Engadget
Why you can trust us

Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.

HP unveiled the lightest 14-inch gaming laptop in the world at CES 2024

HP's Omen Transcend 14 weighs just 3.5 pounds while packing up to an RTX 4070 GPU.

Sam Rutherford
·Senior Writer, Reviews
·4 min read
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Sometimes the never-ending quest to shave an extra gram or millimeter off a new laptop can become a bore. However, when a company can do it without cutting too many corners, that deserves some attention. And that’s what HP has done with the new Omen Transcend 14, which is making its debut at CES 2024 as the lightest 14-inch gaming laptop in the world.

Weighing just 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg), the Omen Transcend 14 is much closer in size and lightness to an ultraportable than an average gaming laptop. To put that into context, that’s just 0.1 pounds heavier than a 14-inch MacBook Pro and 0.15 pounds lighter than rival super-portable gaming laptops like the ASUS ROG Zepyrys G14. And while it’s not quite as powerful as the larger Omen Transcend 16, it certainly won’t be hurting for performance thanks to support for 14th-gen Intel Core Ultra 7 or Ultra 9 processor, up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM, 2TB of storage and an RTX 4070 GPU.

Critically, despite its petite dimensions, you still get two USB-A and two USB-C ports (one of which supports Thunderbolt 4) plus a full-size HDMI 2.1 jack around back. And for those who want peak wireless speeds, you’ll also have the option to upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 card with Bluetooth 5.4.

The Transcend 14 does feature a Meteor Lake chip with a dedicated NPU, but don’t expect any game-changing breakthroughs in terms of AI capabilities. At HP’s demo station, I saw the Omen run Cyberpunk 2077 smoothly at a 2K resolution while simultaneously livestreaming using OBS at 1080p. In this situation, the laptop was offloading camera effects to the NPU, which provides a small performance bump as that task would normally be handled by the GPU. AI is destined to be a big buzzword at CES 2024, but this is probably the most realistic example of what you should expect on next-gen notebooks.

The HP Omen Transcend 14 will be available in two colors: black and white.
The HP Omen Transcend 14 will be available in two colors: black and white. (Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget)

The Transcend 14’s display looks great, packing a 2.8K (2,880 x 1,800) OLED panel with a variable 120Hz refresh rate. It supports HDR with a peak brightness of 500 nits and a wide color gamut that colors 100 percent of the DCI-P3 spectrum. Meanwhile sound is handled by a pair of DTS:X Ultra speakers, though an interesting change for 2024 is that following HP’s acquisition in 2021, the Transcend 14’s audio tuning will now be handled by its in-house sub-brand HyperX. This comes with the added bonus of the Transcend 14 having a built-in wireless receiver for the company’s Cloud III headphones. So, if you already have a pair or decide to purchase some later, you won’t have to waste one of your precious USB ports on a dongle.

The HP Omen Transcend 14 also features a more translucent lattice between its keys that lets the RGB backlight really shine through.
The HP Omen Transcend 14 also features a more translucent lattice between its keys that lets the RGB backlight really shine through. (Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget)

The Transcend 14 shares a lot of design traits with its 16-inch sibling (which is getting a spec refresh and new OLED panel option for 2024) including minimalist lines with a matte finish in classic black alongside a new white color option. The two main differences are that on the smaller model, the trackpad is centered on its deck while the keyboard features a more translucent lattice that allows HP’s RGB backlighting to pop even more. I think this makes the Transcend look especially good in white, where it looks slightly out of place on the black model, but to each their own.

I really appreciate that HP paid attention to little details that matter for travel-ready gaming laptop, like opting for USB-C power delivery. This means you can use the Omen’s adapter to juice up other gadgets like a phone or a tablet instead of needing a separate charging brick for each device.

The Transcend 14 also comes with a brilliant OLED display with a 120Hz refresh and full VRR support.
The Transcend 14 also comes with a brilliant OLED display with a 120Hz refresh and full VRR support. (Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget)

In a vacuum, the goal of being the lightest isn’t all that important. But when a company like HP can make a laptop that’s easy to carry around that also has solid specs and a slick design, that’s when superlatives come into play. And with a starting price of $1,600, HP isn’t demanding a huge premium for a machine this sleek. That said, with some other extremely sleek gaming PCs due out at CES 2024, it's unclear how long the Transcend 14 will hold this title.

The Omen Transcend 14 is expected to go on sale sometime in Q1 2024.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

Latest Stories

  • Analysis-China eyes negotiations as Trump threatens new tariffs

    As Donald Trump steps up his tariff threats against China, Beijing is moving to beat the next U.S. president to the punch with its own restrictions and get Washington to the negotiating table ahead of a full-blown trade war, analysts say. Armed with the lessons of the last trade war during Trump's first term, China is seeking to amass bargaining chips to kick off talks with a new U.S. administration on contentious aspects of bilateral ties, including trade and investment, and science and technology.

  • FTSE 100 Live 13 December: GDP shows surprise fall, Royal Mail fined £10.5m

    Another dip in UK output today added pressure on the Bank of England to consider a back-to-back cut in interest rates. Bank policy makers meet next week. Meanwhile, Royal Mail has been fined £10.5 million after failing to meet its delivery targets in the 2023/24 financial year.

  • Game Awards 2024: Astro Bot Wins Game of the Year

    The "Oscars of Gaming" takes place in Los Angeles at a star-studded ceremony with some big reveals.

  • UK economy in October suffers first back-to-back declines since 2020

    (Reuters) -Britain's economy shrank for a second month in October in the run-up to the new government's first budget, the first back-to-back falls in output since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gross domestic product shrank 0.1% month-on-month in October, as it did in September, the Office for National Statistics said. It was the first consecutive drop in monthly GDP - which is volatile and prone to revision - since March and April 2020, when Britain enforced its first coronavirus lockdown.

  • Exclusive-Heavy rains to hit Malaysian palm oil output again in December, says MPOB

    Malaysia's palm oil production is set to fall for the fourth consecutive month in December as heavy rainfall hit harvesting in the world's second-largest producer of the tropical oil, the industry regulator told Reuters on Friday. Lower output in Malaysia would curb inventories in the country and further boost benchmark futures, which are already near their highest levels in about 2-1/2 years. "We estimate a potential reduction of around 5% to 8% in crude palm oil (CPO) production under normal circumstances," Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir, director-general at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) said.

  • Suspect escapes down chimney - and gets stuck

    While fleeing from police, a suspect in Fall River, Massachusetts, tried to escape through the chimney of a house. The Santa Claus trick went badly wrong.

  • Two people taken to hospital after fairground ride ‘dropped to ground’

    The West Midlands Fire Service said the City Flyer ride had dropped to ground level ‘whilst in operation’.

  • World Cup qualifying draw: Start time, how it works, pots and where to watch today

    New England boss Thomas Tuchel to discover potential first opponents of his Three Lions tenure

  • Owls made homeless by Storm Darragh tree fall

    Owls kept by Karl Perry in Wolverhampton were trapped by a 50ft tree toppling over in last weekend's storm.

  • Israeli strike on Gaza post office kills 30 Palestinians

    An Israeli strike on a post office sheltering Gaza residents killed at least 30 Palestinians and wounded 50, medics said, and the Israeli military said on Friday it had been targeting a senior Islamic Jihad member. Israel said its target was an Islamic Jihad leader of attacks on Israeli civilians and troops and accused the militant group of exploiting civilian infrastructure and population as a human shield for its activities. An Israeli military statement said it was reviewing reports on the number of casualties.

  • Shailene Woodley says she 'rocks out in the shower' after taking on Janis Joplin role

    Shailene Woodley says she's gone from singing in the shower to "rocking out" after preparing for upcoming Janis Joplin biopic. Woodley spoke about the project at opening night of her Broadway debut "Cult of Love." (Dec.13)

  • World Cup 2026 draw LIVE: England to discover qualifying group today

    The Three Lions will be hoping to go the distance under their new German boss after several near misses

  • Bizarre Moment Deer Smashes Through Door of Business, Knocking Down Christmas Tree

    A deer smashed through the front door of a New Jersey business on Sunday, December 8, knocking down their Christmas tree in the process.Security footage captured by AM Botte Mechanical, an HVAC and plumbing company based in Sewell, shows the deer running across the parking lot, smashing through the glass door, and knocking down a lit-up Christmas tree on Sunday night. Later footage shows the deer inspecting the wreckage in the morning.“The deer hung out for the night, then left through the front door,” AM Botte Mechanical told Storyful. Credit: AM Botte Mechanical via Storyful

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Paris talks with Trump and Macron were 'constructive'

    French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed US President-elect Donald Trump at his Paris residence, the Elysee Palace. They were joined at the last minute by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before attending the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral.View on euronews

  • UK economy shrinks again in October, official figures show

    The economy remained in reverse gear during October, according to official figures covering the month ahead of the government's first budget.

  • Child among six dead after fire breaks out at private hospital in southern India

    Victims were found by firefighters inside a lift, and include a couple and a mother and son

  • UK payments regulator consults on cross-border card fees cap

    Britain's payments regulator said on Friday it would consult on whether to introduce a cap on cross-border card fees charged when European consumers buy online from UK businesses, after concluding they had been increased to "unduly high levels". The Payments System Regulator (PSR) first published interim findings on the market - dominated by Mastercard and Visa - in December last year. The watchdog has been reviewing how interchange fees applied on credit and debit cards issued in the European single market when buying online from UK businesses since Brexit have changed, when the bloc's longstanding cap ceased to apply in Britain.

  • Slot will expect improvement from Girona win

    Liverpool boss Arne Slot appears to be able to do no wrong at the moment. The Reds did not even play in the Premier League last week but had a good weekend as two of their three closest rivals slipped up. Arsenal, who drew 1-1 with Fulham, and Manchester City, who were held 1-1 by Crystal Palace, both dropped points after Slot's side had their derby at Everton postponed because of adverse weather conditions.

  • European stocks on course to snap three-week winning streak

    The pan-European STOXX 600 index edged down 0.2% by 0807 GMT and looked on track to end the week 0.4% lower. Stock markets have been choppy this week as investors digested stimulus updates from China, inflation data from the U.S. and euro zone as well as the European Central Bank's fourth rate cut of the year on Thursday. Focus now shifts to France, where President Emmanuel Macron is set to name a new prime minister, and the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy meeting next week, when a rate cut is expected.

  • Guardian wins features and sports prizes at British journalism ceremony

    Sirin Kale rewarded for features journalism while Rob Davies and Jacob Steinberg win for Abramovich investigation