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

I’ve been looking far and broad for a funds gaming laptop computer that I might advocate for buyers trying within the sub-$800 vary. I hoped and praying that the HP Victus 15 — which has been one in every of Finest Purchase’s hottest merchandise 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 worth is kind of engaging (and might be much more so if you will discover it on sale), however the dated GPU inside our take a look at 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 usually the case with funds gaming laptops, it’s best to go in with practical expectations.

The Victus has an unobtrusive design. My evaluate unit is sort of solely black with modest backlighting and a easy “V” on the lid (which, as you could discover within the pictures, picked up a large number of fingerprints rapidly). It’s extra of a “might carry to the workplace” gadget than a “chaotic mess of RGB that won’t depart the basement” gadget. At 5.06 kilos, it’s pretty transportable (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 (regardless that Thunderbolt 4 isn’t a requirement at this worth level). My one word in regards to the chassis is de facto the touchpad. Not solely does it decide up fingerprints simply, but it surely 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 leads to that space “acceptable” for the GTX 1650 inside. You may actually recreation on this factor, however I don’t see the bang in 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 good 78fps on the Epic preset).

However heavier fare gave the Victus extra hassle, and I’d advocate that you simply search for a greater GPU if you happen to plan to play these titles typically. Crimson Lifeless 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 technology of Intel gaming laptops haven’t been nice, and this Victus isn’t any exception. I averaged simply two hours and 19 minutes of normal work use with brightness round 200 nits and Battery Saver on. You may anticipate 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 go away their desk, however I do assume a two-hour battery life will rule this gadget out as a major driver for some customers. It’s possible you’ll not have the ability to make it by means 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 instances is probably not practical — so I do see this battery life as an issue.

Finally, 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 if you happen to see it on sale).

However it’s price contemplating a couple of options. For instance, the Victus 15 with an RTX 3050 (which we’d anticipate 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 obtainable for $899 (simply $100 greater than my take a look at mannequin), as is Dell’s G15 with an much more highly effective RTX 3050 Ti. My level is that if you happen to will pay simply $100 extra, can discover a good low cost, or are prepared to purchase used, there are all types of choices obtainable for near this worth 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 if you happen to’re ready to take action, you will get rather more gaming energy for not an excessive amount of extra money.

Pictures by Monica Chin / The Verge