12 Mar
Blog

HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop Review: A Gorgeous Glass House

HP Omen 30l Gaming Desktop Rating 6

HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop

"The HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop is the most beautiful gaming desktop you can buy."

  • Smooth 4K gaming

  • Beautiful design

  • Accessible internals

  • Ready to upgrade

  • Good value

  • Can get very loud and hot

Everyone wants to build their own PC these days. The problem? It is next to impossible to find affordable components these days. If it's your first rodeo, putting one together from scratch can be daunting.

HP has developed its new Omen 30L Gaming Desktop precisely for this target group. With all of the industry-standard upgrades and a DIY-friendly setup, it's unlike anything you'd find on an Alienware or ROG desktop.

Did I mention this thing is absolutely awesome? It is. With a starting price of $ 1,100, it's pretty affordable too. Obviously, this is not the configuration anyone should buy. You pay over $ 2,000 to get a model with the new RTX-30 series graphics.

If you can grab one, you're going to be pampered.

design

The aesthetics of the HP Omen 30L fit my tastes perfectly. The case is simple and nifty, similar to NZXT or Lian-Li. The edges are straight, the vents are small and even the lighting is tasteful. Don't even compare this to a desktop from ROG or Predator.

The branding is also minimalist. A simple diamond shape adorns the front and glows in bright white like a kind of alien obelisk. Let's call it mid-century modern gaming desktop design.

Let's call it mid-century modern gaming desktop design.

Still, HP added a few details that set this device apart from the standard PC case that you can buy off the shelf. The front is made of tempered glass and offers a glimpse of the RGB-lit fan inside, interrupted by the pattern of triangular vents on the side. It feels like you're in a museum looking at an ancient relic. HP charges extra for this, but I love the ultra-reflective look.

The vent design is also along the top plate, which is made entirely of machined aluminum. Like any other surface on the tower, it feels extremely stiff. At the top you'll also find a number of ports including a headphone / microphone combo jack and two SuperSpeed ​​USB-A ports. I'd love to see a USB-C port offered here, which includes options like the Asus ROG Strix GT35 and Falcon NW Talon.

HP Omen 30l Gaming Desktop Rating 7

HP Omen 30l Gaming Desktop Rating 3

For all the metal and glass, HP managed to keep the system pretty light. It weighs 28 pounds, making it lighter than the 30 pound Lenovo Legion Tower 5i and the 35 pound Falcon NW Talon. However, the Omen 30L is slightly larger thanks to the large rubber feet underneath. According to HP, that empty space significantly increased airflow from below.

The tempered glass is also used for the side panel, which gives you a clear view of your hardware. At the top there is a row of RGB lights that pour the fixtures into a beautiful bath of color. Again, it's a touch that is similar to what many custom PC makers go for.

Internals

The Omen 30L Gaming Desktop uses a custom micro-ATX motherboard that is typical for this tower size. The board is even matte black, which is a nice touch. The Falcon NW Talon uses a full-size ATX board, which offers a few additional features but makes the internal layout feel a bit cramped. The Omen 30L is beautiful and spacious.

The card enables an additional M.2 SSD and two SATA drives in the available storage bays.

Cable management is a bit sloppy.

I wouldn't call it clean, however. Cable management is a bit sloppy, especially if you're from a boutique PC maker like Origin or Falcon NW. They are crossing each other in all directions and it would be quite a mess to untangle and redirect them. This is part of the DIY aesthetic that is better avoided in a pre-built system.

Fortunately, the internals are completely tool-free. The textured button on the back opens in the side area. It's an extremely simple and easy-to-use design. I even prefer the door hinges that open like the Falcon NW Talon, which can be inconvenient if you leave your tower on your desk.

The other side wall can be removed with just one screw. This also applies to the graphics card, which is held in place by a plastic brace to prevent sagging and ensure safe delivery. The Omen 30L has plenty of room for cards, even if it's as big as the massive Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090.

My test unit was a water-cooled system, although the base model uses a standard air cooler. In both cases, HP has partnered with Cooler Master for all of the thermal, including the front intake and rear exhaust fans. There's not much room for additional fans, though HP mentioned that there may be room on top to install a larger cooler. The 750 watt power supply is also provided by Cooler Master. Unfortunately there is no manual off switch included.

After all, the RGB memory sticks in my test unit came from HyperX, a company that HP now fully owns. My system was 32GB of Fury DDR4, which is the maximum amount you can get.

Game performance

With options from Intel, AMD, and Nvidia, the performance you get will vary. As it turns out, your choice of these processors and GPUs is a crapshoot too. Third-party manufacturers also have inventory issues. HP says an RTX 3060 configuration will also be available at some point.

However, if you get a configuration similar to mine, you won't be disappointed with the performance. It came with an Intel Core i9-10900K, an Nvidia RTX 3080, and a 1 TB M.2 SSD.

In 3DMark Time Spy, the Omen 30L fell right between some of its closest competitors. With a score of 16,108, it lands 11% in front of the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i and 5% behind the Falcon NW Talon. Both systems were also equipped with the RTX 3080. The lead over the Legion Tower 5i was reduced to only 3% in the older DirectX 11 benchmark Fire Strike.

The RTX 3080 is meant to be a 4K capable card, so I plug it into my 4K 144Hz monitor to see what it can do. It could play any game I tested in 4K at well over 60 fps (frames per second) on maximum settings, with the exception of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. The in-game benchmark of this title spit out an average of 52 fps.

It's the only game I've preferred the 1440p experience where it was 70 fps faster on average. It was between 5% (1080p, High) and 15% (4K, Ultra High) behind the Falcon NW Talon in various graphics settings and resolutions, which was a performance difference from the other games I also tested.

With the highest fidelity, the Omen 30L often exchanged beats with the talon. But in 1080p it fell behind the talon. The clearest example was Civilization VI, which is already more CPU-dependent than the others. The Omen 30L averaged 158 fps in 4K on Ultra, but that's 11% behind the Falcon NW Talon. This lead was increased to 22% with 1080p Medium, which shows how much the CPU has bottlenecks compared to the Omen.

There have been cases when the fan noise was very loud. How scary loud.

This was also true for Fortnite, where the Omen was faster than the Talon and Legion in 4K (95 fps) but was 10% behind the Talon in 1080p. I suspect most gamers won't be too offended by the inequality, but it's worth a mention if you're trying to get the absolute fastest frame rates out of your system.

It's hard to blame the Omen 30L too much, especially since there have been games like Battlefield V where there was a much more even battle between the three systems, with no deviations of more than 5 fps. Regardless, playing in 4K at 100 fps feels awesome and shows just how groundbreaking the RTX 3080 really is.

The more serious problem with the Omen 30L was fan noise. It wasn't bad during most of the games – but there were times when it was very noisy. How scary loud. During my 3DMark Time Spy, I also saw occasional spikes in CPU temperatures as high as 97 degrees Celsius, which you don't want to see. The system has leveled itself to about 73 degrees for most of the load, but the thermals should have tinkered a little more between the temperature peaks and the fan noise.

Creative achievement

Gaming is a priority for the HP Omen 30L, but there's no reason you can't try it in creative applications like Adobe Premiere or Blender. CPU performance is good, although you obviously get more multi-core juice if you go for AMD's Ryzen platform.

The Ryzen 5950X, which I tested in the Falcon NW Talon, for example, drew circles around the Core i7-10900K in both the PugetBench Premiere Pro and the Blender benchmarks. PugetBench tests critical tasks like 4K playback and video encoding. That's why the multi-core capabilities of the Talon with Ryzen drive exceeded the omen by 18%.

That said, the HP Omen 30L is a capable creative workstation, especially if you can use that monster GPU.

Our opinion

The HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop is the most beautiful gaming desktop you can buy – hands down. Boutique options like the Falcon NW offer slightly better performance and far more neat cable management. But for the price, the HP Omen 30L is my preferred pre-built gaming desktop in its category.

Are there alternatives?

The two obvious options are the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i and the Alienware Aurora R11. The Legion Tower 5i is a good option, although you can't currently configure it with RTX 30 series cards. So forget about him.

Both the Alienware Aurora R11 and the Asus ROG Strix GT35 are larger and more powerful than the Omen 30L, but also more expensive. And nowhere near as good-looking.

Finally, both the Falcon NW Talon and Origin Neuron are good choices, but they are far more expensive.

How long it will take?

The HP Omen 30L will last as long as you have it. That's the beauty of desktops that are easy to update. Everything can be exchanged even if you run into technical problems.

However, HP's protection plan isn't very good. There is only a one-year standard warranty.

Should you buy it?

Yes. If you can find one of the high-end configurations, you won't find a better pre-made gaming desktop.

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27 Oct
Blog

Glass Skin And Dolphin Skin: How To Get The No-Filter Face Of Your Dreams

How can we forget the glass skin, the 2017 Holy Grail Korean beauty trend that sought us out for a way to achieve a moist, porous complexion? Skin so flawless that it shimmers like glass.

Now we have another similar trend that is making a splash and coming from a rather unlikely source: dolphins. We're excited about these trends, not because of their goals of achieving translucent perfection, but because they promote skin care maintenance and thorough routines. Let's dive deep into glass skin and dolphin skin – and find out how you, too, can shine brightly like a diamond (or in this case a dolphin).

From K-pop, Korean soaps and celebrity looks, South Korea brought us a lot of influences. How many of us have experimented with snail mucin creams and ampoules or looked for a definition of “chok chok”?

In case you were curious, “Chok Chok”, translated “wet skin,” was one of the first wet skin trends that caught our attention. The glass skin trend soon followedHis trend calls for skin that is so porous and moisturizing that it shines like a sheet of glass.

Dolphin skin is similar to glass skin in that both trends are about moisture. The main difference, however, is that the look of the dolphin skin requires layers of highlighter and blush. The highlighter is designed to fall over the heights of your cheekbones like rays of sunshine, giving you a slippery, fresh out of the water look, like you had smooth skin like the aquatic mammal.

Don't stress, we have developed a routine to help you get there with our ideal ingredients.

How to Get Glass Skin and Dolphin Skin: An Overview

The solution to achieving glass and dolphin skin is a routine that includes products that gently exfoliate and remove dead skin cells and products that moisturize the skin. For both skincare looks, the routines are nearly identical, except that for dolphin skin, the final step is to apply makeup (see below).

An example routine would be:

Star Ingredients For Your Skin Care Routine

Step 1: double cleaning

The backbone of Korean skin care is double cleansing, and it's an essential step for both of those skin care looks too. With a two-step technique, a double cleansing removes dirt, sebum and make-up.

The big issue here is Hydration. In terms of ingredients, look for cleansers that contain moisturizing oils like sunflower oil, which is high in vitamins A, D, and E or jojoba oil as it is easily absorbed by the skin. You may also want to choose detergents that contain very mild ones Peeling properties for simultaneous cleansing and gentle peeling.

Even if you're not wearing makeup, double cleansing has advantages. An accumulation of sun protection factor, sebum and dust from the air can clog pores and lead to blemishes.

Step 2: exfoliate

One step towards clearer skin is peeling – physical or chemical peeling. This process removes dead skin cells from the skin's surface and smoothes the texture by removing debris.

If you're wondering what the difference is, a chemical peel uses naturally occurring enzymes or acids like alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs) to remove dead skin cells. Physical peels are products like peels that contain small granules or pearls, or tools like a brush for manual exfoliation.

The Mangosteen Daily Resurfacing Cleanser is an example of a chemical peel as it contains lactic acid. In comparison, a product like the turmeric energizing treatment is a physical exfoliator that scrubs the skin with the grittiness of zeolite and turmeric powder.

Step 3: toner

Now for the step so many of us skip! Perhaps you have had bad experiences in the past with toners drying you out? Don't worry, alcohol-based toners are a thing of the past and are definitely not recommended in a glass or dolphin skin routine.

The purpose of a toner is to rebalance your skin's pH, moisturize it, and allow it to penetrate the skin better. We want to use toner with moisturizing ingredients like moisturizing and nourishing coconut milk and oils like neroli oil for hydration.

Step 4: essence

Essence is the epicenter of Korean skin care, a lightweight formula that restores moisture and moisturizes your complexion. They apply essence to a clean face to prepare the skin for the next products like serum and moisturizer.

For the glass and dolphin skin look like essences with ingredients like Botanical collagen helps with elasticity and improves the barrier function. Look for ultra-moisturizing antioxidants like snow mushrooms that help skin look stronger and healthier. Other powerful ingredients, like reishi mushrooms, can aid in hydration and are a powerful source of antioxidants that help minimize puffiness.

Step 5: serum and oils

Keeping your skin hydrated is important when looking for a moist complexion. And you can do this with both serums and oils. Typically, facial serums are used to solve certain skin problems, while oils are used to help moisturize. And maybe you want to do both here depending on if you have problem areas. The great thing about Korean skin care is that the routines are customizable.

Our example Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Serum targets hydration and the visible signs of aging. It contains a botanical hyaluronic acid (made from marshmallow plant extract) that is deeply moisturizing, smoothing and replenishing the appearance of the skin to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This serum also targets the appearance of wrinkles by using a BioComplex, a booster made from antioxidants, Coenzyme Q10 and Alpha Lipoic Acid to reduce the appearance of fine lines and signs of aging.

You can also apply an oil at this step to keep your complexion looking soft and smooth. A product with camellia oil like our Camellia Glow Solid Face Oil rejuvenates the appearance of the skin. Its hemp seed oil ingredient is rich in vitamins and antioxidants, and marula oil is filled with fatty acids – two other types of oils that moisturize the skin for a shiny look.

Step 6: moisturizer

Another important product for a glowing glow is a good moisturizer that has ingredients like hyaluronic acid to help draw moisture into your skin. You can search too Ingredients rich in antioxidants such as cloudberry seeds, arctic rose root, arctic meadowsweet and juniper sprouts. Antioxidants protect your skin by limiting the production of free radicals for a soft, smooth appearance. And healthy, soft skin brings you one step closer to a skin made of glass or dolphins.

Step 7: highlighter and blush (for the dolphin skin look)

There is one final step that differentiates the look of the glass skin from the look of the dolphin skin – the application of makeup. To get the look of the dolphin skin, the final step is to apply highlighters or iridescent products and blush for the look of high cheekbones. You'll want to apply it to the tip and bridge of the nose, temples, forehead bones, and chin.

Additional tips for achieving glass skin and dolphin skin

Tip 1: a clear skin diet

Luminous skin starts from within! To achieve glowing skin and good overall health, it's a good idea to avoid sugar, alcohol, processed and packaged foods. Instead, cooking for yourself and with whole foods are habits that affect your skin and your overall health. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce inflammation, relieve acne symptoms, and even improve your skin's sensitivity to the sun's harmful UV rays. Try eating more foods like fish, eggs, soy products, kale, walnuts, or almonds and see how your body reacts.

Tip 2: Introduce a self-care ritual

Korean beauty philosophy shares similar tenets with Eminence Organic Skin Care when it comes to self-care. To relieve stress and help your skin, we recommend a variety of routines that can turn into fun rituals. This can mean devoting 10 minutes to your skin care routine in the morning and evening. You can visit a spa or create your own spa at home by soaking in the tub with candles. Even long, hot showers can create a kind of steam room! Whatever you choose to do, little rituals where you focus on yourself will help you relax and reconnect at the end of a long day.

Tip 3: move around and exercise

And when it comes to youthful looking skin, exercise is pretty good for combating early signs of aging. Exercise increases blood flow to the skin and improves oxygen transport, among other nutrients, to minimize inflammation in your body.

What are your best tips for glowing, flawless skin? Let us know in the comments below and share your best #energizeandglow look on Insta. Your photo could be featured on @eminenceorganics' Instagram account.