The HP Victus 16 ($809 starting price) is the first model in HP’s new Victus range of gaming laptops, which appear to be more inexpensive alternatives to HP’s existing Omen gaming laptops. But don’t let that put you off: the HP Victus 16 is a gaming machine that comes with the newest Intel and AMD CPUs as well as some of the hottest Nvidia GeForce RTX 30-series GPUs.
However, if you’re seeking mobility, the Victus is difficult to suggest over other gaming laptops on the market. Furthermore, it has certain design flaws that make it difficult to operate on a daily basis without connecting to a slew of peripherals.
This HP Victus 16 review will show this laptop’s strengths and limitations, which are manageable but ultimately prevent it from making our list of the best gaming laptops you can purchase.
The HP Victus 16 may be ordered directly from HP’s website as well as via third-party merchants like Newegg and Best Buy. The entry-level version begins at $809, although it has an outdated Nvidia GPU. Expect to pay at least $1,000 for a device with one of the most recent Nvidia GeForce RTX 30-series GPUs, and close to $2,000 if you want everything.
Victus review machine was outfitted with a 16.1-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 144Hz monitor, an Intel Core i7-11800H CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and 32GB of Intel Optane memory. This combination generally costs around $1,400, but because this review is being released during the holiday shopping season, HP has several Victus machines on sale or out of stock.
The Victus 16 has a lot going for it, including an unobtrusive dark silver (or blue if you spend an additional $10) chassis. The two built-in fans keep the computer cool even in high-performance conditions, and it has three USB-A connections, one USB-C port, an HDMI out, and even an Ethernet port for putting things in. Personal computers that cost the same as this laptop but don’t have as many connections.
However, there are certain flaws in the Victus 16’s design. For starters, the Victus’ sharp, angular design, along with the large sans serif V inscribed on the top of the casing, gives it a mood that goes beyond “serious gaming machine” and approaches “business laptop for an evil company in a sci-fi movie.”
As powerful as that visual statement is, the fans maybe even more powerful, occasionally drowning out the laptop’s speakers while playing graphically demanding games.
The weight of the machine is also a concern. According to HP’s website, the Victus “starts at” 5.44 pounds. It’s a hefty laptop, but transporting it to your house shouldn’t be a problem.
The HP Victus 16 has a 16.1-inch FHD display with a 144Hz refresh rate by standard. You may, however, pay $40 more for a slightly brighter screen, or $110 more for a higher-resolution version with a 165Hz refresh rate.
The device included the regular 16.1-inch 144Hz FHD display, which is really appreciable. The 16.1-inch screen appears to be large and bright for a laptop, and while the resolution is only 1920 x 1080, the Victus is kitted (and priced) to give the greatest gaming performance at 1080p regardless. If you’re used to playing games on a larger computer monitor, the display may feel a little tiny, but the Victus’ HDMI connector makes it simple to connect a second monitor.
The aural quality of the sound emanating from the Victus speakers is also surprising. Bang & Olufsen of Denmark tuned them, they’re as good for listening to music or viewing streaming video. However, it’s more difficult to comment on their sound quality while playing games because, as previously said, the noise of fans spinning up during visually heavy gaming frequently blocks the sound
The Victus outperforms most gaming laptops in the $1-$2k price bracket. Most games run well at 1080p and had no issue playing through Steam games.
The 14-inch Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 ($1,449), one of the top selections for the finest gaming laptop you can purchase, costs the same as the Victus but performs nearly twice as well in Grand Theft Auto V. The Shadow of the Tomb Raider graphics test, on the other hand, performed far higher on the Victus than on the Zephyrus G14.
However, for a 16-inch gaming laptop in this price range, the Victus delivers solid overall performance. That’s a good thing because this laptop frequently feels like it’s made sacrifices in the name of providing affordable gaming performance.
The 4.9 x 3.2 touchpad on the Victus seems pretty spacious and performs adequately for casual chores. Unfortunately, that appears to be a waste of time. It’s no substitute for a mouse’s accuracy or the additional inputs of the top gaming mice. As a result, most individuals will need to utilise a mouse to play serious games.
On the plus side, the Victus’ Keyboard has a complete number pad. The keystrokes aren’t spectacular, but they’re sensitive and it’s evident whether you’ve depressed them entirely or not. The issue is that the inclusion of a number pad causes the rest of the keyboard to be somewhat off-centre, which, to be honest, drove me insane.
HP’s tiny design decisions also made the changeover tough. The F and J keys have bevels so you can return to the writing position by touch, but they’re too tiny for fingertips. Given that this is a gaming laptop.
When it comes to serious gaming, you might be better off treating the HP Victus 16 a little more like a desktop. In more casual use situations, such as online surfing or video viewing, the HP Victus 16 remained at a reasonably cool 91 degrees.
However, after 6 consecutive runs of the Metro Exodus benchmark, the underbelly of the machine hit 117.5 degrees, in spite of the numerous loud fans working overtime. That’s not hot enough to hinder performance, but it’s probably hot enough just to push the laptop off your lap.
The battery life of the Victus isn’t as impressive as that of the competitors, but it’s also not a hindrance in any manner. It took more than four hours of more leisurely use to receive a low battery alert. Playing a graphics-intensive game drastically reduced battery life, but in fact, you’ll want to plug in so much for real gaming that the Victus should likely be stationary and close to a power outlet anyway.
The Victus 16 lasted an hour and 30 minutes in the gaming laptop battery test. That’s longer than the MSI Katana 76’s hour, while the power-saving Zephyrus G14 beat both.
Finally, how very much you like the Victus is depend on how you prioritize the gaming and laptop parts of your gaming laptop. If gaming is your priority, Victus can deliver some breathtaking visuals for a reasonable price. In fact, the Victus shines best when utilized as a cheap gaming desktop. Despite the austere style, it’s a nice gaming computer. It’s also not awful for getting things done if you put in a nice keyboard and mouse, especially when you connect it to an external display for an impromptu two-monitor configuration.
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