Hertz, or Hz, measures the number of times per second that your display is able to produce a new image. When taken alongside a few other key laptop specs, this number is a great way to confirm that a display can keep up with a heavy gaming routine.
For professionals and aspiring gamers, the right graphics card and processor configuration is also critical. In particular, you should focus on PCs with dedicated graphics cards and processors that provide more cores and threads for your money.
Fortunately, dedicated gaming lines tend to emphasize these features. That means hobby gamers will find more than enough performance for any title, and competitive gamers can easily customize their gaming PC to suit their specific needs.
OMEN and Victus gaming laptops
With several dedicated gaming lines, HP offers a variety of laptops that fit the bill when it comes to hardware. In this article, we’ll focus on two options from HP OMEN and two from the HP Victus line. Let’s look at important visual specs and a critical breakdown and comparison of each laptop.
OMEN Gaming Laptop (16z-xd000): Performance and portability
The
OMEN Gaming Laptop (16z-xd000) opens our list with an affordable entryway into high-performance portable gaming, with a competitive price-point and a generous 16.1-inch diagonal Full High Definition (FHD, 1920 x 1080) display. But it’s still easy to get around, measuring under 1-inch thickness (0.94 -inches) and weighing only 5.23 lbs.
It also comes with plenty of options to customize, so you can equip yours with up to an AMD Ryzen™ 7 7840HS processor and a powerful NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 4070 Laptop GPU (8 GB). The standard refresh rate is 144 Hz, but you can boost yours to a maximum of 165 Hz with a 7 ms response time, optional low blue light mode, and brightness of up to 300 nits.
Choose from three different processor and graphics card configurations, then flesh out your hardware configuration with up to 2TB of SSD storage and 32GB of RAM. However you configure yours, you can count on audio back-up from dual speakers, featuring audio by Bang & Olufsen and HP Audio Boost to maximize output quality.
Key Visual Specifications: - 16.1” diagonal FHD display
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card
- Refresh rate: up to 165 Hz
- 7 ms response time
- Brightness: up to 300 nits
- Low blue light mode (optional)
OMEN Gaming Laptop (17t-ck200): Maximum screen space
For an extra-large display and a high ceiling for hardware customization, the
OMEN Gaming Laptop (17t-ck200) is full of options - starting with three different display configurations to consider. Equipped with FHD standard, you can also upgrade to Quad HD (QHD, 2560 x 1440) resolution and boost your refresh rate from 144 Hz to 240 Hz.
Enjoy 300 nits of brightness and a built-in low blue light mode standard with all configurations, as well as a powerful Intel® Core™ i7-13700HX processor. Stay ahead of the action with the standard NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, or customize yours with an even more powerful RTX 4090 graphics card for an extra competitive edge.
Like the 16-inch variant, you can also configure up to 2TBs of SSD storage and 32GB of RAM. Polish off your configuration by choosing your preferred RGB backlighting scheme for the shadow black optical mechanical keyboard: per-key backlighting or four separate zones to experiment with whenever you want.
Key Visual Specifications:
- Up to a 17.3” diagonal QHD display
- Up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card
- Refresh rate: up to 240 Hz
- Response time: up to 3 ms
- Brightness: up to 300 nits
- Low blue light mode (standard)
Victus Gaming Laptop (15z-fb000): Affordability and power
Though performance gaming hardware can sometimes seem unattainable, the
Victus Gaming Laptop (15z-fb000) is an ideal option for budget and travel gamers who don’t want to compromise just for portability. Though it is the smallest option on our list (14.09 x 10.04 x 0.93 inches) and lightest (5.06 lbs), thanks to a trim 15.6-inch diagonal FHD display.
Keep the standard configuration with a speedy 144 Hz refresh rate, or opt for ergonomics and outfit yours with a higher 300 nit brightness rating and built-in low blue light mode. Expect robust performance with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H processor, or upgrade to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H for a little extra stopping power - AMD Radeon RX 6500M graphics are standard on both.
The Victus 15z-fb000 also opens up new options when it comes to appearance, with a fully backlit keyboard and three different finishes: mica silver, ceramic white, and performance blue. HP Victus also doesn’t make any sacrifices when it comes to sound, also offering dual speakers, with audio tuning by Bang & Olufsen and HP Audio Boost for the best quality control.
Key Visual Specifications:
- 15.6” FHD display
- AMD Radeon™ RX 6500M graphics card
- Refresh rate: 144 Hz
- Brightness: up to 300 nits
- Low blue light mode (optional)
Victus Gaming Laptop (16t-r000): The best of both worlds
Like the extra exterior options and the more affordable base price? The
Victus Gaming Laptop (16t-r000) offers an expanded 16.1-inch diagonal display, with your choice of either FHD or QHD resolution. Save some cash at checkout with the standard FHD’s 144 Hz refresh rate, or speed things up to 240 Hz with a 3 ms response time.
It’s also an extremely customizable option from the HP Victus line, offering half a dozen different processor and graphics configurations to consider. While the standard model features an Intel Core i5-13500HX processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 graphics, you can upgrade as far as an i7-13700HX processor and RTX 4070 graphics for even better performance.
Back it up with as much as 1 TB of SSD storage and 32 GB of RAM, and finish off again with your choice of exterior trim: mica silver, ceramic white, or performance blue. The HP Victus 16t-r000 also stands out for offering both low blue light mode and a higher 300 nits brightness rating on its mid-range display configuration, so you can save on extra comfort features.
Key Visual Specifications:
- Up to a 16.1” diagonal QHD display
- Up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop graphics card
- Refresh rate: up to 240 Hz
- Response time: up to 3 ms
- Brightness: up to 300 nits
- Low blue light mode (optional)
How important is a display’s refresh rate for your routine?
Though refresh rate is an important feature, its value can sometimes be overstated, especially if you’re a casual gamer or have no frame rate issues with a lower-quality display. Despite that, games are increasingly complex and gamers are increasingly seeking hardware advantages to gain an edge in competition.
That means competition gamers and users with multiplayer-heavy routines will benefit the most from an upgrade to refresh rate. In both contexts, you have an opportunity to see meaningful gains in-game. High refresh rate 144 Hz laptops are important for gamers who want an extra edge in a fast-paced competitive gaming environment.
Having said that, a display’s refresh rate still undoubtedly contributes to your overall visual experience and is a key consideration for maximizing immersion. Though the extra edge may be easier to quantify for competitive gamers, that doesn’t mean it can’t still be felt by casual gamers and fans of less fast-paced titles.
Though the gaming laptops on our list exhibit a wide variety, there are a few consistent features that are worth emphasizing. In addition to setting a baseline at 144 Hz for refresh rate, all the models we covered feature premium audio by Bang & Olufsen, with access to built-in low blue light features and configurations that support up to a 300 nits brightness rating.
When it comes to performance at all costs, HP OMEN tends to win out. The OMEN Gaming Laptop (16z-xd000) is a comparably affordable entry into the line, with great graphics and optional upgrades. On the other hand, the OMEN Gaming Laptop (17t-ck200) boasts some impressive scores for its top configurations, including a 3 ms response time and 240 Hz refresh rate.
If you tend to favor a slightly more portable design and want to save a bit more at checkout, HP Victus is an easy win. The Victus Gaming Laptop (15z-fb000) offers a standout price and hardware for any selection, while the Victus Gaming Laptop (16t-r000) offers just as much customization potential as HP OMEN.
While HP OMEN offers more choices and control when it comes to keyboard backlighting, HP Victus allows you to choose your own exterior finish: mica silver, ceramic white, or performance blue. Fortunately, both provide access to your preference of AMD or Intel and NVIDIA components. The final choice is yours!
About the Author
Dwight Pavlovic is a contributing writer for HP Tech Takes. Dwight is a music, gaming, and technology writer based out of West Virginia.