HP Omen X tells gamers it's hip to be square

Gamers tend to like building their own machines, which makes it difficult for big brands to crack into the segment and make an impact. HP has decided the best way to make a splash is to do things differently. The Omen X has a unique square design and can be upgraded with industry-standard parts, for a fresh look at what big-brand gaming PCs can do.

The elephant in the room here is the Omen X's quirky design. As well as making it stand out among a sea of black and grey towers, there are practical cooling benefits that come with thinking outside the box.

Inside, there are three chambers to separate components, with each chamber boasting its own cooling system. There's also support for up to three 120 mm liquid cooling radiators with top-mounted exhaust vents, and elevating the case means the system can suck in air more efficiently.

In an attempt to pull customization-hungry gamers into the HP stable, the Omen X has been set up to be tweaked. Rather than forcing the use of proprietary parts, the chassis uses industry-standard connectors, making it cheaper and easier to upgrade and tweak the desktop down the track. Users are also able to program custom LED lighting with the inbuilt Omen Control software, in case the quirky design wasn't eye catching enough on its own.

No tools are needed to access the internals, and a toolkit hidden within the chassis is designed to make upgrading easier. There's even an option to buy a unit as an empty shell and make the most of the tri-chamber setup with your own custom build.

If you're not into computer DIY work, the Omen X will be available with dual Nvidia GeForce GTX1080 or AMD Radeon R9 Fury X graphics cards. Depending on the chosen specification, Intel i5 or i7 with overclocking are fitted. Overall, the goal is to supply silky smooth VR and immersive 4K gaming.

The new Omen X Desktop was launched alongside the new 17.3-in Omen laptop at Gamescom. Pricing starts at US$599 for a standalone chassis, while ready-to-run units will vary in price based on the chips fitted.

HP's launch video for the Omen is below.

Source: HP