HP Victus 16: Specifications

• CPU Intel Core i7-13700H
• Graphics Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU (6GB, 115W max graphics power, 2,370 MHz boost clock)
• RAM 16GB DDR5-5600 (2 x 8GB)
• Storage 1TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 SSD
• Display 16-inch IPS, 1920 x 1080 resolution @ 144 Hz
• Ports 3x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Gigabit Ethernet, 1x 3.5 mm jack
• Camera 1080p with physical privacy shutter
• Battery 83 WHr
• Power Adapter 230W
• Operating System Windows 11 Home
• Dimensions (WxDxH) 14.53 x 10.21 x 0.90 inches ( 369 x 259.3 x 22.9 mm)
• Weight 5.15 pounds (2.34 kg)

The HP Victus 16 has an understated, attractive design. The entire chassis is constructed of sturdy, grey plastic, while the keyboard is finished in a slightly lighter shade of grey. 

The Victus 16’s port layout is quite robust for a mainstream system. The right side is home to two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports, one USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port, a HDMI 2.1 port and a proprietary barrel-style jack for power. On the left side, you’ll find a third USB 3.1 Gen 1 port and a Gigabit Ethernet jack that retracts to accept a cable. On the one hand, the retracting mechanism is an obvious point for future failure due to its fragility. However, the fact that HP even includes a full-size LAN port should be applauded.

Nearly half of the bottom part of the chassis is dedicated to a ventilation array that supplies the twin internal fans with cool air. 

HP Victus 16: Gaming Performance 

The Victus 16 performs well in gaming, averaging around 90 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p resolution with high-quality settings. It outperforms the last-gen Acer Nitro 5 with an RTX 3050 Ti but was slightly behind the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i with an RTX 4060 GPU. 

HP Victus 16: Productivity 

In Geekbench 5 CPU test, Victus 16 scored 1,913 for single-core and 12,024 for multi-core, slightly ahead of Katana 15. In file transfer test, Victus 16 performed best at 1,807.92 MBps, followed by Legion 5i Pro and Katana 15. In Handbrake benchmark, Victus 16 took 4 minutes and 40 seconds to transcode a 4K video to 1080p, faster than Nitro 5 and close to Katana 15.

HP Victus 16: Display 

The Victus 16 has a 16.1-inch 1080p display with a 144Hz refresh rate. All configurations come with this display. Despite the lower resolution on a big screen, the panel works well. The display is comparable to the Nitro 5 and slightly behind the Legion Pro 5i. It's good at reducing reflections and bright enough for outdoor use. It covers 75.2% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 106% of sRGB, better than panels in the Katana 15 and Nitro 5.

HP Victus 16: Keyboard and Touchpad 

The keyboard on the Victus 16 is comfortable, with quiet and firm keys, similar to Apple's MacBook keyboards. Unlike MacBooks, it has a full number pad on the right. Testing typing speed on keyhero.com, they reached 80.77 words per minute with 95.92% accuracy, slightly faster than the Katana 13. The Victus 16 has a small touchpad, 5.1 x 3.3 inches, with a firm click response. However, the finger may drag slightly instead of gliding smoothly, which can be annoying.

HP Victus 16: Audio 

The Victus 16 has speakers tuned by B&O, placed at the corner of the palm rest. Like many cheaper laptops, it doesn't have strong bass, but the overall sound is nice. While there's not much bass, the vocals and other sounds are clear even at high volumes. 

HP Victus 16: Battery Life 

In terms of battery life, the Victus 16 outperformed the competition by a large margin. Our battery test involves web browsing, light graphics work, and video streaming on Wi-Fi with the brightness set to 150 nits. Under these conditions, the Victus 16 lasted for seven hours and three minutes. This was almost three times longer than the Katana 15, which lasted only 2 hours and 39 minutes. The Nitro 5 lasted for 5 hours and 33 minutes, while the Legion Pro 5i lasted for 4 hours and 54 minutes.

HP Victus 16: Webcam

The Victus 16's webcam uses a 1080p sensor, but it doesn't match up with newer laptops' upgraded webcams. The image wasn't as clear and crisp as expected. Details in objects looked blurred, and facial features didn't transfer well from real life to the screen. The camera struggled with overhead lighting, causing lens flare and blooming. It's okay for quick calls, but for streaming, you might want to consider getting one of the best webcams.

HP Victus 16: Software and Warranty 

The Victus, like many HP laptops, comes with pre-installed apps from the factory. These include HP Documentation, HP PC Hardware Diagnostics, HP Privacy Settings, HP QuickDrop, HP Smart, HP Support Assistant, and HP System Event Utility.

However, the main utility for gamers is the Omen Gaming Hub. It's a central place to check system status, launch games, and share content with other users.

Along with the HP apps, there are shortcuts for Spotify, WhatsApp, ExpressVPN, and Dropbox. McAfee LiveSafe is also included by default. The Victus 16 is covered by a one-year warranty.

Final Thoughts

The HP Victus 16 stands out as a great budget gaming laptop. In the UAE, it is selling within price range of AED 3500 to AED 5,849. Initially, this price may seem high, but considering its specs - Core i7-13700H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, GeForce RTX 4050, and a 16.1-inch 144Hz 1080p display - it's competitive. However, compared to the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i with similar specs, the Legion seems like a better deal. Yet, when the Victus 16 is on sale, it becomes more appealing, despite the lower screen resolution.