An okay laptop with 16GB of RAM is better than a nice laptop with 8GB, and this $520 HP OmniBook proves it

<figure> <img alt="An HP OmniBook 3 16 laptop on a wood table next to a frozen coffee drink and pastry." data-caption="The OmniBook 3 isn’t a sweet treat, but it gets things done on the cheap. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge" data-portal-copyright="Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/268709_HP_OmniBook_3_16_laptop_review_ADiBenedetto_0012.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> The OmniBook 3 isn’t a sweet treat, but it gets things done on the cheap. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge </figcaption> </figure> <p class="has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph">Laptop prices are out of whack. $500 used to get you a tolerable laptop, and $900 got you a really good one. They often had similar CPU, RAM, and storage options because that stuff was comparatively cheap; the difference was often in build quality and screen rather than power. But RAMageddon has thrown everything off. Even laptops like the $950 Surface Laptop now start with 8GB of RAM, which isn't enough. And on the lower end, where manufacturers are struggling to compete with the $700 MacBook Neo, they're cutting corners on storage, CPU, and build quality too.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">However, one low-cost laptop has bucked this and genuinely surprised me. HP's 16 …</p> <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/983554/hp-omnibook-3-16-snapdragon-laptop-review">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>