Since launching in 2016, HP’s Omen range has established itself as one of the leading gaming hardware brands. The company is building on that reputation today with the launch of the Victus 16, a brand-new device designed for casual gamers. With a starting price of under £800/US$800, it’s one of HP’s most affordable gaming laptops to date.
Despite this, the Victus 16 (the number representing the screen size in inches) doesn’t compromise on performance. HP offers a choice between Intel and AMD’s gaming-focused processors, starting at up to a Core i7-11800H or Ryzen 7 5800H respectively.
Of course, if the price is what’s most tempting, you’ll want to know what you get in the entry-level models. The AMD version uses a Ryzen 5 5600H while the slightly more expensive Intel version starts with a Core i5-11400H.
What we do know is that the latter uses Radeon RX 5500M integrated graphics, with all expensive configurations stepping up to Nvidia RTX 30 Series GPUs (up to the RTX 3060). RAM starts at 8GB, but can go as high as 32GB.
The 16.1in IPS display starts at Full HD (1920×1080), but can be configured up to QHD+ (2560×1440) at 165Hz. All models also feature HP’s anti-glare and low-blue-light technology.
An impressively slim bezel gives the device a modern look and feel, although there’s still room for a 720p webcam. It would have been nice to see a higher quality sensor though, considering the amount of time people have been spending on video calls recently.
As a gaming laptop, the Victus 16 has been designed with thermal management in mind. Wide air vents are split into five sections to boost airflow, while four heat pipes help reduce internal temperatures while gaming. The former adds to the device’s standout design, which includes two dynamic colour options and a full row of speakers tuned by Bang & Olufsen.
There’s also a healthy port selection, with one USB-C, three USB-A, Ethernet, HDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack and smart pin for charging. HP says the adapter included in the box can charge the 70Wh cell by around 50% in 30 minutes.
The HP Victus 16 starts at £799.99/US$799.99 for the AMD model, while you’ll pay at least US$849.99 (likely £849.99) for an Intel version. It will go on sale in the US this June, before coming to the UK and other markets in August.
New Omen 16 and 17
Alongside the announcement of the Victus 16, HP also revealed new entries in its core Omen range. The Omen 16 is a new size for the range, but has plenty in common with updated Omen 17.
Both feature Intel’s new Tiger Lake-H processors (up to Core i9-11900H), although the Omen 16 also has Ryzen 5000-series models.
Nvidia’s latest discrete GPUs make an appearance, but the flagship RTX 3080 is only available on the Omen 17. Both also have up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage, though.
Despite the slightly different screen sizes (16.1in vs 17.3in), the devices share the same 2560×1440 resolution, as well as a 165Hz refresh rate.
The Omen 16 starts at £1,299/US$1,099, while you’ll pay at least £1,499/US$1,369.99. The laptops arrive in the US in June before coming to the UK and other markets in August. Disparity in pricing is due to different models being available in the UK and US – it doesn’t mean you’ll pay significantly more for equivelent specs in the UK.
It remains to be seen whether any of the three new laptops will make it into our best gaming laptop chart.
Author: Anyron Copeman, Senior Staff Writer
As the resident expert on Windows, Senior Staff Writer Anyron’s main focus is PCs and laptops. Much of the rest of his time is split between smartphones, tablets and audio, with a particular focus on Android devices.