HP is pretty brisk right now when it comes to making itself popular with gamers. As the latest step, the HP Pavilion series will be replaced by the new Victus series. HP Victus is aimed at entry-level and mid-range products, while Omen continues to exist as a high-end gaming range. One of the first products in the new line is the HP Victus 16 gaming notebook, which we took a closer look at for a test.
As is usually the case, the HP Victus 16 is available in different configurations. Our test sample bears the variant number e0179ng and is listed for an RRP of $1,399. A fairly moderate price, which proves that HP Victus is aimed primarily at the entry-level and middle class. With a powerful Ryzen CPU from AMD and RTX-3060 graphics card from NVIDIA, this also fits together very well, as smooth gaming in Full HD resolution should be possible without any problems.
But first to the externals. The Victus 16 turns out to be an optically discreet notebook, the only distinctive feature of which is the Victus logo on the lid. With 37 x 26 x 2.35 cm and a weight of 2.48 kg, it is compact enough to do its job on a trip without lifting a break. By the way, it is praiseworthy that apart from a bag for the power supply unit and connection cable, no plastic was used for the packaging. Go then.
The equipment in terms of the connections is impressive. On the left we find an SD card reader, a 3.5 mm audio connection, a USB 3.2 Type-C port with DisplayPort 1.4 support, 1x USB 3.1 Type-A as well as an HDMI 2.1 connection and an RJ-45 port for it LAN cable. On the right there are two more USB 3.1 Type-A ports, fortunately in the back area, so that there is no cable in the way when connecting a mouse. All in all, good and modern equipment. Realtek Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 and integrated 10/100/1000 GbE LAN ensure connection at all times.
The full keyboard with number pad does a decent job. It is noticeable, however, that the case bends a little too easily in the middle area - probably a quality concession to the price. The touchpad is large and sensitive, which is both an advantage and a disadvantage. The main disadvantage is that it is only a few millimeters away from the keyboard. Combined with the size, this makes it a bit difficult not to accidentally trigger the touchpad while typing. Not a big problem for gaming, but those who type a lot will need some getting used to to find a suitable hand position.
For the display, HP relies on a solid 16-inch panel with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 (Full HD), at least with a full 144 Hz refresh rate. With a response time of 7 ms, the IPS panel is not exactly the fastest on this planet, but it delivers a decent picture, even if it cannot really shine in any area. Also included is an HP Wide Vision 720p HD camera.
The inner workings of the Victus 16 are promising. The beating heart is an AMD Ryzen R7 5800H, an eight-core core with 16 threads and a clock rate of up to 4.4 GHz. It is supported by 16 GB DDR4-3200 (2x 8 GB). A nimble, 1 TB M.2 PCIe SSD ensures a quick system start and short loading times. For the graphics card, HP relies on an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 in the laptop version. It is well known that these are available with different TDPs (between 60 and 115W) in order to leave the manufacturers as much freedom as possible in the configuration. This is obviously the 80 or 90W variant (at least according to the measured power consumption), i.e. one of the weaker models.
With the Victus 16, HP has apparently tried to find a good compromise between performance, power consumption and cooling, and it has succeeded. Even if it is one of the weaker RTX 3060 models, the thick one is enough to play smoothly in Full HD. Although the benchmark values are across the board around 15 to 20 percent below those of a desktop graphics card, the gaming benchmarks still speak for smooth gaming.
For example, we were able to elicit Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy around 80 fps with activated DLSS and RTX Ultra. Assassin's Creed: Valhalla ran smoothly with an average frame rate of 56 fpx at maximum settings. So don't worry that the lower TDP will cause you problems. Only the battery life is a bit meager when gaming, the 70 Wh battery runs out of breath quite quickly.
On the other hand, the cooling performance is pleasing. The fans are relatively quiet with a little annoying noise. At a distance of about 40 to 50 cm, we were able to record below 50 dB - very nice. The temperatures remain moderate, however. The graphics card ran at a solid 72 degrees under full load. The CPU sweated at a maximum of 102 degrees, which is not unusual for AMD CPUs, especially not in the notebook. The keyboard area stayed in a comfortable area with a maximum surface temperature of around 40 degrees.
CONCLUSION
Solid notebook with small design flaws
In view of the price of $1,399 (RRP), the HP Victus 16 scores with very decent equipment and good gaming performance with Full HD resolution. The configuration seems well thought-out and sensible, and HP has also found a good compromise between performance, power consumption and cooling. Although the battery performance is not a high-flyer despite the graphics card with a small TDP, gaming is usually done with a mains connection anyway. In addition, the notebook is compact and discreet in design.
However, there are weaknesses, which was to be expected in the lower price segment. The display hinges are not exactly high-flyers and cannot hold the display without wobbling. Due to the size and dense arrangement near the keyboard, the touchpad can get in the way when typing and the case can be pushed in a little too easily in the middle area. None of these are huge problems, but should be taken into account if you are toying with a purchase.
The Victus 16 is certainly not the best notebook in the world. All in all, however, a rock-solid, high-performance gaming notebook with small weaknesses that are just about acceptable in this price segment. If you want a higher level of quality, you have to dig deeper into your pockets.
Pros
- solid gaming performance in Full HD
- large M.2 SSD
- overall good equipment
- relatively light and compact
- decent and relatively quiet cooling
- sensibly arranged connections
- nice, simple look
Cons
- wobbly display hinge
- Touchpad not ideal in terms of size and placement
- noticeable deflection of the housing in the central area
- Webcam only 720p
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