Acer’s Predator Gaming has become one of the industry’s mainstays when it comes to the gaming scene. It comes as no surprise that Acer has opted to expand and streamline their lineup this year at their biannual Next@Acer event. Together with new naming schemes, the lineup is also updating the specifications and power in their gaming arsenal.
A Streamlined Predator Helios Lineup
The all-new Predator Helios lineup is not only coming with updated specifications. Acer has streamlined its naming dropping the 300, 500 and 700 series monikers. Instead, they’ve opted to use the screen sizes to denote each model of the laptop in the Helios lineup.
This year’s Predator Helios lineup consists of the Predator Helios 16 and Predator Helios 18 – for now. The two laptops bring the latest and greatest processors and GPUs from Intel and NVIDIA respectively. Together with configurations supporting up to the Core i9 or i7 HX processors and the RTX4080 Laptop GPU, the laptops are built for gaming. They also support up to up to 32 GB DDR5-4800 MHz RAM and up to 2 TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD storage.
Mini LED Makes its Helios Debut
Both laptops are also the first in the Predator Gaming lineup to sport Mini LED panels. These panels bring deeper blacks and higher contrast than previous Helios laptops. The 1,000,000:1 contrast and the 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut promise better colour reproduction and more immersive gaming. This paired with NVIDIA’s Ada Lovelace architecture, DLSS and NVIDIA’s Reflex create one of the best systems to experience cutting-edge AAA games. Both versions come with a 16:10 aspect ratio. However, the Helios 16 comes with options for a WQXGA (2560×1600) display with 165Hz or 240Hz refresh rates or a Mini LED panel with a 250Hz refresh rate. The Helios 18 on the other hand comes with an additional WUXGA (1920×1200) with a 165Hz refresh rate.
The cutting-edge specifications also come with an enhanced cooling system. The new laptops come with dual custom-engineered 5th Generation AeroBlade 3D metal fans and rectangular vector heat pipes for better heat absorption and dissipation. This is paired with liquid metal thermal grease for even better cooling.
The new Helios 16 and Helios 18 also come with a newly redesigned chassis. The redesign brings together clean edges and a slimmer silhouette. The displays are also surrounded by thinner bezels for a more immersive experience. Of course, it’s completed with a mini LED backlit keyboard with 1.8mm key travel and anti-ghosting N-key rollover. The laptops also come with a complete set of ports on the back and the latest wireless connectivity including WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. They also have support for Thunderbolt and Intel Killer Ethernet.
New Predator Gaming Monitors
Together with the new laptops, Acer also announced two new Predator Gaming Monitors. The new Predator X45 and Predator X27U feature OLED displays with 98.5% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut and support for HDR10. Both also have support for AMD FreeSync Premium technology and sport 240Hz refresh rates and 0.01ms pixel response times.
The Predator X45 comes with a 45-inch UWQHD display with a resolution of 3440×1440 pixels. The curved monitor sports an 800R curvature giving a more immersive gaming experience. It also has a metal stand with a sleek, sturdy metal base. The Predator X27U on the other hand is a 27-inch flat panel with a WQHD resolution of 2560×1440 pixels.
Both of the monitors come with come outfitted with DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.0 ports. They also sport KVM switches which allow you to switch between desktop and laptop while maintaining the same keyboard and mouse setup. They also sport a USB Hub with USB Type-C for all the gadgets.
Pricing & Availability
| Item | North America | EMEA | China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Predator Helios 16 | USD$1,649.99 (MYR7,236.42) starting in March 2023 | EUR2,399 (MYR11,082.19) starting in February 2023 | RMB17,999 (MYR11,475.34) starting in February 2023 |
| Predator Helios 18 | USD$1,699 (MYR7,455.84) starting in April 2023 | EUR2,499 (MYR11,544.15) starting in March 2023 | RMB20,999 (MYR13,388.00) starting in February 2023 |
| Predator Helios X45 | USD$1,699 (MYR7,455.84) starting in Q2 2023 | EUR1,799 (MYR8,311.27) starting in Q2 2023 | RMB12,999 (MYR8,287.57) starting in Q1 2023 |
| Predator Helios X27U | USD$1,099 (MYR4,822.67) starting in Q2 2023 | EUR1,099 (MYR5,077.31) starting in Q2 2023 | RMB7,999 (MYR5,101.30) starting in Q1 2023 |
