HP Victus 15.6" 144Hz Full HD 2023 Review

The HP Victus 15 is a solid entry point into 1080p gaming. It packs an RTX 4050 and a 144Hz screen into a familiar chassis, promising decent performance without breaking the bank. But it's not trying to be a premium machine. You get what you pay for, and that means some clear compromises in build quality and portability.

For the price, the performance is good. The RTX 4050 handles modern games at 1080p on medium to high settings, and that 144Hz screen makes things feel smooth. The AMD 7445HS CPU is fine for gaming, but it's not a powerhouse. The real letdown is the 512GB SSD. That's going to fill up fast with a handful of modern titles, so plan on upgrading it sooner rather than later.

At $789, it's hard to complain too much. You're getting a capable 1080p gaming rig for well under a grand. The catch is that everything feels a bit basic. The storage is stingy, the chassis is heavy, and the overall fit and finish isn't premium. But if your budget is tight and gaming is the priority, this gets you in the door.

Compared to something like the MSI Vector 16 HX, the Victus is way less powerful but also much cheaper. It's a better value for pure gaming than a creator-focused Zenbook Duo. The real competition is other budget gaming laptops. It trades blows with models from Acer and Lenovo's IdeaPad Gaming line, often coming down to who has the better sale price or a slightly bigger SSD.

Buy this if you're a budget-conscious gamer who needs a 1080p machine right now and doesn't mind upgrading the storage. It's a straightforward workhorse. Look elsewhere if you need portability, a premium feel, or want to future-proof your system a bit more.