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Meet the New HP OMEN Obelisk Gaming Desktop
Jolene Dobbin
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September 17, 2018
We’d like to introduce the new HP OMEN Obelisk desktop gaming computer: an easy-to-customize and powerful new gaming computer with top-notch specs and high-end components. This desktop was designed from the ground up to be do-it-yourself (DIY) friendly and provide you with an industry-standard upgrade path.
The HP OMEN Obelisk gaming desktop features an optional tempered glass panel with interior RGB lighting that you can customize to your favorite color scheme.
You can choose from the latest graphics processing unit (GPU) and central processing unit (CPU) architectures. And every configuration is shipped standard with high-performance HyperX® memory, demonstrating HP®’s commitment to performance for the gaming community.
How does the HP OMEN Obelisk differ from other HP OMEN desktops?
The HP OMEN Obelisk features some significant changes to previous HP OMEN computer desktops. It has a more streamlined design and ergonomic improvements that include front-facing top-mounted USB ports (as opposed to the previous backwards-angled port orientation), as well as headphone/microphone jacks.
Made for expansion
The new HP OMEN Obelisk was made with expansion capabilities in mind. It offers a wide variety of configurations and supports industry-standard upgrades for internal components, including the motherboard.
The chassis adheres to Micro-ATX standards, so if you want to swap out parts or upgrade over time, for instance, you can choose from a variety of off-the-shelf Micro-ATX motherboards.
Two 3.5-inch drive bays sit at the front of the chassis, and they have mounting holes for 2.5-inch drives in case you want to use some 2.5-inch solid state drives (SSDs). There are two M.2 slots included, with one full-length slot supporting storage and one half-length slot dedicated for the included WLAN module.
There is even enough space for industry-standard ATX power supplies, so if you want to upgrade to a 750W power supply, the chassis can handle it.
Enjoy tool-free access to components
A few of the features of the HP OMEN Obelisk are built specifically for DIY gamers. For instance, you get tool-free access to the interior (and all the internal components) through a simple push-button latch at the back of the PC to open the side panel.
The 3.5-inch drive bays are also tool-free. Just squeeze the tabs on each side of the drives and pull. And to help reduce the frequency of maintenance, we offer an optional removable and easily-cleanable dust filter.
Engineered for gaming performance
The HP OMEN Obelisk is engineered for gaming performance. Configurations with up to enthusiast-level graphics use NVIDIA®’s latest graphics architecture. And if you’re looking to swap out the graphics card, the chassis can accommodate full-length graphics cards with power up to 250W.
High-core count CPUs
On the CPU side, the HP OMEN Obelisk desktop supports the latest architectures from Intel® and AMD®. You can configure up to a 6-core 8th Generation Intel Core i+ CPU (i7-8700+) or up to an 8-core 2nd Generation AMD Ryzen™ CPU (Ryzen 7 2700).
If you’re a gamer who is multi-tasking, live streaming, or doing desktop video editing, you’ll especially appreciate these high-core CPUs, which can handle heavily multi-threaded applications and hyper-threading.
Ultra-fast memory and storage
The available graphics and CPU horsepower shouldn’t be a bottleneck to storage or memory. To make sure, the HP OMEN Obelisk offers up to 32GB HyperX® FURY DDR4-2666 memory as well as a variety of different storage configurations to help balance performance, capacity, and price point requirements.
In fact, you can configure up to three storage devices. There is space for one M.2 SSD (or Intel Optane™ module) and two 3.5-inch hard drives. As a result, available options include mixing PCIe® NVMe SSDs, a single hard drive, dual hard drives, or hard drives plus Intel Optane memory for storage acceleration.
Get up to:
- 512GB SSD + 2x 3TB HDD
- 512GB SSD + 1x 3TB HDD
- 512GB SSD
- 2x 3TB HDD7 + 16GB Intel Optane memory for storage acceleration
Enjoy new levels of gaming realism
The HP OMEN Obelisk offers the latest graphics architectures from NVIDIA with options up to GeForce® RTX 2080.
So you can enjoy:
- Cutting-edge graphics to tap into new levels of gaming realism, speed, power efficiency, and immersion
- Real-time ray tracing technologies for trailblazing, hyper-realistic graphics
- Impressive performance with 2944 CUDA cores and 8GB GDDR6 memory
- Reduced image tearing during gaming thanks to NVIDIA G-SYNC™ compatibility
High-performance memory and thermal engineering
HP® is committed to performance, so we have partnered with Kingston to provide every HP OMEN Obelisk configuration with HyperX FURY DDR4-2666 memory. A hallmark of the gaming community, HyperX Memory is recognized industry-wide for its performance and quality.
All of the high-performing hardware of the HP OMEN Obelisk desktop needs appropriate heat dissipation. And that’s why it has extensive venting on the top, bottom, and sides of the chassis to help airflow and effectively manage heat.
You can see the triangular cut out pattern on both the top and bottom of the case, and the large vent on the side toward the front bezel. The power supply is also placed at the bottom of the case to help airflow and open up options for future upgrades.
For gamers who like to experiment and want to upgrade the cooling solutions, the HP OMEN Obelisk has built-in space for aftermarket liquid cooling. There is an integrated mounting area for an additional aftermarket 120 mm fan or aftermarket 120 mm liquid-cooled radiator.
Software optimization with HP OMEN Command Center
Performance isn’t just about hardware in the desktop gaming computer. Software optimizations can make a huge difference in your overall gaming experience, and HP OMEN Command Center software lets you get the most out of your devices.
What started off as a simple lighting control application a few years ago has grown into a true cornerstone of the HP OMEN ecosystem. HP OMEN Command Center is now a comprehensive software suite centered around performance optimization, PC and gaming accessory customization, and game-enhancing services.
Check your system’s vitals
The dashboard dynamically displays the key metrics of your HP OMEN Obelisk desktop, including utilization and temperature of your GPU, CPU, and memory.
Boost your network
HP Network Booster lets you select which applications you want to have priority over network traffic. This way you can set your games to be at the front of the line. Dual Force functionality actually lets you split network traffic over two simultaneous connections.
You can set your gaming traffic to go over the faster connection available (typically wired), while your background downloads or Windows updates can go over the slower connection (usually wireless). This helps you maximize throughput and reduce latency.
Control performance and overclocking
You can control performance on select laptops to boost fan speed and provide a performance bump. In addition, HP OMEN Command Center has an intuitive interface to help simplify the process of overclocking on select desktops and laptops to improve CPU performance.
Designed for immersion
But HP OMEN Command Center isn’t only for performance improvements. It’s also part of the effort to enable a more immersive overall experience.
HP OMEN gaming computers are designed to help gamers escape from everyday life and work; visuals, audio, and controls are all factors, and the visuals don’t stop with just what you see on screen during a game.
Choose your lighting
Desktop gaming computer visuals are incredibly important. The HP OMEN Obelisk provides chassis lighting controls so that you can customize up to two lighting zones on the chassis. Choose from among five different lighting modes.
The HP OMEN Obelisk gaming desktop has RGB lighting effects on the front logo for all configurations, so you’re able to choose what color best suits you.
Clearly see your system
When configured with the optional tempered glass side panel, HP OMEN Obelisk gets additional RGB lighting on the interior. You can customize this independently of the front logo, to mix and match color schemes or animations.
Every tempered glass panel also receives a clear EMI protective coating to help reduce the risk of electrical or magnetic interference with other devices. This is a step often missed by stand-alone case manufacturers or system integrators which can sometimes have a negative impact on your experience.
The HP OMEN Obelisk also features clean cable routing to help airflow and provide a nice visual enhancement, showing off the hardware instead of a mess of wires. Color consistency of the wires and other internal components means that as you’re adjusting your RGB lighting, you’ll see consistent colors across the inside of the case.
Immersive in-game experiences
To ensure support for immersive in-game experiences, all HP OMEN PCs have DTS Headphone:X for simulated surround sound when using gaming headsets. This compelling feature is ideal for games where spatial sound is critical, such as first-person shooters to help locate where shots are coming from, or adventure games to hear when a character might be sneaking up from behind.
The HP OMEN Obelisk also has all the hardware options and necessary port selections to enable a great VR experience, whether you choose Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, or Windows Mixed Reality environments.
Harness the power of HP OMEN
The HP OMEN Obelisk features HP OMEN Game Stream, a free remote gaming service that allows you to harness the power of your HP OMEN on another PC or device to easily play games on your big-screen TV. You can transfer the performance of your HP OMEN desktop to enable a great gaming experience on non-OMEN devices.
VR-ready gaming desktop
The HP OMEN Obelisk is a virtual reality (VR) ready desktop gaming computer. By combining advanced VR rendering, real-time ray tracing, and artificial intelligence (AI), NVIDIA GeForce RTX will take VR to a new level of realism.
HP OMEN gaming accessories
Get your gaming desktop build on with HP OMEN custom gaming desktops. And elevate your game to the next level with this full line of gaming gear, mechanical keyboards, and HP OMEN gaming accessories that the pros use.
The HP OMEN Mindframe gaming headset is the world’s first headset with active cooling earcup technology, which includes moisture-wicking fabric to help improve overall breathability. It also has Virtual 7.1 surround sound, on-headset and easily adjustable audio controls, RGB lighting, and a self-adjusting suspension headband for comfort.
You can access HP OMEN Command Center software from the headset, enable different lighting modes and animations for the RGB LED outline around each ear cup, and choose different levels of cooling intensity to find your optimum comfort level.
Get individually backlit keys with up to 16.8 million RGB colors to choose from and unique, customizable effects with the HP OMEN Sequencer mechanical keyboard.
The HP OMEN Reactor gaming mouse provides industry-leading optical-mechanical switch technology and light beam detection enabling a 0.2ms click response time - three times faster than a traditional mechanical mouse switch - so you can enjoy faster in-game response and extended durability with a 50-million-click lifetime.
With all that powerful performance being packed into one customizable gaming rig, you need to see it to believe it, so watch our latest video comparing HP OMEN PC gaming versus console gaming.
About the Author: Jolene Dobbin is a contributing writer for HP® Tech Takes. Jolene is an East Coast-based writer with experience creating strategic messaging, marketing, and sales content for companies in the high-tech industry.
