HP Victus 15 (2023 AMD) review

HP Victus 15 (2023, AMD)

The Victus 15 (2023, AMD) is the budget gaming formula executed plainly: a Ryzen 5 5600H, a GTX 1650 with 4GB of VRAM and 16GB of RAM for $922. Its sibling in this batch sells for less and reads better in places, which frames everything that follows.

Where it holds up

Reliability at 61 runs 15% above the gaming-class median — modest but the sheet's best delta. Photo design at 76 lands in the high band, light office work at 77.19 does the same, and gaming at 59 with modeling and engineering CAD at 55 is honest mid-tier capability. Overwatch, Grand Theft Auto V and Rainbow Six Siege clear their recommended bars, and the entry-level creative tools clear their minimums.

Where it falls short

The stated weakness is memory: 16GB against the gaming-class median of 64, a 75% shortfall that is the sharpest gap on the sheet. The 52.5Wh battery runs 26% below the class median of 71, overall performance at 58.23 sits 21% under the class median, portability at 31.3 is low-band, and the 16.26% annual depreciation is among the steeper curves in this batch.

Price and depreciation

At $922 with 16.26% annual decay, the two-year projection lands near $645. The curve is steep for a machine whose sheet is already mid-tier, which is the structural problem with paying 2023 prices for 2020-class internals.

Alternatives to consider

The Intel sibling of this same Victus 15 sits in this batch at $737 — $185 less — with a stronger 95 photo-design reading and a flatter 14.76% curve. The 2021 Omen machines at $590 nearby offer double the memory and class-median graphics for less money still.

Bottom line

Fairly priced for the class only on paper. The Victus 15 AMD is the weakest value proposition in this batch's gaming field — undercut by its own sibling and outspec'd by cheaper machines — and the 16GB ceiling seals it for anything beyond casual play.