Verdict
The Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition is ambitious and flying , but its 3D screen does n’t do enough to be consistently telling , and it ’s underwhelming elsewhere too . So , your money will go further with quicker , more conventional notebook computer .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Lots of troupe hear to innovate in the officious bet on laptop market , but not many do it like Acer – and that remain true of the exciting , surprising Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition .
require proof of the innovation on show ? Look no further than its 15.6 - inch display . The control board deploy 3D engineering to make plot even more absorbing , and you ’ll encounter top - class Nvidia and Intel internals elsewhere .
But , at $ 3499 in the US , £ 3699 in the UK , and nearly € 4000 in Europe , there ’s no deny that this origination is expensive . That might make it a more difficult sell , when alternatives like theAlienware x17 R2,MSI Raider GE77andAsus ROG Flow X16are quick to swoop should the Predator Helios 300 fall little of thebest gaming laptop .
Screen
Acer ’s SpatialLabs tech is usually found on the party ’s ConceptD creative workstation laptops , but you do n’t have to apply much imagination to see how 3D technical school translates to gambling . This notebook computer combines stereoscopic ironware , a head - trailing webcam and AI to get the job done .
I bring up upGod of War , and the first impressions were good . The 3D tech give up a Brobdingnagian boost to the plot ’s profundity . It ’s smooth and accurate – even during the fastest and most frantic action sequence – and it undoubtedly amend the gameplay experience .
It ’s gentle to use , too . The SpatialLabs TrueGame app is basically Steam for 3-D - compatible titles , and users can adjust the depth of the effect in - secret plan with a keypress . likewise , aboveboard apps bring the 3D result to videos , photos and creative apps .
But the good vibe do n’t last . The 3D upshot is subtle inForza Horizon 5 , but the plot is hindered by obvious lachrymation and lop . It would look salutary if it was n’t for those bugs . InShadow of the Tomb Raider , carrying into action is inconsistent , and menus are unmanageable to use .
You ’ve got to keep your head relatively unshakable to apprise the 3D force – alter your viewing angle and immersion is ruined due to the dual renderings jumping around . The 3D computer hardware also mean game are blurrier than on a conventional 4 K panel .
Then there ’s the game bread and butter : while SpatialLabs works with game likeGuardians of the Galaxy , Borderlands and the others I ’ve mention , support for about 50 title leaves plenty absent . More games may be added and performance might improve , but mighty now this tech is risky and not ordered enough to be worthwhile .
work off the 3D tech , and you ’ll have a better time with the crisp 4 K display . The contrast ratio of 1606:1 is leading and combines with the blackened point of 0.17nitsto deliver tanning of downcast - end depth and top - end vibrancy : games attend bright and bold . The 417 - nit acme luminance is well good enough for indoor and out-of-door gaming .
The Delta E of 2.62 is accurate enough for gambling , and the display rendered 99.5 % and 96.5 % of thesRGBand Adobe RGB gamuts with vast volume frame – so colours are brilliant . fuse that with the loud , bold speaker system , and you ’ve got hardware that ’ll make any game look and sound superb .
My only specification quibble is the 60Hz refresh rate . That ’s low , and it means this fishing tackle is only suitable for single - player games – eSports sports fan will want an external panel .
competitor have lot to say as well , despite their lack of 3D tech . The Alienware is useable with 1080p , 1440p and 4 K display at 480Hz , 165Hz and 120Hz . The 17.3 - in MSI commingle its 1440p resolution with a 240Hz rate , and the translatable Asus has a lustrous 16:10 touch screen at 165Hz .
Design and Keyboard
Acer ’s 3D engineering also has an impact outdoors of the sieve : the Predator Helios 300 has large bezels above and below the video display . Elsewhere , you ’ll find a band of RGB light-emitting diode at the front and huge air blowhole at the back – it ’s all a chip retro .
It is n’t small either : the 3 kilo weight means this 15.6 - inch laptop computer weighs as much as its 17.3 - in competition . The 700 g great power brick adds bulk , and the 28mm - duncish chassis is dumpy . It ’s a self-aggrandizing , injure notebook computer that ’ll take up stack of space . At least the build quality here is great , making this a robust PC .
This laptop computer has aThunderbolt 4connection that fishing gear charge and aUSB - Calongside three full - sizing USB embrasure . Image output comes from HDMI 2.1 and mini - DisplayPort connections , and intimate connectivity is plow by GigabitEthernet , three-fold - bandWi - Fi 6Eand Bluetooth 5.2.That ’s good enough for most gamers , but every rival offers more . The Alienware has an supererogatory USB - ascorbic acid connecter , Coyote State card reader andWindows Hellowebcam , while the MSI deploys an Mount Rushmore State card time slot , and both 17.3 - column inch notebooks have 2.5Gbps Ethernet . The transmutable Asus accepts microSD cards .
The Predator Helios 300 does n’t always strike with hand - on time , either . The keyboard has a number pad , per - key inflammation and comfortable typewriting , but it ’s soft compared with the curt , fast unit on rivals , which are better for gambling . The trackpad is squishy , and a USB mouse is all important for gamers .
Performance
The GeForce RTX 3080 may be one of Nvidia ’s senior laptop computer GPUs , but it still deploys 8 GB of memory and 6144 CUDA cores . Here , it uses its 150W vertex power level . The Core i9 - 12900H is a stonking Intel CPU with six Hyper - weave gist and a 5GHz Turbo pace . The 32 GB ofDDR5memory is ideal for high - end gambling and content creative activity .
The master stipulation rounds out with a 2 TB MicronSSDthat delivers rock - solid read and write amphetamine of 6,541Mbps and 4,441Mbps .
InHorizon Zero Dawnat 1080p and top graphics preferences , the Predator Helios 300 rocketed through at 102fps . At 4 chiliad , its 52fps is easily playable . InBorderlands 3at 1080p and 4 K , it returned averages of 97fps and 41fps .
You ’ve got deal of punch if you want to output to eSports - friendly screens too . In Rainbow Six Siege , the Predator Helios 300 averaged 361fps , so 360Hz display are within orbit .
This is great , but the RTX 3080 show up its years . The RTX 3080 Ti in the Alienware zipped through Horizon at 120fps , and the MSI mark 117fps in Borderlands . A peek at3DMarkTime Spy reveals all : the Acer scored 11,976 , but the Alienware hit 12,486 , and the MSI surpass 13,500 points .
You ’ll also have to take a hit if you require to play with the 3D technical school . Forza Horizon 5 ran at 70fps without the stereoscopic technical school activate – but at 41fps once it was tack on .
The Predator Helios 300 ’s performance modes underwhelm . This notebook has Extreme and Turbo modes that add a few frame of hurrying in biz , but they hugely increase the noise output . When its devotee noise is lowly and achievable in default option mode , those performance options do n’t seem worth it .
This laptop is good rather than great when it comes to gambling , but it ’s more telling in program tests . The i9 - 12900H is a ball of fire that mark 1,643 and 13,721 in the Geekbench single and multi - core benchmark . The latter upshot streaks before of the Core i7 part deployed in the Alienware , and it ’s even further ahead of the AMD CPU inside the Asus .
There ’s small between the three in PC Mark 10 , but thatbenchmarkis more reflective of everyday productiveness tasks , and all surpass in that section .
Those consequence signify that the Predator Helios 300 is a superb choice for work and play . The i9 - 12900H will easy wield photo editing , 4 atomic number 19 television editing , streaming and multitasking alongside other creative assignments . This laptop also made very niggling noise when churning through tough work scenarios , and the external panels remained cool .
Only the MSI offer more powerfulness , but that ’s no surprisal from its Core i9 - 12900HX processor . And do n’t release to the performance modes for more processor oink , either , because the Acer ’s Turbo option only produce its Geekbench results to 1,672 and 13,934 .
The performance discussion is more pertinent when you deal pricing . If you ’d like an Alienware with an RTX 3080 Ti and 32 GB of memory , then the prices begin at $ 3,349/£3,854/€4,403 and peak around $ 3,999/£4,000/€4,600 depending on your screen options .
The MSI currently cost $ 3,799 or € 3,799 , but its European damage of € 5,199 is sky - mellow . The hybrid Asus has a slower RTX 3070 Ti , but it bid relatively good note value at $ 2,699/£2,799/€2,999 .
Some of those figures are n’t far away from Predator Helios 300 ’s $ 3,499/£3,699/€4,000 pricing , and you ’re able to switch the misfiring 3D display for more gaming public presentation and beneficial design in other areas .
Battery Life
The Predator Helios 300 is a sinewy , modern laptop computer , but you wo n’t find anything unexampled when it comes to the battery . It lasted for just over 1hr when gaming and almost 3 hours in an everyday employment benchmark . If you stress the internals with creative work load , wait 2 minute .
The Predator Helios 300 ’s best upshot occur in a telecasting test with concentrate concealment brightness , but its 4 hour life-time is scarce get going to go any records .
Still , it ’s not the only in high spirits - end gambling laptop to suffer from short battery life : there ’s little to opt from between the Helios and the Alienware . The MSI and Asus both revert better results in non - gaming run , but even then , lifespans plump when you dilute your favourite titles .
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Should you buy it?
The 3D screen impresses when it work smoothly , and could well come into its own in the future , while the CPU is deeply telling already .
Look elsewhere , and you ’ll find the faster RTX 3080 Ti aboard better refresh rate inside lighter and slimmer notebooks .
Final Thoughts
The Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition takes a risk that does n’t quite pay off with the misfiring 3D screen . And while its graphics Congress of Racial Equality and processor both offer impressive execution levels , you ’ll see beneficial speeds and more finesse elsewhere at similar prices .
Trusted Score
How We Test
Every play laptop computer we review goes through a series of uniform check design to gauge key aspects including build caliber , carrying out , screen tone and battery life story .
These let in formal celluloid benchmarks and written psychometric test , plus a series of real - world checks , such as how well it runs an AAA game .
FAQs
Yes , you may turn off the 3D if you wish .
Test Data
Full Specs
