HP Omen 45L Review (GT22-1072, 2023)

In November 2021, I reviewed the HP Omen 30L. A capable, pre-built gaming PC that packs high-end hardware at more affordable prices. HP’s entire Omen desktop line is meant to straddle the line between pure DIY custom builds and boutique-built gaming systems from companies like Skytech or iBuyPower.

For 2023, HP is back with the Omen 45L, a refreshed upgrade over last year’s model with better hardware, and of course, stringer gaming performance. As the name suggests, the 45L is the largest and most powerful Omen gaming rig ahead of the Omen 40L, 30L, and the smaller 25L.

 But the 45L introduces something really unique: a “Cryo Chamber,” which is Hp’s standalone cavity for the all-in-one (AIO) liquid CPU that sits above the CPU. It’s a simple, but useful concept – cooler air is sucked into the AIO and keeps your PC chilled, allowing you to push the limits when overclocking.

HP is so determined to push this case design into gaming PCs, as it even sells it as a standalone purchase. With no proprietary parts, even DIYers out there can grab the case and throw in whatever parts they want.

Our review unit, the HP Omen 45L GT22-1072 has some of the most powerful components you’ll find in a sub-$2500 PC on the market. It features an Intel Core i7-13700KF, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, 1TB SSD, and 16GB RAM. It’s the gaming PC you should buy if you don’t want to – or more likely can’t – build a gaming rig right now.

HP Omen 45L Specs

CPU	Intel Core i7-13700KF
GPU	Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti
Motherboard	HP 8917 Micro ATX Z690
Case	HP Omen 45L ATX case
Memory	16GB of DDR5-5200
Storage	1TB SSD
Power supply	Cooler Master 800W 80 Plus Gold
USB ports	4x USB 3.2, 4x USB 2.0, 2x USB-C
Networking	1x Gigabit Ethernet

Design

The HP Omen 45L doesn’t look like your typical tower gaming PC. It’s taller than a standard mid-tower, the extra height is meant to accommodate the Cryo Chamber on the top, but the PC doesn’t feel much bigger once it’s all set up. It measures 18 inches long and 21.75 inches tall, which is just a few inches than a mid-tower PC case.

Not a lot has changed over the Omen 45L (2022 model) since it also came with the Cryo Chamber. It looks impending at first, but you’ll grow into appreciating the small gaps thanks to its thermal performance. In the top chamber, there’s a 240mm all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooler, only connected to the main machine through a thin routing channel where the tubes run.

With the Cryo Chamber, HP finally fixed the biggest issue with the Omen 30L. It’s the same idea as fanless cooling for laptops; and regardless of the AIO’s orientation, it’s always drawing in cold air and exhausting hot air away from the other components.

Outside of thermal and noise management, the Omen 45L keeps the same design language as the Omen 30L. it still has the sleek black case with a bright Omen diamond at the top. Perhaps the main difference is the inclusion of three 120mm ARGB fans, which shine through the tinted tempered glass on the front. HP has also improved the tool-less entry, which makes it easier to access the internals when you need to upgrade your system, and the spacious interior makes things better.

Ports and Upgradability

Like the Omen 30L, the HP GT22-1072 has a toolless design, meaning, outside of the screws for the motherboard and cooler, you don’t need anything to get inside the case as you make your way around. There are two buttons below the Cryo Chamber for the side panels, as well as two buttons toward the front to snap off the front panel. HP tidied the cable work, but there’s still a mess behind the back panel, but the cables are cleverly hidden.

Same as last year’s Omen 45L, the weakest link here is connectivity. The Micro ATX motherboard is limited to the same number of ports as the Omen 30L, which stands out even with the larger design. There are easy access ports on the front – two USB 2.0 Type A, two USB Type A, a microphone jack, and a headphone jack.

On the rear, there are more ports, including four USB Type-A, two USB 2.0 Type-A, two USB Type-C, RJ-45, HDMI, and three DisplayPort. You should have enough ports for all your peripherals, but you’ll need a USB hub if you have a lot of dongles or USB accessories. I will not argue with more USB ports in front of a PC, but where are the front USB-C ports? At the very least, HP could’ve added two more USB 3.2 ports to the front.

Gaming Performance

The HP Omen GT22-1072 is a gaming beast, and thankfully, the unfortunate state of DDR5 doesn’t have a massive impact on gaming performance. Our review model comes kitted with a 13-th generation Intel Core i7-13700KF, 16GB of DDR5-5200 memory, 1TB SSD storage, and an Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti graphics card. This is powerful enough to run most titles in 1080p at the highest settings, and you can get some decent 4K for most titles, albeit at lower settings.

The Omen 45L can handle Control (which remains a punishing game after all these years) at its best, albeit not at 60 fps. At 1440p (Very High Quality), it plays Assassin’s Creed Valhalla at 146 fps, which is almost at par with previous-gen flagship performance, just 2% slower than the AMD Radeon 6950 XT (151 fps) and up to 5% faster than the RTX 3090 Ti (134 fps).

At 4K resolution (Very High Quality) the RTX 4070 Ti trails the AMD Radeon 7900 XT by an 11% margin, averaging 85 fps against 96 fps. Still, that’s an impressive performance, but it’s slower than the RTX 4080 (101 fps) packed into the Lenovo Legion T5 (2023) thanks to its RTX 3090 Ti-like performance.

On Shadow of the Tomb Raider (highest preset), the GT22-1072 achieves 169 fps at 1440p and 91 fps at 4K. That’s less than the RTX 4090-toting Alienware Aurora R15 and MSI Infinite RS 13NUI-421US. Still, the 45L shows off strong generational improvements over the iBuypower Revolt which we’ve reviewed with an RTX 3080.

Overall, the Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti card used here is one designed to make Nvidia a lot of money and give enthusiasts gamers a punch without spending too much. For one thing, it’s a GPU that manages to deliver gaming level either level with or ahead of the RTX 3090, and regularly beyond the more expensive new AMD RDNA 3 graphics cards, too. And when you factor in the twin benefits of DLS 3 and its impressive Frame Generation tech, you also get the ability to throw hyperbolic performance numbers that can be backed with actual benchmark data.

Anyone looking to dive into the PC gaming world or simply need a pre-build rig to play the more popular esports titles and run productivity tasks without breaking the bank should give the latest iteration of the Omen 45L some attention. Beyond the solid gaming performance, the Intel i7-13700KF processors, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and 1TB NVMe SSD storage should be more than sufficient for all your productivity and creative needs.

Most importantly, the 1440p and 4K performance is respectable on mid-to-high level settings on most games and those wanting to eventually upgrade can do so without much problem.

The Omen 45L comes with HP Omen Gaming Hub, which is a lot more robust than you’d expect. As with all other HP machines, it comes with annoying bloatware, which you’ll need to uninstall. Still, the Omen Gaming Hub is a useful app, it allows you to monitor usage, active processes, temperatures, and basically all of the other vitals of your PC. It also includes integration with Intel XTU for overclocking, as well as lighting controls and a network monitor.

Bottom Line

The Omen 45L takes an already stellar design and improves it with powerful interiors – especially that Intel Core i7-13700KF CPU and Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti GPU. This could have been just a larger Omen desktop with space for extra fans, but it’s not. HP tags along tangible improvements to thermals in way of the Cryo Chamber and cable management is fantastic, as well as built on the fantastic tool-less design introduced in the Omen 30L.

There are some issues – I would have liked more connectivity, especially USB-C ports on the front panel, instead of sticking both of them at the back. Still, it’s hard to stick to those points with how much else the Omen 45L offers. It’s an excellent performer overall, and the tool-less design makes upgrades easy down the line.

Are there any alternatives?

Yes. The Lenovo Legion T5 (AMD 8-Core Ryzen 7 7700X, RTX 4080) and CyberpowerPC GXiVR8080A34 (Intel Core i9-13900KF, RTX 4070 Ti) are the most direct competitors, with better hardware for around the same price, but neither comes with the unique cooling design HP is offering. The case, at least, is unique to HP.

Should you buy it?

Yes. In the crowded market of gaming desktops, the HP Omen 45L (GT22-1072) stands out as one of the best gaming desktop PCs with its tool-less design, excellent cooling solution, and seamless upgradeability. Outside the lack of front USB-C ports, it’s the perfect gaming desktop.

Last update on 2024-05-17 at 19:08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API