HP Omen X 65 Preview: 65″ 4K 144Hz G-SYNC HDR Gaming Monitor

Introduction

The eagerly anticipated 65″ 4K 144Hz G-SYNC HDR Big Format Gaming Displays (BFGD) are finally here. The first BFGD to be properly announced is the HP Omen X 65 though the ASUS ROG Swift PG65 and the Acer Predator BFGD are likely soon to follow.

Image Quality

The HP Omen X 65 4K monitor features AU Optronics’ AMVA (VA) panel with the cutting-edge 384-zone full-array local dimming implementation which allows for stellar brightness of 1,000-nits and a colossal contrast ratio of up to 50,000:1 that ensure a flawless HDR (High Dynamic Range) viewing experience.

Moreover, the panel uses the quantum-dot technology for a wide color gamut covering 95% of the DCI-P3 color space (125% sRGB) with true 10-bit color depth.

As if that weren’t enough, the HP Omen X Emperium 65 offers a refresh rate of 144Hz, a quick 4ms response time speed, and G-SYNC HDR for a fluid gaming experience without any visual artifacts such as screen tearing, stuttering, ghosting, etc.

Although the monitor is as big as a TV, you can expect “ultra-low” input lag that’s unmatched by any gaming TV.

Features

Speaking of TVs, the HP Omen X 65 BFGD also features built-in NVIDIA Shield TV for 4K HDR streaming!

Note that in order to get 4K at 144Hz, you will need to overclock the display which will, consequently, require 4:2:2 chroma subsampling (color compression) due to the bandwidth limitations of DisplayPort 1.4.

Alternatively, you can set the refresh rate to 120Hz which will limit the color depth to 8-bit for SDR or 4:2:2 chroma subsampling for HDR.

Lastly, for uncompressed HDR (true 10-bit color), you will have to set the refresh rate to 98Hz.

Overall, this doesn’t sound all that bad as most games don’t support 10-bit color and HDR anyway, and 120Hz at 4K UHD is still impressive. Besides, you’ll hardly get past 98FPS in most AAA titles with high/max settings, which makes 4K HDR gaming at 98Hz more than enough.

Design & Connectivity

Connectivity options include a DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0, one HDMI 2.o with ARC (Audio Return Channel), a dual-USB 3.0 hub, an audio line-out, an Ethernet port, and S/PDIF. You also get a 120W stereo soundbar! The screen is VESA mount compatible with 400x400mm holes.

Price & Similar Monitors

Now for the part you are not going to like – the HP Omen X 65 will cost you a whopping $5,000. It’s already up for pre-order on Amazon while the official release date is 24 February 2019.

Conclusion

The HP Omen X Emperium 65 pretty much ticks all the boxes, but it’s clearly aimed at hardcore gamers with deep pockets.