CES 2022

HP’s new Omen and Victus gaming PCs come in any size you could want

The 2022 Omen desktops come in 45L and 25L with new cooling methods, and there’s a new Victus by HP 15L for entry-level PC gamers.

HP

In the mad rush to secure a graphics card during the pandemic, plenty of people turned towards pre-built gaming PCs for a taste of high-framerate, high-resolution gaming while they were stuck inside. HP is hoping to meet that need in 2022 with changes up and down its line of desktop PCs, including new sizes and refinements to its Omen desktops, and a new desktop Victus PC called the “Victus by HP 15L.”

Omen 45L — The Omen 45L is HP’s newest size in its Omen-branded gaming PCs and starts at $1,899.99. Besides being larger (up until this point the Omen 40L was HP’s largest), the 45L features a new cooling method HP is dubbing the “Omen Cryo Chamber.” The up-to-360mm AIO liquid cooler sits on top of the 45L case, pulling double duty as both a handle when you need to move the Omen 45L and a fan for pulling in cool ambient air from the outside into the computer case. HP claims the Omen Cryo Chamber “results in CPU temperatures six degrees Celsius lower at full load” than an identical model without the cooler.

The HP Omen 45 L features an all-new liquid cooling system that pulls cool air from outside the computer case.HP
The side panels of the Omen 45L case have also been redesigned to be easier to remove without tools.HP
The Omen Cryo Chamber sits on top of the 45L case (and 40L case) and doubles as a handle when you need to move your PC around.HP

Inside, the Omen 45L offers up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 GPU or an AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, 12th Gen Intel Core i9 or 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 5900X processors, and up to 64GB of HyperX DDR4 3733 MHz memory. Storage can go up to two 2TB WD Black SSDs with options for additional SSDs and traditional hard drives. HP says it's also refining the Omen cases by making them easier to access without tools (the company will also sell an Omen 45L ATX case). These refinements, new cooling options, and optional customizations will also be offered on the Omen 40L.

I’m more into the Omen 25L “Ceramic White” version than I’d care to admit.HP

Omen 25L — For something smaller and a bit more approachable, HP’s Omen 25L is also getting a few updates. The gaming PC is coming in a new “Ceramic White” color option (admittedly, it’s pretty hot) with an optional glass side panel for viewing the computer’s RGB-lit interior. HP says it's improving the Omen 25L’s thermals with a new 120mm front fan. The Omen 25L can be configured with a top-tier Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, and a 12th-gen Intel Core i7 or the latest Ryzen processors, and up to 64GB of HyperX DDR4 RAM.

The Victus by HP 15L (terrible name) is just a little thing. Cute, even.HP

Super tiny gaming PC — The smallest new addition to HP’s desktop is the Victus by HP 15L Desktop. An unfortunate name — we’re gonna call it the Victus 15L instead — but a pretty compelling small form factor PC. The Victus 15L is the first desktop PC in what’s so far been an entry-level laptop line. HP is offering the Victus 15L in silver or white with a neat “infinity mirror” Victus logo on the front. Inside you can get up to a Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT graphics card, 12th-gen Intel Core i7 or the latest AMD Ryzen 7 5000G Series processors, and up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM.

Tons of choice — These updates and new additions now mean HP has a desktop gaming PC in just about every size. All the better for when I strike out yet again getting the parts to build a PC of my own.