HP offers the Victus 16 in two iterations - with Intel or AMD platform. We already have a review regarding the Team Blue model and now it's time to test the HP Victus 16 (16-s0000) which has an AMD Zen 4 CPU under the bonnet. You can choose between four Zen 4 (Phoenix) processors. They bring bumped performance for productivity and gaming compared to the Zen 3 predecessors. You can find this laptop with four different GPU variants. The base one is the good (old) GeForce RTX 3050 (Laptop) and the top model is the GeForce RTX 4070 (Laptop). You can get the latter only with one of the two most powerful processors available for this series. Perhaps HP wants to be sure that such a powerful video card will not be bottlenecked by the processor. There are five display options - three 1080p and two 1440p panels. The QHD units are only available for the RTX 4000-based laptops. All in all, the notebook seems like a machine with modern hardware and the end price isn't that high. The port selection is decent enough for a 2023 gaming laptop, and for connectivity, we have Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/hp-victus-16-16-s0000-2023/ Specs, Drivers, What's in the box Drivers All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://support.hp.com/ie-en/drivers/victus-by-hp-16.1-inch-gaming-laptop-pc-16-s0000/2101527347 What's in the box? In the normal-looking box, you'll find the mandatory paperwork and a 230W barrel plug charger. The GeForce RTX 3050-configured machines come with a 200W power adapter. Design and construction The look of the laptop is almost exactly the same as the Intel version. There aren't many bells and whistles on the outside except for the big glossy "V" logo on the center of the lid. Overall, the design is stealthy and mature, and the "Performance blue" color of our laptop makes its appearance even more neutral. You can also get the laptop in "Mica silver" or "Ceramic white" color. The dimensions are normal for a 16-incher. The profile thickness is 23.9 mm and the weight is 2.32 kg for the machines with the GeForce RTX 3050, while the others are slightly heavier - 2.33 kg. The lid can't be opened with a single hand. You can also flex it and it's wobbly when you release it after changing the angle. However, the situation here isn't that bad but it's far from being great. The base is solid with a few exceptions - the zone above the touchpad and around the Arrow keys can be bent a bit. The laptop is entirely made of plastic but it doesn't feel cheap. The matte finish feels soft to the touch which is nice and it doesn't attract tons of smudges. The bottom bezel is huge while the other three are noticeably thinner. The top bezel houses a Full HD Web camera with a privacy shutter and temporal noise reduction. Some gaming laptops in this price category lack this safety feature. You can tune some options in the dedicated HP software such as Background effects and Auto frame for the camera or Noise and Echo removal for the speakers and the microphone. Above the keyboard is placed a long ventilation grill. The board has a full-sized NumberPad with a dedicated Omen key that opens the OMEN Gaming Hub app. Keep in mind that the backlight is optional. There is generous spacing between the keycaps which is good, especially for people with big hands. The key travel is okay while the feedback is clicky which is enough for comfortable usage. The board isn't noisy during typing. The size of the touchpad is average and its surface isn't that smooth. Still, the unit is adequate for normal work. Flipping the machine upside down reveals two long rubber feet, two speaker cutouts, and a big ventilation grille. The heat is pushed through two vents - the larger one is on the back and the smaller one is on the left of the notebook. The bigger vent is positioned very close to the hinge and some amount of hot air makes its way to the display during heavy loads. Ports On the left side, you can spot a LAN, a USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port with HP Sleep and Charge function, and an Audio combo jack. On the other side, we can see the power connector, an HDMI 2.1, two USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) ports for data transfer and charging, and a USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 1) that supports Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4, and HP Sleep and Charge functions. Display quality, Health impact (PWM), Sound HP Victus 16 (16-s0000) is equipped with a Full HD IPS panel, model number Innolux CMN162E. It comes with a 144Hz refresh rate. Its diagonal is 16.1" (40.6 cm), and the resolution - 1920 x 1080p. Additionally, the screen ratio is 16:9, the pixel density – 141 ppi, and their pitch – 0.19 x 0.19 mm. The screen can be considered Retina when viewed from at least 61 cm (from this distance, the average human eye can’t see the individual pixels). Viewing angles are good. We offer images at different angles to evaluate the quality. Also, a video with locked focus and exposure. The maximum measured brightness is 252 nits (cd/m2) in the middle of the screen and 240 nits (cd/m2) average across the surface with a maximum deviation of 14%. The Correlated Color Temperature on a white screen and at maximum brightness is 6020K. In the illustration below you can see how the display performs from a uniformity perspective. The illustration below shows how matters are for operational brightness levels (approximately 140 nits) – in this particular case at 80% Brightness (White level = 141 cd/m2, Black level = 0.1 cd/m2). Values of dE2000 over 4.0 should not occur, and this parameter is one of the first you should check if you intend to use the laptop for color-sensitive work (a maximum tolerance of 2.0 ). The contrast ratio is good – 1360:1. To make sure we are on the same page, we would like to give you a little introduction to the sRGB color gamut and the Adobe RGB. To start, there’s the CIE 1976 Uniform Chromaticity Diagram that represents the visible specter of colors by the human eye, giving you a better perception of the color gamut coverage and the color accuracy. Inside the black triangle, you will see the standard color gamut (sRGB) that is being used by millions of people on HDTV and on the web. As for the Adobe RGB, this is used in professional cameras, monitors, etc for printing. Basically, colors inside the black triangle are used by everyone and this is the essential part of the color quality and color accuracy of a mainstream notebook. Still, we’ve included other color spaces like the famous DCI-P3 standard used by movie studios, as well as the digital UHD Rec.2020 standard. Rec.2020, however, is still a thing of the future and it’s difficult for today’s displays to cover that well. We’ve also included the so-called Michael Pointer gamut, or Pointer’s gamut, which represents the colors that naturally occur around us every day. The yellow dotted line shows HP Victus 16 (16-s0000)'s color gamut coverage. Its display covers 53% of the sRGB/ITU-R BT.709 (web/HDTV standard) in CIE1976 and 42% of DCI-P3. Our “Design and Gaming” profile delivers optimal color temperature (6500K) at 140 cd/m2 luminance and sRGB gamma mode. We tested the accuracy of the display with 24 commonly used colors like light and dark human skin, blue sky, green grass, orange, etc. You can check out the results at factory condition and also, with the “Design and Gaming” profile. Below you can compare the scores of the HP Victus 16 (16-s0000) with the default settings (left), and with the “Gaming and Web design” profile (right). The next figure shows how well the display is able to reproduce really dark parts of an image, which is essential when watching movies or playing games in low ambient light. The left side of the image represents the display with stock settings, while the right one is with the “Gaming and Web Design” profile activated. On the horizontal axis, you will find the grayscale, and on the vertical axis – the luminance of the display. On the two graphs below you can easily check for yourself how your display handles the darkest nuances but keep in mind that this also depends on the settings of your current display, the calibration, the viewing angle, and the surrounding light conditions. Response time (Gaming capabilities) We test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “black-to-white” and “white-to-black” method from 10% to 90% and vice versa. We recorded Fall Time + Rise Time = 18.2 ms. Short pixel response time is a prerequisite for a smooth picture in dynamic scenes. Gamers should be happy. After that, we test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “Gray-to-Gray” method from 50% White to 80% White and vice versa between 10% and 90% of the amplitude. Health Impact: PWM (Screen flickering) Pulse-width modulation (PWM) is an easy way to control monitor brightness. When you lower the brightness, the light intensity of the backlight is not lowered, but instead turned off and on by the electronics with a frequency indistinguishable to the human eye. In these light impulses, the light/no-light time ratio varies, while brightness remains unchanged, which is harmful to your eyes. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM. HP Victus 16 (16-s0000)'s display doesn't flicker at any brightness level. This makes the screen pretty comfortable for long periods of use. Health Impact: Blue light emissions Installing our Health-Guard profile not only eliminates PWM but also reduces the harmful Blue Light emissions while keeping the colors of the screen perceptually accurate. If you’re not familiar with the Blue light, the TL;DR version is – emissions that negatively affect your eyes, skin, and your whole body. You can find more information about that in our dedicated article on Blue Light. Health Impact: Gloss-level measurement Glossy-coated displays are sometimes inconvenient in high ambient light conditions. We show the level of reflection on the screen for the respective laptop when the display is turned off and the measurement angle is 60° (in this case, the result is 51.1 GU). Sound HP Victus 16 (16-s0000)'s Bang & Olufsen speakers produce a sound of very good quality. Its low, mid, and high tones are clear of deviations. Buy our profiles Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for HP Victus 16 (16-s0000) configurations with 16.1" Innolux CMN162E (1920 x 1080) IPS. *Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at bg.laptopmedia@gmail.com. Read more about the profiles HERE. Performance: CPU, GPU, Gaming Tests All benchmarks and tests were conducted with the Performance" profile activated in the Omen Gaming Hub. Also, the "Discrete" Graphics Mode is turned on. CPU options The CPU options are the following - AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS, Ryzen 5 7640H, Ryzen 7 7840HS, and Ryzen 7 7840H. We bought a laptop with a Ryzen 5 7640HS because this one is the smart choice. It has 12 threads and the same amount of cache as the Ryzen 7 siblings. GPU options Four GPU variants are available - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 (Laptop), GeForce RTX 4050 (Laptop, 120W), GeForce RTX 4060 (Laptop), and GeForce RTX 4070 (Laptop). We picked a machine with an RTX 4050 because this chip is still fast enough for 1080p gaming. Gaming tests Assassin's Creed Valhalla Full HD, Low (Check settings) Full HD, Medium (Check settings) Full HD, High (Check settings) Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) Average FPS 150 fps 124 fps 101 fps 84 fps Borderlands 3 Full HD, V.Low (Check settings) Full HD, Medium (Check settings) Full HD, High (Check settings) Full HD, Badass (Check settings) Average FPS 155 fps 134 fps 96 fps 73 fps Far Cry 6 Full HD, Low (Check settings) Full HD, High (Check settings) Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) Average FPS 129 fps 104 fps 95 fps Gears 5 Full HD, Low (Check settings) Full HD, Medium (Check settings) Full HD, High (Check settings) Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) Average FPS 219 fps 164 fps 142 fps 110 fps The GeForce RTX 4050 (Laptop, 120W) can show more than 70 FPS on Ultra details in the four tested titles. The scores are very good for a budget gaming laptop. [eBook Guide + Tools] How to MAX OUT your Laptop Temperatures and comfort, Battery Life Max CPU load In this test we use 100% on the CPU cores, monitoring their frequencies and chip temperature. The first column shows a computer’s reaction to a short load (2-10 seconds), the second column simulates a serious task (between 15 and 30 seconds), and the third column is a good indicator of how good the laptop is for long loads such as video rendering. Average core frequency (base frequency + X); CPU temp. AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS (35W TDP) 0:02 - 0:10 sec 0:15 - 0:30 sec 10:00 - 15:00 min HP Victus 16 (16-s0000) 4.33 GHz @ 64°C @ 65W 4.24 GHz @ 68°C @ 60W 4.26 GHz @ 70°C @ 60W The official base clock of the Ryzen 5 7640HS is 4.30 GHz. As you can see, the cooling of this laptop can maintain a stable clock that is very close to this value no matter the load so we can call it a day. Most importantly, the power limit is 60 - 65W and the CPU temperature is always pleasant. Real-life gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 2 min) GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 30 min) HP Victus 16 (16-s0000) 2565 MHz @ 68°C @ 92W 2550 MHz @ 69°C @ 92W ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402 (2023) Turbo mode 2565 MHz @ 77°C @ 101W 2565 MHz @ 82°C @ 104W ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402 (2023) Performance mode 2364 MHz @ 78°C @ 86W 2325 MHz @ 83°C @ 86W Acer Nitro 16 (AN16-51) 2520 MHz @ 67°C @ 92W 2520 MHz @ 67°C @ 91W MSI Thin GF63 (12V) 1735 MHz @ 69°C @ 45W 1729 MHz @ 70°C @ 45W The mobile GeForce RTX 4050 can maintain 2550 MHz and 92W TGP after half an hour of gaming which is a respectable result. Gaming comfort If you are using the device in "Performance" mode (like us), you can experience decent noise levels in idle because the fans are spinning at around 2200 RPM. If you disable the "Fan Always On" option in the BIOS, the laptop will be silent in idle. Under 100% CPU usage, the rotation speed is ~4600 RPM which isn't too loud but fans aren't quiet either. The max fan speed is 5800 RPM and you can set them manually to this mode. Overall, the noise under heavy stress feels lower compared to the HP Victus 16 (16-r0000). If the CPU is stressed at 100%, the middle of the keyboard feels warm but it's still comfortable enough for work. Battery Now, we conduct the battery tests with the Windows Better performance setting turned on, screen brightness adjusted to 120 nits and all other programs turned off except for the one we are testing the notebook with. The 70Wh battery pack lasts for 10 hours of either Web browsing or video playback. The result is good for a gaming laptop. To achieve this, you have to disable the "Fan Always On" function in the BIOS, select the "Hybrid" GPU mode in order to use the iGPU when the power adapter isn't plugged in, and use the "Balanced" performance preset. Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance To gain access to the internals, you have to undo 8 Phillips-head screws. After that, you can begin popping the plate with a thin prying tool starting from the back of the device. Here's how the bottom panel looks on the inside. The battery in this device is the default 70Wh model and you can also get the optional 83Wh variant. To remove the battery, detach the connector from the motherboard and undo 6 Phillips-head screws that are keeping the unit in place. The base capacity is enough for 10 hours of either Web browsing or video playback. That's a good result for a gaming laptop. The two SODIMMs can handle up to 32GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM in dual-channel mode. For storage, there is just one M.2 slot compatible with Gen 4 SSDs. The preinstalled NVMe is protected by a metal shroud that has a thin thermal pad on the inside. The cooling system looks good. It comprises two fans and two thick heat pipes shared between the processor and the video card. The third pipe is for cooling the GPU. We can spot three heat sinks and three heat spreaders. Storage performance Our notebook is equipped with a 512GB SAMSUNG MZVL2512HDJD-00BH1 NVMe. Below you can see some benchmarks of this Gen 4 SSD that reached just 36°C during testing. Verdict The HP Victus 16 (16-s0000) is definitely a good gaming laptop that doesn't cost too much. Of course, the device has its drawbacks like the rigidity of the plastic build that could be improved, the single M.2 slot, and the absence of 10 Gbps ports. With that out of the way, the rest is good given the price tag. The overall performance is snappy because of the potent cooling system. In our case, the Ryzen 5 7640HS can maintain a stable clock under any kind of load and the 120W version of the GeForce RTX 4050 is able to sustain 2550 MHz after 30 minutes of gaming. That's enough for productivity tasks or for playing games with bumped visual quality with high FPS. In addition, the thermals on the inside are always in check, and on the outside, the keyboard isn't scorching hot to the touch so you can use it comfortably while gaming. There is a "Discrete" graphics mode (dGPU-only) that can be found in the BIOS or in the OMEN Gaming Hub app (which offers many other customization options). The noise under heavy load is average. If you disable the "Fan Always On" option in the BIOS, you can expect some silence in idle and this will save some battery when you are away from the charger. The upgradability is okay. You get two SODIMMs for up to 32GB of DDR5-5600 RAM but sadly, there is just one M.2 slot for Gen 4 SSDs. The 144Hz 1080p IPS display (Innolux CMN162E) has wide viewing angles, a good contrast ratio, and most importantly - it's PWM-free. The sRGB coverage and the color accuracy aren't great but that's okay for a gaming laptop that isn't expensive and it's not meant for content creation. The keyboard is suitable for both typing and gaming (the backlight is optional). The touchpad isn't impressive but it gets the job done for standard work. The port selection is decent but all USB ports are rated at 5 Gbps, even the Type-C one. On the flip side, it looks like the AMD Zen 4 CPUs can be efficient just like their predecessors. Our machine has the base 70Wh battery and the capacity is enough for 10 hours of either Web browsing or video. That's a very good result for a machine with such hardware. Still, if you pick e device with an 8-core processor, a more powerful GPU, and a 1440p display, you can expect shorter autonomous life on a single charge. The HP Victus 16 (16-s0000) is a gaming laptop with capable hardware, a pleasant price, a good cooling solution, and a long battery life. You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/hp-victus-16-16-s0000-2023/