Acer put Asus’ Republic Of Gamers laptops of their sights with their newest mid-level gaming laptop computer, the Predator Helios 300. As the most affordable of the Predators, is it really within the hunt, or will it merely turn out to be prey to the competitors?
A trackpad isn’t going to avoid wasting you in a firefight – ensure you go into battle with one of many best gaming mice you may get your mitts on.
This is a laptop computer meant for the non-oligarchs amongst us – these of us who don’t dwell on one big boat and vacation on one other. Acer’s concept is to supply Predator gaming laptops that give us that Predator punch at a extra cheap worth. And, at £1,300 (with the closest US equal being $1,350), the Helios 300 SKU we now have our fingers on actually is cheaper than virtually all the opposite gaming laptops we’ve examined. But if it’s going head-to-head with Asus’ Republic Of Gamers laptops, as Acer says it’s, it’s received to outlive our check.
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Acer Predator Helios 300 specs
Our Helios 300 is rocking an Intel Core i7-7700HQ CPU with 4 HyperThreaded cores, a 2.8GHz clock pace, and 6MB of L3 cache. It’s basically a speed-boosted model of the earlier era’s i7-6700HQ, and is present in pricier machines just like the Chillblast Samurai and Gigabyte Aero 15. Crucially, the equally priced Asus ROG mannequin, the GL702VM-DB71-HID2, ‘only’ has an i7-6700HQ, so Acer at the least have them bested on that entrance.
Acer have opted for Nvidia’s Geforce GTX 1050Ti to deal with graphics. This funds GPU alternative has helped the cheaper Helios 300 SKUs hit their lower cost tag, however will clearly imply inferior efficiency to a few of its rivals on the subject of chewing via all that graphical information.
You’ll additionally get 16GB of DDR4 RAM cut up over two DIMMs, benefiting from dual-channel reminiscence bandwidth. The reminiscence is upgradeable to 32GB if that’s not sufficient for you, though the inventory 16GB ought to see you thru a good few years but.
To show the results of all that work, the laptop computer is rocking a 17.Three-inch, 1920 x 1080, 60Hz IPS panel, however there are cheaper 15.6-inch variations obtainable. We’d suggest a smaller one, too – contemplating the 1080p decision cap, a 17.Three-inch display is a waste.
The Helios 300’s chiclet membrane keyboard incorporates a full numpad with skinny buttons to keep away from the keyboard dominating your complete width of the laptop computer. It’s simple to see how this inclusion might be helpful for MMOers on the go. You gained’t discover 1000’s of RGB lighting choices right here, although – Acer are retaining the prices down, in any case – you’re going to get crimson backlighting, and also you’re going to love it.
For your scrolling wants, there’s an offset trackpad rocking the identical monitoring tech because the pricier Predator fashions, however not like them the Helios 300’s mouse buttons are, infuriatingly, built-in into the underside edges of the pad itself.
Included as customary is the foolproof overclocking software program, Predator Sense. Designed for freshmen who wish to strive their hand at overclocking with out risking injury, it permits you to modify fan pace and clock pace to your liking. Fan pace is on Auto by default, however you’ll be able to customise the pace or ramp them as much as their most. Clockspeeds are additionally configurable to Normal, Faster, and Turbo settings for a fast pace enhance with minimal fuss.
Acer have carried out an awesome job with connectivity on the Helios 300, with either side of the physique flush with ports. An HDMI connection, 4 USB ports (2 x USB 2.zero, 1 x USB Three.zero, 1 x USB Three.zero), a community port, and an SD card reader are all right here.
Both a 128GB SSD and a 1TB HDD are in residence, hoping to supply each pace and house. The SSD’s clearly not sufficient to jam half your Steam library on, nevertheless it’ll be sufficient to make use of as a boot drive with spare house for a few your favorite video games, whereas the 1TB disk drive will cope with the brunt of the storage.
To energy all this tech, you get a four-cell, lithium polymer battery with a quoted most run time of seven hours – after all, we’ve examined out the battery life under to see what you’ll be getting in real-life gaming phrases.
The Helios 300 is fortuitously mild sufficient for most individuals to hold. Don’t anticipate it to be mild, although – that is nonetheless a /gaming/ laptop computer and is available in a little bit under three kilograms, so that you’ll undoubtedly be feeling it in your backpack if you might want to sport on the transfer.
Acer Predator Helios 300 benchmarks
Acer Predator Helios 300 efficiency
First issues first – the numbers. When it involves CPU intensive duties like Cinebench and X264 v5, the i7 7700HQ performs admirably, with the bumped-up clockspeed inserting it firmly within the high third of the laptops we’ve examined.
As for graphical efficiency, the GTX 1050Ti beneath the hood means you aren’t getting the body charges of the GTX 1060s the rivals (or different Helios 300s) are working with. With Rise Of The Tomb Raider at 1080p and the graphics settings turned up excessive we have been getting simply over 41fps. So when you’re planning on operating the most recent video games you may need to make some graphical concessions to make sure a pleasant clean body charge.
Thankfully, because it’s an Nvidia-powered laptop computer, you get all of the GeForce Experience goodness, which is able to routinely choose one of the best sport settings on your hardware. On gaming laptops you can too configure it for particular battery-saving settings too.
If in any respect potential, we’d suggest you keep away from utilizing the laptop computer’s trackpad. The monitoring is loads ok for the broad strokes you’d make when shopping, however the left and proper switches built-in into the underside portion of the trackpad put up an excessive amount of of a combat earlier than clicking, really feel flimsy once they do, and find yourself coming off as an imprecise afterthought.
The keyboard is your customary membrane fare – practical however in the end unsatisfying to make use of. However, to complain about space-saving switches on a laptop computer an excessive amount of would appear daft – as a lot as we love the mechanical switches on the Predator 21 X, have you ever ever tried to suit one in a backpack? No, that’s proper, it is available in a flight case…
The 17.Three-inch panel is loads for on-the-go gaming periods by way of dimension – as talked about above, when introduced with the choice we’d go for the smaller model and save the cash. Although it fell a little bit in need of perfection in our distinction, brightness, and gamma testing – unable to show excessive highs and lows with readability – you’re not going to search out the serviceable picture high quality to be a deal-breaker. After all, good readability and super-high definitions are what pricier laptops are for.
At full chat you’ll undoubtedly be listening to the followers, nevertheless it’s not practically sufficient to wind you up mid-game, particularly given the really spectacular quantity the stereo Dolby Audio audio system can rise up to. The sound is clearly not as detailed on the excessive finish and punchy on the low finish as you’d get with devoted audio system or an excellent set of gaming headphones, however I used to be pleasantly stunned by the respectable quantity of element and total oomph I received.
The steel chassis feels exceptionally sturdy too – the lid isn’t simple to flex, the keyboard doesn’t bend beneath drive, and also you get the distinct impression that you would drop the Helios 300 down the steps and it will survive. I imply, clearly don’t, although.
Unfortunately, the appears to be like aren’t as spectacular. The angular, red-and-black look comes off much less like a jet fighter and extra like a baby’s toy, with the fingerprint-magnet, brushed-metal lid making the Helios 300 look tackier than it truly is. Of course, when you’re not taking this factor into enterprise conferences the appears to be like aren’t going to trigger a lot of a problem, however the Predator collection might to do with an look replace.
The battery life can also be a sticking level. At 49minutes in our 3D gaming check, it’s barely sufficient to final via your morning commute. This rating places the Helios 300 proper on the backside of the pile, with laptops just like the Gigabyte P55 operating the extra demanding GTX 1060 GPU and nonetheless providing you with two-and-a-half hours of sport time.
Acer Predator Helios 300 verdict
Seeing as this can be a £1,300 laptop computer – not precisely a small funding – you’d be proper to anticipate some critical efficiency on your cash. Does the Helios 300 present?
Well, sure and no. As the benchmarks present, its Intel i7 7700HQ CPU can blast via multi-core duties with one of the best of them, however the GTX 1050 Ti GPU has it falling behind within the all vital body charge division. The GTX 1050 Ti is a succesful GPU in its personal proper, and also you’re definitely not going to be decreased to taking part in nothing however indie video games, however there’s a mismatch in utilizing mid-range graphics tech with a high-performance processor. The Core i5s included in another variations of the Helios 300 ought to greater than do the trick.
Unfortunately, us Brits are paying £1,300 for a Helios 300 that includes a 1050 Ti, whereas our American cousins can pay money for a model with a GTX 1060 for $1,300. Bad occasions to be a tea-drinker…
As a lot grief as I’ve given it about its trackpad and look, this can be a respectable machine for mid-level players who’ve their hearts set on a laptop computer. It provides you a principally well-made gaming rig that covers the fundamentals and can serve you properly within the overwhelming majority of titles for a few years whilst you save up the intense cash wanted for a fancier mannequin. One truth nonetheless stays, although: you can also make a major saving by dropping to a model with a 15.Three-inch display (1080p gameplay actually doesn’t require the 17-inch one) and an i5 processor – a £200 saving, the truth is.
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