HP Omen 25i Review: Uniquely Equipped

A speedy 25-incher with some tricks up its sleeve

Reviews
By Christian Eberle
last updated
HP Omen 25i
Editor's Choice
(Image: © HP)

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Viewing Angles

(Image credit: Portrait Displays Calman)

The Omen 25i has decent off-axis quality that’s typical of a modern IPS panel. At 45 degrees to the sides, there is a slight blue shift, and brightness drops by about 30%. The top view is decidedly reddish green with a 50% light falloff and a reduction in detail. As a relatively small monitor, the Omen 25i is unlikely to be shared or viewed from farther than 3 feet. On axis, there are no issues.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Our sample had slight hotspots at the bottom of the screen, just above the edge. They could be seen in a dark room when displaying a black field pattern, but they disappeared at higher brightness levels. We never saw a problem in actual content. Color uniformity was visually perfect in all areas of the screen.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

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HP Omen 25i
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

In the response test, the Omen 25i delivered speed comparable to any 165 Hz monitor. Moving objects will be slightly sharper at 165 fps than they will be at 144 fps. Total control lag (2nd chart) is slightly slower than the MSI and equal to the BenQ. In our experience, a 3ms difference is very hard to see. The consideration in this product category is, do you want to give up some image quality for 240 Hz? The top three screens look speedy, but the Omen 25i has more accurate color and far better HDR.

Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

3 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Sleepy_Hollowed
    This is a really interesting panel, probably my top choice for 1080p gaming (which is honestly all the rage these days for retro gaming and due to lack of GPUs).

    The HDR is what really sets it apart and I will be getting this if no one else releases something like this in the 1080p sphere.

    I just wish it was available in 2560x1080p to play MMORPGs and shooters with more real estate, but it is what it is.
    Reply
  • efrenjjcarr
    There is a 27" QHD option OMEN 27i | HP® Official Site
    Reply
  • Aequanimitas
    The calibration settings table seems to be badly formatted. Is it possible for it to be corrected so it is more understandable?

    On another note, this is for me the best 1080p IPS monitor, just wish it had a better stand, the one it comes with it´s kind of a joke.
    Reply