An entry-level laptop that marries an astonishing price with gaming firepower

Deciding on a gaming laptop that is best for you can be challenging since you may not know where to begin. Making a priority list of features that matter most is a wonderful starting point.

To start off, rookies just starting their gaming journey are best advised to restrict their selections to laptops specifically designed for gaming, such as the HP Victus 15. High-performance but non-gaming laptops are simply not much fun to play with, and upgrading them with new hardware is not usually feasible. (Take note, however, that some good gaming laptops perform just as well for hybrid office chores, school work, content creation, video streaming, and various other web services).

Some key specs to check out:

Absolute essentials.

The quality of any gaming laptop can be gauged by examining four key aspects: the processor, display, graphics card, and optimization control.

Well-liked by entry-level gamers, HP’s Victus 15 is one of the more successful, low-cost gaming laptops in the market that can play high-end titles well. Many say it hit the sweet spot in rookie laptop gaming.

A gaming laptop’s CPU significantly impacts everything you do – from the response times of applications to the frame rates you see in games and even on battery life. Its core count and clock speed are the most important spec. The Victus 15 has AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600H mobile processor. It has 6 cores and 12 threads, running at up to 4.2 GHz (the highest boost frequency possible). If you are more of an Intel® fan, then the Victus 15 also has the option to come with an Intel® Core™ i5-12500H. It comes with 12 cores and 16 threads that clock up to 4.5 GHz with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology. Both can provide optimal gaming power and can easily run titles like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Valorant at over 200 frames per second.

Along with the CPU, the key to enjoying smooth gameplay is the dedicated graphics card. In the case of Victus 15, you have a few good options. A couple of those options are the the Nvidia GeForce RTX™ 3050 GPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti GPU. The main difference between the two is that 3050 Ti is a bit faster, has a tad more memory, and is a bit pricier. Beyond that, both are great for entry-level gaming.

When it comes to display size, many gamers feel that a 13-inch laptop is too small and a 17-inch can be too big. The sweet spot lies within the 14-inch and 16-inch screen spectrum. Display size, however, is just one factor of visual gaming enjoyment. It has to be matched with a proper refresh rate and resolution. Incidentally, the Victus 15 sports a 15.6-inch display, right smack within the proverbial sweet spot. Users say the size makes the most of its high refresh rate of 144 Hz and balances well with its 1920 x 1080 resolution.

Meanwhile, having complete control over your gaming laptop’s performance optimization is an absolutely essential part of gaming. It makes the experience, not just more fun but it gives the gamer added competitive edge. With Victus 15, gamers can easily utilize the OMEN Gaming Hub software to switch power modes, overclocks the CPU and GPU without jumping into the BIOS, and more.

No overheating, long battery life.

A gaming laptop’s cooling is more extensive than what you would find in a typical laptop to provide longer gaming sessions without overheating. The HP Victus 15 has a dual-fan setup and a much larger air vent at the bottom of the laptop than in previous models. This means that even during more intensive gameplay segments, the unit barely generated any real heat.

Keyboard performance can considerably elevate or ruin your gaming experience. When shopping for a gaming laptop, you would definitely want something clickety-clacky instead of mushy or stiff. For comparison, the Victus 15 offers a full, backlit keypad that is responsive.

Similarly, having nice audio completes your gaming experience. HP went out of its way to provide the Victus 15 with super-fancy, dual Danish speakers courtesy of Bang & Olufsen. One last thing to ensure is a long battery life, which can be a bummer on extended game sessions.  Victus 15 features a 4-cell, 70 Wh battery which HP made sure recharging times would be quite fast.

As mentioned earlier, some entry-gaming laptops perform well for everyday use in the office, home, or school. This includes the Victus 15. The laptop is made of sturdy, post-consumer recycled materials and maintains a more low-key aesthetics. Available in Mica Silver (dark gray) it definitely fits even in business or academic settings.

To know more about how the Victus by HP laptop can help your journey into PC gaming, visit your nearest Authorized HP Reseller store or check the HP Official Stores in Lazada at https://bit.ly/3eWI21p and in Shopee at https://bit.ly/3QSW7dE.