Best Graphics Cards in OMEN PCs: How They Boost Your Gameplay

If you do any sort of PC gaming, you'll be glad to know that 2025 has brought with it a variety of high-end video cards. It started off with Intel's Arc GPUs, released at the end of 2024 and January 2025. NVIDIA then launched its Blackwell RTX 50-series at CES January, with some claiming the NVIDIA RTX 5090 to be the absolute best graphics card for gaming PC. With such performance, there comes a price, and in many respects, the RTX 5090 isn't cheap. So, is it worth the upgrade over the still-mighty RTX 4000-series? In this article, we explore the RTX 5090, compare it to the RTX 4000 and see how it benchmarks in terms of gaming, power efficiency and thermal management.

OMEN PCs offer GPU options for a wide range of performance needs and budgets. GPUs like the NVIDIA GeForce 3050 are budget-friendly and available in both desktop (OMEN 16L) and laptop (OMEN Gaming Laptop 16t) variants, giving enthusiasts descent gameplay at 1080p with moderate settings. For better performance, consider desktops with a RTX 4060 Ti like the OMEN 45L or laptops with a RTX 4050 Mobile GPU like the OMEN Gaming Laptop 17z.

For immersive gaming with 4K, ray tracing and max settings, opt for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 and RTX 5090 GPUs, both found in the OMEN 45L Gaming Desktop depending on configuration. If you want portability, the OMEN MAX Gaming Laptop 16 with RTX 5090 Laptop GPU may be better suited, handling AAA titles easily at high frame rates, while also supporting features like AI-enhanced DLSS for unmatched image quality.

OMENs are engineered to complement various GPU configs so you can game knowing that you're covered no matter which GPU you choose. Each desktop allows you easy access to internals, while the motherboard layout lets these internals communicate easily with one another. Fine tuning settings to enhance performance through OMEN's proprietary software is available in all OMEN PCs. Also, carefully selected components that synergize with your GPU like high-speed RAM and storage helps minimize bottlenecks so you can game lag-free.

NVIDIA RTX and AMD Radeon GPUs offered throughout the HP OMEN line give gamers the choice between desktop options like the RX 6600 to mobile variants for laptops. For desktops, the OMEN 16L and 45L feature GPUs from entry-level (e.g. RTX 3050) to high-end (e.g. RTX 5090). GPUs for laptops follow a similar naming scheme and performance structure, but optimized for portability - mobile GPUs will be written with "Mobile" or "M" to distinguish them from desktop counterparts.

The NVIDIA RTX 5000 series sees significant advancements, with the flagship RTX 5090 nearly doubling the RTX 4090 in performance capability. With 32GB VRAM, 1.792TB/s memory bandwidth and 21,760 CUDA cores, processing power is improved, along with higher frame rates and better ray tracing. To compare, the laptop version with half the silicon is lower on power with 10,496 cores putting it closer to the desktop RTX 5080 in terms of performance. The lower laptop TDP (Thermal Design Power) of 95W to 150W also reduces performance.

Designed to extract the most out of your GPU, HP OMENs, particularly RTX 5000-series PCs use a new Transformer AI model in their DLSS 4, which improves image quality with sharper details and fewer on-screen blemishes. In benchmarks using Cyberpunk 2077, the RTX maintained over 60 FPS at 4K with Ray-Tracing Ultra enabled. In Blender tests, the RTX 5090 performed 36% better in video rendering, suggesting improvements for complex 3D simulations and AI-driven workflows too.

As of March 2025, there've been 700+ games and apps that have integrated NVIDIA's RTX technology including DLSS into their graphic pipelines. For HP, we've incorporated this into our top-of-the-line OMENs so gamers like you can experience the best on-screen gameplay with max settings.

In the OMEN 45L, we've incorporated the RTX 4090 GPU. With 128 3rd-gen ray tracing cores, gameplay is hyper-real, with shadows, reflections and lighting mimicking real-world scenarios. The laptop variant (RTX 5090) is lower on cores (82 cores), but is a generation newer, so efficiency is enhanced compared to previous versions.

In terms of cooling, HP OMEN 45L is equipped with OMEN CRYO CHAMBER, a liquid cooling setup with 3 x 120mm ARGB front fans and a 240mm AIO liquid cooler. The system effectively dissipates heat by separating cooling components from the main system, reducing heat build-up. Complementing this is OMEN Dynamic Power (available within the OMEN Gaming Hub), which intelligently manages system performance with modes like "Comfort," "Default," and "Performance."

Laptops like the OMEN MAX 16 also benefit with OMEN Tempest Cooling Pro. Fan Cleaner is also available which periodically reverses fan direction between sessions to expel dust. Besides cooling, OMEN laptops have several other features like NVIDIA REFLEX 2, to enhance reaction times providing faster targeting, and Instant Pair to automatically connect peripherals with a high-speed 2.4GHz wireless design.

Your GPU directly impacts on the resolution you play your games. For Full HD 1080p gaming with 60Hz refresh rate, the NVIDIA GeForce 3050 (available for both desktop and laptop) is a solid choice, easily handling most titles at medium to high settings. If you want even higher 144Hz (1080p) refresh rates, the RTX 4060 Ti (desktop) and RTX 4050 Mobile (laptop) provide features like DLSS and ray tracing to enhance visual fidelity. To play at even higher settings - 1440p (144Hz), the RTX 4070 (desktop) and its mobile counterpart deliver excellent frame rates.

When it comes to the gold standard, the latest GPUs offer impressive high refresh rates. The RTX 5090, for example, supports DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Gen, which can boost frame rates by 8x over conventional rendering. In supported games, NVIDIA claims the RTX 5090 can achieve up to 400 FPS at 4K resolution, giving you a super immersive experience. The RTX 4090 and 5090 GPUs, along with the RTX 5080 Laptop GPU represent the absolute best, delivering unparalleled frame rates and ray tracing.

To future-proof your PC, opt for GPUs with larger VRAM (8GB+), ray tracing and DLSS support. Consider cards with PCIe 5.0 and DisplayPort 2.1 compatibility for faster data transfer speeds and higher bandwidth support. Here's a general GPU/ Screen Resolution guide to help you calibrate settings:

To choose your GPU, consider long-term aspirations against your current budget. The RTX 5090 offers breath-taking performance, but commands a premium exceeding its 25% output improvement over the 4090. So for most, the optimal value will fall in the RTX 4060 Ti or RTX 5070 range, where price-to-performance ratios reach peak efficiency.

If you're in the market for a new GPU, consider timing your purchase - mid-cycle refreshes often deliver improved value than launch models, while end-of-generation clearance sales can sometimes give you that GPU powerhouse you've always wanted. In the end, the games you play and the screen you play them on should ultimately guide your decision, as the benefits of your GPU will remain theoretical without a complementary high-res, high-refresh-rate monitor.

Choosing the right GPU depends on balancing your gaming needs with desired experience, but you can rest assured knowing OMEN's engineering excellence helps maximize performance regardless of GPU tier. To understand more on balancing your GPU and CPU setups check out our GPU vs CPU for Gaming guide.