HP OMEN 16 Slim (Core Ultra 9 285H, 32 GB, 2 TB, RTX 5070): problems, parts and running costs

Checked: 2026-10-18

Summary

The OMEN 16 Slim’s issues are about power and support, not build: the bundled 150 W adapter can drain the battery and drop frame rates under sustained gaming, at least one new unit crashed repeatedly with BSODs, and the RTX 5070 is capped near 80 W to fit the thin chassis. Running cost is essentially just electricity — no subscriptions are required and no yearly cost figures were measured. It is a good buy between $1,549.99 and $2,179.99 if you value the thinner, quieter chassis over peak frame rates.

Common problems and fixes

Battery drain and FPS drops with the bundled 150 W adapter — an exact-model RTX 5070 owner (16-an0012TX) reports the adapter cannot sustain gaming load: the battery drains and frame rates collapse, and HP support closed the case without supplying a higher-wattage unit after 45+ days. Fix: confirm the bundled wattage for your exact SKU before buying and budget for a higher-wattage charger if you game for hours. The reported warranty outcome was a declined replacement. [8][13]
Crashes and black screens on a new unit — an HP Support Community post describes a brand-new Slim (Ultra 7 / RTX 5060) with frequent GPU/CPU BSODs, black screens, buzzing audio and “Fatal Hardware Error” in Event Viewer. No fix or defect rate can be estimated from a single report; the route is warranty service. [9][10]
Capped power ceiling — HP caps the system at a claimed 110 W TPP in Unleashed Mode (30 W CPU + 80 W GPU), and an owner measured roughly 80 W sustained GPU power, below what a thicker RTX 5070 laptop can pull. Not a defect — it is the trade for the thinner chassis — but it caps frame rates. [2][6][7]
No Thunderbolt — the single USB-C port is 10 Gbps (USB PD, DP 1.4); HP’s own banner text mentions Thunderbolt 4 generically, but the actual I/O list does not include it. Fix: check the port list, not the banner. [5][2]
Memory configuration drift — HP documents 2 x 16 GB across 2 slots, but one Slim owner received a single 16 GB stick despite documentation implying two. Fix: verify the installed DIMM count for your exact SKU before buying or upgrading. [2][7]

Parts and consumables

M.2 PCIe Gen4 SSD — stock 1 TB with one upgradeable slot, up to 2 TB supported. No owner pricing for replacement drives was reported. [2]
150 W AC adapter — the bundled standard unit may be insufficient for sustained RTX 5070 gaming (see problems); a higher-wattage charger is the fix, and HP declined to supply one free in the one reported case. No store pricing was reported. [14][8][13]

Yearly running cost

Not enough data — no subscriptions are required, and no electricity or consumable costs were measured; the only reported extra is a possible higher-wattage charger purchase for heavy gaming. [8]

When it is a good buy

Street prices captured 2026-10-07: Micro Center lists the 16-an0001nr (Ultra 7 255H / RTX 5060 / 16 GB / 1 TB) at $1,979.99, down from $2,199.99; Best Buy search snippets show RTX 5070 Slim listings around $1,549.99 and another at $2,179.99 (was $2,749.99); Costco lists the Ultra 9 / RTX 5070 16-an0075cl as a member offer. At the $1,549.99 to $2,179.99 street level the Slim is worth it if you want RTX 5070-class graphics in a chassis HP says is 16% thinner than the standard OMEN 16, and you mostly play in Balanced or Eco modes. Alternatives: the standard OMEN 16 (16-am0000 / 16-ap0000) is the better choice when you want full-power RTX 5070 performance and do not need the Slim’s portability; any thicker RTX 5070 laptop is the better choice for maximum frame rates, since the Slim’s GPU sits near 80 W. If you game hard for hours, confirm a higher-wattage adapter for your exact SKU first. [10][11][12][7][8]