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The Predator lineup is to Acer what the TUF Gaming lineup is to Asus. They pack simply sufficient for them to cross off as first rate gaming laptops, however for the perfect expertise, it’ll entice you to improve to the extra premium lineups. The 2021 refresh of the Acer Predator 300 Helios does the identical, however the excellent news is, this time, it’s a a lot better proposition with the Nvidia RTX 3060 below the hood.
Now, I don’t know if it’s for the Nvidia Ampere graphics or the continuing chip scarcity, however the 2021 Acer Predator Helios 300 is now $200 costlier than earlier than. Nonetheless, it nonetheless has top-of-the-line value to efficiency ratios than every other finances gaming laptop computer this yr. The factor is, gaming laptops, usually, have turn into costlier this yr, and there’s nothing that we will actually do however speak about them in our opinions.
Commercial
However, for about $1300, the Acer Predator Helios packs a excessive refresh fee show, a reasonably highly effective Intel H45 processor, and sufficient RAM and storage to run and retailer a number of video games in your PC. However the largest improve is the Nvidia RTX 3060, and this is among the few laptops that truly benefit from this underrated cellular GPU. Total, it needs to be proposition, proper? Effectively, there are a couple of niggling compromises that may flip this in any other case whole lot bitter.
The earlier Helios 300 had design faults which, customers complained, led to thermal throttling and battery life drain. Have these been mounted? There are definitely some design modifications executed, however do they handle the persisting concern, or are merely facelifts meant to entice. Learn our evaluate to search out out extra —
Value and Configurations
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is available in a number of configurations. Absolutely the base config truly options the tenth Gen Intel Core i7-10750H, however the remainder of the variants sport the latest eleventh Gen H45 Intel Core i7-11800H, a strong processor with eight cores and 16 threads. The distinction is primarily within the show and graphics. You’ll be able to select between 15.6-inch or 17.3-inch screens (which is very large) with both Full HD or QHD decision and as much as 240Hz refresh fee.
Equally, each the 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch variants are furnished with a selection of both the Nvidia RTX 3060 or the RTX 3070. Then, after all, are the same old selections in RAM and storage with the choice of pairing as much as 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD.
That’s definitely lots of choices for the end-user, and all of the variants, you would possibly get confused. However after trying on the choices and reviewing the RTX 3060 variant, we might have discovered a winner.
Specs as reviewed:
Mannequin NumberPH315-54-760SProcessorIntel Core i7-11800H Octa-Core (24MB Cache, 2.3GHz – 4.6GHz)RAM16GB DDR4 3200MHz in Twin ChannelStorage512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSDGraphicsNvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU with 6GB DDR6 Reminiscence (105 – 115W TGP)Display15.6-inch Full HD IPS 144Hz Refresh Charge Show (300-nits)Ports1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Kind-C Thunderbolt 4 (USB charging)1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Kind-A2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Kind-A1x HDMI1x Ethernet RJ451x Mini DisplayPort3.5mm Headphone/Microphone JackOperating SystemWindows 10 Dwelling (Free improve to Home windows 11)Battery life4:30Weight & Dimensions5.07 Pound14.31 x 10.04 x 0.9-inches
Design
The Acer Predator Helios 300 takes away any doubt that this belongs to the Predator collection. The design is similar to different Predator laptops, particularly the lid design, and will be recognized as an Acer gaming laptop computer from miles afar. It’s not probably the most outrageous-looking gaming laptop computer (that crown nonetheless rests with Alienware), however there’s loads of design prospers which are lifeless giveaways of what this machine is supposed for.
Acer has additionally lower down on the Predator branding, which was plastered all throughout within the Helios 300’s earlier avatar. This time, the Predator identify solely comes below the show, which is much more modest, to say the least. Additionally, whereas it might really feel like an all-metal-built laptop computer, there’s copious use of plastic within the physique. Solely the darkish black lid is product of sandblasted aluminum with a glowing Predator emblem. The palm relaxation and keyboard deck, additionally in a darkish black end, and the underside cowl is made out of plastic. This selection of fabric fails to impress at this value, particularly when you possibly can choose up different metal-bodied gaming laptops at this value.
It’s additionally on the heavier facet. At 4.85 kilos, the Acer Predator Helios 300 will likely be a process to hold round, however the weight is definitely at par with what most 15.6-inch gaming laptops need to make do. It’s additionally not the slimmest gaming laptop computer round at 0.9-inches.
The Predator Helios 300 has a big footprint, sure, however that’s form of factor for gaming setups that require lots of room to disperse the warmth. Additionally, regardless of its plastic construct, Acer has strengthened it, rendering little or no chassis and lid flex. You’ll be able to open the lid one-handed, which is an efficient factor, however sure issues level to an absence of consideration to element.
That features sharp corners within the chassis and gaps in between the chassis and the sting. Add to {that a} cumbersome giant-like construction, and the Helios 300 isn’t a lot of a looker. Nevertheless it certain does carry out fairly nicely.
Ports and Slots
My complaints across the construct and design vanished once I seemed on the I/O panel. They’re all organized on the 2 sides of the laptop computer, with the bottom solely housing the DC-in port for charging. This fashion, the ability cable received’t are available the best way of gaming, however cluttering the 2 sides with ports would make that single design selection counterproductive.
On the left, you get an ethernet RJ45 port, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Kind-A ports, the three.5mm combo audio jack, and a Kensington lock slot. On the fitting, it options one other USB 3.2 Gen 1 Kind-A port, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Kind-C port, which doubles up as a USB 4/Thunderbolt 4 port, DisplayPort, and USB PD charging.
So, so far as the selection of ports goes, Acer hasn’t left something behind. The intensive choice will be leveraged to make use of this as a artistic workstation. However the positioning could be a drawback. Like Lenovo’s Legion 5 15, it’d be extra prudent to switch the principle I/O panel over to the bottom the place the equipment received’t muddle the desk and are available the best way of utilizing the laptop computer.
Show
Like we talked about earlier than, you possibly can configure the Acer Predator Helios 300 with a QHD or a Full HD show, with as much as 240Hz refresh fee, at each 15.6 and 17.3-inches. Nonetheless, on this variant that we’re reviewing, you get a 144Hz Full HD 15.6-inch show, which is sweet sufficient for gaming on the RTX 3060 and watching movies and modifying content material. Something greater, and the GPU will battle to benefit from it. The laptop computer additionally boasts of 3ms response occasions, which comes helpful in aggressive gaming.
It’s an IPS LED-backlit show with a 16:9 side ratio with thick bezels on all sides. On utilization, the 144Hz refresh fee makes utilizing the laptop computer a lot easy. Scrolling inside a file or an online web page merely flows, and I don’t find out about you, however I definitely really feel extra productive with a high-refresh-rate show.
The panel is nice for gaming and content material consumption. Not fairly so for post-production of photos for the reason that colours will not be 100% correct. However for on a regular basis use, this can be a unbelievable panel. The brightness goes as much as 300 nits which is first rate for gaming laptops. In some scenes, it carried out higher than the Asus TUF Sprint F15 and the Razer Blade 15.
I performed the newest Spiderman: Far From Dwelling trailer on the Helios 300, and the crimson swimsuit of the superhero popped out. There’s additionally little or no ghosting in fast-moving frames. This turns out to be useful when enjoying fast-paced video games like Valorant and Apex: Legends. Visually placing video games like Murderer’s Creed: Valhalla and darkish toned-games like Dying Stranding look unbelievable on this show. Whilst you’ll battle to hit triple-digit body charges in these AAA titles, the brightness and coloration constancy of the show gives loads of goodness to get pleasure from gaming on this laptop computer.
Keyboard and Trackpad
Coming to the keyboard, the Acer Predator Helios 300 includes a four-zone RGB keyboard. The colours are managed utilizing Acer’s PredatorSense app, and you may specify hex codes to every crimson, inexperienced, blue coloration for the keyboard, creating a customized impact for every zone. I had mapped the WASD sector with crimson, the center GH keys with inexperienced, and the quantity pad with a darkish shade of blue, and it seemed unbelievable. Then once more, this stops simply wanting providing per-key RGB management.
There’s additionally a devoted hotkey to tune the efficiency profile. The keys themselves are well-spaced, and it’s a full-sized keyboard and features a quantity pad. This might be useful for many who like to make use of the keyboard to play FIFA or Microsoft Flight Simulator. Frankly, no 15.6-inch gaming laptop computer is full with no quantity pad, and I’m glad Acer made house for one.
The keys on the keyboard received’t provide the satisfaction of a mechanical keyboard, nevertheless it packs loads of punch, providing first rate journey and wonderful suggestions with each press. You’ll be able to hit a quick typing velocity from the get-go, as there’s lots of room for the fingers to flex and durable and spacious palm relaxation. For gaming, the journey is deep sufficient to let you know the keys are pressed. Acer has additionally put double borders across the WASD and arrow keys to make them seem extra distinguished. It additionally gives full-sized arrow keys, which players would recognize.
The trackpad is sized appropriately for a 15-inch laptop computer and includes a buttonless design, which implies the complete floor is clickable. Regardless of being product of plastic, it gives easy controls and is straightforward to make use of. Nonetheless, the clicks are a bit stiff, which, whereas stopping unintended touches, additionally makes you set additional effort whereas working. The trackpad does help Home windows Precision drivers, so you possibly can deal with Home windows 10 with two-finger scrolling and the likes.
Audio
In its bid to pack extra {hardware} than your mind can take in and stuff the spec-sheet, it’s the expertise of utilizing the Acer Predator Helios 300 that suffers. Take, for instance, the audio. On paper, the bottom-firing audio system look spectacular with DTS: X Extremely tuning that claims to supply 360-degree encompass sound by way of a pair of headphones or audio system, however in actuality, it’s completely totally different.
The dual bottom-firing audio system on the Predator Helios 300 aren’t the perfect and possibly the worst you’ll get on a gaming laptop computer. Increased pitches flip right into a shrill whereas vocals don’t carry sufficient weight, and percussions are nearly inaudible with different layers of music on high. It’s not like there’s not a lot quantity, however the audio system are tuned so badly that greater the quantity, the more serious the standard will get. I listened to “Don’t Cease me Now” by Queen, and the vocals sounded shrill and unusually excessive pitched, particularly when the electrical guitar kicked in, and I might hardly hear the drums.
Even whereas enjoying video games, the audio turns into a ache level. The laptop computer tends to focus on ambient noises within the video games greater than the dialogues and voices. Evidently, it’s finest to both plug a pair of headphones or activate subtitles whereas gaming or watching a film.
There’s, nonetheless, the DTS: X Extremely app that allows you to set presets for video games, motion pictures, music, and voice, and switching to 1 will change the kind of sound you hear, nevertheless it doesn’t make the standard of the sound any higher.
Efficiency – Day to Day Utilization & Gaming
To recap, the 2021 Acer Predator Helios 300 options the Intel Core i7-11800H processor throughout all variants however one, and contemplating the 2 additional cores and 4 threads, and the 10nm SuperFin structure Intel employed this yr, it’s a big improve from the tenth Gen Intel Core i7 from final yr. Nonetheless, it’s nonetheless no match for AMD’s newest Zen3 Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 processor gaming laptops in multi-threaded efficiency. However gaming, usually, is a single-threaded exercise, and there, the H45 Intel chips simply hit it out of the park. In lots of methods, you’ll be pleased about Acer sticking to Intel for the Predator Helios 300 lineup. It’s barely costly, sure, however you continue to get the perfect gaming efficiency that the Crew Blue followers adore.
Paired with the Intel Core i7-11800H is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 with 6GB VRAM, together with 16GB DDR4 RAM and 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD. Nevertheless it’s not due to the Intel H45 processor we’re recommending this laptop computer. It’s one of many few laptops launched this yr that makes use of the RTX 3060 at its full 130W TGP, which ought to ship extra efficiency than different RTX 3060-powered gaming laptops. Does it achieve this?
Let’s check out how the laptop computer carried out in our exams —
CPU Efficiency
First up, the processor. The Intel Core i7-11800H on the Predator Helios is a strong chip for single-threaded efficiency. We began testing with the resource-intensive Cinebench R23 benchmarking software program that measures 3D rendering capabilities. Right here, the Helios Predator 300 scored 1510 factors on single-core and 13632 on multi-core, which is spectacular. On Geekbench 5, the CPU scored 1461 on single-core and 8332 on multi-core efficiency. The numbers are considerably greater than the six-core tenth Gen Intel Core i7 from final yr. In comparison with its AMD Ryzen counterparts, the Predator Helios 300 scores greater on single-threaded duties however fails to match the Zen3 cores in multi-core duties.
Attention-grabbing to notice is that the Intel Core i7-11800H permits PCIe 4.0 storage, so you possibly can swap out the bundled SSD for a quicker one. The Intel chip additionally helps high-speed Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4.0, which you should utilize to attach two 4K screens or switch knowledge at 3000Mbps.
In the actual world, the CPU is mighty quick for the every day duties of shopping the online, engaged on Workplace apps, and the likes. There’s sufficient RAM buffer to maintain dozens of Chrome tabs open. The CPU can be ok to edit 4K movies on Adobe Premiere Professional and take out heavy RAW exports on Lightroom. Though we haven’t examined it ourselves, there are Amazon opinions of the laptop computer claiming good AutoCAD efficiency as nicely, so there’s numerous scope for skilled work on the Predator Helios 300. However, you’ll in all probability get higher efficiency from a equally specced Ryzen providing.
GPU Efficiency
Final yr’s Predator Helios 300 got here with the Nvidia RTX 2060 Max-Q within the base variant, so the RTX 3060 on this variant is a big improve that enables lots of room for cranking up the graphics in video games. Now there are a handful of finances gaming laptops that includes the RTX 3060 this yr, however none of them fairly supply what Nvidia claims on its advertising materials, primarily as a result of the RTX 3060 on different laptops are underpowered and don’t function at their most TGP. The RTX 3060 is rated for 115W TGP, and the Predator Helios 300 is configured to hit 105W, placing these Ampere cores to good use. The outcome?
The RTX 3060 in Acer Predator Helios 300 simply smashes the competitors and achieves efficiency nearly just like the RTX 3070 cellular.
Yep. On 3DMark TimeSpy, which measures DirectX 12 efficiency, it scored 7986 factors which is near the 100W RTX 3070 on the Asus ROG Zephyrus G15. On 3DMark Fireplace Strike, which observes 4K DirectX 11 efficiency, the Helios 300 equally reached near the RTX 3070 with 21077 factors, the place the Zephyrus G15 scored 21705.
Now, does this benefit carry over to the video games?
Gaming Efficiency
All of it boils right down to this, and for all intents and functions, the Acer Predator Helios 300 is a superb gaming machine. The total-powered RTX 3060 is the key sauce, however the Intel Core i7’s superior single-core efficiency pushes video games to attain excessive body charges at maxed-out graphics. We performed a couple of in style AAA titles, and secure to say, if not for the horrible audio, this might have been the perfect gaming laptop computer to purchase at this value.
Metro Exodus on DirectX 12 and Extremely Preset (RTX off) hit 58FPS, whereas Crimson Useless Redemption 2 at Extremely graphics scored 87 FPS on common. Equally, the extremely intensive Cyberpunk 2077 ran at 52 FPS whereas three-year-old Battlefield V hit 109 FPS.
Now, there’s a tiny Turbo button on the keyboard, which, when pressed, maxes out the fan speeds permitting extra headroom for the CPU and GPU to crank up. Doing so will drown out no matter audio you possibly can nonetheless hear however will enhance body charges by 10-15 FPS.
Aggressive video games like CS:GO, alternatively, handle to make full use of the 144Hz show, operating at nicely over 200FPS at Excessive graphics. Enabling the 3ms response occasions improves in-game flexes quite a bit, however you sacrifice on ghosting.
Cooling
The Core i7 and the RTX 3060 supply wonderful efficiency, however the draw back of Intel providing excessive efficiency is excessive energy consumption. So the {hardware} contained in the Predator Helios 300 form of forces you to make use of the laptop computer on the Excessive profile with all followers blazing. When you’re gaming at something below the Excessive profile, you’re going to come across thermal throttling eventually. However when the Turbo button is pressed, the Helios 300 does an awesome job of retaining temperatures in test.
fifth Gen Aero Blade Expertise for much less noise and efficient cooling
The CPU averaged round 80-90 levels whereas the GPU hovered round 60-65 levels, that are wonderful. This turns out to be useful even when engaged on artistic and technical duties that require sustained efficiency for longer.
Upgradeability
One other factor that makes the Helios Predator 300 a wonderful laptop computer for long-term use is how accommodating it’s relating to upgrading RAM and storage. It unusually helps three inside storage drives that embrace two M.2 SSD slots and a 2.5-inch HDD bay. Just one is occupied out of the field on this variant, so you possibly can simply max out the storage if it’s important to retailer lots of mission recordsdata. Moreover, regardless of sporting SO-DIMM RAM slots, which preserve the reminiscence soldered to the board, Acer makes it doable to improve the 2 DDR slots post-purchase. Out of the field, there are two 8GB sticks, however you possibly can go as much as 64GB in twin channel.
Think about what number of extra years you possibly can squeeze out of this laptop computer with that a lot room to improve.
Battery Life
The draw back of getting high-performance {hardware}, as I discussed earlier, is that it guzzles extra energy, which results in quicker battery drain. Gaming laptops anyway aren’t a champion of battery life, however even with the effectivity beneficial properties of 10nm SuperFin structure, the Predator Helios 300 isn’t in a position to final lengthy. In our utilization, the laptop computer solely managed to final round 4 hours half-hour, which is way shorter than what gaming laptops normally final. In fact, this doesn’t embrace gaming, for which you’d anyway plug within the energy cable, however with basic use, content material consumption, and internet shopping, the laptop computer simply guzzles an excessive amount of energy to turn into a street warrior.
Conclusion
The Acer Predator Helios 300 gives wonderful bang for the buck, packing not simply the newest gen {hardware} but in addition providing sufficient room for future upgrades. It’s a big, cumbersome machine, thoughts you and you’ll not like to hold this outdoors in a backpack. However at residence, with the ability cable plugged and perched on a desktop, the Predator Helios 300 simply purrs. The upper energy restrict interprets to a real-time enchancment in gaming and inventive workloads, and a very good show enhances it. The keyboard can be fairly snug to make use of, and also you get an enormous selection of ports. However the place you’re going to compromise is the audio high quality, which is simply horrible, and the portability as a result of nobody likes to tug round a 5-pound laptop computer of their bag. At this value, nonetheless, there are only a few gaming laptops that can supply what the Acer Predator Helios 300 does.
Acer Predator Helios 300 (PH315-54-760S)
$1,299
Design & Construct High quality
4.5/5
Keyboard & Touchpad
4.5/5
Professionals
Good construct high quality
Intensive ports choice
Nice show for gaming with excessive refresh fee
Snug keyboard with satisfying typing expertise
Excellent efficiency for gaming and different intensive workloads
Highly effective cooling system
Upgradeable RAM, Storage & Wi-Fi card
Cons
Design wants makeover
Show lacks coloration accuracy
Dangerous audio from audio system
Followers get very loud below heavy load
Commercial
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