HP's OMEN Windows PC line has been getting increasingly impressive over time, competing with the likes of Razer and MSI with a strong line-up of desktops and laptops.
HP's all-new OMEN X Compact Desktop packs some incredible horsepower into a tiny package. By design, the new OMEN X Compact Desktop should fit into any regular backpack, making it a great option for travellers, full-room VR and LAN parties. Its compact size even makes it a viable option as a living room PC, in place of a video game console. But does that small size come with compromises?
The OMEN X Compact Desktop was revealed a while back as a concept, built to be used inside backpacks for VR. Following feedback, HP has redesigned the Compact Desktop with versatility in mind, both as a backpack PC, and/or a powerful desktop.
The OMEN X Compact Desktop is rocking a factory-overclocked NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080, which exceeds the minimum requirements for VR. HP also says the Compact Desktop is powerful enough to power 4K gaming experiences, and it certainly seems as though it has the right specs.
The OMEN X Compact Desktop comes with 7th generation Intel i7 processors with plenty of headroom for overclocking, owing to "advanced thermals." It comes with 16 GB of GDDR5X RAM and a 1TB PCI-e SSD.
The OMEN X Compact Desktop will also come with an included docking station, adding 5x USB type-A, 1x Ethernet, 1x USB-C, HDMI, and a Display Port. The PC itself has 4x USB type-A, 1x USB-C (Thunderbolt), 1x audio jack, a HTC Vive power-out, HDMI 2.0, and a Mini Display Port.
The OMEN X Compact Desktop's optional VR backpack allows you to connect the PC to your back and up to four rechargeable batteries, granting 1 hour of gameplay each. This is designed to power untethered full-room VR experiences on devices like the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive. The Compact PC can be "hot swapped" between the dock and the backpack, making it much less of a cabling nightmare than other solutions.
We don't have the full list of specs and capabilities yet, but you can expect the OMEN X Compact Desktop to set you back a hefty $2499, with the optional backpack coming in at $599.
