I am in the market for a new laptop and am looking for help to inform my purchase decision. Right now, I am debating between two models:
1. ASUS ROG Strix G16, i9-13980HX, 16 gb DDR5-4800 memory, 1 tb M.2 NVMe PCIe, 16" QHD (2560 x 1600) display with 16:10 aspect ratio, 240 hz refresh, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 (6 gb), $1399
2. HP Omen 16, i7-3700HX, 16 gb DDR5-4800 memory, 512 gb M.2 NVMe PCIe, 16.1" QHD (2560 x 1440) display with 16:9 aspect ratio, 240 hz refresh, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (8 gb), $1239
The ROG Strix has a much better display and CPU, is more configurable with software (RGB, fan and CPU clock speed), and can accommodate more memory (64 gb vs 32 gb max, I believe). Conversely, the Omen has a better GPU, camera, speakers, and portability/form factor (height <1", whereas the ROG Strix rises to 1.2" at the rear). Both can accommodate a second M2 drive.
What I am looking for is a laptop I can use while traveling that will support e-mail access, web browsing, possible streaming (Crunchyroll, Netflix, etc.), online roleplaying (Discord and Roll20 use), and limited gaming (Baldur's Gate III most notably). I tend to have a lot of apps running at the same time. These factors suggest to me that the ROG Strix would better suit my needs. However, everything I read suggests to me that the RTX 4060 would be considered the entry-level GPU for mid-grade systems. I think the 4050 could handle BG3 fine but am worried about near-term viability as games evolve. Additionally, there is the possibility my teenage son will use the laptop, and he is more into games than I am.
Right now, I am undecided based on the difference in GPUs and size (portability) as well as my fear that the HP's display will be much poorer than the ROG Strix's. I was able to see a ROG Strix G17 QHD model in a local store. This had the 4060 GPU, I believe, though the resolution was lower than that of the G16. I thought the display had very good brightness, responsiveness, and contrast. Unfortunately, the QHD Omen 16s are not being sold in stores, so I cannot formulate a direct comparison. The statistics for the Omen 16's display suggests it has middling brightness, contrast, and color coverage. I think it would be okay (contingent on backlight bleed) but equal to only the most basic QHD displays.
Any thoughts/suggestions others can provide would be appreciated.
