Acer’s Predator Triton 500 received a lot of praises and accolades in its 2019 and 2020 reign. It was regarded as one of the best thin and light gaming PCs you can buy with money at the time. It is not hard to understand why it was the device of choice for plenty of gamers and content creators that are looking for an ultra-portable powerhouse.
The Helios 500 too, was regarded as one very capable high-end gaming notebooks with no compromises. It was the very definition of a fuss-free portable gaming experience for Predator. That also was about two years ago though.
That was 2019 and 2020 though. Since then, the world has moved on to a new platform. The world saw the launch of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 30 series late in 2020 and Intel’s brand new 11th Generation Core platform earlier in 2021. The Predators need an upgrade.
Predator Triton 500 SE
Acer’s Predator launched the Triton 300 SE last year. It was, in our humble opinions, a simple design study. The Triton 300 SE took up the idea of designing a gaming PC class with a timeless classic look. A simplistic design that is more futuristic than intimidating. At the same time, the sleek body has to contain a large power pool within.
The Acer Predator Triton 500 SE sits above the Acer Triton 300 SE, technically. If you put both devices together, you would struggle to find a difference too, at least visually, with good reason. Both feature the same shiny all-metal outer shell design. Rather than the usual matte black body that we are used to with gaming notebooks, the Triton 500 SE’s body is shiny and brilliant in sterling silver.
The Triton 500 SE is unique in more ways that one though. The odd shaped body houses an expansive 16-inch display with 16:10 display ratio. With up to 240Hz of refresh rate on tap from the WXGA resolution display, the Triton 500 SE give you a new perspective in gaming, obviously for the better. With 100% DCI-P3 colour coverage, the Predator Triton 500 is not only colour accurate for content creators, but also immersive for other forms of entertainment as well. With DTS:X audio, you can truly immerse yourself in Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and the upcoming Disney+ (for Malaysia).
To sustain 240Hz at high-resolution though, you need a lot of processing power. That processing power comes from an 11th Generation Intel Core i9 (up to) paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 mobile GPU (up to). You get to spec the Triton with up to 64GB (32GB DDR4 x 2) RAM to make quick work of Adobe apps. You even get to fit the Predator Triton 500 SE with up to two SSDs to ensure you always have extra space for your projects and games.
All of these are packed in a 19.9mm think all-metal body. Within the shell are three powerful 5th generation Aeroblade fans with Vortex Flow technology to keep the PC running cool and optimally at all times. The all-metal body also houses a large battery that could keep you running without plugging yourself to a wall socket for up to 12 hours. Of course, that is only possible with the help of NVIDIA Advanced Optimus technology.
Predator Helios 500
If light and portable is not what you are looking for, then raw power is what you want. You want the ultimate gaming laptop. You want the new Predator Helios 500.
The Predator Helios 500 that features a 17.3-inch display is more of a desktop replacement than a portable PC in its dress. In terms of design though, not much has changed from the older Helios 500 save for the arches on the back exhaust port. Keen eyed readers will also sport two power inlets.
That is because the Predator Helios 500 features an overclockable 11th Generation Intel Core i9 (up to) processor. Alongside the powerful processor is an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GPU (up to) and up to 64GB of DDR4 (32GB x 2) RAM for good measure. The need for speed does not end there though. You get to slot in a pair (2) of NVMe PCIe SSDs in RAID 0 for the fastest experience. If you really need more space, there is space for a SATA drive.
The powerful internals give life to the 17.3-inch display. That large display pushes 4K UHD 2160p worth of pixels to you. The Mini LED panel also pushes 120Hz for the smoothest high-resolution experience you can get in a gaming notebook. With VESA Display HDR 1000 certification and AUO AmLED’s full-array local dimming technology, the Predator Helios 500’s display is a class above its competitors.
You need a lot to cool this powerhouse of a notebook too. You need two large 5th Generation Aeroblade fans with Vortex Flow technology to keep air rushing through the entire system. Thankfully also there is Acer’s PowerGem technology to help keep things manageable. On top of the fans is a full RGB keyboard with individual backlight control via PredatorSense. The WSAD keys can also be replaced with MagForce keys for more precise controls.
Predator Connect X5 5G CPE Router & Connect D5 5G Dongle
Alongside the Acer Predator Helios 500 and Predator Triton 500 SE, Acer also launched two Predator networking tools. With modern games needing constant internet connectivity, it does kind of make sense for Acer to launch new networking solutions for gamers. Of course, they released one product for home, and one product for life on-the-go.
The Predator Connect X5 5G router is the first Intel Killer-compatible 5G CPE in the world. With 5G, you get up to 4.7 Gbps internet speeds. This one router can also work with up to 256 devices, in case you want to host a LAN party with as many devices around. With Wi-Fi 6 capabilities, all 256 devices are going to have an uninterrupted access to the internet and network.
The Predator Connect D5 5G Dongle is exactly what it sounds like. It is a gaming focused 5G enabled dongle with Intel’s Killer Network solution. Plug the dongle into any USB 3.1 ports and you unleash the power of 5G on your Predator laptop. That also means you are going to be able to work on DOTA 2 with your squad even if you are constantly on the road.
Pricing and Availability
The Acer Predator Triton 500 SE will be available in the North American region and China in June 2021 onward at US$ 1,749.99 (MYR 7,241*) and CN¥ 14,999 (MYR 9,728***) onward, respectively. It will be available in the EMEA region in July onward for EU€ 1,999 (MYR 10,098**) onward. There are no mentions of its availability in the local regions just yet.
The Acer Predator Helios 500 will be available in the North American region and China in August 2021 onward at US$ 2,499.99 (MYR 10,346*) and CN¥ 39,999 (MYR 25,943***) onward. EMEA gets it earlier in June 2021 onward though with prices starting from EU€ 2,499 (MYR 12,624**). Again, there are no mentions on its availability in the local regions just yet.
There are also no mentions on the availability and final pricing of the announced network products currently. We are keeping our ears close to the ground though. That said, watch this space. For more information on Acer’s latest products, do visit their website.
* Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.14 as per 27/05/2021 on xe.com
** Approximately based on exchange rate of EU€ 1 = MYR 5.05 as per 27/05/2021 on xe.com
*** Approximately based on exchange rate of CN¥ 10 = MYR 6.49 as per 27/05/2021 on xe.com
