Overview of the Acer Predator Helios 500 – A Well-Priced Gaming Laptop High on Performance

 

The Acer Predator Helios 500 is a new generation gaming laptop that has been designed from the grounds up for extreme gaming. The Helios 500 can be loaded with an overclockable Intel i9+ 8950HK processor. The users can choose from a 4K panel or an FHD screen with a 144Hz Nvidia G-sync display. Metal blades have been used for designing the 3D fan in this laptop which is believed to improve cooling. Gamers can choose Intel CPU and Nvidia graphics or go for an all-AMD version too. The AMD version features Radeon Vega 56 graphics and an 8-core Ryzen 7 2700. There is much more to learn about the specifications. Let us take a closer look at this behemoth of a gaming laptop.

Choices of CPU

What we like most is the choice we are given when choosing the CPU. The gamers are offered an option of a four-core i5-8300H, a six-core i7-8750H, Core i9-8950HK and Core i9+8950HK processors. The 6-core CPUs are overclockable to 4.8 GHz from the base rate of 2.9GHz. The Core i9 processor boosts the speed of data drives with the addition of optane memory. The AMD version features a Ryzen 7 2700 desktop and an 8-core chip processor with SMT for 16-threads of computing power. This makes the Acer Predator Helios have one of the fastest CPUs that can handle multi-threaded loads. 

Display – UHD or FHD

The Helios 500 features a 17.3-inch display. Two variants are available when it comes to display. One is the Full HD display with support for Nvidia G-Sync and 144Hz refresh rate. The other one is the high-resolution Ultra HD version, with 3840x2160 pixels.  The former option makes a massive difference when it comes to elevating your gaming experience. However, it will take a toll on the battery life and will also shoot up the total price of the laptop for your chosen configuration.

Graphics

Acer Predator Helios comes with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 along with 8GB of GDDR5 VRAM which is more than sufficient for some heavenly gaming.

Memory, Storage and Connectivity

The Helios 500 features RAM of up to 16GB. This can be even upgraded to 64GB through soDIMM memory modules. Storage space of up to 2TB HDD is available. SSD options are also available up to 512 GB SATA. This model features a display port, USB 3.0 Type-A, HDMI 2.0 and two Thunderbolt 3 connectors. Predator Helios is equipped with Killer Wireless-AC along with 2x2 MU-MIMO support.    

Additional features

The Predator Helios also features fancy 3D metal fans in addition to heat pipes. The bottom panel is majorly occupied by intake vents. You can as well find huge exhaust ports at the corners and near the rear panel. The metal fans can be controlled by using the PredatorSense software developed by Acer. This is also capable of managing the lighting, hotkeys, temperature and overclocking. The anti-ghosting membrane keyboard features four lighting zones and is RGB backlit. The trackpad is as well backlit and has full left and right mouse buttons. The keyboard also features five programmable keys.    

Conclusion

The Acer Predator Helios 500 is sure to be a powerhouse performer which offers a lot in a small package. Although the base model is not as exciting as the gamers were expecting to be, it still consists of configurations that are pretty decent at the price of $1,999 at which they are being offered. Watch out for a full-length review.