HP OMEN 35L Review (2026): Quiet, Upgradeable Prebuilt

This HP OMEN 35L review is for anyone who wants a prebuilt gaming PC without giving up the freedom to tinker. The 35L is HP's gaming tower desktop. It is built around a tool-less chassis and standard parts, and it can be configured with high-end Intel or AMD processors and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080. It suits gamers and creatives who want something quiet and good-looking that they can upgrade later. It sits in the mid-range part of the market. This review is based on HP's manufacturer specs and on what independent expert reviews report, not on our own hands-on testing.

What the HP OMEN 35L is

Prebuilt gaming desktops often make you choose between convenience and control. The OMEN 35L tries to offer both. HP sells it in several configurations, so what you get depends on the processor and graphics card you pick. Intel models go up to the Core Ultra 9 285K, and the original AMD models go up to the Ryzen 7 8700G. On Intel models the graphics option tops out at the GeForce RTX 5080 with 16 GB GDDR7.

The pitch is a PC that arrives ready to play and can be opened up and upgraded without special tools or proprietary parts. The expert reviews we found rate it well, as covered below.

HP OMEN 35L review: design and build

The headline design feature is the tool-less chassis. HP describes it as upgradeable and built with standard parts. In practice, that means you can swap components later without being locked into HP-specific hardware. That matters if you want to keep the case and power supply while upgrading the graphics card in a few years.

You can pick black or white, and a mesh or glass front panel. The optional LCD CPU cap is available with the liquid cooler.

The case measures 8.27 x 16.06 x 16.14 in. It weighs 31.97 lbs, and HP notes that this varies by configuration. A common criticism is that it is heavy and bulky for smaller desks, so measure your space before buying. If you move your PC around often, that weight will be noticeable.

One practical note for upgraders: the maximum GPU length is 335mm. Check the length of any card you plan to fit later, especially if you are eyeing a large model.

Cooling and noise

Low noise is one of the most consistent themes in what reviewers say. Reviewers praise the OMEN 35L for staying very quiet and cool under load, helped by the 240mm liquid cooler option.

The spec sheet supports this. Airflow comes from two 140mm front fans and one 120mm rear exhaust fan, which HP positions as low-noise cooling. Depending on configuration, the processor is cooled by either the OMEN 240mm liquid cooler (with an Asetek 7th Gen pump) or a 120 mm 4-heatpipe air cooler. If quiet running is a priority, the liquid-cooled configurations are the ones to look at. HP doesn't publish a decibel figure, so the noise claims rest on reviewer impressions.

Performance and components

The top Intel option, the Core Ultra 9 285K, has 24 cores and 24 threads and boosts up to 5.70 GHz. Paired with an RTX 5080, that makes for a configuration reviewers describe as strong for gaming. The same hardware also suits the creative work that benefits from a fast processor and a capable GPU.

Lower configurations use less powerful processors and graphics cards than the top options, while higher configurations get pricey. A common criticism is that some configurations have odd CPU and GPU pairings. That is a reason to read each configuration's component list rather than assume the badge tells you everything. A mismatched build can leave you paying for power you won't use.

The power supply goes up to 1000 W 80 Plus Gold, modular and ATX 3.1. A modular supply is useful in a case you intend to upgrade, because you only connect the cables you need.

Memory and storage

There are four memory slots, supporting up to 64GB of DDR5-5600 MT/s (4 x 16 GB). Storage options go up to two 2 TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSDs plus one 2 TB 7200 rpm SATA HDD. That is a sensible split: fast drives for the operating system and games, and a larger, slower drive for bulk files.

Expansion

Inside there is one x16 PCIe Gen5 slot and one x4 PCIe Gen4 slot. The x16 slot is for the graphics card. The smaller slot leaves room for something like a capture card or extra network hardware.

Connectivity and ports

Wireless goes up to Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4, which is current for a desktop. On the front panel, HP's AMD page lists one USB Type-C 10Gbps port, two USB Type-A 5Gbps ports and a headphone/mic combo jack.

A common criticism is that the front ports top out at 10Gbps USB-C, with no USB4. For most gamers that is fine for headsets, controllers and flash drives. Anyone who wants very fast external storage or Thunderbolt-style peripherals should take note.

What experts like and what they criticise

The two scores we found are Windows Central at 4/5 and Creative Bloq at 8.5/10. Together they average 8.3/10 across 2 expert reviews. That is a small sample, so treat it as a positive signal rather than a final word.

Reviewers praise:

• how quiet and cool it runs under load
• strong gaming performance at the top of the range
• the tool-less, standard-parts chassis
• generous memory and storage headroom
• the choice of colours and front panels

A common criticism is the software side. Reviewers point to preinstalled bloatware and some software bugs. This is fixable, since you can uninstall what you don't want, but it is a chore on a PC at this level. The other complaints are the odd component pairings in some configurations, the weight, and the front-port speeds.

Who should buy the OMEN 35L

This desktop is a good fit if you:

• want a gaming PC that stays quiet under load
• plan to upgrade memory, storage or graphics over time
• like a clean look, with white and glass options
• are happy to spend a little time removing preinstalled software

It is also a reasonable choice for creatives who want a strong processor and graphics card in a tower that is simple to open.

Who should skip it

Look elsewhere if you:

• need a light, compact desktop, or have limited desk space
• dislike removing bloatware from a new PC
• want USB4 on the front panel
• are drawn to the top configurations on a tight budget, since those get pricey

If you want portability more than upgradeability, a laptop may suit you better. Our HP Omen Max 16 (2025) review covers one option from the same brand family.

How it fits among prebuilt gaming desktops

When comparing prebuilts, it helps to ask the same few questions of every model. Are the parts standard and easy to swap? Is the cooling quiet? Does the configuration make sense as a whole? The OMEN 35L answers the first two well, according to reviewers. The third needs checking on a model-by-model basis, because of the pairing issue above.

Verdict

The OMEN 35L is a well-regarded prebuilt for people who want a quiet, upgradeable gaming tower. Its strengths are the tool-less chassis, the cooling and the component headroom. Its weaknesses are the bloatware, the weight and the front-port limits. Choose your configuration carefully, and it is a strong option in the mid-range part of the market.

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