Budget gaming laptops are a tricky segment. Cut too many corners, and you end up with a machine that can barely run modern games. Spend a little too much, and you might as well go for a higher-end model. The HP Victus 15 sits right in the middle, aiming to strike the perfect balance between performance, price, and usability.
With an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H processor, NVIDIA RTX 3050 GPU, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 144Hz display, it checks a lot of boxes on paper. This particular model in my possession is priced at Rs 55,490. It’s not a hefty price tag but the question is how well does it deliver in the real world? Let’s dive in with this detailed review of the HP Victus 15.
Design and Build
Gaming laptops tend to look either too aggressive or completely uninspired. HP plays it safe with the Victus 15, keeping things moderately sleek yet stylish. The Performance Blue finish stands out subtly, giving it a professional vibe that doesn’t scream “gamer.” The angular V-logo on the lid is a nice touch, setting it apart from HP’s mainstream Pavilion and Envy series.
For a 15.6-inch laptop, it’s relatively compact but not the lightest, weighing 2.37kg. The chassis is plastic, which isn’t surprising at this price, but it feels sturdy enough to handle everyday use. The hinge is smooth and stable, with minimal wobble when typing or gaming. It’s not a fingerprint magnet, which is always a plus. Overall, I think the design and build of the laptop deserves a solid 8/10.
Display
One of the standout features here is the 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display with a 144Hz refresh rate. If you’re coming from a standard 60Hz screen, the difference is night and day. Animations feel smoother, games look more responsive, and even scrolling through web pages feels better.
HP’s claimed 9ms response time is decent, though competitive gamers might prefer something even faster. Colours, I feel, are passable but not exceptional—this is where HP has cut costs. The colour accuracy hovers around 45% NTSC, making it unsuitable for professional photo or video editing. Brightness levels are also just average at around 250 nits. Indoors, it’s fine, but outdoors or under bright lighting? Not great.
Connectivity Options
HP doesn’t skimp on ports, which is great to see. You get one HDMI 2.1 port for external displays, three USB Type-A ports for peripherals, and one USB Type-C port, though it lacks Thunderbolt support. A full-size RJ-45 Ethernet port ensures stable wired connectivity for gaming, while the 3.5mm headphone/mic jack lets you plug in your favorite headset.
Keyboard and Trackpad
HP’s keyboards are usually good, and I found this one to be no exception. The full-size layout includes a numpad, and the keys feel well-spaced with a good amount of travel. The single-zone white backlighting is functional, but don’t expect any fancy RGB effects. The WASD keys are subtly highlighted, which is, again, a nice touch.
The trackpad is big and responsive, with good support for multi-finger gestures. It’s positioned slightly off-center, which I found annoying at first, but you get used to it. The clicks feel solid, and there’s no noticeable wobble.
Performance
The AMD Ryzen 5 5600H (6 cores, 12 threads, up to 4.2GHz) delivers strong performance for both everyday tasks and intensive workloads. Whether it’s browsing, multitasking, or light content creation, the Victus 15 handles it with ease.
In benchmarks, the Cinebench R23 Multi-Core score comes in at 9444 points, while single-core performance scores 1358 points, making it a solid mid-range contender. Geekbench 6 results show a single-core score of 1858 and a multi-core score of 6767, which further amplifies the laptop’s capability in both lightly threaded and multi-threaded applications.
For creative workloads, the Victus 15 performs decently but isn’t a powerhouse. In PugetBench for DaVinci Resolve, the laptop scores 3722 points, indicating adequate performance for video editing, though professional creators will want more power.
PCMark 10 scores reinforce this, with an overall score of 5881 and an extended score of 6746, suggesting good productivity and digital content creation capabilities. However, while the CPU remains efficient, sustained workloads can cause temperatures to spike past 90°C, leading to throttling in extended rendering tasks. For gaming and general use, though, the 5600H remains a dependable performer.
Gaming performance is acceptable for a mid-range gaming laptop. The NVIDIA RTX 3050 (4GB GDDR6) holds its own in 1080p gaming, delivering smooth gameplay across most titles, provided you manage expectations. Esports titles such as Valorant, CS:GO, and Apex Legends run effortlessly, with frame rates comfortably exceeding 144 FPS on medium settings. I think many casual gamers will appreciate the high refresh rate display, making fast-paced gameplay feel fluid.
For more demanding AAA titles, tweaking settings is necessary to maintain playable frame rates. In Cyberpunk 2077, with medium settings and ray tracing off, the game hovers between 50-60 FPS, but enabling ray tracing drops it into the low teens, making it unplayable.
Red Dead Redemption 2 runs at an average of 50-55 FPS on high settings, with occasional dips in dense environments. GTA V, running on high settings, delivers an average of 70-80 FPS across multiple test passes, with peaks of 138 FPS and lows of 24 FPS in the most graphically intense moments. Frame pacing is decent, and most frames render under 16ms, ensuring smooth gameplay.
The RTX 3050 supports DLSS, which can help boost performance in supported titles, but ray tracing remains impractical for most games on this GPU. Thermals hold up well, though extended gaming sessions will push CPU temperatures above 90°C, and the fans can get loud under load. That said, if you’re looking for a competent 1080p gaming experience on a budget, the Victus 15 gets the job done.
Audio and Webcam
HP has partnered with Bang & Olufsen (B&O) for audio, which sounds premium on paper, but in reality, the speakers are just average. The dual speaker setup gets reasonably loud, making it fine for casual use, but bass response is weak, leading to flat-sounding explosions, muffled lows, and an overall lack of depth in gaming and media consumption.
Dialogue clarity is decent, and mids are well-balanced, but the soundstage lacks richness and immersion, making external speakers or a good pair of headphones a necessity if you care about audio quality in games and movies. Virtual surround sound processing is present, but it doesn’t make a huge difference.
The 720p webcam is as basic as it gets—good enough for video calls, but lacking sharpness, detail, and proper low-light performance. Noise levels are noticeable in dim lighting, and colors appear washed out. It’s usable for casual meetings, but don’t expect professional-grade clarity.
There’s no Windows Hello facial recognition, which is disappointing for those who rely on quick and secure logins. HP could have easily added at least a 1080p camera, especially considering the rise of remote work and online meetings.
Battery Life
HP advertises up to 10 hours of battery life, but real-world performance tells a different story. During light usage like browsing, watching videos, and working with Office apps, the laptop lasts around 4-5 hours, which is decent but not exceptional for a gaming laptop.
Running heavier tasks, like photo editing or coding, brings that figure down to 3-4 hours. However, if you’re gaming on battery, be prepared to see the charge drop drastically—expect around 1.5 to 2 hours at best, and even less in graphically intensive titles.
The 52.5Wh battery isn’t particularly large, but HP compensates for this with fast charging support. The laptop can charge from 0 to 50% in roughly 30 minutes, which is a huge plus for those who need a quick top-up before heading out.
However, you’ll want to stay plugged in for serious gaming sessions, as performance also takes a hit on battery mode, with lower frame rates and reduced power limits. If you’re planning to use this laptop for work or study alongside gaming, I would recommend keeping the charger handy.
Final Verdict
The HP Victus 15 is a well-balanced gaming laptop that delivers solid 1080p performance without breaking the bank.
With a high-refresh-rate display, a capable Ryzen 5 5600H processor, and the RTX 3050, it handles both competitive esports and demanding AAA titles reasonably well. Day-to-day tasks feel snappy, and its keyboard, build quality, and port selection add to its overall usability.
However, it isn’t without flaws—the display’s colour accuracy leaves a bit to be desired, battery life is average, and speakers lack depth, making headphones a must for an immersive experience. Thermals are manageable, though the laptop runs hot under sustained workloads, and ray tracing is mostly impractical on this GPU.
Despite these trade-offs, the Victus 15 remains one of the best value-for-money gaming laptops, offering reliable performance, fast charging, and a smooth gaming experience for budget-conscious gamers. If you can live with its limitations, it’s a strong contender in its price range.
Editor’s rating: 8 / 10
Pros
- Smooth 144Hz display
- Solid 1080p gaming performance
- Fast charging (50% in 30 minutes)
- Comfortable keyboard and full-size layout
Cons
- Speakers lack bass
- Runs hot under heavy load
- No Windows Hello or biometric login
