HP Omen 45L Gaming Desktop Review

B&H, for example, currently lists this exact GT22-3080 configuration at $2,399 on sale from $2,899.99, while some finance/layaway shops sit closer to the mid-$3,000 range.

Design, Build Quality, and Ports

The OMEN 45L chassis is one of HP’s more mature designs. It takes the same frame HP uses on previous 45L builds and drops new silicon inside:

• Full-metal frame with tempered glass on the side for a clear look at internals

• Tool-less access for side panels, so upgrades are simple

• Separate “Cryo Chamber” at the top of the case, pulling in cool outside air for the liquid cooler radiator instead of recirculating hot case air

Port selection varies slightly between batches, but typical layouts include:

• Front: USB-A, USB-C, headset jack, power button on top

• Rear (motherboard + GPU): multiple USB-A ports, USB-C, 2.5Gb Ethernet, audio jacks, plus HDMI/DisplayPort from the RTX 5080

The case is large; it wants a desk or floor spot with some breathing room. In return you get space for future drives, larger GPUs, and more cooling.

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Gaming Performance: Built for 4K and High Refresh

On paper, this configuration is aimed at high-end 1440p and 4K gaming:

• The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K gives you 20 cores plus Intel’s AI Boost NPU, which helps with background AI tasks, encoding, and general responsiveness.

• The RTX 5080 is positioned as a next-gen card with strong ray tracing and DLSS frame generation support, well ahead of the older 40-series options listed in many prebuilt competitors.

• 32GB DDR5 is plenty for modern AAA titles, streaming, and heavy Chrome/Discord sessions.

What that means in practice:

• 1440p ultra settings should be smooth in nearly any modern game, even with ray tracing on.

• 4K gaming with DLSS or similar tech should hit very comfortable frame rates in most current AAA titles, as long as you tune a few heavier settings.

• Esports titles (Valorant, Apex, Fortnite, CS) easily push high refresh at 1440p and stay steady during long competitive sessions.

If you game on a 240 Hz 1440p or 120–144 Hz 4K display, this tower actually has the muscle to feed those panels instead of dipping constantly.

Read: KAMRUI GK3Plus Mini PC 

Creator and Everyday Performance: HP Omen 45L Gaming Desktop Review

This build is not only for gaming. The spec sheet lines up well with creator workloads too:

• The Ultra 7 265K handles video editing, 3D work, and photo processing without a struggle.

• 32GB RAM gives enough headroom for Adobe Creative Cloud apps plus browser windows, reference material, and streaming tools.

• The 2TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD keeps projects snappy and leaves space for a large game library at the same time.

You also get Windows 11 Pro out of the box, which plays nicely with modern productivity features and Copilot support if you enable it.

If you stream and edit on the same machine, this configuration avoids the usual stutter and encoding issues common on midrange rigs.

Cooling, Noise, and the OMEN Cryo Chamber

Older OMEN towers had mixed feedback around thermals. The 45L platform with the Cryo Chamber is HP’s answer to that:

• The CPU radiator sits in its own top “chamber”, drawing in fresh air directly from outside the case.

• The rest of the system uses front-to-back airflow with multiple fans and a spacious interior.

In real use that brings a few wins:

• Lower CPU temps during long sessions, which keeps clocks high and reduces thermal throttling.

• GPU temps that stay under better control than in cramped mid-towers.

• Noise levels that rise during heavy loads but stay reasonable for a liquid-cooled, high-wattage system.

You still want good room airflow, and you should expect fan ramp-up during extended 4K gaming, yet the design is clearly an improvement over older, tighter HP cases.

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Software: OMEN Gaming Hub and RGB Control

HP ships the OMEN 45L with:

• OMEN Gaming Hub – lets you tweak performance profiles, fan curves, network prioritization, and lighting presets.

• OMEN Light Studio – controls the four RGB zones and any compatible peripherals in a single interface.

Preinstalled software does include some extras you might remove on day one, but these two tools do add real value:

• Simple way to set a “Quiet” profile for work and a “Performance” profile for gaming

• One place to sync RGB effects across the case and HP gear

If you prefer a lean system, you can disable or uninstall what you do not want and still keep the features you use.

Price and Value: HP Omen 45L Gaming Desktop Review

Right now, the OMEN 45L GT22-3080 sits in premium territory:

• B&H Photo lists it at $2,399 on holiday sale from $2,899.99.

• Some finance-oriented retailers post prices near $3,400 before promos.

So where does that leave value?

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Where the price makes sense

• You get a current-generation CPU and GPU instead of a discounted last-gen card.

• 32GB DDR5 and a 2TB SSD means no immediate upgrade pressure.

• The 45L chassis and Cryo Chamber give room and thermal headroom for future GPU swaps.

If you compare this to building a similar Ultra 7 + RTX 5080 tower with a large liquid-cooled case and brand-name PSU, you land in a similar range, especially once you add Windows and time spent.

Read: iBUYPOWER Y40 PRO Black Gaming PC Desktop Computer 

When the price is too high

• If you mostly play lighter games at 1080p or 1440p, an RTX 4070/4070 Ti-class system will feel just as fast for much less.

• Casual players who stick to indie titles and older games will not use most of this power.

For those groups, a cheaper OMEN 40L build or another midrange tower gives better value per dollar.

HP OMEN 45L (GT22-3080) – Pros and Cons

Pros

• Intel Core Ultra 7 265K + RTX 5080 combo handles 1440p and 4K gaming with ease

• 32GB DDR5 and 2TB NVMe SSD leave plenty of room for games and creative work

• OMEN 45L case with Cryo Chamber provides strong cooling and simple upgrades

• Tool-less interior and full-size tower layout make future GPU or storage swaps simple

• Windows 11 Pro and OMEN Gaming Hub give useful controls for power, fans, and lighting

Cons

• Price sits firmly in the high-end bracket

• Large chassis needs space; not ideal for small desks

• Fan noise rises under heavy loads, even with liquid cooling

• Some preinstalled software may need cleanup

• Overkill for light gaming or basic tasks

Who Should Buy the HP OMEN 45L GT22-3080?

This version of the HP OMEN 45L makes the most sense if you:

• Play a lot of AAA games at 1440p or 4K and care about high settings and ray tracing

• Stream or create content on the same machine and want 32GB RAM and a large SSD out of the box

• Prefer a factory-built, warrantied system instead of building your own high-end PC

• Want room for future GPU and storage upgrades without replacing the whole tower

You may want a different system if you:

• Mainly play esports at 1080p and do not need a top-tier GPU

• Have limited desk or floor space for a big tower

• Need something very quiet at all times and are sensitive to fan noise

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Final Take

With the Ultra 7 265K, RTX 5080, 32GB DDR5, and 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, the HP OMEN 45L GT22-3080 lands solidly in the “buy once, use for years” category for premium gaming desktops.

It is not cheap, and it is not small, but it delivers the power level the price suggests, with cooling and upgradability that should keep it relevant through several game generations. If you want a ready-to-go 4K-capable gaming PC with room to grow and you are comfortable with a premium budget, this OMEN 45L is a strong candidate.