Budget gaming laptops are in a
tough spot. The lack of new
entry-level discrete graphics from
AMD, Nvidia, or Intel (which has
repeatedly delayed its new Arc graphics
products) has led to stagnation. Price is often
a budget gaming laptop’s most important trait
and that’s where the HP Victus 15 excels.
This laptop delivers reliable processor
performance at a reasonable price. However,
the build quality leaves a little to be desired
and the display is dimmer than we like. That
said, if you’re really strapped for cash, the HP
Victus 15 may be worth considering.

SPECS AND FEATURES
The Victus 15 I received for review is an
entry-level model that currently appears to be
only available from Best Buy (fave.co/
3BuD2Jf). It equips Intel’s Core i5-12450H
processor, an entry-level chip in Intel’s higher-
TDP line of mobile hardware. The processor
has eight cores, half of which are Performance
cores. It’s paired with Nvidia’s aging GTX
1650 discrete graphics.
CPU: Intel Core i5-12450H
Memory: 8GB DDR4-3200
Graphics/GPU: Nvidia GTX 1650
Display: 1920×1080 144Hz IPS LCD
Storage: 512GB solid state drive
Webcam: 720p
Connectivity: 1× USB-C with DisplayPort
1.4, 2× USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1× 3.5mm
combo audio
Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2,
Gigabit Ethernet
Biometrics: None
Battery capacity: 80
watt-hours
Dimensions:
14.09×10.04×0.93 inches
Weight: 5.06 lbs
MSRP: $799.99 (currently
$549.99)
The Victus 15 offers
several more powerful
variants through both retailers
and HP’s website. These offer
up to an Intel Core i7-12700H