HP OmniBook 7 Aero overview: Gentle as a feather

Finest Costs At the moment: HP OmniBook 7 Aero

The HP OmniBook 7 Aero is a 13.3-inch laptop computer that weighs simply 2.2 kilos or much less, relying on the configuration you select. With an exquisite white design and an all-metal magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis, it feels premium. Plus, it runs cool and quiet. This machine feels made for portability.

Sadly, HP paired an unusually small battery with an AMD chip that isn’t as power-efficient as essentially the most environment friendly CPUs Intel and Qualcomm have to supply. The result’s an ultraportable that feels such as you by no means need to take it too removed from an outlet. With an Intel Lunar Lake CPU or an even bigger battery, this laptop computer would’ve actually wowed.

HP OmniBook 7 Aero: Specs

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

The HP OmniBook 7 Aero packs an eight-core AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 chip with Radeon 860M graphics. AMD’s Ryzen AI {hardware} delivers a great mixture of efficiency and battery life, full with an NPU that’s quick sufficient to run Home windows 11’s Copilot+ PC options.

Our overview mannequin had 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD — that’s greater than sufficient RAM and storage for a light-weight ultraportable like this one. The RAM specifically appears just a little overspec’d given the remainder of the {hardware} right here. Most individuals could be higher off with 16 GB of RAM and a sooner CPU.

Whereas this can be a stunning machine, the $1,299 retail value level feels a tad excessive contemplating the mid-range AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 CPU, regardless of the beneficiant quantity of RAM. Nonetheless, whereas I used to be wrapping up this overview, HP had it on sale for $869. That value feels glorious for this machine.

• Mannequin quantity: HP OmniBook 7 Aero 13-bg1077nr
• CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 7 350
• Reminiscence: 32 GB LPDDR5x-7500 RAM
• Graphics/GPU: AMD Radeon 860M
• NPU: AMD NPU (as much as 50 TOPS)
• Show: 13.3-inch 2560×1600 IPS show with 60Hz refresh fee
• Storage: 1 TB PCIe Gen4 SSD
• Webcam: 1440p webcam
• Connectivity: 2x USB Kind-C (10 Gbps), 2x USB Kind-A (1x 10 Gbps, 1x 5 Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo audio jack
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4
• Biometrics: IR digital camera for Home windows Hiya
• Battery capability: 43 Watt-hours
• Dimensions: 11.70 x 8.31 x 0.69 inches
• Weight: 2.2 kilos
• MSRP: $1,299 as examined

HP OmniBook 7 Aero: Design and construct high quality

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

The HP OmniBook 7 Aero is instantly spectacular. Our overview unit was the Ceramic White variant, and it’s an extremely clear look in a world of silver laptops. (HP additionally presents a “Glacier Silver” variant.) Even the keyboard deck is white, though the bezel across the show is black.

This 13.3-inch machine is likely one of the lightest laptops I’ve ever reviewed. HP says it weighs a most of two.2 kilos relying in your chosen {hardware} configuration. It’s about as mild as a laptop computer could be, and the steel chassis (a magnesium-aluminum alloy) has a barely rubbery-feeling floor that’s nice to carry.

The construct high quality feels premium, and the hinge feels stable with out obnoxious wobbles, however the machine is so mild that I want to make use of two palms to open it.

The laptop computer comes with extra bloatware than I’d wish to see — the Begin menu has shortcuts for Adobe Affords, Reserving.com, and “Dropbox promotion.” However that is simple to take away if you happen to don’t need it.

HP OmniBook 7 Aero: Keyboard and trackpad

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

The HP OmniBook 7 Aero has a chiclet keyboard that feels good to sort on. It’s acquired a pleasant white backlight, too. The typing motion feels moderately snappy and responsive. However there’s one thing just a little off about it: the important thing journey is just a little shallow. That’s not an enormous shock for a 2.2-pound laptop computer that’s 0.67 inches at its thickest level. HP has compensated nicely for the thinness, nevertheless it does really feel just a little shallow.

This machine’s trackpad additionally feels good. It’s a typical mechanical trackpad that’s an inexpensive dimension and feels responsive to maneuver your finger over, with a pleasant “clunk” motion while you click on down.

HP OmniBook 7 Aero: Show and audio system

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

The HP OmniBook 7 Aero has a 13.3-inch IPS show with a 2560×1600 decision and a pleasant anti-glare floor. HP charges it as 400 nits, nevertheless it appeared even brighter. It’s an exquisite show, though it solely goes as much as a 60Hz–a sooner refresh fee would’ve been good.

Nonetheless, the mix of a high-resolution, first rate quantity of brightness, and anti-glare floor is an actual winner. It performs higher than shiny shows in difficult lighting circumstances like direct daylight. The show is considered one of this machine’s greatest property, nevertheless it’s not a contact display.

I take a look at each laptop computer’s audio system by enjoying Steely Dan’s Aja and Daft Punk’s Get Fortunate. The HP OmniBook 7 Aero delivers a great quantity of top-end quantity. Audio high quality was okay — the highs may very well be just a little grating in Get Fortunate, particularly at most quantity, and the bass was lower than typical. I’d plan to make use of headphones for the perfect expertise with music, motion pictures, and TV reveals.

HP OmniBook 7 Aero: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

The HP OmniBook 7 Aero has a 5MP webcam with a 1440p decision. Regardless of that spectacular decision quantity, the picture high quality was just a little grainy, particularly in darker lighting circumstances. I’ve used laptops with 1080p webcams that do a greater job. This laptop computer does embrace a bodily webcam shutter change, which is all the time good to see.

The “twin array digital microphones” did a great job of selecting up my voice with clear audio high quality. I’d be joyful to make use of this microphone setup for on-line conferences, though I want the webcam was a bit nicer.

The HP OmniBook 7 Aero contains an IR digital camera for Home windows Hiya, so you may register together with your face, however there’s no fingerprint reader right here.

HP OmniBook 7 Aero: Connectivity

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

The HP OmniBook Aero has an honest variety of ports for a 13-inch laptop computer that solely weighs 2.2 kilos. On the left aspect, there’s a combo audio jack and a USB Kind-A port that helps as much as 5 Gbps speeds.

On the suitable aspect, there’s a second USB Kind-A port (this one is as much as 10 Gbps) in addition to an HDMI 2.1 port and two USB Kind-C ports (each 10 Gbps speeds.) This machine fees by way of USB Kind-C, so that you’ll be plugging the charging cable into one of many ports on the suitable aspect.

It’s an inexpensive choice of ports, though there’s no Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 right here. There’s no microSD card reader or Ethernet jack, both. You’ll want a dongle if these are vital to you.

This machine helps Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4, so it’s a bit dated on the Wi-Fi — there was no Wi-Fi 7 and even Wi-Fi 6E on the mannequin we reviewed. Nonetheless, you in all probability haven’t switched to Wi-Fi 7 but, in order that’s not an enormous drawback.

HP OmniBook 7 Aero: Efficiency

The HP OmniBook 7 Aero with its AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 CPU delivered cheap desktop efficiency in on a regular basis desktop apps: internet browsers, communication instruments, and productiveness apps. It ran cool and quiet, too. Contemplating this can be a 2.2-pound ultraportable laptop computer, that’s what individuals will seemingly use it for!

As all the time, we put this machine by way of our commonplace benchmarks to see the way it performs.

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

First, we run PCMark 10 to get an thought of total system efficiency. With a PCMark 10 rating of 5,969, this machine got here behind Intel Lunar Lake-powered PCs just like the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Professional 360 and AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX-powered machines just like the HP OmniBook Extremely 14.

This AMD {hardware} was neck and neck with Intel’s slower Intel Core 5 210H chip within the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, and the AMD {hardware} here’s a better option — it’s a extra trendy chip that has an NPU able to operating Copilot+ PC options, and it runs cooler.

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

Subsequent, we run Cinebench R20. This can be a closely multithreaded benchmark that focuses on total CPU efficiency. It’s a fast benchmark, so cooling underneath prolonged workloads isn’t an element. However, because it’s closely multithreaded, CPUs with extra cores have an enormous benefit.

With a multithreaded rating of 5364, AMD’s “AI PC” {hardware} confirmed how significantly better it’s at multithreaded efficiency than Intel’s “AI PC” {hardware}. AMD pulled forward of Intel right here.

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

We additionally run an encode with Handbrake. That is one other closely multithreaded benchmark, nevertheless it runs over an prolonged interval. This calls for the laptop computer’s cooling to kick in, and plenty of laptops will throttle and decelerate underneath load.

The HP OmniBook 7 Aero accomplished the encode course of in a median of 1,199 seconds, nearly 20 minutes. As soon as once more, it outclassed Intel’s Lunar Lake {hardware} on efficiency, however Lunar Lake will win on the subject of battery life, as we’ll see beneath.

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

Subsequent, we run a graphical benchmark. This isn’t a gaming laptop computer, nevertheless it’s nonetheless good to test how the GPU performs. We run 3DMark Time Spy, a graphical benchmark that focuses on GPU efficiency.

Regardless of AMD’s fame for sturdy graphics {hardware}, the Radeon 860M graphics right here performs like onboard graphics. With an total 3DMark Time Spy rating of two,726, this machine delivered half the efficiency of Intel’s Lunar Lake GPUs.

General, the HP OmniBook 7 Aero delivers stable efficiency for this class, particularly in multithreaded duties. And it does it whereas staying cool and quiet. However 3D graphics efficiency is a specific weak point.

HP OmniBook 7 Aero: Battery life

The HP OmniBook has a 43 Watt-hour battery, and that’s small. Fortunately, the AMD Ryzen AI {hardware} on this machine is affordable power-efficient. This machine’s battery life is first rate, nevertheless it’s beneath trendy requirements for a light-weight PC in 2025. That mentioned, a bigger battery would make this machine heavier. The smaller battery contributes to the sunshine weight.

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

To benchmark the battery life, we play a 4K copy of Tears of Metal on repeat on Home windows 11 with airplane mode enabled till the laptop computer suspends itself. We set the display to 250 nits of brightness for our battery benchmarks. Actual-world battery life in day-to-day use is all the time going to be lower than this.

The HP OmniBook 7 Aero lasted for a median of 632 minutes earlier than suspending itself — that’s ten and a half hours. It’s a fantastic quantity for a PC with such a small battery, nevertheless it’s nicely behind laptops with bigger batteries. With an Intel Lunar Lake system and a bigger battery, you might get greater than double this machine’s battery life. Lunar Lake machines could possibly get away with a battery this small, however HP is pushing it by pairing AMD {hardware} with this battery.

Video playback is a best-case state of affairs and real-world desktop app utilization will drain the laptop computer’s battery sooner, so I’m undecided you’ll get a full day of battery life from this machine. You may be capable of get near a full workday’s utilization out of this battery in case your workload isn’t too demanding and you retain the display brightness low — possibly.

HP OmniBook 7 Aero: Conclusion

The HP OmniBook 7 Aero is just a little marvel of a laptop computer. At 2.2 kilos with an exquisite white all-metal design, I beloved utilizing it, and I beloved selecting it up and transferring it round. It stayed cool and quiet, too.

Sadly, HP’s resolution to incorporate a small battery—probably to maintain the burden down —seems like a compromise that impairs the usability of this machine.

I beloved this laptop computer the primary time I touched it, however I winced after I noticed the battery spec: 43 Watt-hours is simply too low for this AMD chip. This quantity was superb however, in a post-Lunar Lake and post-Qualcomm Snapdragon X world, that is low.

In the event you’ll by no means be removed from an outlet and also you need extra multithreaded CPU efficiency than Intel’s Lunar Lake can ship, this is perhaps the best laptop computer for you.