HP OMEN Gaming Laptop 16z-ap100 (Ryzen 7 8745HX, RTX 5060): problems, parts and running costs
Checked: 2026-10-18
Summary
The OMEN Gaming 16z-ap100 is a 16-inch gaming laptop built around a Ryzen 7 8745HX and an RTX 5060 running at its full 115 W, with 16GB of DDR5-5200, a 512GB SSD and a 2K 165 Hz IPS panel. What usually goes wrong: the all-plastic chassis, average colour coverage, weak audio, the lack of Thunderbolt 4 or USB4, and a modest 70 Wh battery. Running costs are just electricity and eventual thermal-paste renewal; there are no consumables. HP lists an MSRP of $1,999.99, which CNET found hard to justify on a closely related Omen 16 at $1,800 — sale prices near $1,150 are where it becomes a buy.
Common problems and fixes
- All-plastic chassis — CNET criticized the all-plastic design with a soft-touch finish on the closely related Omen 16; no fix, it is the build at every configuration. [4]
- Average colour coverage — the 2K panel measured 400 nits, 100% sRGB but only 75% AdobeRGB and 77% P3; fine for gaming, not colour-critical work; the 2.5K OLED alternate covers 100% DCI-P3. [4][1]
- Weak audio — CNET called the speakers weak and muddy on the related model. [4]
- No Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 — USB-C tops out at 10 Gbps with Power Delivery 3.0 and DisplayPort 1.4. [1][4]
- Modest 70 Wh battery — the seed configuration uses a 4-cell 70 Wh pack; a 6-cell 83 Wh battery is an extra-cost alternate. [1]
- Pricey at full price — CNET found the related Omen 16 hard to recommend at its $1,800 review price against the Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 10 at $1,569, and noted sale prices as low as $1,150. [4]
Parts and consumables
- 512 GB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD — one of two M.2 slots, the second free for expansion. [1][4]
No consumables of any kind.
Yearly running cost
Electricity for the 200 W adapter plus, eventually, thermal-paste renewal — standard gaming-laptop maintenance, with no model-specific documentation retrieved. No consumables or subscriptions were identified.
When it is a good buy
- HP’s US store lists an MSRP of $1,999.99 for the CQ3C9AV_1 seed configuration.
- CNET’s related Omen 16 (Ryzen AI 7 350 + RTX 5060, same chassis and display) was priced at $1,800 as reviewed and observed on sale as low as $1,150.
- The Omen 16 series starts at $1,400 for a Ryzen AI 5 340 + RTX 5050 build.
Good buy near $1,150 rather than at list: the 1080p gaming performance, upgradeable RAM and free M.2 slot are the case for it. At full price the Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 10 ($1,569 at the time of CNET’s review) and the Alienware 16X Aurora are the named alternatives that make more sense.