The HP Omen range has been the flagship gaming offering at the brand for many years now but, in more recent times, its lower-end graphically-powerful laptops got a rebrand. HP Victus was introduced. But, what are the key differences? Let’s dive in.
When looking for a new gaming laptop, you have an ungodly amount of options from many different brands. Some manufacturers like Acer and Asus have a stunning amount of options within their lineups.
Thankfully, HP does keep things a bit simpler, or offers fewer choices, depending on your perspective. You have the HP Omen and the HP Victus lines, each with a few models available. We’ve rounded up the most important things to consider when choosing between these two gaming ranges.
Price
When deciding between the HP Omen and HP Victus ranges, the key factor will likely be price. If you only have the budget for the cheaper HP Victus range, then it’s an easy decision to make. For this guide, we’re focusing on gaming laptops but these ranges do extend across a few desktop options too.
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If you head on over to the HP store right now, the cheapest you’ll find an HP Omen laptop for is £999/$1,099 and that’s featuring previous-generation components. At the top end, it’ll cost you upwards of £3,699/$2,599.
By comparison, the cheapest HP Victus option is down at £649/$649, also featuring older generation technology. The most expensive Victus pick features the previous generation of Intel tech and comes in at a lowly £950/$1,449.
Design and Screen
The HP Omen and HP Victus differ greatly in their approaches to aesthetics, with the former going for a stealthier design and the latter having visuals more typically associated with gaming-focused laptops. The difference is highlighted by the materials used in both lineups, with Omen largely using aluminium but Victus using plastic. Refreshingly, both include post-consumer recycled materials.
A focus on looks and portability extends to the size and weight of these ranges, with the lightest HP Omen, the Transcend 14, measuring 18mm thick and just 1.6kg while the lightest Victus, the 15-inch model, comes in at 23mm and 2.2kg. These measurements massively fluctuate as you venture into larger Omen devices like the non-Transcend 15 and 17-inch devices, while the larger 16-inch Victus measures larger too.
The quality of the display is restricted on the more value-focused HP Victus range too, with only Full HD IPS screens available across the devices. Refresh rate isn’t as limited though, with a solid 144Hz panel available across Victus.
But, Omen ramps things up a lot more. The range has dabbled in luxury display technology like Mini LED and, more recently with the new Omen Transcend 14, OLED panels. You’ll also find higher resolutions, with many offering Quad HD. The result is a more detailed and lush visual experience than you can expect on Victus, but it’ll cost you more.
When it comes to the keyboard, a key aspect of gaming laptops, our testing has shown recent devices from the Omen range typically coming out on top against Victus. Our review of the HP Victus 16 (2023) touted its keyboard as just “okay” while the HP Omen Transcend 14 offered a low-profile option that our reviewer grew to love.
Specs and Performance
HP may have a tamer set of devices than the plethora offered by some other brands but the options are still extremely broad, so direct comparisons between the many specifications of the HP Omen and HP Victus ranges are tough. However, looking at the options and limits of the specs available can help you make your decision.
The HP Victus range currently doesn’t feature the latest and greatest CPUs from Intel or AMD, meaning you’ll have to opt for the Omen lineup to get access to those. On Victus, you can get a current-generation graphics chip, in the form of an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, but that’s as high as it goes. So, if you want immense gaming power, you’ll have to look to Omen which can be specced up to an RTX 4090.
In our testing of the HP Victus 16 (2023), which featured an AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS and RTX 4050, we were impressed by its solid gaming capabilities, making the most of its value components. For the HP Transcend Omen 14, the model we tested included an Intel Core Ultra 7 chip and RTX 4060. The results were strong, defying its thin and light design to achieve QHD Ultra visuals at 60fps at the peak of its power.
Battery Life
Like with performance, battery life will differ hugely depending on the rest of the specifications included on the HP Victus or HP Omen model you are considering. Whether it is HP Omen or HP Victus, you can expect the larger models which have a more specific focus on gaming to offer battery life shy of 6-9 hours in general tasking and down towards 0-2 hours of battery life when pushed hard with gaming. Though you should mainly game when plugged into power for maximum performance anyway.
Verdict
The question here isn’t if the HP Omen range is better than the HP Victus lineup as the answer is undoubtedly yes in terms of performance, design and features. Instead, it comes down to a question of value and your needs.
The HP Omen device has options that will suit those looking for luxury design and visuals and/or cutting-edge performance. For the HP Victus, it’s all about providing strong Full HD gaming at a reasonable price. As such, your budget and needs for those more lavish or more powerful features will determine whether Victus or Omen is right for you.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
