The HP Victus 16 (2021) is a 16-inch budget gaming laptop. It's available with Intel 11th Gen. CPUs and various NVIDIA discrete GPUs, ranging from an entry-level NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060. It also has multiple display options, from an FHD (1920 x 1080) 60Hz to a QHD (2560 x 1440) 165Hz panel. You can get up to 32GB of memory and over 1TB of storage in a RAID 0 array or in combination with Intel Optane memory. Its port selection includes three USB-As, one USB-C, an SD card reader, an Ethernet, and an HDMI 2.1 port. It has a full-size keyboard with a Numpad, a 720p webcam, and Wi-Fi 6.
See our model's specifications and the available configuration options in the Differences Between Variants section.
Our Verdict
The HP Victus is okay for school use. It's a fairly bulky laptop that's a little cumbersome to carry around, and you'll likely have to bring the charger with you as the battery lasts less than six hours of light productivity. However, it provides a good user experience with its large screen, comfortable keyboard, and responsive touchpad. Its Intel 11th Gen CPU and NVIDIA dedicated GPU can handle fairly demanding workloads, making it suitable for students in graphic design or 3D animation. It has a wide port selection that includes multiple USB ports and an HDMI, so you can easily connect peripherals and external monitors.
- Comfortable keyboard and responsive touchpad.
- CPU and GPU can handle heavy workloads.
- Good webcam video quality for video calls.
- Bulky and heavy.
- Battery lasts less than six hours of light productivity.
- Screen doesn't get bright enough to combat glare.
The HP Victus 16 is great for gaming. Its Intel Core i5-11400H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 provide relatively smooth gameplay in graphically demanding AAA titles at 1080p with medium or low settings. You can also configure the laptop with a more powerful Core i7 or RTX 3060, which will get you even higher frame rates. Only the CPU throttles a bit under load, so performance remains consistent even if you play for an extended period. There are multiple display options, including a 165Hz QHD panel; however, none of them support variable refresh rate to reduce screen tearing.
- CPU and GPU provide a smooth gaming experience.
- Minimal throttling under load.
- Doesn't get overly hot or loud under load.
- 144Hz display with good response time.
- No VRR support to reduce screen tearing.
- Ray-tracing isn't worth enabling due to high performance cost.
The HP Victus laptop is mediocre for media consumption. It's a bulky and heavy laptop that's hard to carry around, and its battery lasts less than five hours, which is only enough to get you through two full-length movies at the most. Its speakers sound good but don't get very loud, and while the display is reasonably sharp, colors look washed out and inaccurate. Also, it doesn't get bright enough to combat glare, and its low contrast makes blacks look gray in dim settings. That said, you can get the laptop with a brighter and more colorful 1440p panel, which will provide significantly better image quality.
- Speakers sound well-balanced with good vocal presence.
- Screen gets very dim for a more comfortable dark room viewing experience.
- Flicker-free backlight helps reduce eye strain.
- Washed out colors.
- Blacks look gray in dim settings.
- Screen doesn't get bright enough to combat glare.
- Battery lasts less than five hours of video playback.
The HP Victus is excellent as a workstation. It's available with Intel 11th Gen CPUs and NVIDIA 30-series discrete GPUs, which can handle fairly heavy workloads like video editing and 3D animation, especially the top-end Core i7 and RTX 3060. You can get up to 32GB of memory and 1TB of storage, and both are user-replaceable, so you can upgrade later if needed. You might need an external monitor for color-correction work, as even the top-end QHD display only has full sRGB coverage. Thermal throttling is minimal, and while the fans get loud, they aren't overly annoying. Its port selection includes multiple USB and an HDMI 2.1 port, but its USB-C doesn't support Thunderbolt or USB4.
- CPU and GPU can handle heavy workloads.
- Minimal throttling under load.
- Doesn't get overly hot or loud under load.
- Wide port selection includes HDMI 2.1 port.
- USB-C doesn't support Thunderbolt.
The HP Victus is good for business use. It feels well-built even though it's entirely plastic, and it has a sleek design that doesn't stick out in a professional office environment. However, it isn't very portable because it's bulky and heavy, and its battery lasts less than six hours of light productivity, so you'll have to carry the charger with you. The keyboard feels great to type on, the touchpad is large and responsive, and the webcam captures a good image for video calls. Its Intel 11th Gen CPU can handle productivity tasks like text formatting, web browsing, presentations, and even heavy number crunching in spreadsheets.
- Comfortable keyboard and responsive touchpad.
- CPU and GPU can handle heavy workloads.
- Wide port selection includes HDMI 2.1 port.
- Good webcam video quality for video calls.
- Bulky and heavy.
- Battery lasts less than six hours of light productivity.
- Screen doesn't get bright enough to combat glare.
Changelog
-
Updated Nov 20, 2024:
Added mention of the HP Victus 16 (2024) as an alternative with NVIDIA's 40-series GPUs in the GPU section.
- Updated Mar 01, 2024: We've updated the review for clarity and readability.
- Updated Dec 07, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.2.
- Updated Nov 03, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.1.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the HP Victus 16 (model 16-d0018ca) with an Intel Core i5-11400H CPU, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 dedicated GPU, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of storage. The screen, CPU, GPU, memory, and storage are configurable; you can see the available options in the table below. This review applies only to laptops in the 16t-d000 and 16-d0000 series.
| Screen |
|
|---|---|
| CPU |
|
| GPU |
|
| Memory |
|
| Storage |
|
| Color |
|
See our unit's label here.
Popular Laptop Comparisons
Compared to other gaming laptops in its class, the HP Victus gaming laptop stands out for its sturdy build and the quality of its keyboard and touchpad. It has a sleeker design with fewer gamer aesthetics than other gaming laptops, so it doesn't stick out in a classroom or office.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best gaming laptops, the best laptops, and the best Windows laptops.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022) is better than the HP Victus 16 (2021). The ASUS is a more premium device with a sturdier build, a brighter and more colorful display, a MUX switch, and a more powerful CPU and GPU. The ASUS is also more compact, making it easier to carry around, and its battery lasts much longer. On the other hand, the HP doesn't get as hot under load, and its GPU doesn't throttle.
The HP Victus 16 (2021) and the Lenovo LOQ 15 (2023) are both budget gaming laptops. The HP is better regarding the user experience, meaning it has a sturdier build, a better keyboard, and a more responsive touchpad. The Lenovo will provide smoother gameplay since it's a newer device with more powerful CPUs and GPUs. If you can afford to stretch your budget, it's worth getting the Lenovo, as its NVIDIA 40-series GPUs support frame generation, a feature that can dramatically boost performance by inserting A.I.-generated frames.
The HP Victus 16 (2021) and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2019) are very different. The HP is a budget gaming laptop that runs Windows, while the Apple laptop is a more premium productivity-focused laptop that runs macOS. The HP is available with more powerful CPUs and GPUs, so you can use it as a workstation too. However, the Apple laptop provides a much better user experience because it has a sharper, brighter, and more colorful display, a much better haptic touchpad, and a higher-quality webcam for video calls. The Apple laptop's build feels sturdier, its battery lasts longer, and its slimmer and compact design makes it more portable.
The HP OMEN 16 (2022) is better than the HP Victus 16 (2021). The OMEN 16 is a more premium laptop that offers a better user experience with better thermals, quieter fans, and a more compact chassis for better portability. It also has newer Intel 12th Gen CPUs and more powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 and 3070 Ti GPU options.
Test Results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for videos & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for videos & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for videos & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
