At its massive New York launch, Acer has revealed two new laptops under its Predator Helios branding. First up is a fresh lick of paint and some specs updates for the Helios 300, and there’s also a whole new device in the premium Helios 500. We’ve been hands-on with both.
Predator Helios 300 Special Edition
First up, Acer revealed a new special edition version of its wallet-friendly offering, the Predator Helios 300. This all-white model is ‘accented with elegant gold trim’ and it certainly looks very different to the usual black monsters. We certainly like the clean finish, although the gold splashes may prove a bit much for some tastes.
From the front it almost looks like a standard laptop, until you twist it around and reveal that jelly-rific rear. Those vents should help the dual AeroBlade fans to blast out the hot air and keep the Helios running cool.
This special edition model doesn’t just boast a snazzy new jacket, however. Acer has also boosted the screen refresh rate to 144Hz, for a silky smooth viewing experience. So far it seems that the special edition will only be available in the 15.6-inch sizing, although who knows. If it proves popular, a 17-inch model may become available.
You also now have an Intel Core i7+ processor stuffed inside, backed by up to 16GB of RAM to help with that smooth experience. Visuals are handled by an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 which can be overclocked if that’s your bag.
Download a lot of games? You can stuff in an SSD up to 512GB in size, as well as a 2TB hard drive.
Predator Helios 500
Next came a fresh new machine, the Predator Helios 500. This beast is for anyone who’s super serious about their gaming, but still comes comfortably under the £2000 price mark so it won’t completely kill your savings.
With its 17.3-inch display, the Helios 500 is a bigger machine than the special edition 300. You get a choice of Full HD or 4K visuals, although a bump up to Ultra HD will also likely boost the asking price quite considerably. You can also output to up to three monitors at once, for a proper immersive experience.
Powering the show is one of Intel’s latest Core i9+ chipsets, backed by up to 64GB of memory. And Nvidia’s overclockable GeForce GTX 1070 GPU should make gaming on the maximum detail settings a breeze.
All of that power needs some serious cooling so your lap doesn’t burst into flames. Thankfully Acer has bolstered the dual AeroBlade fan setup with five heatpipes to keep the air flowing where it should.
Acer reckons the Helios 500 is brimming with ‘sophisticated flair’, although frankly it looks an awful lot like a gaming laptop to us. It’s a chunky black mother with a similar finish to the Helios 300, complete with that massive bit of venting around back.
Prices will start at £1800 when the Helios 500 hits the UK this July.
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