What just happened? It's starting to look as if 2022 is the year of the PC case at CES. Following reveals of unique designs by several companies, HP has joined the party with the Omen 45L ATX, which features an Omen Cryo Chamber that stores the system's radiator outside of the main case.
The Omen 45L is the latest in HP's well-reviewed Omen desktop line. In addition to being larger than the previous Omen 40L, the new PC comes with a patented Omen Cryo Chamber. It's a chamber placed outside of the main interior section that can house all-in-one liquid coolers measuring up to 360mm in length.
The theory behind the Cryo Chamber is that by keeping the radiator on the outside of the case, it can suck in cooler ambient air than if it were on the inside. The chamber design also means that the chassis can be carried around by the handle it creates.
HP claims that the Cryo Chamber can lower CPU temperatures by 6 degrees Celsius compared to standard designs. There's also an intake on the front of the case so the three 140mm RGB fans can pull in fresh air.
Another benefit of the Omen 45L is that it has lockable front and side panels that can be easily removed without tools. HP is now selling the case on its website with a complete system packed inside---up to an Intel Core i9-12900K, RTX 3090, 64GB of DDR4 RAM, 2TB NVMe SSD---starting at $1,999. There are also AMD-powered options starting at $2,378.99 that can be specced up to a Ryzen 9 5900X. It's worth noting that all the components come from named brands.
The good news for those who prefer to build their own PCs is that the Omen 45L case will soon be available to purchase by itself. No price was given but expect it to be somewhere between the $199 Hyte Y60, which offers panoramic views of the interior hardware, and the $250 Kinetic Series with its 18 motorized triangular vents.