB GDDR7 (unknown TGP)
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU 16GB GDDR7 (175W TGP)
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU 24GB GDDR7 (175W TGP, Core Ultra 9 only)
MEMORY
- 16GB DDR5 5600MHz (1x 16GB)
- 16GB DDR5 5600MHz (2x 8GB)
- 24GB DDR5 5600MHz (2x 12GB)
- 32GB DDR5 5600MHz (2x 16GB)
- 32GB DDR5 6400MHz (2x 16GB)
- 64GB DDR 5600MHz (2x 32GB)
- 64GB DDR5 6400MHz (2x 32GB)
STORAGE
- 512GB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD
- 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD
- 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe Performance SSD
- 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 5 NVMe Performance SSD
- 2TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe Performance SSD
- Dual storage option: 2x 512GB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD
COLOR
- Shadow Black
- Ceramic White
See our unit's label.
Popular Laptop Comparisons
The HP OMEN MAX 16 is an excellent gaming laptop that delivers smooth gameplay in demanding titles. That said, the NVIDIA 50-series GPUs are only a minor upgrade over the 40-series, so it might not be worth upgrading if you already have a laptop with a 40-series GPU, and if you're upgrading from an earlier generation, you can likely find a discounted 40-series model that'll deliver a similar gaming experience, like the ASUS ROG Strix 16 (2024). Unfortunately, this is one of the loudest laptops when it comes to fan noise. Some may not like its zero-lattice keyboard, as the lack of space between the keys may lead to more typos in regular typing.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best gaming laptops, the best budget and cheap gaming laptops, and the best laptops for video editing.
The HP OMEN MAX 16 (2025) and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) GU605 are both excellent 16-inch gaming laptops. If you're only looking to play games and want the best performance possible, the OMEN MAX 16 is the one to get, as it can deliver smoother gameplay in demanding games. The Zephyrus G16 is more of a hybrid device, meaning it has a more compact design that makes it more suitable for other uses, like video editing and general productivity. Its slimmer design comes at the cost of some performance, though, as its NVIDIA 40-series GPUs can only run up to 115W. The OMEN MAX 16 is also a better choice if you want to upgrade the RAM yourself, since the Zephyrus G16 uses soldered memory.
The HP OMEN MAX 16 (2025) is better than the ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2024) for gaming. While the OMEN's NVIDIA 50-series GPUs are only a minor upgrade over the Strix G16's 40-series GPUs, you can get the OMEN with an RTX 5090, whereas the Strix G16 tops out at an RTX 4080. The OMEN MAX 16's Intel Arrow Lake CPU also performs much better in multi-threaded workloads than the Strix G16's Intel 14th Gen processors. The OMEN MAX has an additional OLED display option, which will deliver a better visual experience, especially when gaming in the dark.
The HP OMEN MAX 16 (2025) and the Dell Alienware 18 Area-51 (2025) are both high-end gaming laptops with Intel Core Ultra Series 2 HX CPUs and NVIDIA 50-Series GPUs. While neither is particularly portable, the OMEN is the smaller of the two at 16 inches, making it a better option if you need to travel with the laptop. Both deliver a great gaming experience, though expect the Alienware to achieve better results on the top-end 5090 models, as it has more chassis space and a superior cooling system to keep the components cool.
The Gigabyte AORUS MASTER 16 (2025) and the HP OMEN MAX 16 (2025) are both excellent gaming laptops that deliver a similar gaming experience. The HP is a little better overall; it has a sturdier, more premium build, as well as a longer battery life. It also has multiple display options, including two IPS panels, which might be better options if you're worried about OLED flicker causing eye strain. The HP's keyboard is harder to get used to, though, as its zero-lattice design can cause more typos and accidental triggers.
Test Results
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