Acer’s Predator Helios 500 was a beast of a gaming notebook ready to be your desktop replacement wherever you go. The updated 2021 edition of the Predator Helios 500 packs even more power than before with Intel’s 11th generation Core i9 (up to). You get an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 too, for good measure.
The powerful processing chips, supported by up to 64GB of RAM, runs a 4K UHD display at up to 120Hz (up to). that 17.3-inch mini LED is a pretty one too with VESA HDR1000 certification. You can spec the Helios 500 with up to two SSDs too, for added storage, in case one drive is not enough to house all your games and contents.
To keep the Helios 500 cool and collected, Acer’s PowerGem technology is used alongside two 5th Generation Aeroblade fans with Vortex Technology. On top of that is an RGB keyboard with individual backlighting. The WASD keys can also be replaced with Acer’s acclaimed MagForce keys for more precise controls.
Predator Gaming has become one of the most successful gaming brands since its launch. The lineup has become more refined and purposeful in its approach to gaming and gamers. The company has stuck to differentiating itself by attending to the many, different needs for a gaming setup. From the Orion lineup to the Triton to the Helios – each has its own identity and niche.
With Acer Malaysia’s latest announcement, they are introducing new blood into their offerings that make them even more desirable and appealing. New form factors, better specifications and meaningful upgrades were the names of the game when it came to their announcements.
Predator Triton 500 SE – Stealthily Made for Gaming
The Predator series has always been loud and proud of its intent. However, with the newly released Predator Triton 500 SE, the hard edges and loud design language take a back seat. It trades the loud grills for an optimised cooling system while slimming down into a form factor that is not only portable but also stylish. The loud, angular design language is refined into a sleek slim body that hides its true nature.
The slim body comes packed with power with Intel’s 11th Generation Core i processors paired with NVIDIA’s graphics cards. The Triton 500 SE comes with configurations supporting up to the Intel Core i9 and NVIDIA RTX 3080. Paired with Up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of PCIe Gen4 SSD storage. It’s a stealthy performance powerhouse.
It’s also no slouch when it comes to the display. It has a 16:10 WQXGA display. It also has the latest and greatest to keep it running at full power while staying cool with Acer’s VortexFlow cooling system and 5th Generation Aeroblade technology. You can get the full rundown in our coverage of the Triton 500 SE’s announcement from earlier this year.
Predator Helios 500 – A Portable Desktop Replacement
The Predator Helios 500 continues to be one of the most powerful laptops that Acer has in the Predator Gaming lineup. The laptop packs a punch when it comes to specifications and even size. It’s one of the largest laptops in their gaming offerings and one of the most specced up ones.
It’s a loud and proud gaming machine with an angular design and loud RGB lighting. The laptop’s RGB lighting is fully customisable with PredatorSense. It comes with Predator PowerGem technology which is paired with Acer’s Vortex Flow to keep the machine running cooly and at max power.
It comes packed with up to the Intel Core i9. This is paired with NVIDIA’s graphics cards with configurations supporting up to an RTX3080. In addition, it comes with up to 64 GB of RAM and a whopping 2TB of total onboard storage. It also supports up to display technology with up to a 4K MiniLED panel with 120Hz. You’ll be able to get all the details from our coverage of its initial announcement.
Together with the Helios 500, the Predator Helios 300 is getting a refresh with configurations supporting up to the Intel Core i9 processor and NVIDIA’s RTX 3070 graphics card. It also comes with options for a 15.6- or 17.3-inch display with up to 165Hz refresh and QHD resolution.
Pricing & Availability
The Predator Triton 500 SE will be available for pre-order starting on October 30, 2021. It comes in two configurations for the Malaysian market: Intel Core i9 with NVIDIA RTX3080 and Intel Core i7 with NVIDIA RTX3070. The former will be priced at MYR12,999 while the latter will cost MYR8,999.
The Helios 500 will be available for pre-order at the same time. It is priced from MYR13,999.
The Predator Helios 300 is available for pre-order from the Acer e-store, Shopee and other retail outlets right now. It will be priced from MYR6,299 for the 15.6-inch variant while the larger 17.3-inch variant will be priced from MYR7,999.
Pre-orders of the Helios 300 will be entitled to free gifts worth more than MYR1000 which include a Predator Gaming Utility Backpack, Predator Galea 350 Headset and limited edition merchandise. The Core i9 version of the Helios 300 will come with an additional Predator Gaming Chair worth MYR1,299. This promotion for the Helios 300 runs from September 30 until October 6, 2021.
Pre-orders of the Triton 500 SE and the Predator Helios 500 made from October 30 until 6 November 2021 will be entitled to every pre-order goodie mentioned above.
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.
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.
Source: Acer
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.
Source: Acer
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
