HP's Introduces its First 16.1-inch Omen Laptop, New Victus Brand

HP is revitalizing its Omen gaming notebooks with a new 16.1-inch size, the latest processors and a new sub-brand called Victus. All of the laptops announced today are scheduled to release next month.

The new laptop competing with the 16.1-inch display is the HP Omen 16, which is very close in size to the older 15-inch model, due to thinner bezels on the top and sides.

Competing for a spot on our Best Gaming Laptop list, versions of the Omen 16 with Intel processors will start at $1,149.99, while AMD options will begin at $1,049.99. The machine will go up to 115W with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU (HP also mentions "next-gen" AMD graphics). You will be able to configure it with up to a 1TB PCIe Gen 4x4 SSD, Wi-Fi 6E networking options and an 83WHr battery. The 16-inch screen will go up to 1440p resolution (2560 x 1440) resolution with a 165 Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time. 

Specifications

The Omen 17 desktop replacement is also getting a refresh, but only with Intel. It will start at $1,369.99 and be slightly smaller than the previous 17-inch Omen, including 2.9mm thinner and 15% lighter. With an improved cooler at more outlets for air, HP claims the keyboard will be 5 degrees Celsius cooler than the older model.

The bigger laptop will have a keyboard optical mechanical switches featuring 1.7mm of travel and per-key RGB lighting. There will be a specialized panel to easily access the SSD and RAM for upgrades. HP is offering up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4x4 SSD or 2 1TB PCIe M.2 SSDs in RAID0. The 17-inch screen will go up to QHD with a 165 Hz IPS panel.

Meet Victus

The new Victus brand is meant to put a focus on performance and graphics at a cheaper price. HP has literally sliced part of the logo out of the Omen mark to show its place in the lineup. As of this announcement, there's just one Victus laptop, the HP Victus 16. It features the "V" logo, has similar design elements, like the screen size marked on the chassis, and comes in mica silver, performance blue or ceramic white.

Like the 16.1-inch Omen, the Victus' 16-inch screen will fit in a near 14-inch chassis, thanks to thin bezels on three sides. Its V-patterned speakers, turned by B&O, bear a striking resemblance to HP's Spectre ultraportables.

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Besides offering both Intel and AMD processors, there will also be configurations up to Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3060 graphics or AMD Radeon RX 5500M. The IPS display goes up to 2560 x 1440 and 165 Hz.

It appears that Victus won't take over the extreme low-end. HP said that Pavilion Gaming isn't going away, which suggests we'll still see the Pavilion name on entry-level laptops.