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

I’ve been looking out far and large for a funds gaming laptop computer that I may suggest for buyers trying within the sub-$800 vary. I hoped and praying that the HP Victus 15 — which has been one in all Best Buy’s most popular products this 12 months — could 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 might be. The low worth is kind of engaging (and might be much more so if you could find it on sale), however the dated GPU inside our check mannequin 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 unhealthy buy — simply that, as is usually the case with funds gaming laptops, it is best to go in with practical 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 might discover within the pictures, picked up a multitude 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 moveable (for a gaming laptop computer) however actually not a light-weight gadget.

Ports embrace 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 price noting (though Thunderbolt 4 isn’t a requirement at this worth level). My one notice concerning the chassis is basically the touchpad. Not solely does it choose up fingerprints simply, nevertheless it has fairly a stiff click on.

Of course, this can be a gaming laptop computer, and the gaming efficiency is what issues. I’d name my leads to that space “acceptable” for the GTX 1650 inside. You can actually 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).

But heavier fare gave the Victus extra bother, and I’d suggest that you just search for a greater GPU if you happen to plan to play these titles usually. Red Dead Redemption 2 solely averaged 38fps at its highest preset and 45fps at medium. Cyberpunk was a rougher experience, averaging solely 39fps at medium and 24fps at extremely. The good 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 era 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 your entire time.

I do know many individuals don’t intend for his or her gaming laptop computer to depart their desk, however I do suppose a two-hour battery life will rule this gadget out as a main driver for some customers. You could not be capable of 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 moveable gadget for non-gaming use instances is probably not practical — 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 suggest it to a point (once more, particularly if you happen to see it on sale).

But it’s price 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 if you happen to pays simply $100 extra, can discover a good low cost, or are keen to purchase used, there are all types of choices out there for near this worth that may actually nail AAA video games.

At the top of the day, this can be a funds laptop computer with funds laptop computer body charges — and if you happen to’re able to take action, you will get far more gaming energy for not an excessive amount of more cash.

Photography by Monica Chin / The Verge