Best HP gaming laptops in 2023

What’s the best HP gaming laptop? HP has plenty to offer gaming fans and knows a thing or two about mobile computing. Its Omen and Victus stables have something to offer most buyers regardless of their budget, so we’ve rounded up the best HP gaming laptops around to find out which is right for you.

Hewlett Packard is a well-established laptop brand that’s been around the block and bought the t-shirt. Though better known for its productivity machines than out-and-out gaming devices, HP has some gaming heritage. Much of that comes from its acquisition of the innovative Voodoo computers in 2006. Voodoo specialized in high-performance desktop computing, and that, combined with HP’s portable computing nous, resulted in the resurrection of the Omen brand, which creates HP’s flagship range of gaming laptops and desktops. 

To complement the Omen roster, HP created the Victus line to offer a broader range of budget gaming laptops covering the increasingly competitive sub-$1,000 end of the market. These well-specced machines offer functional looks paired with reliable, gaming-focused components, delivering devices that are more than capable of handling action-packed AAA titles but won’t leave you destitute in the pursuit of owning one.

But which of HP’s latest line-up of high-spec, gaming-obsessed portables do we really rate? Read on to find out which of its line-up makes our list of the best HP gaming laptops money can buy. 

These are the best HP gaming laptops in 2023:

1. HP Omen 16 (2022) – best HP gaming laptop overall
2. HP Omen 17 (2022) – best big-screen option
3. HP Victus 16 – best HP gaming laptop for content creators
4. HP Victus 15 (2022) – best budget HP gaming laptop

 

 

1. HP Omen 16 (2022)

The best HP gaming laptop overall.

HP Omen 16 (2022) specs:

Pros

• Brilliant connectivity
• Excellent screen
• Good value

Cons

• Spec is no longer cutting-edge
• Touchpad could be more precise
• Battery life is average

You can have the HP Omen 16 in any color as long as it’s Shadow Black, the only color option available. The metal and plastic construction feels solid, and this is a weighty, solid machine with minimal flex that feels like it was built to take the knocks life throws at it.

Its GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card is no longer cutting-edge – thanks to the 4000 series release at the tail end of 2022 – but combined with the Core i7 chip, it speeds through cut scenes and complex animation with few issues. A robust 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage is plenty at this price point, so while it may not be the highest specced machine on the market, there’s plenty to recommend the Omen 16.

With a 16.1-inch Quad HD display and a refresh rate of 165Hz, the screen is arguably the jewel in the Omen 16’s crown. It’s bright and sharp and wrings the neck of this configuration for visual quality.

Connectivity is robust also, with a trio of USB ports and two Thunderbolt 4 connections at the Omen 16’s disposal, giving you plenty of options for connecting external screens and peripherals. An HDMI 2.1 connection, 2-in-1 SD card reader, and 3.5 mm jack complete the port line-up.

The Omen 16 (2022) is an excellent option for gamers. While the spec list can’t rival the Omen 17 for top honors, it’s well-priced and offers a good balance of processing power versus memory and storage space. It’s a strong mid-range challenger that offers great bang for your buck.

2. HP Omen 17 (2022)

The best big-screen HP gaming laptop.

HP Omen 17 (2022) specs:

Pros

• Understated, classy design
• Solid build quality
• Big-screen gaming at a great price

Cons

• Screen isn’t best-in-class
• Slightly compromised spec
• Heavy

HP’s Omen range is their flagship brand of gaming laptops, and that’s reflected in the spec list on offer here. Yet, despite that spec, the Omen 17 costs around two-thirds as much as many high-end gaming laptops. That begs the question: Which corners have been cut in pursuit of such keen pricing?

The Omen 17 sports Intel’s Core i7 chips rather than the i9, and its Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card is a powerhouse performer but not quite top-of-the-line. That said, it’s enough to allow processor-intensive titles to run cleanly. You get a healthy 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage, both of which will tick boxes for all but the most hardcore gamers.

The Omen 17’s chassis is a mix of plastic and metal with an understated, classy matt black finish, which tips the scales at a little over 6 lbs. Connectivity comes in the form of three USB three ports, a USB-C Thunderbolt 4 slot, HDMI 2.1, Mini DisplayPort and a 3.5mm jack, which is plenty enough to cover most eventualities.

People buy a 17-inch laptop with one thing in mind: the expansive screen. The Omen 17 has a 17.3-inch QHD IPS with a 165Hz refresh rate that delivers cracking visuals for this price point. It may not provide the kind of retina-searing definition of truly high-end gaming laptops, but you’ll have $1000 or so left in your pocket to drown your sorrows.

The keyboard is tactile with decent feedback and, as expected at this level, offers RGB lighting and a spacious trackpad. Serious gamers will undoubtedly want to go with a dedicated gaming mouse, regardless.

Sure, the Omen 17 can’t challenge the cream of high-end laptops for raw power, but at this price point, it’ll give you hours of gaming pleasure and leave you with plenty of change for a surround system and a killer gaming mouse and headset.

3. HP Victus 16

The best HP gaming laptop for content creators.

HP Victus 16 specs:

Pros

• Attractive design
• Great connectivity
• Bright display

Cons

• No Thunderbolt 4
• Speakers could be better
• All-plastic build

At the top end of the affordable Victus line sits the Victus 16, a no-nonsense gaming machine with minimal bells and whistles. The plastic construction gives a few clues as to where the cost-savings have been made, but this isn’t a flimsy machine, weighing in at a healthy 5.47 lbs.

At this sub-$1000 price point, you won’t tend to find the latest components, and that’s true of the Victus. The fairly modest Core i5 processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 are fine for most titles, but you may find they struggle to run AAA games at the highest frame rates. At this price, however, that’s true of more or less any competing model you care to mention.

The keyboard and trackpad give plenty of useful feedback, and you get simple, white LED keyboard backlighting rather than psychedelic per key RGB. There’s a strong port selection with three USB 3.1 Type-A ports, one USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port, an HDMI 2.1 and a 3.5mm jack. Rounding out the list is a Gigabit Ethernet port for wired LAN gaming. All that connectivity makes this a great machine for connecting peripherals at a bargain price, so content creators and power peripheral users will find the Victus 16’s plethora of ports handy.

A full HD screen isn’t going to set the world alight, but this 16.1-inch, 1920 x1080-pixel number is plenty bright, and its 144 Hz refresh rate will satisfy all but the most critical gamers.

The Victus 16 is worthy of inclusion on your shortlist if you’re set on a 16-inch screen. If not, you may find the Victus 15 delivers much of what you need and leaves you with some spare change in your pocket.

4. HP Victus 15 (2022)

The best budget HP gaming laptop.

HP Victus 15 (2022) specs:

Pros

• Great value
• Wide viewing angle
• Portable for a gaming machine

Cons

• Poor battery life
• Unspectacular looks
• Average speakers

Eschewing the bells and whistles associated with many gaming laptops, the HP Victus 15 is a no-frills machine with enough power to run all but the most processor-intensive games and delivers much for comparatively little.

For a relatively small outlay, you get sturdy, all-plastic construction, a bright, backlit (non-RGB) keyboard, and a decent array of ports, including three USB-A ports and one HDMI 2.1, alongside a 3.5mm jack. You’ll also find a solid Full HD 1920 x 1080, 15.6-inch IPS screen with a refresh rate of 144Hz.

A healthy 16GB of RAM is a generous spec for a budget laptop, and twinned with 512GB of SSD storage should give you plenty of room to store your titles. However, it’s at the lower end of the storage spectrum, so you may want to budget £50-60 for an additional external SSD drive to bolster storage.

Despite its all-plastic construction, the Victus 15 is on the chunkier side in gaming machine terms and tips the scales at 5.05 lbs. While not the heaviest laptop on the market, neither is it the most svelte.

A modest Intel Core i5 processor helps whip things along at a decent pace. The GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card has the gaming prowess to deliver pleasing visuals that will satisfy all but the most hardcore laptop gaming fans. Battery life is unexceptional, and this machine will need to be plugged in if you’re gaming for more than a couple of hours at a time.
Predictably, despite B&O’s intervention on the speaker front, the Victus can’t deliver earth-shattering sonics. They’re passable, but as with most portable machines, you’ll probably want to invest in a set of dedicated 2.1 or 5.1 speakers fairly briskly to get the most out of your gaming.

To sum up, the Victus 15 is a great value laptop, and those on a budget would do well to add it to their prospect list. It won’t set the world on fire in terms of performance, but neither does it cost the Earth

How we chose the best HP gaming laptops

When putting this list together, the following criteria helped us to decide which laptops deserved a space on this list:

• Price: Via its Victus and Omen range, the best HP gaming laptops come in all shapes and sizes. And for all budgets, too. We picked laptops that tick boxes from budget to higher-end.
• Spec: Varying wildly from cutting-edge to budget configurations, you can generally spec up even the most basic Victus machines to a pretty pleasing level. If you get the opportunity, make sure you have plenty of RAM, a speedy processor, and a great graphics card. Storage space is less important as external drives are now relatively cheap.
• Style: The best HP gaming laptops combine power with sultry good looks. Both Victus and Omen machines are well-designed, attractive models that wouldn’t look out of place in a home office or a high-end gaming setup.
• Connectivity: HP gaming laptops come with a variety of ports and connectors to ensure you have everything you need to connect external displays, mice, and the like. Thunderbolt 4 is an excellent addition for external peripherals if you can afford to spec your laptop with it.

Find out more about how we test laptops and PC gaming hardware.

HP Victus versus HP Omen

Like many other gaming laptop marques, HP has two brands on its roster.

Victus is an entry-level brand with device specifications that aren’t cutting-edge but deliver solid gaming prowess at an affordable price.

Omen is the premium line of machines and offers power and high-spec components at higher prices. Which to choose depends on whether you’re after a machine for all-out performance or have a slimmer budget and need something that will perform well across the board. Either way, there’s an HP machine to fit.

For more gaming laptop recommendations, check out our expert guides on Alienware gaming laptops, the best Razer laptops, and the best Dell gaming laptops.