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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The MacBook Air (2020), being less expensive and lighter, is ideal for portability and general use with good battery life. It has a high-resolution display but less storage and RAM compared to the HP Omen 15. The Omen, with its powerful processor and high-end GPU, is better for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, though it is heavier and more expensive. If portability and price are your main concerns, choose the MacBook Air; if performance in resource-heavy tasks is crucial, go for the Omen 15. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the HP Omen 15
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2
7.6
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The HP Omen 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is limited in 3D applications due to its less powerful integrated graphics and a standard refresh rate, whereas the HP Omen 15 is better suited for gaming and 3D tasks with its high-performance Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate for smoother visuals. Additionally, the MacBook Air's MacOS limits its gaming capabilities, as it doesn't support many popular games available on the Windows platform, which the HP Omen 15 uses.
Engineering and Design
7.3
7.9
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Omen 15 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for engineering and design, though the HP Omen 15 is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is well suited for engineering and design due to its high screen quality, powerful CPU and GPU integrated by the Apple M1 chip, and the benefit of silent, fanless operation, although it has less RAM and storage compared to some alternatives.
Screen Quality
7.5
7.3
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
318.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the HP Omen 15 for general use, and engineering and design, while the HP Omen 15 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020), with its high-resolution IPS display, offers vibrant colors and sharp details suitable for general tasks and engineering design work, but its standard refresh rate limits its effectiveness for 3D applications where smoother motion is key. HP Omen 15, although designed for gaming, may not excel in that area due to a display that lacks a high refresh rate, important for fluid motion in gaming and 3D work, despite having a good resolution and panel type for general and design use. Both laptops provide screens with good color accuracy and brightness, appealing to design professionals, but their shortcomings in refresh rate can be noticeable in fast-paced 3D environments.
Battery
15.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The HP Omen 15 has 10 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Good
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the HP Omen 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
7.2
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the HP Omen 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$900
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the HP Omen 15 costs $900.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.9
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
395.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
318.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The HP Omen 15 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is appreciated for general use due to its efficient Apple M1 CPU, ample RAM, high-quality screen, lightweight design, and long battery life, making it very portable and suitable for a variety of tasks without frequent recharging. The HP Omen 15, while also good for general use, offers a stronger CPU and more RAM for demanding applications, a larger storage capacity, and better heat management, but is heavier with shorter battery life, making it less portable but a better fit for performance-intensive tasks like gaming.
Content Creation
7.8
7.8
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Omen 15 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.7
7.6
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and HP Omen 15 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the HP Omen 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2020) | HP Omen 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $900 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2020 | December 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.63'' | 14.1'' x 9.4'' x 0.9'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.8 lbs | 5.42 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.36" | 9.44" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 49.9 Wh | 70.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 395 nits | 318 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
HP Omen 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | January 2021
"We consider around 1,260 Euros (~$1530) for a Ryzen 7 4800H, a GeForce RTX 2060, a 512 GB SSD and 16 GB dual-channel RAM to be a good offer that appeals to price-conscious gamers. Very high details are rarely a problem in the native resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. Buyers will also be spoiled with a top-notch battery life that even beats most other notebook classes. If HP now improves the speed of the WLAN module, the stability of the case and the repeatedly criticized picture quality, the competition will have to dress extra warmly."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the HP Omen 15
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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