HP Victus 15 evaluate: an $800 laptop computer that may recreation

I’ve been looking far and huge for a funds gaming laptop computer that I might advocate for buyers wanting within the sub-$800 vary. I hoped and praying that the HP Victus 15 — which has been one in every of Best Buy’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 could be. The low value is sort of engaging (and might be much more so if you could find it on sale), however the dated GPU inside our check mannequin will not be 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 unhealthy buy — simply that, as is usually the case with funds gaming laptops, you need to go in with real looking expectations.

The Victus has an unobtrusive design. My evaluate unit is sort of totally black with modest backlighting and a easy “V” on the lid (which, as you could discover within the photographs, picked up a large number of fingerprints rapidly). It’s extra of a “could bring to the office” gadget than a “chaotic mess of RGB that will not leave 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 (although Thunderbolt 4 isn’t a requirement at this value level). My one notice in regards to the chassis is actually the touchpad. Not solely does it decide up fingerprints simply, however it has fairly a stiff click on.

Of course, it is a gaming laptop computer, and the gaming efficiency is what issues. I might name my ends in that space “acceptable” for the GTX 1650 inside. You can 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. Overwatch 2 received up there after I bumped the graphics right down to medium (and nonetheless achieved a decent 78fps on the Epic preset).

But heavier fare gave the Victus extra bother, and I might advocate that you simply search for a greater GPU should you plan to play these titles typically. Red Dead Redemption 2 solely averaged 38fps at its highest preset and 45fps at medium. Cyberpunk was a rougher journey, 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.

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

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

Ultimately, the HP Victus 15 is an $800 laptop computer that may recreation. That truth alone is sufficient to advocate it to a point (once more, particularly should you see it on sale).

But it’s value contemplating a couple of alternate 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 out there 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 should you will pay simply $100 extra, can discover a good low cost, or are prepared to purchase used, there are every kind of choices out there for near this value that may actually nail AAA video games.

At the tip of the day, it is a funds laptop computer with funds laptop computer body charges — and should you’re ready to take action, you will get far more gaming energy for not an excessive amount of more cash.

Photography by Monica Chin / The Verge