HP OmniBook 3 16" Black

The OmniBook 3's 24GB of DDR5 RAM at the 77th percentile is the main reason to buy this laptop. Everything else is average or below, with a gaming score of just 16.7 out of 100 and a small 41Wh battery. At CAD 1,400, it's a niche pick for RAM-hungry multitaskers who don't care about gaming or portability.

Let's talk about that Core 5 120U first. It's a 10-core chip with a 1.4GHz base clock, and it lands at the 49th percentile in our CPU rankings. That's about average for laptops in this category, which means it'll handle web browsing, document editing, and video calls without breaking a sweat. But don't expect it to chew through video exports or heavy data crunching with any urgency. The integrated Intel Graphics sit at the 56th percentile, which is fine for basic display duties but explains why the gaming score is a brutal 16.7 out of 100. This is not a machine for anything beyond casual browser games.

The 24GB of DDR5 RAM is the real headliner here. At the 77th percentile, it's well above average and gives you serious multitasking headroom. You can keep dozens of Chrome tabs open, run Slack, Spotify, and a couple of productivity apps simultaneously without feeling the squeeze. The 512GB NVMe SSD is solid but unremarkable at the 52nd percentile. It's fast enough for quick boot times and app launches, but 512GB fills up faster than you'd think if you're storing photos, videos, or large project files.

Stacked against the competition, the OmniBook 3 has a tough fight. The Apple MacBook Pro M4 Pro absolutely demolishes it in CPU and GPU performance, though it costs significantly more. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and Lenovo Legion Pro 7i are gaming-focused machines that leave the OmniBook's 16.7 gaming score in the dust, but again, you're paying more for that privilege. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition is probably the closest competitor in spirit, with better build quality and portability, though it typically ships with less RAM at a similar price. The OmniBook's 24GB of RAM is its one genuine advantage over most rivals in this price bracket, but that's a narrow edge to hang your hat on.

At CAD 1,400 to CAD 1,415 across two Canadian listings, the OmniBook 3 is priced like a mid-range productivity machine. The 24GB of RAM is the main value driver here, since most laptops at this price point ship with 16GB. But the rest of the package feels like it's cutting corners to hit that RAM spec. The 41Wh battery, average CPU, and integrated graphics mean you're paying a premium for memory headroom while accepting compromises elsewhere. If you're someone who genuinely needs 24GB for virtual machines or heavy multitasking, the price is defensible. If you just want a general-purpose laptop, you can find better-balanced options at this price.

The HP OmniBook 3 16-bu0070ca lands in our database with a total score of 49.5 out of 100, which puts it firmly in the middle of the pack. The standout spec is the 24GB of DDR5 RAM, sitting at the 77th percentile, which is more memory than most people will ever need for everyday work. But that generous RAM is paired with a Core 5 120U processor that ranks at the 49th percentile, so you're getting a lot of headroom for multitasking without the raw CPU muscle to back it up in heavier workloads.

The 16-inch 1920x1200 IPS display is a nice touch at this size, though 300 nits of brightness is just okay. At 1.64kg, it's not exactly a featherweight, and the 41Wh battery is small for a 16-inch machine. The whole package feels like HP made some interesting trade-offs here, and we'll dig into whether those trade-offs make sense for the CAD 1,400 asking price.

If you care about gaming, portability, or battery life, look elsewhere. The 16.7 out of 100 gaming score means this machine is effectively useless for modern games. The 1.64kg weight and 41Wh battery make it a poor travel companion, and the 300-nit display will frustrate you if you work near windows or outdoors. If you don't specifically need 24GB of RAM, you can find better-balanced laptops at this price with stronger CPUs, brighter screens, and longer battery life.

The HP OmniBook 3 16-bu0070ca is a machine for a specific kind of buyer: someone who needs lots of RAM for multitasking or light development work and doesn't care about gaming, portability, or battery life. The 24GB of DDR5 at the 77th percentile is genuinely useful, and the 16-inch 1920x1200 display is pleasant for productivity. But the 41Wh battery, 1.64kg weight, and average CPU make this a hard sell at CAD 1,400 unless that RAM is non-negotiable for your workflow. Our developer score of 55.4 out of 100 reflects that it's serviceable for coding but not exceptional.