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vendredi 7 janvier 2022

These are the best of the best products at CES 2022

Another year has come and gone, and another CES is over. CES 2022 was very different compared to ones past, as despite a physical show for the first time since the pandemic began, many people chose not to travel. On the ground in Las Vegas, some companies were present while many initially planned to go and chose to bow out in the weeks leading up to the show as the Omicron variant emerged and became a wild threat.

Yet, as the phrase says, the show must go on and so CES 2022 certainly did. For the companies that were there, plenty of products were on show and while the show floor was nowhere near as busy as it usually would be, it was still a showcase of invention.

From cars to the smart home, from computing to mobile and all the categories in between, here are Team XDA’s picks for the Best of CES 2022, some of which we saw in person at the show.


Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3

Top down view of second screen on laptop keyboard

If CES is good for one thing, it’s wild and crazy ideas like the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3. The first two generations of the product were crazy enough, with an E Ink display in the lid. This one has a different secondary display, a full-color eight-inch touchscreen next to the keyboard.

At this point, you’re probably asking why you’d need such a thing, and that’s a reasonable thing to ask. It has multiple uses. For example, in the image above, it zooms in on a portion of the screen, and then you can use the pen to edit the image with precision. You can pinch to zoom, or you can scroll to different parts of the screen. Another thing you can do is take handwritten notes. If you’re reading a book or on a call, you can take notes on that eight-inch display.

Microsoft Whiteboard is on there by default. This is a pretty powerful collaboration feature, since Whiteboard automatically syncs in real-time. You can draw while on a meeting, and others will see it while you’re doing it. They can collaborate in real-time too, but they’ll probably need a second device because they’re not as cool as you with your ThinkBook Plus Gen 3.

Let’s not forget, it also has a 17.3-inch 21:10 display. The giant ultra-wide display results in that big chassis that allows for a full-size keyboard and an eight-inch touchscreen. Check out our hands-on article for the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 here.


Dell XPS 13 Plus

The Dell XPS 13 Plus is a brand-new entry into the XPS series, and it’s not replacing the standard XPS 13 because frankly, this is a pretty radical change. In fact, if you’re looking at the image above, you might be asking all kinds of questions, like where the touchpad is.

It’s still there, but you can’t see it. The touchpad on the Dell XPS 13 Plus is entirely border-less. It’s also got a brand-new keyboard, with larger keys that aren’t islanded.

Somehow, there’s something even more controversial than a touchpad you can’t even see. The regular F-keys that you’re used to are gone, replaced by capacitive keys. By default, they show the shortcuts that you’re used to, and if you hit the Fn key, they turn into the F-keys that you’re used to. Some have compared it to Apple’s failed Touch Bar.

Still, there’s no denying this device’s futuristic design and that it comes with the quality of a Dell XPS. You can check out our hands-on of the Dell XPS 13 Plus here.


ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold

Zenbook 17 Fold OLED in different modes

Sure, a big 17-inch screen is cool, but do you know what’s even cooler? A 17-inch screen that folds. Indeed, ASUS announced just the second-ever Windows PC with a foldable display. While it is bigger, what makes this super interesting is that it’s the first in a broader wave of foldable devices that are coming.

At CES 2022, Intel also announced its first Evo spec for foldable-display devices, and the ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold is the first to meet that spec. That means that another way it differentiates itself from Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Fold is that it has 12th-generation processors of the 9W variety. Previously, foldables could only use Intel’s Lakefield chips, which weren’t very good.

The resolution of the 17.3-inch 4:3 OLED display is 2,560×1,920, and you can stand it up for one giant display. When folded, it turns into two 12.5-inch 1,920×1,280 3:2 screens, and there’s a keyboard that you can insert inside of it. Unfortunately, ASUS hasn’t announced pricing and availability yet, but nothing with Intel’s U-series processors are scheduled to ship before this spring.


Acer Chromebook Spin 513

Chromebook Spin 513 CP513-2H

There’s a lot of new silicon at CES 2022,  including Intel’s 12th-generation processors, AMD’s Ryzen 6000 chips, and even a teaser of its Ryzen 7000 desktop processors. One chip-maker that might fly under the radar a bit is MediaTek, but the company has a brand-new processor for Chromebooks in the high-end tier.

Acer is the first to use the MediaTek Kompanio 1380 with its Chromebook Spin 513. The Kompanio 1380 is a chipset that’s competing more along the lines of an Intel Core i3, and indeed, MediaTek is a leader in ARM Chromebooks. However, until now, those Chromebooks were entry-level to lower mid-tier. The new chips that the firm is producing are hitting the upper mid-tier to the high end.

As for the Chromebook Spin 513 itself is pretty great too, chipset aside. It has a 13.5-inch 3:2 display with a 2,256×1,504 resolution and 7.7mm bezels. Given the new aspect ratio, it’s 18% taller when compared to a 16:9 screen. This makes a big difference for productivity. It’s also MIL-STD-810H certified, has DTS Audio, and has Wi-Fi 6, all for $599.99.


Dell UltraSharp 32 4K Video Conferencing Monitor

With so many amazing announcements, I almost feel like Dell’s UltraSharp 32 4K Video Conferencing Monitor has fallen off of the radar; but it didn’t for me. When Dell showed me this product at a pre-briefing weeks ahead of the show, I felt like I was seeing something special. Sure, it’s a 32-inch 4K monitor, right? It’s so much more than that.

It’s also for a 4K webcam built into it, which is a really big deal. After all, 4K webcams aren’t very common to begin with. The two main options are the Dell UltraSharp 4K Webcam and the Logitech BRIO. The UltraSharp 32 4K Video Conferencing Monitor actually includes the UltraSharp 4K Webcam; it’s just a lot smaller because a lot of the internal components are built into the monitor itself.

On top of that, it’s got echo-canceling dual-array microphones and 14W speakers. Between display quality, video capture quality, microphone quality, and speaker quality, everything is just the best you can get. Integrating all of that into a single unit eliminates a lot of cables from your desk too.

If you spend a lot of time on video calls and meetings, there is simply no better monitor to use, and it’s hard to imagine how you could even improve on it. It is the ultimate monitor in the work from home era.

The Dell UltraSharp 32 4K Video Conferencing Monitor is going to be available on March 29. Dell didn’t announce pricing, but it won’t be cheap.


Samsung Eco Remote

Samsung’s pre-CES 2022 keynote by CEO JH Han focused on a few key areas, one of which was sustainability. The company unveiled a range of sustainability measures, but arguably the most important is the Eco Remote. Although this is technically not new as it was launched with TVs last year, the Eco Remote is going to ship with every TV launched by the company this year which should go a long way to preventing the unwanted disposal of millions of batteries every year. This year’s model also enhances the solar charging from last year’s model by charging through harnessing RF waves, which makes it very interesting technology.

That in and of itself is newsworthy but what makes this initiative special is that Samsung is making the Eco Remote technology free and open source for other companies to use. The goal is to remove all the disposable batteries used in TV remotes, and the company also expects to bring this same technology to other accessories within its portfolio. As far as planet-saving measures, it’s hard to deny that this is one measure that has an immediate positive impact upon the planet.


Samsung Freestyle Projector

Samsung The Freestyle

Samsung’s The Freestyle is one of our favorite announcements at CES 2022, weird nomenclature of “The” as a prefix notwithstanding. This portable projector can be powered by any battery pack that can output 50W, and offers a 180-degree swivel design so you can point, play and enjoy a large display wherever you are. It’s perfect for usage both in the home as well as on the go, and if you like to camp, glamp or just want to travel in style, this is the ideal friend to take with you.

It features a ton of smarts including the ability to optimize the screen size to fit the content, auto-focusing of the projector itself and auto-leveling, so there’s no chance you’ll have a crooked neck after watching a two or three-hour long movie. There’s also a 5-watt 360-degree speaker so you don’t need to worry about good audio quality, and it supports streaming apps, playlists and even lets you use voice assistants. It works with both Android and iOS, using SmartThings and AirPlay 2 respectively to get your content on the big screen.

It’s available to pre-order now for $899 and there’s a range of accessories that will launch soon, including new skins to change the color of The Freestyle itself. This packs a whole lot of punch in a small body and it’s one product that everyone should have.

    Samsung Freestyle Portable Projector
    One of our favorite products at CES 2022, this portable projector packs a big punch in a small body. For $899, you get an incredibly talented projector that will work wherever you go and whether it is in your home, on a campsite or even in your garden, you should definitely buy The Freestyle.

Sony QD-OLED TV

If there’s a single technology that was on display in force at CES 2022, it was QD-OLED, which stands for Quantum Dot Organic Light Emitting Diode. The next generation of OLED display technology, QD-OLED is designed to combine the best of both technologies. Samsung has sold and marketed Quantum Dot for years as an alternative to OLED – which is primarily produced by LG Display – and Sony’s new QD-OLED display panel is being made by Samsung Display itself.

QD-OLED essentially combines the best parts of the OLED experience (such as perfect blacks and infinite contrast) with the best parts of the Quantum Dot LED experience like higher peak brightness and more vivid color reproduction at higher brightness levels (aka less saturation than OLED TVs at peak brightness). Indeed, Sony says that QD-OLED “boosts color brightness by up to 200 percent compared to conventional TVs” and given that OLED has long been the king of the TV display, it’ll be very interesting to see how the new QD-OLED standard compares when it starts shipping in the spring.


Alienware 34 Gaming Display (AW3423DW)

While Sony created the first TV running QD-OLED technology – which we could probably have seen coming – no-one could have foreseen the first QD-OLED monitor being made by none other than Alienware. Made using a Samsung Display panel, it has a ton of features that could make it a gamers’ paradise, and also the dream monitor for creative types everywhere.

It features DisplayHDR 400 True Black certification, covers the entire P3 Gamut and can reach 1,000 nits peak brightness. It’s factory calibrated, can switch between P3 and sRGB color profiles via the on-screen menus and lets you change the gamma settings. It features an aspect ratio of 24:10 (at 3,440×1,400 pixels resolution) and supports up to 175Hz refresh rate over DisplayPort, or up to 100Hz refresh over HDMI. If you want to use it as a display for your Xbox or PS5 however, it doesn’t support HDMI 2.1, which may be a deal breaker.

As far as monitors go, there’s a lot to like about the Alienware 34 Gaming Display and while they haven’t revealed a price, we won’t have long to go. It launches in China on March 2, will ship on March 29 and will launch in other regions beginning in April. One thing is clear however – QD-OLED is brand-new technology, and as we’ve seen in the past, brand-new technology is never cheap. That said, this monitor seems like it could be worth it.


Movano Ring

When it comes to wearable health tech, Oura makes the ring you’ve probably heard of, but startup Movano could be the next big one to watch. At CES 2022, Movano showed off a smart ring that incorporated all the same features as the Oura Ring 3rd Generation but also promised further features and all for a lower price.

The latter costs $299 and our CCO Nirave absolutely loves his, using it daily to monitor heart health following some medical issues. He says that if Movano can deliver on the promise of its ring – and secure the all-important FDA approval – it could be the must-have wearable in health technology this year, especially as the Oura Ring also requires you to pay a monthly subscription to access all of the more advanced features.

Movano is currently undergoing clinical trials of the radio frequency technology that would help it collect the data needed to monitor glucose and blood pressure. Given that these are used in the management of diabetes and heart disease respectively – and those are two of the biggest killers globally – to say that the Movano Ring could be lifesaving would be an understatement.


Withings Body Scan Scale with ECG

While Movano is still a ways away from launching – although it will be this year – Withings showed off its new smart scale at CES 2022 and it is thoroughly impressive. Combining everything you expect from a Withings scale – including weight, other body measurements and body type information – with several new features including body composition and most importantly, the ability to run an ECG, this is a scale that hopes to give you a snapshot of your all-round health.

The addition of an ECG is great and makes this the first scale with built-in ECG. It’s able to record a 6 lead ECG – making it one of only a handful of devices that can record 6 lead ECGs – and once it receives FDA approval and launches in Q2, you’ll be able to send the ECG recording to a licensed cardiologist to get examined as well. Sleep Apnea is a fairly common problem and being able to record an ECG while weighing yourself in the morning should help more people be diagnosed with heart conditions.


BMW iX Flow

CES might be a technology show but it’s also fast becoming a showcase of the latest automotive innovations. Companies from around the world take the abundance of space outside the traditional Las Vegas convention show floors to showcase everything from their latest infotainment systems to new in-car experiences and connected experiences. Sometimes however, there’s an announcement that just blows everyone away.

The BMW iX Flow did exactly that at CES 2022. When buying a new car, we’ve all been through that decision process of deciding what color to buy. It’s one of the most important decisions in the car buying process, simply because it’s a very public statement of your personality. The BMW iX Flow showcases technology that could help with this decision one day; simply put, it’s a color-changing car. Yes, read that again: it’s a car that changes its color.

The car uses a specially developed body wrap that similar in material to the Amazon Kindle. When stimulated by electrical signals, the electrophorectic technology surfaces different color pigments, which results in the color changing experience showcased in the video below. As far as technology goes, it’s one of the coolest automotive innovations we’ve seen in a long time.


HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless Headphones

Some gamers still use wired headsets instead of wireless ones because the latter often doesn’t offer enough battery life and most gamers don’t want to deal with charging etc. The new HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless headphones promise to solve this, and could basically be the best wireless headphones for gamers for one simple reason: they claim to offer 300 hours battery life.

That’s no mean feat; almost all gaming headsets come with double-digit battery life, although there are a few that creep past the 100 hours mark. The Sennheiser GSP 370 was the first to reach that mark with a claimed battery life of 100 hours and it captured the attention, so it’s unsurprising that the entire gaming industry is buzzing with the HyperX Cloud Alpha claiming to offer three times that amount. That’s almost an entire week’s continuous usage before you need to reach for a charger, and if you spend an entire week gaming, you might have larger issues to contend with than battery life. It launches next month and at a cost of $200, it might just be the best gaming headset for everyone.


Google Fast Pair

Google Fast Pair

CES usually is the ground where new hardware and concept demos are shown off, so including a software feature may feel out of place. But Google did choose CES 2022 to announce a rather important and influential change coming to your personal tech sphere: more devices with Fast Pair.

On the face of it, the announcement may seem trivial. After all, pairing a Bluetooth device isn’t actually rocket science. But…it actually is, for the general populace at least. Apple has showcased the power of tight integration with its products, which has allowed it to touch over 3 trillion USD in valuation. The simplicity of opening a pair of new AirPods and having it show up magically on the iPhone, iPad, or Mac beside it is absolutely convenient to the end-user as they no longer have to fiddle with obscure menus that they know little about. This ease-of-use is underrated, and Google is attempting to bring them to a significantly more diverse ecosystem of products with Fast Pair.

You will soon be able to Fast Pair devices like supported headphones and earphones from OnePlus, Sony, Microsoft and many others to Chromebooks, Google TV, and Android TV. Further, Fast Pair support is also being extended to Matter-enabled Smart Home devices. Android phones and Chromebooks will also soon synergize better than ever before. All of these smaller experiences add up to a more seamless experience for the ecosystem, and Fast Pair from Google takes credit for the same. It may not be at the same level as the Apple ecosystem, but it’s progress nonetheless.


Jabra Elite 4 Active

The Jabra Elite 4 Active are an addition to the TWS lineup from Jabra, slotting in above the Elite 3. They are marketed as Jabra’s most affordable workout model at a price of $120, which is definitely more affordable than the next best Elite 7 Active at $180. You do give up on several features like Bluetooth multipoint pairing, ear detection sensors, and wireless charging. But what you get are decent options for workout earbuds that feature good ANC and transparency modes. You also get an IP57 rating which makes them great for working out without a worry about dust and sweat.

What makes the Jabra Elite 4 Active great is that they remain an easy-to-recommend product for a product category that still has scope for maturing. TWS come in all shapes, sizes, and prices, but good and reliable TWS need to become cheaper and more widely available. The Jabra Elite 4 Active don’t need to reinvent the wheel that everyone tries to do at CES 2022 — they just need to present themselves as another viable option that you cannot go wrong with.

    Jabra Elite 4 Active
    The Jabra Elite 4 Active are a relatively affordable pair of workout-focused TWS that aim for reliability. With ANC and IP57 protection, they make for a great option that remains easy to recommend from the house of Jabra.

Samsung Flex S, Flex G, Flex Note

A person holding a Samsung foldable phone in hand

CES traditionally isn’t a show that’s mobile focused, but Samsung bucked the trend this year by launching the Galaxy S21 FE. The last phone to be launched in the Galaxy S21 range – and just a few weeks before it likely launches the Galaxy S22 range at that – the Galaxy S21 FE isn’t going to excite the world. However, the other mobile adjacent products that Samsung showed off certainly will.

Before the launch of the first Galaxy Fold, Samsung unveiled new displays at Samsung Developer Conference, and at CES 2022, it showed off several next-generation displays that likely show us the future of Samsung’s foldable lineup. And we’re super excited.

The Flex S and Flex G take the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and up the ante by adding an additional fold. This essentially makes the internal display one encompassing three different parts when unfolded, and it’s clear that a future Galaxy Fold with this form factor would make it onto our best foldables list.

The Flex S is an example of what a foldable laptop from Samsung would look like and it’s one that we hope will be made into a real product someday.

Look at the videos above to see the new concepts in action and read more here!


Motorola MA1 Wireless Android Auto Dongle

Motorola MA1 dongle

The Motorola MA1 isn’t the first dongle for wireless Android Auto, but it’s the first one you can soon go out to buy. Android Auto is in a weird spot, wherein most cars and entertainment systems need a wired connection but some newer head units support a wireless connection with your phone. Wireless is obviously more convenient, which is where these dongles come in.

The Motorola MA1 will be sold by SGW Global under the Motorola branding. You just need to plug the dongle into the USB port on your car or head unit that has wired Android Auto, and the dongle will let you then establish a connection to your phone over Bluetooth and 5GHz Wi-Fi. Further, you just need to start your car, which will automatically establish a wireless connection without requiring you to even remove your phone out from your pocket. For $89.95, this will be worth it for frequent users.

    Motorola MA1 Android Auto
    The Motorola MA1 wireless Android Auto dongle lets you connect your smartphone with a wired Android Auto head unit wirelessly. This convenience is worth the price for frequent Android Auto users as they would no longer need to remove their phones from their pockets.

Garmin Venu 2 Plus

Garmin Venu 2 Plus

Garmin has made a name for itself for its health and fitness tracking products, and the Venu 2 Plus banks heavily on those capabilities. It’s not a full-blown smartwatch as it does not have an app store or other advanced smartwatch features, but it carries over most of its feature set from the Venu 2 before it.

The Garmin Venu 2 Plus comes with a 43mm case and a standard 20mm strap, a circular AMOLED with always-on mode, upto 9 days of battery life, Garmin Pay for contactless payments, notification mirroring, and internal storage for downloaded music. The watch can also be used as a speakerphone for phone calls, similar to a Wear OS smartwatch or Apple Watch. This watch is a bit expensive at $449.99, but several fitness enthusiasts swear by Garmin’s health and fitness tracking capabilities, so it is worth a look if those are high on your priority list.

    Garmin Venu 2 Plus
    The Garmin Venu 2 Plus prides itself on its fitness and tracking capabilities. It's not a full-blown smartwatch, but it has enough smarts to accomplish most practical smartwatch tasks. Get it if accurate fitness tracking is high up on your priority list.


That sums up our picks for the best of CES 2022, but what announcements stood out for you from CES 2022? Let us know below, over on Twitter, or in the XDA Forums!

 

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Source: Here are the specifications of the upcoming Motorola Moto G Stylus (2022)

Motorola has a ton of devices, and sometimes, it’s hard to keep up with them as they leak. The Motorola Moto G Stylus (2022) has suffered from leaks quite a few times already, with both renders and some marketing materials surfacing recently. Now, though, we are able to share key specifications from the device ahead of its official launch thanks to our sources.

First of all, the Moto G Stylus (2022) has an internal codename of Milan, and it will launch with Android 11. Our source also tells us that there will only be one major upgrade to Android 12, with bi-monthly security updates for two years. We expect this device to launch in North America and Europe at the very least, though we can’t confirm that.

When it comes to the display, the Moto G Stylus (2022) has a 6.78-inch full HD display with a resolution of 2460×1080. It will support a 90Hz refresh rate, and we also know that it’s an IPS LCD panel. It appears to have the MediaTek Helio G85 that launched last year — a 64-bit SoC with eight cores — and a Mali-G52 GPU. It also (obviously) has a stylus, and that stylus can dock inside of the phone.

In terms of cameras, there’s a centered camera cutout housing a 16MP fixed-focus sensor which appears to be the OV16A1Q. The rear-facing cameras are comprised of a 50MP Samsung ISOCELL S5KJN1, an 8MP Samsung ISOCELL S5K4H7 ultra-wide, and a 2MP GalaxyCore GC02M1 depth sensor. As for memory and storage, the Motorola Moto G Stylus (2022) should come with 4GB or 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage expandable via MicroSD card. It’s also expected to have a 5,000 mAh battery with 10W charging.

Finally, the Motorola Moto G Stylus (2022) also has a fingerprint sensor in the power button, and there is no dedicated Google Assistant key. There’s a single bottom-firing speaker and a 3.5mm headphone jack. According to our sources, there is no NFC or dual SIM support.

We aren’t sure when exactly the Motorola Moto G Stylus (2022) will launch, but we expect that it’s not too far off. Last year’s device launched in January 2021, meaning that it could be any day now that we hear more.

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You will no longer be able to use Speaker Group volume control on Nest devices

The ongoing legal fight between Sonos and Google took a huge turn yesterday as the United States International Trade Commission ruled in favor of Sonos. The US trade court declared that Google violated five Sonos patents pertaining to smart speakers. While it remains to be seen how this ruling will affect future Nest products, Google has confirmed it will be rolling out various workarounds (read dropping features) across the ruling-affected products to circumvent Sonos patents. To that end, Googles says it will be removing a few features from the Nest devices, including the Speaker Group volume control.

In a recent blog post, Google has outlined changes that will affect how you set up your Nest device and adjust the volume of your speaker groups.

“Due to a recent legal ruling, we’re making some changes to how you set up your devices and the Speaker Group functionality will work moving forward. If you’re using the Speaker Group feature to control the volume in the Google Home app, by voice with the Google Assistant, or directly on your Nest Hub display, you’ll notice a few changes,” said Google in a blog post.

First of all, Google is removing the Speaker Group volume. This was a convenient feature that allowed users to adjust the volume for an entire speaker group using a single volume controller. Google now says users must adjust the volume of each speaker individually. In addition, Nest speaker owners will also not be able to change Speaker Group volume using their phone’s physical volume keys anymore. We have already seen Google removing the Cast volume slider in Android 12, only to bring it back for some Pixel phones in the latest update.

Moreover, Google says “a small set of users” will have to install a separate app called “Device Utility app” (DUA) to set up their Nest devices and receive software updates. Users will receive a prompt to download the app and “it will ensure that your device is connected to Wi-Fi and receives the most updated software version.”

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HP OMEN 45L Desktop review: It’s a beast of a rig

XDA Best Award
At CES, HP is announcing two all-new gaming desktops, the OMEN 40L and the OMEN 45L. That’s right, these things are big boys, and the company sent me the OMEN 45L Desktop for review, speccing it out along the way. Indeed, this thing is a beast.

But it’s not just powerful. HP said that it wanted to give the feel of a custom-built PC. That means that this thing is easy to take apart, upgrade, and so on. It’s also massive at 45L, but if you’re worried about that, the firm does offer options for its OMEN Desktop PCs that go down the line to 40L, 30L, and 25L. The OMEN 45L is actually brand-new for this generation, and the larger size not only means more for customization, but also for cooling.

Navigate this review:

About this review: HP sent us the OMEN 45L for review ahead of CES. The company did not have any input on the content of this review.

HP OMEN 45L Specs

CPU Intel Core i9-12900K
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
Dimensions 8.03 in (W) x 18.50 in (D) x 21.85 in (H)
Storage (2) 2TB NVMe M.2 SSD
RAM 64GB HyperX 3733 DDR4
Ports Headphone/Microphone Combo, Microphone Jack
Front I/O: 2 SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps signaling rate, 2 USB2.0 Type-A
Rear: 1 SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps signaling rate, 1 SuperSpeed USB Type-A 10Gbps signaling rate, 2 USB 2.0 Type-A, 1 SuperSpeed USB Type-C 5Gbps signaling rate,1 SuperSpeed USB Type-C 10Gbps signaling rate
HDMI
3 DisplayPort
Power Supply 800 W 80 Plus Gold certified ATX power supply
Connectivity Wi-Fi 6 (2×2) and Bluetooth® Combo (Supporting Gigabit file transfer speeds, MU-MIMO supported
10/100/1000 Base-T Network
Expansion 1 PCI-E Gen 4 x16 (occupied)
1 PCI-E Gen 3 x4 (available)
3 M.2 (one available)
Memory slots 4 DIMM (288-pin) (two available)
OS Windows 11 Pro
Price ~$5,000

Design: Aesthetics and airflow

First of all, I want to talk about the overall look and feel of the HP OMEN 45L. After all, while function was in mind when designing this PC, it still absolutely matters if the thing is an eye sore when it’s sitting on or under your desk. It’s not that.

Front of gaming PC with RGB lighting

This PC is actually quite beautiful. It has a clean and sleek design, similar to what we saw with the previous HP OMEN 30L design, but bigger and more colorful. The fans in the front used to have white lighting, but they have RGB lighting now. Of course, you can set it to white if you want that more subtle look. There’s also a third fan now, which is exclusive to the 45L model. Smaller ones like the 40L have two, while the 30L models have one.

Side of gaming PC with transparent panel

The side is a glass panel, so you can see all of the internals. Things like the DDR4 memory, CPU cooler, and the GeForce RTX logo are also lit up.

Front ports on HP OMEN 45L

One thing I really appreciate is that there are four USB Type-A ports on the front, along with microphone and speaker jacks. What I don’t quite understand is why there’s so much USB 2.0. Two are USB 3.2 Gen 1, which is already a bit dated with USB 3.2 Gen 2 and even USB 4 out there now, but two are USB 2.0.

Rear view of HP OMEN 45L

The same goes for the ports on the back. There are only four USB Type-A ports on the back, two of which are USB 2.0. To make things even more confusing, out of the other two, one is USB 3.2 Gen 1 and the other is USB 3.2 Gen 2. The same goes for the two USB Type-C ports.

Sure, USB 2.0 is fine for some scenarios. Plugging in a mouse and keyboard? No problem. Plugging in an external SSD to play back 4K video or connecting a 4K webcam? Don’t you dare.

The problem is that the end user has to know this. They have to know what the different USB logos mean (SS means SuperSpeed, so if there’s no SS, it’s USB 2.0), and they have to know what the capabilities of each port are. It’s not a fair expectation to place on a user.

There are also precious few ports on the rear of this PC to be handicapping half of the USB Type-A ports like that. Ideally, you use the front ports for things that get connected and disconnected frequently, and you use the rear ports for things connected all the time, like a keyboard, a mouse, a webcam, a headset, and a…never mind, we’re out of ports.

Design: The HP OMEN 45L Desktop is built for customization

Tool-less reparability is something that I’ve heard a lot about from HP over the years, but the OMEN 45L Desktop takes it to another level. The company said that this is meant to feel like a custom PC.

Gaming PC with open side

Either side panel can be removed by pressing a button at the top. In fact, all panels can be easily removed. You’ll notice that there’s a component at the top called the Cryo Chamber, and there’s also a gap between that and the top of the PC, so that can be used as a handle to pick it up. The Cryo Chamber is where the liquid cooler is pumping from. And as mentioned earlier, there are three fans in the front bringing air in, and that’s being pushed through the rear of the unit.

HP OMEN 45L with side panel removed

Removing the other panel gets you access to cable management, the back of the CPU mount, and so on.

HP OMEN 45L Desktop with panels removed

The front panel can be removed too, along with the dust filter that goes over the three RGB fans. That makes it easy to clean. And again, there were no screws to remove to take any of these parts off. You can also remove the Cryo Chamber itself, the cover on top of it, and more.

Performance: The HP OMEN 45L Desktop has top-end specs, but DDR4 memory

For this review, HP sent me the whole kit. The OMEN 45L Desktop that it sent for review is totally specced out with an Intel Core i9-12900K, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, two 2TB NVMe M.2 SSDs, and 64GB RAM. It also sent a 27-inch curved OMEN monitor with QHD resolution and 240Hz refresh rate, and a suite of HyperX accessories like the Pro Gaming Mousepad, Cloud Alpha headset, Pulsefire FPS Pro mouse, and Origins Core keyboard.

Mouse on mousepad with HyperX logo

I don’t expect that everyone who buys this PC will spec it out like this unit is, or that everyone will get the whole suite of accessories. It’s pretty clear though, that this thing is a beast. If you’re playing a game, there’s no way that it’s designed for anything with higher specs than this PC, because there are no higher specs. Well, mostly.

It does use DDR4 memory instead of the newer DDR5 that’s supported by Intel’s 12th-gen CPUs. HP said that this is due to component shortages. The prices for DDR5 are still too high, and they’re not going to come down as soon as anyone hoped. You’ll notice this a lot in products coming out of CES. There are still many that use DDR4. The only problem is, you now have to ask yourself if you’re willing to shell out $5,000 for a specced out gaming PC that uses DDR4.

HyperX keyboard with RGB lighting

I ran AIDA64 and MaxxMem2 to test out the memory. I also ran it on the PC I used to review Intel’s 12th-gen processors. It’s a custom build that includes a Core i9-12900K, 64GB DDR5 (two 32GB sticks), an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, and a 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD.

HP OMEN 45L Desktop DDR5 desktop PC
AIDA64 Memory Read 46,576MB/s 62,368MB/s
AIDA64 Memory Write 48,252MB/s 60,954MB/s
AIDA64 Memory Copy 45,880MB/s 63,187MB/s
AIDA64 Memory Latency 76.3ns 95.8ns
MaxxMem2 Read 37,813MB/s 39,284MB/s
MaxxMem2 Write 41,851MB/s 45,117MB/s
MaxxMem2 Copy 32,440MB/s 38,737MB/s
MaxxMem2 Latency 81.7ns 97.1ns

It’s not the end of the world to use DDR4. It’s not even a major improvement given the longer latency. And in fact, if you’re not shelling out for this $5,000 SKU, you probably don’t even care.

Let’s move onto some performance benchmarks. Obviously, the HP OMEN 45L Desktop is going to absolutely crush it here. Note that I haven’t always run the same benchmarks over the years, so some scores will be incomplete. Three of the four PCs used are the most recent generations of this product, but the list was actually made by sorting my all-time benchmarks list by PCMark 10 scores.

HP OMEN 45L Desktop
Core i9-12900K, RTX 3090
CLX Ra
Core i9-11900K, RTX 3090
HP OMEN 30L Desktop
Core i9-10900K, RTX 3080
HP OMEN Obelisk
Core i9-9900K, RTX 2080 Ti
PCMark 10 9,012 7,822 7,463 7,137
3DMark: Time Spy 18,734 17,456 16,553 11,811
3DMark: Time Spy Extreme 9,594
Geekbench 1,921 / 15,723 1,803 / 9,887 1,365 / 10,933
Cinebench 1,894 / 23,659 1,675 / 15,098 1,312 / 15,266
VRMark: Orange Room 16,616 14,555 14,723 11,116
VRMark: Cyan Room 16,887 2,752 15,146 12,474
VRMark: Blue Room 6,174 6,225 5,223 4,311

3DMark also estimates game performance when it runs its tests. Here’s what it came up with:

Game Resolution Frame rate
Battlefield V 1440p Ultra 185+
1080p Ultra 200+
Apex Legends 1440p Ultra 140+
1080p Ultra 140+
GTA V 1440p Ultra 110+
1080p Ultra 165+
Fortnite 1440p Ultra 190+
1080p Ultra 265+
RDR2 1440p Ultra 80+
1080p Ultra 95+

For more details about these test, such as thermals in the PCMark 10 test, a breakdown of CPU and GPU scores in 3DMark, and CrystalDiskMark scores, see the images below.

Conclusion: Should you buy the HP OMEN 45L Desktop?

HP’s new OMEN 45L Desktop is an excellent gaming PC, and as always, the company did a great job considering things like customization and cooling. It’s also got top-end performance with Intel’s 12th-gen processors and RTX 30 series graphics. You can even get it with AMD’s Zen 3 processors if that’s more your style.

HP desktop PC with monitor, keyboard, and mouse

It does have its flaws, which I’ve pointed out in my review. To me, the biggest is that it comes with DDR4 memory, since that’s not something you can upgrade later on. You can add memory if you buy the PC with less, but you can’t swap it out for DDR5 modules, even though the CPU and the chipset support it. They just won’t fit in the board. Again, for most users, it shouldn’t be a big deal. I’d just say that for the ones that buy the specced out model like the one HP sent me, I’d want to get DDR5 when I’m spending $5,000 for the best of the best.

The other is the confusing array of USB ports. Half of the eight USB Type-A ports are USB 2.0, which is a real pain point in itself, let alone the fact that you’re asking users to know which ports are which, and what that means.

But once you get past that, this is an amazing machine. It’s stylish, it’s quiet, it’s upgradeable, and the performance is fantastic. With a separate Cryo Chamber, it’s using outside air to cool the CPU, rather than the warmer air that’s inside. And with the latest-gen parts from Intel, there are separate cores for different tasks, using Intel Thread Director. If you want a great gaming PC, this is the way to go.

    HP OMEN 45L Desktop
    HP's OMEN 45L is designed for better cooling, performance, and customization

      Features:

      Pros:

      Cons:

    HP OMEN 27c QHD Curved 240Hz Gaming Monitor
    HP's curved gaming monitor has a high resolution and a high refresh rate
    HyperX Alloy Origins - Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
    This keyboard comes with RGB lighting, red switches, and more.
    HyperX Pulsefire FPS Pro - Gaming Mouse
    This gaming mouse offers 16,000DPI, so it's very precise.
    HyperX FURY S - Gaming Mouse Pad - Cloth
    This gaming mousepad includes stitched anti-fray edges and a woven surface for better tracking.
    HyperX Cloud Alpha S - Gaming Headset
    This headset offers Virtual 7.1 surround sound, bass adjustment sliders, and more.

The post HP OMEN 45L Desktop review: It’s a beast of a rig appeared first on xda-developers.



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