HP Victus 15 review: an $800 laptop that can game

I’ve been looking far and huge for a funds gaming laptop computer that I might suggest for consumers trying within the sub-$800 vary. I hoped and praying that the HP Victus 15 — which has been considered one of Greatest Purchase’s most popular products this yr — can be it.

My takeaway, having been gaming on the Victus ($799.99 for my Core i5/8GB/512GB/GTX 1650 mannequin) for the previous few days, is that it’s not the slam dunk I hoped it will be. The low value is kind of engaging (and will probably be much more so if you could find it on sale), however the dated GPU inside our check mannequin just isn’t delivering the body charges that I’d hope to see from a contemporary gaming laptop computer. That doesn’t imply that the Victus is a unilaterally dangerous buy — simply that, as is commonly the case with funds gaming laptops, it’s best to go in with life like expectations.

The Victus has an unobtrusive design. My evaluation unit is nearly totally black with modest backlighting and a easy “V” on the lid (which, as chances are you’ll discover within the photographs, picked up a multitude of fingerprints shortly). It’s extra of a “might carry to the workplace” gadget than a “chaotic mess of RGB that won’t go away the basement” gadget. At 5.06 kilos, it’s pretty transportable (for a gaming laptop computer) however definitely not a light-weight gadget.

Ports embody most of what you’ll in all probability want — two USB-A, one USB-C, one audio jack, one HDMI 2.1, one Ethernet, and one full-sized SD reader along with the charging port. There’s no Thunderbolt 4, which is value noting (though Thunderbolt 4 isn’t a requirement at this value level). My one notice concerning the chassis is admittedly the touchpad. Not solely does it choose up fingerprints simply, nevertheless it has fairly a stiff click on.

In fact, it is a gaming laptop computer, and the gaming efficiency is what issues. I’d name my ends in that space “acceptable” for the GTX 1650 inside. You may definitely recreation on this factor, however I don’t see the bang to your buck as distinctive right here.

Lighter titles like League of Legends and CS:GO simply maxed out the Victus’ 144Hz display screen. Overwatch 2 received up there after I bumped the graphics right down to medium (and nonetheless achieved a decent 78fps on the Epic preset).

However heavier fare gave the Victus extra hassle, and I’d suggest that you just search for a greater GPU for those who plan to play these titles usually. Pink Useless Redemption 2 solely averaged 38fps at its highest preset and 45fps at medium. Cyberpunk was a rougher trip, averaging solely 39fps at medium and 24fps at extremely. The excellent news for RPG followers is that the Victus 15 can run Elden Ring at round 45fps at most settings, and bumping right down to medium received me to 60.

After which there’s the ever-looming matter of battery. The lifespans we’ve been getting from this era of Intel gaming laptops haven’t been great, and this Victus isn’t any exception. I averaged simply two hours and 19 minutes of standard work use with brightness round 200 nits and Battery Saver on. You may count on much less once you’re gaming — I received an hour and 13 minutes of League of Legends play to at least one cost, playable the whole time.

I do know many individuals don’t intend for his or her gaming laptop computer to go away their desk, however I do suppose a two-hour battery life will rule this gadget out as a main driver for some customers. You might not have the ability to make it by way of a full film, not to mention a piece day, with out the charger in tow. For price-sensitive consumers, shopping for a secondary transportable gadget for non-gaming use circumstances might not be life like — so I do see this battery life as an issue.

In the end, the HP Victus 15 is an $800 laptop computer that may recreation. That truth alone is sufficient to suggest it to a point (once more, particularly for those who see it on sale).

However it’s value contemplating just a few options. For instance, the Victus 15 with an RTX 3050 (which we’d count on to ship a greater expertise on these AAA titles) MSRPs for $969 however is on sale for $697 as of this writing. Acer’s staple Nitro 5 with that RTX GPU is presently accessible for $899 (simply $100 greater than my check mannequin), as is Dell’s G15 with an much more highly effective RTX 3050 Ti. My level is that for those who pays simply $100 extra, can discover a good low cost, or are prepared to purchase used, there are every kind of choices accessible for near this value that may actually nail AAA video games.

On the finish of the day, it is a funds laptop computer with funds laptop computer body charges — and for those who’re able to take action, you may get rather more gaming energy for not an excessive amount of extra money.

Images by Monica Chin / The Verge