HP’s new OmniBook X 14 sets out to be an ultraportable device that doesn’t skimp on performance, thanks to its slender dimensions and powerful spec.

Its steely gray colorway conveys a simple, minimalist aesthetic that hardly pushes the boat out. This is matched by the lack of accoutrements and branding.

In terms of build quality, though, the OmniBook X shines. It’s an admirable blend of solidity and portability, with its impressively thin dimensions and light weight making it easy to slip into a bag. Its overall construction easily matches up to those of the best laptops.

One disappointing aspect is the port selection. Not only are there not very many, but they have a few design and placement issues that hamper their practicality.

With the Snapdragon X Elite chip installed, my OmniBook X review unit performed well during the tasks I conducted, from working and browsing to 4K streaming and even light gaming. It stays incredibly quiet even when such high demands are made of it, too, and although certain areas heat up, temperatures are far from worrying.

The 2240 x 1400 display is, as expected, sharp and vibrant, making for a fantastic viewing experience. It can be a little reflective at times, but the brightness levels are usually sufficient to combat the worst of it. The touchscreen is impressively capable too, being responsive and surprisingly smooth to the touch compared to many other laptop examples.

The keys are very light and snappy, as well as forgivingly spaced, which makes the OmniBook X a joy to type on. However, some may bemoan the lack of dedicated navigation keys and a number pad, while the touchpad could’ve been bigger to better facilitate navigation.

Battery life is yet another area where the OmniBook X excels. It managed to last over 28 hours in our test, which is an astonishing performance and puts it top of the league, along with other esteemed endurers, such as the Asus Zenbook A14.

All this excellence comes at a cost, as you may imagine, but compared to others in its class, it represents good value, especially the base model. Naturally, the base model is a weaker machine than the one I tested, but most of the other specs remain the same, making the OmniBook X a good value pick for those after a compact do-it-all laptop.

HP OmniBook X 14 review: Price & availability

• Starts from £764 (about $1,000 / AU$1,400)
• Available now with various configurations
• Good price for the spec

The OmniBook X starts from £764 and is available now. A variety of AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm processors can be optioned, as well as various RAM and storage sizes, ranging from 16GB to 32GB for the former and 512GB to 1TB for the latter.

This is a good price considering the HP OmniBook X 14’s impressive spec. Another OmniBook, the Aero 7, costs about the same, and is similarly capable in many regards, although its display isn’t quite as sharp and lacks touchscreen functionality.

Another stern rival to the HP OmniBook X 14 is the Asus Zenbook A14, which is similarly priced yet weighs even less. However, it too has a lower resolution and lacks touch input.

Like many in the sector, the OmniBook X has a smart but rather unremarkable appearance. The dark and dour gray finish certainly doesn’t help matters, and some edges and contours aren’t quite as smooth and sophisticated as they could be, if judged alongside the best MacBooks — the paragon of laptop forms. The rounded corners do at least help to soften this monolithic slab, though.

As with many HP laptops, the OmniBook X is built tremendously well. The materials may not feel state-of-the-art, and the base does have some flex around the keyboard area, but overall it strikes the ideal balance between sturdiness and convenience.

This is largely thanks to its ultra-thin lid and base; I don’t think I’ve seen a laptop body more slender than this. It’s also impressively light, helping the OmniBook X to rival some truly remarkable portable heroes, such as the Asus Zenbook 14.

However, physical connectivity pays the price for this leanness. There aren’t many ports on the OmniBook X: you get two USB-C ports on the left — both of which support power input external display output — and a USB-A port and a headset jack on the right.

It’s a shame that the USB-C ports aren’t split across both sides, something I usually prefer since it increases versatility for your setup and working environment. Equally impractical is the USB-A port, which utilizes a flip-down flap to fully open, as you more commonly see on laptop Ethernet ports.

I’ve rarely seen this mechanism on a USB port, though, and it merely introduces an element of needless inconvenience; other laptops as thin as the OmniBook X — such as the aforementioned Zenbook — manage to avoid such a mechanism. Also, the headset jack is quite far back, which could be a problem if your cable is on the short side.

The OmniBook X is an excellent performer on many fronts, making it suitable for both work and play. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chip had no problem conducting basic productivity tasks or multi-tab browsing. It also streamed video just fine, including 4K content; I didn’t encounter arduous loading times or stuttery playback.

The OmniBook X can even handle gaming, to an extent. It even managed to run , albeit in a far from spectacular manner: I had to use low graphics presets without Ray Tracing, which resulted in rough visuals and some stuttering here and there, but it was playable enough for a quick fix.

Under such stress, the OmniBook X is remarkably quiet. Fan noise is noticeable but very suppressed, and while the back half of the unit — including parts of the keyboard — rises in temperature, it remains entirely within comfortable bounds.

The OmniBook X features an LED display with a somewhat unusual 2240 x 1400 resolution. This means it’s sharp and vibrant, although its lack of OLED technology means it can’t match the striking contrast levels of the best monitors and laptop displays. It can also be a little too reflective at times, although the maximum brightness is usually sufficient to counter the worst offenders.

The touchscreen is competent, with the surprising smoothness of its surface making it ideal for finger swipes and gestures, which isn’t something I can say of every laptop touchscreens I’ve used. On this front, it even rivals the best tablets. It’s a shame, though, that the display can’t fold back on itself (like those on OmniBook Flip models), so you can’t turn it upside down and prop it on a desk for tablet-style use.

However, when it comes to that other crucial input, typing, the OmniBook X is far more useful. The keys are very light with little travel, making them feel effortless and snappy. At the same time, they also provide good feedback and satisfying clickiness. They’re generously spaced, too, which certainly helped me to avoid making typos. However, with this large spacing comes a compromise to layout.

Although it still has navigation keys, many of these are integrated on the arrow keys as Fn shortcuts, which is a feasible solution, although I still would’ve preferred them to be on dedicated keys, as some other laptops manage to achieve. There’s also no dedicated number pad, although not many 14-inch laptops manage to squeeze one in, but a few do.

What’s more, despite the large amount of space below the keyboard, the touchpad disappointingly fails to make full use of it. It’s smaller than those on some other 14-inch laptops, which hampers navigation. However, I had no issues with its responsiveness, and its smooth surface, while not as silky as some others, is still sufficient for performing gestures and swipes easily. Taps and clicks are also light and responsive, yet tactile at the same time.

HP OmniBook X 14 review: Battery life

• Best in class
• Real all day battery life
• Only a few rivals can match it

The OmniBook X is among the most enduring laptops in its class. When I ran a movie on a continuous loop on battery power, it managed to last over 28 hours, which is a staggering achievement.

The only other laptop I’ve tested that matches this is the Asus Zenbook A14, which logged the same time, give or take several minutes. What’s more, the OmniBook X is also quick to charge, taking about two hours to fully replenish.

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HP OmniBook X 14 review: Also consider

How I tested the HP OmniBook X 14

• Tested for several days
• Used for a variety of tasks
• Conducted comprehensive series of benchmarks

I tested the OmniBook X for several days, during which time I used it for working, general browsing, streaming 4K content, and gaming.

I also ran our series of benchmark tests for laptops, designed to assess every facet of performance. To test its battery life, I played a movie on a continuous loop while the laptop was unplugged until it shut down.

I’ve been using laptops for a long time, and have reviewed countless models, from small budget offerings to large gaming machines, and everything in between.