Check out hp omen please because it has improved alot and i bet you would be impress with what a 2500 dollar rtx 3080 ti can do hp really has a good budget
Now they need to make the laptop slightly a bit more sturdier and it will become the best laptop for what it gives. I think they'll improve it with upcoming gens since this is a total design changeover compared with last gens.
Can confirm that the loose touchpad is only an issue with your particular laptop, cause mine hasn't got this issue (I've got the same model but with 240hz qhd panel tho). This laptop is definitely a beast for this price, I can't recommend it enough! Thanks for the high quality video once again, Jarrod!
Can you set the CPU TDP higher (lets say 60W) to make it achieve more clockspeed during gaming? So essentially, a 60W CPU + 150W GPU. Should provide better results during gaming- in theory. This laptop also does seem to handle thermals pretty well.
@@vik1ng313 I did not find a way to manipulate CPU through any software on this laptop (this might be locked in the bios, hoping for the bios unlock in the future). Though this laptop seems to handle 55W on the CPU and 150W on the GPU pretty consistently during my cyberpunk 2077 gameplay sessions
Proud and faithful Legion fans and still skipping this year's gen here, but I'm quite happy to see Acer's Predator series making such a huge improvement over last year's model, and as such mounting a strong challenge for Legion or other gaming model in the market.
This laptop is absolutely insane. Managed to buy it for $999 in the 512MB / 3060 config w/ i7-12600h and a 3060. Really pleased with it, and the 1080p monitor doesn't appear to be a slow one, it appears to be an upgrade from the 2020/2021 Helios 300's.
I always have a soft spot for Acer. They're products are good but only let down by not so great build and some software quirks. Although they're price to performance can be hit or miss at least it's still decent. But they seem to finally step up this year. Definitely some great competition now. Now if only I can find it in 17 inch flavour.
They do have a 17 inch version which I just bought last month. Jarrod's review is completely on point. I was skeptical in buying this year's model since the 2021 model was such a disappointment from what most users and tech reviewers said but the laptop has exceeded my expectations so far.
I purchased this laptop when it was on sale at only 1299 dollars compared to 2100 dollars. (This is for the RTX 3070ti w/ 240 Hz screen and intel i-7. I love it, but it does run quite hot. The fans are not that bad if you have a fan running in the background and some headphones. Overall, this laptop is the best laptop that I could find for being 800 dollars off. Thank you for reviewing this product, I recommend this to anyone who can afford it, even with it not on sale. Have a good day!
Been using this for a week now and can happily say it's an absolute beast! Happy to see Jarrod change his mind about the Predator, and count nothing but pros in this review. :)
Can you set the CPU TDP higher (lets say 60W) to make it achieve more clockspeed during gaming? So essentially, a 60W CPU + 150W GPU. Should provide better results during gaming- in theory. This laptop also does seem to handle thermals pretty well.
@@6210classick Yes, can prevent overcharging by using Acer Care Center to limit the battery to only charge to 80%, works even when shut down and plugged in.
@@vik1ng313 Thermals are incredible, mostly stays in the low to high 70°C range even when gaming for hours, rarely have I seen thermals go up to the low 80's, that too all of this without a cooling pad. Not sure about manually setting CPU TDP to 60W tho, although I have used MSI Afterburner and occassionally seen CPU using upto 65-70W power, but it does so as and when required automatically, which is to say that power isn't capped at 45W.
Bought my Helios Predator 300 back in 2019 with a i7-9750H/1660ti for $900 and while it still works fine I think this might be worth switching over to and giving my old one to a friend so he can actually play at over 60fps.
Would love to see a comparison with the legion 5i pro. I've got about half the money I need saved and will be buying a laptop come black friday. Looking at 3070 Ti laptops and the legion 5i pro or legion 7 is what I've been leaning towards but this definitely struck my interest!!
Same. I'm heavy leaning towards Legion 5 pro. The one I'm looking at is one sale right now on legion, the question is to get it now or wait for possibly a better sale on black friday.
Walmart has an Acer Nitro 5 with Ryzen 5600H, 95w RTX 3060, 15.6" 144hz IPS Display with HDR, 512gb nvme ssd, 8gb 3200mhz RAM, and RGB keyboard for $800 retail price. I got it for $650 during black Friday. I added another 1TB WD SN570 nvme ssd and 2x16gb 2Rx8 3200mhz 22-22-22-52 JDEC RAM for another $150 not to mention I got 3yrs accidental damage protection for $79. In total I spent about $900 and ended up with Ryzen 5600h, 95w 3060, 1.5TB of WD nvme storage (512gb SN530 + 1TB SN570), 32gb dual channel dual rank 3200mhz JDEC CL22 RAM, and 144h 1080p HDR display. Even $800 just for the original specs isn't bad when you look at prices of everything else with a 3060.
In Asia atleast (especially Southeast Asia) Acer is well known for its best price to performance laptops for years especially with their Nitro series (the other best price to performance brand is Asia is MSI with their GF and Katana series) but yeah the build quality is of course not as good as Asus with their TUF series nor Lenovo with their Legion or even Ideapad gaming series imo
I bought the Acer Predator after seeing your review, and the tier list in the other video. I followed your tips (what to do the first time you boot up) and I'm super happy! Oh I've also turned on my RGB for maximum FPS, it works like a charm!
@@JarrodsTech Hi Jarrod, I also bought the computer based on your review. I've been having trouble getting the USB C charging to work. Do you have the brand of charger you were using to test with? I tried anker with no avail. Thanks!
Personally speaking, im not really worried much about the fan noise as we are getting great temperatures along with it too. But damn 7k RPM is crazy lmao.
A great review, thanks Jarrod. This proofs how detailed reviews like yours have impact on the industry. Issues presented to the audience forces gaming laptop makes to make them better. The Helios 300 is now a serious competition for Lenovo and Asus. Please keep your good work up. And your website with deals for laptop is a marvelous idea, can't wait to see European deals there.
Jarrod, though I haven't been watching much recently, your videos were absolutely instrumental in my shopping experience last year when picking out the Legion 5 Pro. Though I'm skipping this generation I fully expect I will depend heavily on your reviews and other content when it comes time to upgrade. You do such a comprehensive qualitative assessment that focuses well on my priorities as a shopper; this video is a perfect example of the exemplary and concise work you do. Without your content it would have been much harder to decide what I wanted to buy, and given that this laptop is one of the nicest things I own, you definitely saved me a lot of time, energy, and stress. Best regards, and keep up the good work!!
Got one of these at best buy before starting college this fall, since I'm going into engineering and wanted something both beefy and portable. As time goes by I just keep discovering more and more how great of a deal I got, I hope this baby lasts me for many, many years
Dude, I’m in your exact same situation. Wanting to study A.I. development next year or another software field. What do you think, is the Acer Predator Helios 300 a better pick over de Lenovo Legion 5 Pro? I assume you don’t have any experience with the Lenovo, but how do you like your Predator?
Okay now that's a proper legion 5i/5i pro contender. the design is a bit too gamery but the performance is even better that this year's legions tho not by a whole lot and it runs cooler than 5i pro aswell,although much louder. and the price is not so bad either even cheaper than legion 5i pro, if u want a msi or asus u gotta pay well above $2000 for an rtx 3070 ti with almost identical performance.
@@Met845 it’s incredible for the price. I got the 3070TI w/ 12700H for 1699 @ Best Buy when it was on sale. Also Jarrod just rated this one of the only 3 S tier laptops in 2022 so I definitely recommend!
I got this delivered today only. Unboxing experience was amazing! Everything was going well until ... I spotted that ONE STUCK PIXEL 😭 Now requested for replacement, after trying to fix it for hours .
Jarrod teach pls reply me bro I have seen almost all ur video I m really blasted between Lenovo legion 5i pro(2022) and acer helios 300 2022 like u said both have same specs I really want to know which I should buy pls pls reply me I use game mostly for gaming so it's really urgent because I. Going to buy after ur respond which is best pls say ok bro
I was just waiting for your review on this laptop ,thank God I hv a good sense of relief after watching your video that came in clutch as I was gonna buy it in 3 days 😂
Got the 1500$ one with the 3060 for about 900$ back in november and i cannot complain this thing rips in every game. Amazing laptop what a comeback from acer.
Yeah! I got mine for Black Friday for $999 and I’ve been having a blast on it. I mainly play CSGO right now because I’m trying to get better and it says I’m getting 200-400 fps. Love this machine.
Your review already pretty much convinced me to buy the 2022 Helios when it got a hefty discount, but after I set it up and did some benchmarks, and saw that the CPU was cooler at 115W than my old HP was at 45W, and that's just on default performance mode... my jaw basically dropped lol. What a difference proper cooling makes. The performance is crazy too, the 12700H is benching well beyond average, on par with the average desktop 12700 on PassMark and above the 13700H. Meanwhile the 3060's result is on par with the average desktop 3060 result which is crazy. Can't wait to play some games on this thing later today.
@@2BuckGeo I've been using default myself, IMO extreme and especially turbo don't offer enough of a performance increase in practice to justify the really loud fan noise. Much less in my case since I use open-back headphones which don't really isolate.
Note that this is on the 3060 variant which unlike the 3070 Ti in this video, does not reach the 87C thermal throttling point even in a full CPU + GPU stress test on default mode. It also maxes out at 120W in my case at least (despite the specs saying 140W, not sure what's up with that), which means the CPU has more power available and can clock higher in combined workloads. So the thermals in my case are reversed with CPU getting hotter, but still not thermal throttling even on default mode. Behavior may be different depending on your specific configuration and what workload you're running.
@@PositronCannon in default mode, how high have you seen the gpu TDP reach in watts? And would you say Extreme is in terms of loudeness in between default and turbo ?
@@2BuckGeo The 3060 on mine seems to stay around 100W in gaming, I could only push it to 120W in FurMark. But it could easily depend on the game you play. As for the fan noise, I'd say Extreme is a bit closer to Turbo than it is to Default, but I can see it being acceptable if you have the right kind of headphones.
I couldn't wait for your review because the price a couple months ago it was the lowest it had been. And now it's back to full MSRP in my area. I only paid $1100. I did a laptop recycle program and got $250 bucks and best buy let me trade in an old surface pro 3 for $50 bucks. So in total minus taxes I paid $800 for the 3060 model. I'm glad I jumped the gun, because you are right on the head with this video. My mouse pad is not loose. Has to be the model you have. I didn't know you could charge the laptop with USBC. I'll have to check that out.
@@paperclip9558 totally fine. You can run VR on a 1050 ti which I was doing before on an HP laptop. Low low low settings. It was horrible 😂. The super sample rate was like 65 percent. But on this laptop, I can run at 100 -150 percent super sample with WMR with no stutters at 90hz so just full resolution. My partner uses it when we play VR games together. She was using the HP and she was always modest about the quality. Now she loves VR even more because she can actually see depth and distance 🤣
@@SteveTheSuperSanchez thats really awesome. Im still split between just grabbing the 3060 variant rn or save up a little bit more to get the 3070ti variant, because I thought the 3060 wouldn't powerful enough for pcvr, now im kinda amazed that it does. What pcvr games did you tried so far with this laptop?
Hi jarrod. Please test fan control for this model. There are users that want to use the laptop without hearing the fans, and some users are advanced and would like to make their own fancontrol curve, but they completely disabled this option on the older models.
Wish Dave2D would do more laptop reviews like you do, not just the high end. I swear the TH-cam money got to him or something. You replaced him right now. Keep up the good work .
My Helios 500 with the 2700 and Vega 56 is still going strong till this day and I purchased it about 4 years ago. I love Acer and I'd consider upgrading to this.
Jarrod, thank you so much for this informative review and your gaming laptop deals website! Thanks to you, a couple weeks ago I picked up this 2022 model on sale for $1,600 at Best Buy. Lovin' it!
Thank you for the review, I got this laptop after watching several of your videos. I was previously gaming on my Windows surface laptop 🙈 because I didn't know 🙃. I also couldn't justify the expense of buying another laptop. But, after my ex showed me the graphics of the games I was playing on a gaming laptop, I decided it would be good to invest in one. We all need a source of entertainment and fun (plus the glass had been shattered. My Samurai Warriors 5 game never looked the same on my old pc again, I was now fully aware of the terrible graphics 🙈). I haven't had any issues with the helios 300 (2022) gaming laptop. I got mine back in August of 2023. But, I'm also new to the updated gaming world, so everything looks incredible to me. I'm still astonished by the Yakuza graphics, and that was Kiwami 1 on the xbox Game Pass. I finished "Like a Dragon: Ishin!" about 2 months ago, and I'm still amazed at the graphics. I didn't even know these games came out years ago 🙈. I have to finish the rest of the Yakuza series before jumping to "Like a Dragon Gaiden." I come back to this video every so often when I have questions about the laptop 😅. I'm wondering if I can stream with it 🤔. Eventually, I will increase the RAM, but like I said before, it's been running incredibly smooth 🥰.
Thank you for the review. I still have my Acer from 2015 and its still running strong! Thats why im excited for this one! I ordered the Predator Helios 300, 17 inch, 3070ti, 32 GB Ram, i7-12700H for a bargain of $1999. I had the Asus Rog Strix 3070ti for the same price but was dissapointed because of the horrible Wlan-card and cheap plastic. Cant wait to test this baby out.
@@Tesla-ve5hq i got mine today and i have to test it out. The turbo mode is insanely loud but in exchange your CPU will be cooled down much better than any other laptop in the market! Right now i dont regret it because almost everything is made of solid metal! ❤️Much better quality than the asus rog strix!
@@nerostile333 I have research and test a lot of things. in default mode when i play game, CPU and GPU Temp are about 85°. But find out extreme mode is abit louder and 10° Cooler. I hate the high temperature for electronic devices, so i disabled CPU Turbo Boost, after that the cpu temp in games at extreme mode is always under 70° 🤩 It decrease CPU performance about 40% and about 10% Framerate drop but it worth for me. my only unsolved problem is GPU Temperature 🥺, by enabling Extreme mode drop to from 86° to 76° but it's not enough for me, i prefer it's would be ubder 70°.
@@Tesla-ve5hq hmm thats awkward. With the asus rog it was pretty normal to have 70-80°c. If you want under 70 then the asus will bring that down but at the cost of performance which is not worth it for me. I would rather prefer the loud turbo boost of acer which will guarantee performance!
@@nerostile333 I have the i91200h. i have no problem with GPU temp but the Cpu temp runs around 48 to 57 celsius. I guess thats ok? I have this lap since december and I change Cpu performance to 99%. When i Play Gpu and CPu temp are mostly the same. Cyberpunk 2077 on 2k, High settings around 72 c on average for 3 - 5 hours.
I have mixed opinions on this. Sure they improved a lot but Acer predator was supposed to be that brand that allowed affordable gaming yet still achieving high quality. Helios was a solid bargain at $1000 but now its $1500 or even $1800. They are pretty much turning into every other high end gaming laptop now.
i just bought mine for $999 at best buy. the screen is 1080p 100% srgb high refresh gsync and its got a 3060 in there. only comes with 16gb ram and 512 ssd, gonna have to upgrade those. still happy with the price.
Some things I want to point out about the predator series being a two year old user of a helios 300. 1. There keyboard keys wears out. The letters on the keys are painted rather than embedded and can be wiped off even with isopropyl alcohol. 2. Their aeroblade technology is dogshit. I have 4th gen aeroblade on GPU and it sounds like a jet engine and make rattling sound every month requiring me to disassemble the fan and re-apply machine oil to get rid of the sound. 3. The turbo button requires predatorsense to work which is why it doesn't work with linux. 4. Their software itself has issues in a way that the settings resets to default every now and then.
I bought an acer laptop once. After a few months the computer would turn on but there was a black screen of death. And this was the second computer I had to buy because the first one wouldn’t even let me download a basic game so I had to return it. I do not trust acer AT ALL. So this is going to be a HUGE leap of trust for me. Definitely getting the longest warranty I can buy
Hello Jarrod! Please, help my to choose - I want to by legion 5i Pro 3070ti or Helios 300 3070ti. Which of them is best laptop overall? The price is almost the same.
Remember the chip shortage and economy since 2020? I'm not defending a brand but their pricing is not bad at all compared to the competition and for the specs they provide.
Jarrod please run this in extreme mode and lower fan speed to see how many db u can shave off while still keeping temps within acceptable acceptable ranges. Maybe this is when ur cooling pad can have more benefit too.
Looking for advice from you tech savvy folks - Which should i choose: MSI GF66 Katana with i7-11800H and GTX 3070, Legion 5 Pro with i7-11800H and GTX 3060, or Legion 5 Pro with 5600H and 3070, (all other specs are the same 512gb ssd, 2x8 ram etc.) All of which are at relatively the same price (15$ difference) where I am. My concern is the MSI GPU power limit is only 85W, so I dont know if the 3070 will be better than the 3060 in the Legion? Any recommendations and advice would be greatly appreciated.
Legion 5 pro i great laptop but I have a problem with the screen. I use laptop for gaming and content creation. This Legion 5 pro has a bad color gamut. I you only play games this is your laptop :-)
@@cameronbosch1213 Thank you for the reply! I'm actually needing it mainly for content creation and productivity but being able to game would be a nice bonus. But I still don't know if maybe a few percent performance is worth about $1200 more
Hi Jarrod, I'm currently curious about MSI's tendency to prefer Intel over AMD. The last time I see them having their laptops with a Ryzen inside their products is last year's Bravo 15. And its price range is also at the lower end of the spectrum considering the R7 5800H is only paired with a mere RX 5500M. To make things worse, Bravo 15 is the best Ryzen laptop they can offer. As a long-time MSI fan, I'm a bit disappointed with them regarding laptops. Perhaps you might know anything about that? Edit : There's Delta15 now, but that's it, I guess. No other extra options. Not to mention that's this particular Delta15 is quite hard to find in Indonesia.
Great review, like always. I have the 2021 model with i7 11800H and RTX 3060 and dual channel memory. I like my laptop a lot, but the cooling performance is not good as internal temps get quite high. In default mode cpu hits 92c and GPU hits 86c. In extreme mode cpu goes to max. allowed of 100c! I might go for a 2022 model because of its great cooling performance. But I'm hesitant to do it as well because new 13th gen Intel CPUs and 4000 series Nvidia GPUs are on the way too!
@@actionman5311 how? The cpu speed is not something I can cap at 3.5 GHz. I can disable the turbo from Windows power options, but that maxes out cpu speed to 2.1 GHz. Which I don't like.
@@actionman5311 I wanted to use Throttlestop to undervolt my CPU but the there is a lock on my laptop and can't use that software. Nor the Intel's XTU. Apparently there is a BIOS lock which prevents any such modifications on the CPU. I didn't try to cap the CPU speed though because I am not familiar with the procedure. Did you unlock your BIOS to use Throttlestop?
If it wasn't for this video, I probably would've just ended up buying Asus ROG Strix G15 for Christmas this year. But, from watching your video Jarrod and others like, OWNorDisown and Hardware Canucks, I've come to the conclusion that I think buying Acer's Predator Helios 300 would be the best choice for me. The reason why I was hesitant to even give this laptop a fair chance, was because of the pretty terrible reputation that the 2020 and 2021 models had and so I just assumed that nothing was any better about this year's Helios either. However, thanks to all the videos that I've seen over the past few months from people praising this year's version and how it's pretty much fixed all the issues associated with the previous ones and then some, it was honestly too good to be true. I even went out of my way to compare the specs of both the Strix G15 and Helios 300, to see which one out of the two is the superior laptop overall. Through my research, I concluded that the Helios had: the better Screen (Reasons: the Strix sold in my country only goes up to 1080p, the 300hz refresh rate is honestly just overkill in my opinion and I much more prefer the 165hz that the Helios has, plus the Helios has G-Sync where as the Strix doesn't and I found that the colour accuracy is a bit better on the Helios, as well). the better GPU (Reasons: not only does the Strix only go up to RTX 3060 graphics in my country, but even comparing both the Strix and Helios with a 3060, the Helios performs better, not only is it helped by a better CPU but also because the 3060 on the Strix is neutered, even though it is stated to go up to 140W, in game benchmarks all reviewers noticed that it only went up to 115W and that's it. I actually discovered the reason why, it seems that in order to access the full 140W on the 3060 you have to go into Asus armoury crate software and there will be an option for you to manually adjust the dynamic boost on the GPU, however, doing this has been noted to substantially increase the temps of the GPU and have it thermal throttle which is most likely why Asus, instead of either making their laptop slighter bulkier or improve the cooling decided to just gimp their GPU and LIE to their customers about how much power it can put out. I even saw a video from a content creator, who tested the Strix G15 with last year's Legion 5 and he was quite disappointed and frustrated, that a 130W 3060 GPU of a last year's laptop was beating a supposed 140W 3060 from a 2022 laptop). the better CPU (Reasons: from all the videos that I've seen comparing both Intel's 12700h and AMD's 6800h, it's been a consistent trend that Intel's processor this year is quite a bit better than AMD's, not just in raw performance, but also in the fact that it can multi-task much better due to its new hybrid architecture, by having cores that can deal with much more demanding tasks, like gaming, 3d modelling, video editing etc. and other cores that can perform less demanding tasks, like web browsing, working with documents, listening to music etc. Essentially, you could web browse or watch/listen to a youtube video while playing a game or editing a video, with no issues whatsoever). the better RAM (Reasons: even though both have the new DDR5 Memory at 4800mhz in Dual Channel, I'm honestly a sucker for the fact, that Acer decided to go the extra mile and give the ram a thermal pad in order to give it some cooling and make sure that it doesn't degrade that much overtime). the better SSD (Reasons: just like with the RAM section, even though both have the new PCIE Gen 4 SSD's installed and at 1 TB of storage, the read and write speeds on both were vastly different, the Strix's only went up to 3500 mb/s reads and 2500 mb/s writes, where as the Helios can go up to 6500 mb/s reads and 4500 mb/s writes, almost twice of what the SSD on the Strix can). the better Ports (Reasons: the Strix features only two USB Type-A 3.0 ports, two USB Type-C ports and neither support Thunderbolt, an HDMI 2.0, a LAN port and a DC port, where as the Helios has three USB Type-A 3.0 ports, one USB Type-C port but at least it's Thunderbolt 4, an HDMI 2.1, a LAN port and a DC port, yeah I much more prefer having 3 USB Type-A ports over only 2, plus not having Thunderbolt 4 and only an HDMI 2.0 does hurt the Strix quite a bit). the better MUX Switch (Reasons: I just do not like the MUX Switch on the Strix, not only do you have to go into the armoury crate software to disable it, but you also have to restart your computer every time you want to turn Optimus off which is just tedious as hell. With the Helios you simply need to go into the Nvidia control panel, disable optimus and that's it, you don't even need to restart or do anything extra to get it to work properly). the better Thermals (Reasons: for real, even if you don't toggle the dynamic boost in order to access the full 140W power of the GPU, the thermals on the Strix G15 are still pretty average, where as the Helios 300 even with both of the CPU and GPU running at their full power are kept very cool, about 15 degrees below their maximum temperature ceiling which is just very impressive in my opinion. And yes, even though the Helios only achieves this by having the fans go crazy and produce a significant amount of noise in the process, for me I don't care, as long as my laptop is cool and working properly, I don't see it as an issue in the long term). the better User Software (Reasons: despite Asus trying their hardest to make the Armoury Crate software appear both sophisticated and flashy at the same time, it makes me prefer the more simple and straightforward interface of Acer's Predator Sense software a lot more. It has pretty much all the same features, plus I really like the fact that you can add in your own JPEG or GIF file, to replace the boot animation of when you turn on the laptop). the better Name (Reasons: okay, this one is me trolling a little bit, but seriously am I the only one who thinks that the Helios has a much better and cooler sounding name than the Strix. Let's compare the two and examine what each part of the name represents: Acer - Predator (a creature that prays upon others and who is at the top of their respective food chain, also probably a reference to the GOATED Predator Movie from 1984 starring the AWESOME Arnold Schwarzenegger). Helios (a reference to Helios from Greek Mythology who is often stated to be the God of the Sun). 300 (I like to think that this is a reference to the movie 300 directed by Zack Snyder and I don't care what anyone says, that movie is a Cinematic Masterpiece). Asus - Republic Of Gamers (I'm sorry, but that's just cringe and just feels way too much on the nose, like we get it Asus your laptops are mainly used by gamers, specifically Esports gamers, but still it just sounds way too lame and cringe to me). Strix (a reference to a mythological owl from Greek Mythology which was said to be a fairly large, violent, bloodthirsty and wicked bird of ill omen, that fed on human flesh and blood, edgy and disgusting, way to go Asus). G15 (honestly, I don't even know what this could represent). And that's about it, VERY SORRY for the insanely long essay that I just made on why I think the Helios is better than the Strix, but I just wanted to let out what was on mind and share it with some of you lovely people in the comments, and for anyone who wishes to reply to my comment please do, I really want to know everyone's opinion on it and maybe find some that either agree or disagree with what I have to say.
This is a very well thought out essay. I would like to add a suggestion that will speed up the buying process for something expensive (like a computer) and minimize buyer's remorse! Start with first principles; establish use case(s) and requirements before buying anything expensive. For example, for a new potential computer purchase determine: 1. What programs do I need to run for my workflow? 2. What are the recommended hardware/operating system requirements for those programs? 3. Do I need to be able to travel with the computer? 4. What is my budget? 5. What is the time-frame of when I need the new computer? 6. Once the hardware/operating system requirements, budget, and time-frame are established, then start doing research on computers that satisfy your requirements. 7. Identify the correct computer (Jerrod's channel helps!), and buy it! 8. ???? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 9. Profit. Thanks, and have a wonderful time! (✿◦’ᴗ˘◦)♡
Can I ask, what size SSD card would fit comfortably in the 2nd expansion slot (as you mention a 2tb doesn't fit)? Thank you for your excellent videos Jarrod.
Unfortunately I don't get to borrow most laptops that long to do long term testing, and even if I did there would be too many for me to actually use more than one all the time.
Thank you for the good review! I'm really worried about the 2-nd nvme slot that you're unable to install another drive. I hesitate between this one Helios 300 with 3070 Ti or Legion 16" but but RTX 3070, both with 12700H, or Nitro 5. Some models are configured with DDR4, others with DDR5.
A 1tb nvme card fits in that second slot. I swapped them out and put my 2tb in the main slot and my 1tb in the second. DDR5 is def better but 32gb cost about £50 more than DDR4. The 3070ti is a better card than the 3070. I'd go with the predator over the legion personally.
Really reassuring to see a recommendation from Jarrod when I've just snagged one for 1500$ (i9 12900H + 3060 variant). I'd like to see if Jarrod can somehow test and add the list of compatible m.2 SSDs for the second slot 🙏🏻
@@mdaasil2329 multi-core around 18500 and single core around 1850 in Cinebench R23. Btw where'd you order the laptop from? Flipkart? If yes lemme know how the replacement process goes.
@@bennickclayton6468 I'd have gone with Lenovo if they had laptops in stock. Can't wait because I need one to get work done. Add to that, a similarly specced Lenovo 5i pro is 3-500$ more than the acer here in India. Also the Lenovo doesn't smoke this one. The acer has the 5i pro beat in every single test in this video except for the screen response time.
I was sitting in predator helios 300 from 2019. (1060 6GB, and 4 core intel don't remember) and Couple days ago switched to this immediately when I saw 3070ti and 12500 (my version also has 1k 165Hz). It's perfect for my tasks and also I finally can run some games. Thanks Acer, apprectiate that. Also it's light so carrying it on my back doesn't feel heavy.
7 decades guy here... I've decided to go with the Helios 300 discussed here. Question: In your review what is specific model number are your referring to? I'm not sure if Best Buy is showing the same one? ~ Much Thanks ~
For anyone that may be wondering, you can upgrade the DDR5 ram up to 64gb... Acer says 32gb, but I just installed (2) 32gb Crucial ram this evening and it's running beautifully.
Have an issue with this laptop after 4 days of use it randomly stops charging and now when turning it on the turbo light and light to the side comes on for 5secs and cut off
Last month I bought a Acer Helios predator 300, i7-12700H 2.70 Ghz, 32gb ram, RTX 3080, 2 TB ssd... And I really like it. Dont have any complaints, problems or issues. It actually impressed me how great it runs and still keep the temp under 65c under heavy load. My old Acer Nitro 7 was up in the 90c+ territory. Id recommend this laptop to anyone looking for a great gaming laptop...
@@kiran2176 I would say yes. Though i havent tryed it but if it is running as great as this one (just with a 3060) then yes... I have zero complaints about this laptop. Running the new cod modern warfare 2 on maxed out settings, native resolution 1440p, exclusive fullscreen and get 100-150 fps.
@@LesPeterGuitarJam sure brother. performance vise I have no doubt. But I have questions on the durability of this laptop like any hardware related problems... I guess it depends on the piece we get.....
Is interesting to saw this from a 2019 Helios 300 I bought by your recommendations... I'll think to upgrade to this new one. Still very very happy from my 2019 one.
Hi Jarrod Just want to know the part number of the tested laptop if possible as I am about to buy it and don't want to end up buying a different config from the one above 😅
could you make a video showing how you pry open this laptop? after unscrewing tried prying but i realised i was bending the case. videos on how you get into every laptop you make would be amazing, i gave up and screwed it back !
Hey, are you gonna be reviewing the new Dell G16? There don’t seem to be a lot of reviews for it yet, and I was interested in buying one. Might be hard to get your hands on one in the near future, though.
I read that the Samsung 980 Pro and Samsung 990 Pro in 2 TB models, both only have chips on one side. So they would both fit in the second M2 slot in this Acer Predator laptop
Pulled the trigger and bought the best buy black friday deal. Will be my first Acer, as Im going from an asus laptop Ive had since 2013. Both excited and incredibly scared.
My predator laptop i bought in 2016 sadly died this year. Used almost every day for gaming since i bought it. The laptop is still fine tbh but the charging port wont work anymore 🥲 But i had it for 7 years! Which is super impressive to me cus everyone bashed me when i bought it and said it would only last 2 years 😂 it couldn’t run the nex gen stuff the last few years but still went strong🥰 Looking to upgrade and unsure of which pc to buy, kinda want to stick with the same series but they have almost doubled in price from when i bought the best back then rip
Is there anyway to get these with increased RAM? Or is 16GB the only one available. Also how would these 16GB of ram compare to another laptop of 32GB or more. And if anyone cared to explain if the difference lies on if it’s DDR5 vs another configuration of RAM? Not too informed on these
Absolutely beautiful machine, although more expensive than a legion currently with similar spec on offer, it’s actually nicer in some ways. No problem with touchpad, have had similar with other laptops.
![[TH] 2024 PMSL SEA W1D5 | Fall | เก็บแต้มของจริง คือวันนี้](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EciIAlCXg5k/mqdefault.jpg)
Check Helios 300 Prices: geni.us/xAHHBtR
Check the latest gaming laptop deals at my new site: gaminglaptop.deals
Check out hp omen 17 please
yes yes indeed we need Lenovo's legion 5i pro vs Acer’s Helios 300
Check out hp omen please because it has improved alot and i bet you would be impress with what a 2500 dollar rtx 3080 ti can do hp really has a good budget
does it have a mux switch?
nVm he said it
This might be the biggest comeback this year for gaming laptops! Thank you Acer for fixing your laptop!
Now they need to make the laptop slightly a bit more sturdier and it will become the best laptop for what it gives. I think they'll improve it with upcoming gens since this is a total design changeover compared with last gens.
Don't thank soulless corporations for doing their jobs...
what do u think this one compared to legion 5i pro 2022 rtx 3070 ti ? which one is better ?
@@majinboo6377 yeah I'd like to know that too.
@@RnzxTJK wym? both are 3070 ti
Can confirm that the loose touchpad is only an issue with your particular laptop, cause mine hasn't got this issue (I've got the same model but with 240hz qhd panel tho). This laptop is definitely a beast for this price, I can't recommend it enough!
Thanks for the high quality video once again, Jarrod!
grrr im so jealous of you that 240hz qhd screen variant is a best buy exclusive 😢 (i only get the 165hz qhd rtx 3070ti one)
Can you set the CPU TDP higher (lets say 60W) to make it achieve more clockspeed during gaming? So essentially, a 60W CPU + 150W GPU. Should provide better results during gaming- in theory. This laptop also does seem to handle thermals pretty well.
@@vik1ng313 I did not find a way to manipulate CPU through any software on this laptop (this might be locked in the bios, hoping for the bios unlock in the future). Though this laptop seems to handle 55W on the CPU and 150W on the GPU pretty consistently during my cyberpunk 2077 gameplay sessions
@@VBIF52 hello, is the fan noise bearable? Im choosing between legion 5 pro vs this.
@@DreadMunky .
Proud and faithful Legion fans and still skipping this year's gen here, but I'm quite happy to see Acer's Predator series making such a huge improvement over last year's model, and as such mounting a strong challenge for Legion or other gaming model in the market.
I just got this laptop 1 week ago! I was a little hesitant because of last year's review but now this is a beast
How much did you pay and what specifications?
This laptop is absolutely insane. Managed to buy it for $999 in the 512MB / 3060 config w/ i7-12600h and a 3060. Really pleased with it, and the 1080p monitor doesn't appear to be a slow one, it appears to be an upgrade from the 2020/2021 Helios 300's.
Where did you buy it
@@pantocordor bestbuy
how is the battery life with gaming
How is the battery life with the 3060? And is it also a 90w battery as well?
@@koltira5857 I keep mine plugged in. Battery life horrible while gaming otherwise.
Great to see Acer having the option for Advanced Optimus.
I always have a soft spot for Acer. They're products are good but only let down by not so great build and some software quirks. Although they're price to performance can be hit or miss at least it's still decent. But they seem to finally step up this year. Definitely some great competition now. Now if only I can find it in 17 inch flavour.
And they have a 5 year warrenty :) at least in my country Norway
You can always install a fresh windows 11 and don’t worry about software quirks
The Predator Triton 500 2060 I bought in 2020 has been great for me. Haven’t had a single issue with it and it’s still going strong. Great laptop.
They do have a 17 inch version which I just bought last month. Jarrod's review is completely on point. I was skeptical in buying this year's model since the 2021 model was such a disappointment from what most users and tech reviewers said but the laptop has exceeded my expectations so far.
@@rain.yell_dp nice. But I don't think it's sold in mt country. Still looking for either other countries or Amazon for that particular unit.
I purchased this laptop when it was on sale at only 1299 dollars compared to 2100 dollars. (This is for the RTX 3070ti w/ 240 Hz screen and intel i-7. I love it, but it does run quite hot. The fans are not that bad if you have a fan running in the background and some headphones. Overall, this laptop is the best laptop that I could find for being 800 dollars off. Thank you for reviewing this product, I recommend this to anyone who can afford it, even with it not on sale. Have a good day!
@@connorblair9782 Sound was very subpar for me. I had to use an Equalizer to increase the gain. I think I am going to take it back soon.
Been using this for a week now and can happily say it's an absolute beast! Happy to see Jarrod change his mind about the Predator, and count nothing but pros in this review. :)
Can you set the CPU TDP higher (lets say 60W) to make it achieve more clockspeed during gaming? So essentially, a 60W CPU + 150W GPU. Should provide better results during gaming- in theory. This laptop also does seem to handle thermals pretty well.
Can ya limit the battery so that it won't charge beyond 50%/80% when plugged even if the laptop is off?
@@6210classick Yes, can prevent overcharging by using Acer Care Center to limit the battery to only charge to 80%, works even when shut down and plugged in.
@@vik1ng313 Thermals are incredible, mostly stays in the low to high 70°C range even when gaming for hours, rarely have I seen thermals go up to the low 80's, that too all of this without a cooling pad. Not sure about manually setting CPU TDP to 60W tho, although I have used MSI Afterburner and occassionally seen CPU using upto 65-70W power, but it does so as and when required automatically, which is to say that power isn't capped at 45W.
hey is your intel apu also using half of your ram as the vram
\
Bought my Helios Predator 300 back in 2019 with a i7-9750H/1660ti for $900 and while it still works fine I think this might be worth switching over to and giving my old one to a friend so he can actually play at over 60fps.
You're a good guy, hoping I have friend like you. God bless
Yeah, have same and still rocking after 3 years. Now thinking of to move onto this new model.
What's the difference between Helios and Triton?
I got the same laptop and also thinking to switch. I want to know what did you get
@@mikaiyelmiah8538 triton is the higher end. i7 core vs i9 from what i can tell.
I believe even Acer themselves don't know this much about their laptop. Great job Jarrod.
🤣
Would love to see a comparison with the legion 5i pro. I've got about half the money I need saved and will be buying a laptop come black friday. Looking at 3070 Ti laptops and the legion 5i pro or legion 7 is what I've been leaning towards but this definitely struck my interest!!
Same. I'm heavy leaning towards Legion 5 pro. The one I'm looking at is one sale right now on legion, the question is to get it now or wait for possibly a better sale on black friday.
@@christhompson9140 they price match within 30 days so you can buy now and if it goes on a bigger sale, just call them for a refund of the difference.
@@Heliosvector I'm trying to decide on the Intel vs amd chip. Thanks for price match note, good to know.
.
Walmart has an Acer Nitro 5 with Ryzen 5600H, 95w RTX 3060, 15.6" 144hz IPS Display with HDR, 512gb nvme ssd, 8gb 3200mhz RAM, and RGB keyboard for $800 retail price. I got it for $650 during black Friday. I added another 1TB WD SN570 nvme ssd and 2x16gb 2Rx8 3200mhz 22-22-22-52 JDEC RAM for another $150 not to mention I got 3yrs accidental damage protection for $79.
In total I spent about $900 and ended up with Ryzen 5600h, 95w 3060, 1.5TB of WD nvme storage (512gb SN530 + 1TB SN570), 32gb dual channel dual rank 3200mhz JDEC CL22 RAM, and 144h 1080p HDR display. Even $800 just for the original specs isn't bad when you look at prices of everything else with a 3060.
In Asia atleast (especially Southeast Asia) Acer is well known for its best price to performance laptops for years especially with their Nitro series (the other best price to performance brand is Asia is MSI with their GF and Katana series) but yeah the build quality is of course not as good as Asus with their TUF series nor Lenovo with their Legion or even Ideapad gaming series imo
I bought the Acer Predator after seeing your review, and the tier list in the other video. I followed your tips (what to do the first time you boot up) and I'm super happy!
Oh I've also turned on my RGB for maximum FPS, it works like a charm!
Awesome! Glad you're enjoying the new laptop.
@@JarrodsTech Hi Jarrod, I also bought the computer based on your review. I've been having trouble getting the USB C charging to work. Do you have the brand of charger you were using to test with? I tried anker with no avail. Thanks!
yes yes indeed we need Lenovo's legion 5i pro vs Acer’s Helios 300
Personally speaking, im not really worried much about the fan noise as we are getting great temperatures along with it too. But damn 7k RPM is crazy lmao.
When you're gaming in a room at turbo mode, no one's gonna be wanna be in that room lol
@@ashishbarthwal6961 Yeah i can understand and i also mentioned personally so yeah. Acer always had loud fans and i have 2020 Predator.
A great review, thanks Jarrod.
This proofs how detailed reviews like yours have impact on the industry. Issues presented to the audience forces gaming laptop makes to make them better. The Helios 300 is now a serious competition for Lenovo and Asus.
Please keep your good work up.
And your website with deals for laptop is a marvelous idea, can't wait to see European deals there.
Jarrod, though I haven't been watching much recently, your videos were absolutely instrumental in my shopping experience last year when picking out the Legion 5 Pro.
Though I'm skipping this generation I fully expect I will depend heavily on your reviews and other content when it comes time to upgrade.
You do such a comprehensive qualitative assessment that focuses well on my priorities as a shopper; this video is a perfect example of the exemplary and concise work you do. Without your content it would have been much harder to decide what I wanted to buy, and given that this laptop is one of the nicest things I own, you definitely saved me a lot of time, energy, and stress.
Best regards, and keep up the good work!!
Acer come back!!! 💪💪💪
Got one of these at best buy before starting college this fall, since I'm going into engineering and wanted something both beefy and portable. As time goes by I just keep discovering more and more how great of a deal I got, I hope this baby lasts me for many, many years
How much did u pick it up for? I’m thinking about buying it at 1150 but i wonder if it’s ever going to go back down to 999 😭
Dude, I’m in your exact same situation. Wanting to study A.I. development next year or another software field. What do you think, is the Acer Predator Helios 300 a better pick over de Lenovo Legion 5 Pro? I assume you don’t have any experience with the Lenovo, but how do you like your Predator?
Okay now that's a proper legion 5i/5i pro contender. the design is a bit too gamery but the performance is even better that this year's legions tho not by a whole lot and it runs cooler than 5i pro aswell,although much louder. and the price is not so bad either even cheaper than legion 5i pro, if u want a msi or asus u gotta pay well above $2000 for an rtx 3070 ti with almost identical performance.
I purchased mine a couple months ago, exact one shown in your review, I absolutely love it! No issues running any of my games at all!
Hey does the shaking on the keyboard bothers you? I'm type softly so would it still shake. I know your comment is 4 months ago but please help me haha
@@cedrickbote5441 same here man don’t know if to buy legion 5 pro or this one
@@mohamadelwafai9648 Well, which one did you choose?
@@qwertrew7075 bought the legion 5 pro! Ryzen 7 6800 with 3070 and 16 gb ram ddr5 1 tb ssd, and its a good laptop for the price
@@mohamadelwafai9648 what about fan noise?
I have this laptop, it is awesome! No issues at all so far
How was it??
@@Met845 it’s incredible for the price. I got the 3070TI w/ 12700H for 1699 @ Best Buy when it was on sale. Also Jarrod just rated this one of the only 3 S tier laptops in 2022 so I definitely recommend!
@@grahamschlickenmeyer2531 no issues? I hesitated bcoz acer is number one in laptop issues like after month i wont turn on …
@@Met845 honestly man I’ve had no issues. Not to say you can’t or won’t have issues but I have had none.
I got an Acer predator triton 300 (2020), with ¡7 10th generation and RTX2060, which I loved.
I got this delivered today only. Unboxing experience was amazing!
Everything was going well until ... I spotted that ONE STUCK PIXEL 😭
Now requested for replacement, after trying to fix it for hours .
Hope you can get it sorted out!
@@JarrodsTech Thanks for the response Jarrod
you can get it replaced just for a stuck pixel?! times have changed.
Jarrod teach pls reply me bro I have seen almost all ur video I m really blasted between Lenovo legion 5i pro(2022) and acer helios 300 2022 like u said both have same specs I really want to know which I should buy pls pls reply me I use game mostly for gaming so it's really urgent because I. Going to buy after ur respond which is best pls say ok bro
@@MD.Nibras which one did you stop at? and how is he to you?
I was just waiting for your review on this laptop ,thank God I hv a good sense of relief after watching your video that came in clutch as I was gonna buy it in 3 days 😂
Glad I could help
Got the 1500$ one with the 3060 for about 900$ back in november and i cannot complain this thing rips in every game. Amazing laptop what a comeback from acer.
Yeah! I got mine for Black Friday for $999 and I’ve been having a blast on it. I mainly play CSGO right now because I’m trying to get better and it says I’m getting 200-400 fps. Love this machine.
17:56 yes please, a dedicated comparison video between the two would be very helpful
3:47 i owned this laptop for like 3 months now and i never knew you can charge this laptop with type c port LOL thanks jarrod
The more you know!
Your review already pretty much convinced me to buy the 2022 Helios when it got a hefty discount, but after I set it up and did some benchmarks, and saw that the CPU was cooler at 115W than my old HP was at 45W, and that's just on default performance mode... my jaw basically dropped lol. What a difference proper cooling makes. The performance is crazy too, the 12700H is benching well beyond average, on par with the average desktop 12700 on PassMark and above the 13700H. Meanwhile the 3060's result is on par with the average desktop 3060 result which is crazy. Can't wait to play some games on this thing later today.
I just ordered mine for 1399$ new. Do you recommend default or extreme mode?
@@2BuckGeo I've been using default myself, IMO extreme and especially turbo don't offer enough of a performance increase in practice to justify the really loud fan noise. Much less in my case since I use open-back headphones which don't really isolate.
Note that this is on the 3060 variant which unlike the 3070 Ti in this video, does not reach the 87C thermal throttling point even in a full CPU + GPU stress test on default mode. It also maxes out at 120W in my case at least (despite the specs saying 140W, not sure what's up with that), which means the CPU has more power available and can clock higher in combined workloads. So the thermals in my case are reversed with CPU getting hotter, but still not thermal throttling even on default mode. Behavior may be different depending on your specific configuration and what workload you're running.
@@PositronCannon in default mode, how high have you seen the gpu TDP reach in watts? And would you say Extreme is in terms of loudeness in between default and turbo ?
@@2BuckGeo The 3060 on mine seems to stay around 100W in gaming, I could only push it to 120W in FurMark. But it could easily depend on the game you play. As for the fan noise, I'd say Extreme is a bit closer to Turbo than it is to Default, but I can see it being acceptable if you have the right kind of headphones.
Picked this up for $1200 with a 3070TI. Great deal. It used to be $2000.
I couldn't wait for your review because the price a couple months ago it was the lowest it had been. And now it's back to full MSRP in my area. I only paid $1100. I did a laptop recycle program and got $250 bucks and best buy let me trade in an old surface pro 3 for $50 bucks. So in total minus taxes I paid $800 for the 3060 model.
I'm glad I jumped the gun, because you are right on the head with this video. My mouse pad is not loose. Has to be the model you have.
I didn't know you could charge the laptop with USBC. I'll have to check that out.
Turbo/extreme mode is great for VR because you won't hear it lol.
@@SteveTheSuperSanchez you used the 3060 model for vr? How is it going so far?
@@paperclip9558 totally fine. You can run VR on a 1050 ti which I was doing before on an HP laptop. Low low low settings. It was horrible 😂. The super sample rate was like 65 percent.
But on this laptop, I can run at 100 -150 percent super sample with WMR with no stutters at 90hz so just full resolution. My partner uses it when we play VR games together. She was using the HP and she was always modest about the quality. Now she loves VR even more because she can actually see depth and distance 🤣
@@SteveTheSuperSanchez thats really awesome. Im still split between just grabbing the 3060 variant rn or save up a little bit more to get the 3070ti variant, because I thought the 3060 wouldn't powerful enough for pcvr, now im kinda amazed that it does. What pcvr games did you tried so far with this laptop?
@@paperclip9558 nothing too demanding yet. Just Walkabout Mini Golf VR for now. I do have other titles, but her account is loaded on there right now.
That touchpad issue is common occurrence with Acer laptops. My Nitro 7 has is and some other users were also complaining about it.
Your touch pad is not working? I have that issue right now.
@@dalefrancis9414 my touchpad works but it makes a click sound when I touch the touchpad to move the cursor.
@@tanveeraman5428 oh the issue I have is pertaining to a I2C HID Device driver.
Hi jarrod.
Please test fan control for this model. There are users that want to use the laptop without hearing the fans, and some users are advanced and would like to make their own fancontrol curve, but they completely disabled this option on the older models.
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Wish Dave2D would do more laptop reviews like you do, not just the high end. I swear the TH-cam money got to him or something.
You replaced him right now. Keep up the good work .
Exactly. He used to be okay; now he sucks.
My Helios 500 with the 2700 and Vega 56 is still going strong till this day and I purchased it about 4 years ago. I love Acer and I'd consider upgrading to this.
I've waited so long for this episode
Jarrod, thank you so much for this informative review and your gaming laptop deals website! Thanks to you, a couple weeks ago I picked up this 2022 model on sale for $1,600 at Best Buy. Lovin' it!
Thank you for the review, I got this laptop after watching several of your videos. I was previously gaming on my Windows surface laptop 🙈 because I didn't know 🙃. I also couldn't justify the expense of buying another laptop. But, after my ex showed me the graphics of the games I was playing on a gaming laptop, I decided it would be good to invest in one. We all need a source of entertainment and fun (plus the glass had been shattered. My Samurai Warriors 5 game never looked the same on my old pc again, I was now fully aware of the terrible graphics 🙈).
I haven't had any issues with the helios 300 (2022) gaming laptop. I got mine back in August of 2023. But, I'm also new to the updated gaming world, so everything looks incredible to me. I'm still astonished by the Yakuza graphics, and that was Kiwami 1 on the xbox Game Pass. I finished "Like a Dragon: Ishin!" about 2 months ago, and I'm still amazed at the graphics. I didn't even know these games came out years ago 🙈. I have to finish the rest of the Yakuza series before jumping to "Like a Dragon Gaiden."
I come back to this video every so often when I have questions about the laptop 😅. I'm wondering if I can stream with it 🤔. Eventually, I will increase the RAM, but like I said before, it's been running incredibly smooth 🥰.
Yes! we need a comparison between 5i pro vs helios 300 since I'm gonna be buying within this month. Helios is cheaper than legion though...
Yes please let’s have this
which one did you stop at? and how is he to you?
@@HarveyLagura which one did you stop at? and how is he to you?
Also interested to hear how it went for u as I'm in the exact same position rn
Hopefully the nitro 5 is the same. Visually it looks way different than 2020 and 2021
Nitro 5 review next week :)
@@JarrodsTech ayyy :)
Thank you for the review. I still have my Acer from 2015 and its still running strong! Thats why im excited for this one! I ordered the Predator Helios 300, 17 inch, 3070ti, 32 GB Ram, i7-12700H for a bargain of $1999. I had the Asus Rog Strix 3070ti for the same price but was dissapointed because of the horrible Wlan-card and cheap plastic. Cant wait to test this baby out.
I have the same model, but the fan noise and gpu temp is high 😔
@@Tesla-ve5hq i got mine today and i have to test it out. The turbo mode is insanely loud but in exchange your CPU will be cooled down much better than any other laptop in the market! Right now i dont regret it because almost everything is made of solid metal! ❤️Much better quality than the asus rog strix!
@@nerostile333 I have research and test a lot of things.
in default mode when i play game, CPU and GPU Temp are about 85°.
But find out extreme mode is abit louder and 10° Cooler.
I hate the high temperature for electronic devices, so i disabled CPU Turbo Boost, after that the cpu temp in games at extreme mode is always under 70° 🤩
It decrease CPU performance about 40% and about 10% Framerate drop but it worth for me.
my only unsolved problem is GPU Temperature 🥺, by enabling Extreme mode drop to from 86° to 76° but it's not enough for me, i prefer it's would be ubder 70°.
@@Tesla-ve5hq hmm thats awkward. With the asus rog it was pretty normal to have 70-80°c. If you want under 70 then the asus will bring that down but at the cost of performance which is not worth it for me. I would rather prefer the loud turbo boost of acer which will guarantee performance!
@@nerostile333 I have the i91200h. i have no problem with GPU temp but the Cpu temp runs around 48 to 57 celsius. I guess thats ok? I have this lap since december and I change Cpu performance to 99%. When i Play Gpu and CPu temp are mostly the same. Cyberpunk 2077 on 2k, High settings around 72 c on average for 3 - 5 hours.
Was waiting for this. Thanks Jarrod. I've been wanting to get this for a while now but wanted to wait for your review first
Happy to help!
I have mixed opinions on this. Sure they improved a lot but Acer predator was supposed to be that brand that allowed affordable gaming yet still achieving high quality. Helios was a solid bargain at $1000 but now its $1500 or even $1800. They are pretty much turning into every other high end gaming laptop now.
i just bought mine for $999 at best buy. the screen is 1080p 100% srgb high refresh gsync and its got a 3060 in there. only comes with 16gb ram and 512 ssd, gonna have to upgrade those. still happy with the price.
Yeah I just picked mine from best buy also for $999. Steal of the century for the lowered price.
@pentiumradeon, I want to buy this laptop. But the second m.2 slot is worrying me. Have you tried to upgrade it with other 512gb stick ?
@@koushiknanduri3728 nope, dont plan on it, it works fine for me the way it is.
Some things I want to point out about the predator series being a two year old user of a helios 300.
1. There keyboard keys wears out. The letters on the keys are painted rather than embedded and can be wiped off even with isopropyl alcohol.
2. Their aeroblade technology is dogshit. I have 4th gen aeroblade on GPU and it sounds like a jet engine and make rattling sound every month requiring me to disassemble the fan and re-apply machine oil to get rid of the sound.
3. The turbo button requires predatorsense to work which is why it doesn't work with linux.
4. Their software itself has issues in a way that the settings resets to default every now and then.
Finally!! thanks Jarrod you finally uploaded what I have been waiting for.
Jarrod: The detail in your comparisons is "stunning". Again, thank you!
I bought an acer laptop once. After a few months the computer would turn on but there was a black screen of death. And this was the second computer I had to buy because the first one wouldn’t even let me download a basic game so I had to return it. I do not trust acer AT ALL. So this is going to be a HUGE leap of trust for me. Definitely getting the longest warranty I can buy
Ended up picking up the 3060 512gb model and threw a 2TB SSD stick in it. Absolutely love this computer
I ordered the 3060 one as well. Did you replace the M.2 SSD or were you able to fit it in the second slot?
Looking for a second slot recommendation, can't find any info on what fits
did you handle to fit in the second ssd slot ?
Your reviews are always nice. Please make one for hp victus 15!
Unfortunately, probably no HP this year. We had some issues being able to get a hold of it, but hopefully can resolve that next year.
Hello Jarrod! Please, help my to choose - I want to by legion 5i Pro 3070ti or Helios 300 3070ti. Which of them is best laptop overall? The price is almost the same.
Ask for it he got it, Appreciate it ❤️
16:10 aspect ratio is the bare minimum for me now . That bottom bezel can disappear just by using it and don't have to change the body
the 3060 variant is now 1000$ until black friday on bestbuy making this a great bargin
@joker can you please share link
I’ve said it and I’ll say it again, THE PREDATOR is back bitches. Faster, Cooler, MORE RGB, better in every ways
Yes
Remember when the Helios used to be a $1000 best value for money laptop only about 2-3 years ago?
I have the 2020 version
Remember the chip shortage and economy since 2020? I'm not defending a brand but their pricing is not bad at all compared to the competition and for the specs they provide.
@@vithalkadiam Jarrod has pretty much proved that is BS, especially the nitro only having single channel ram...
Jarrod please run this in extreme mode and lower fan speed to see how many db u can shave off while still keeping temps within acceptable acceptable ranges. Maybe this is when ur cooling pad can have more benefit too.
My man, always with best reviews
Thank you, was looking to buy a new laptop which I only do every few years, and all your reviews helped greatly! Keep up the good work!
Could you review the Corsair Laptop?
Looking for advice from you tech savvy folks - Which should i choose: MSI GF66 Katana with i7-11800H and GTX 3070, Legion 5 Pro with i7-11800H and GTX 3060, or Legion 5 Pro with 5600H and 3070, (all other specs are the same 512gb ssd, 2x8 ram etc.) All of which are at relatively the same price (15$ difference) where I am.
My concern is the MSI GPU power limit is only 85W, so I dont know if the 3070 will be better than the 3060 in the Legion?
Any recommendations and advice would be greatly appreciated.
Legion 5 pro with 3070 is better than the other two
I wish I was more knowledgeable to advise you better but I'd take the last option legion 5 pro 5600H 3070
Legion 5 pro i great laptop but I have a problem with the screen. I use laptop for gaming and content creation. This Legion 5 pro has a bad color gamut. I you only play games this is your laptop :-)
Comparison between Lenovo Legion 7 (AMD) vs Legion 7i would be great, especially to see whether the Legion 7i is worth over $1000 more!
As a Legion 7 (AMD) owner, I don't think it's worth it for only gaming. Content creation might be a different story because no CUDA.
@@cameronbosch1213 Thank you for the reply! I'm actually needing it mainly for content creation and productivity but being able to game would be a nice bonus. But I still don't know if maybe a few percent performance is worth about $1200 more
Ok i have same model. Plays all my games in high settings so love it.
Just ordered the 3070Ti 240hz 1440p model from BB for 1399$ brand new. 🎉
Reall cool,I’m using this amazing gaming laptop
Hi Jarrod, I'm currently curious about MSI's tendency to prefer Intel over AMD. The last time I see them having their laptops with a Ryzen inside their products is last year's Bravo 15. And its price range is also at the lower end of the spectrum considering the R7 5800H is only paired with a mere RX 5500M.
To make things worse, Bravo 15 is the best Ryzen laptop they can offer. As a long-time MSI fan, I'm a bit disappointed with them regarding laptops.
Perhaps you might know anything about that?
Edit : There's Delta15 now, but that's it, I guess. No other extra options. Not to mention that's this particular Delta15 is quite hard to find in Indonesia.
Great review, like always. I have the 2021 model with i7 11800H and RTX 3060 and dual channel memory. I like my laptop a lot, but the cooling performance is not good as internal temps get quite high. In default mode cpu hits 92c and GPU hits 86c. In extreme mode cpu goes to max. allowed of 100c!
I might go for a 2022 model because of its great cooling performance. But I'm hesitant to do it as well because new 13th gen Intel CPUs and 4000 series Nvidia GPUs are on the way too!
Do you use colling pad ?
Try to make cpu clock speed a bit lower like 3.5ghz
@@actionman5311 how? The cpu speed is not something I can cap at 3.5 GHz. I can disable the turbo from Windows power options, but that maxes out cpu speed to 2.1 GHz. Which I don't like.
@@alirezajohari8916 i have done it on my acer predator laptop (with i7850h) by using "throttle stop " software
But it might void your warranty
@@actionman5311 I wanted to use Throttlestop to undervolt my CPU but the there is a lock on my laptop and can't use that software. Nor the Intel's XTU. Apparently there is a BIOS lock which prevents any such modifications on the CPU. I didn't try to cap the CPU speed though because I am not familiar with the procedure. Did you unlock your BIOS to use Throttlestop?
@@alirezajohari8916 i did nothing in the bios
Yes dedicated comparison video please!!!!!!!! Legion 5i pro vs Helios 300
like the numpad. every laptop needs it
If it wasn't for this video, I probably would've just ended up buying Asus ROG Strix G15 for Christmas this year.
But, from watching your video Jarrod and others like, OWNorDisown and Hardware Canucks, I've come to the conclusion that I think buying Acer's Predator Helios 300 would be the best choice for me.
The reason why I was hesitant to even give this laptop a fair chance, was because of the pretty terrible reputation that the 2020 and 2021 models had and so I just assumed that nothing was any better about this year's Helios either.
However, thanks to all the videos that I've seen over the past few months from people praising this year's version and how it's pretty much fixed all the issues associated with the previous ones and then some, it was honestly too good to be true.
I even went out of my way to compare the specs of both the Strix G15 and Helios 300, to see which one out of the two is the superior laptop overall.
Through my research, I concluded that the Helios had:
the better Screen (Reasons: the Strix sold in my country only goes up to 1080p, the 300hz refresh rate is honestly just overkill in my opinion and I much more prefer the 165hz that the Helios has, plus the Helios has G-Sync where as the Strix doesn't and I found that the colour accuracy is a bit better on the Helios, as well).
the better GPU (Reasons: not only does the Strix only go up to RTX 3060 graphics in my country, but even comparing both the Strix and Helios with a 3060, the Helios performs better, not only is it helped by a better CPU but also because the 3060 on the Strix is neutered, even though it is stated to go up to 140W, in game benchmarks all reviewers noticed that it only went up to 115W and that's it.
I actually discovered the reason why, it seems that in order to access the full 140W on the 3060 you have to go into Asus armoury crate software and there will be an option for you to manually adjust the dynamic boost on the GPU, however, doing this has been noted to substantially increase the temps of the GPU and have it thermal throttle which is most likely why Asus, instead of either making their laptop slighter bulkier or improve the cooling decided to just gimp their GPU and LIE to their customers about how much power it can put out.
I even saw a video from a content creator, who tested the Strix G15 with last year's Legion 5 and he was quite disappointed and frustrated, that a 130W 3060 GPU of a last year's laptop was beating a supposed 140W 3060 from a 2022 laptop).
the better CPU (Reasons: from all the videos that I've seen comparing both Intel's 12700h and AMD's 6800h, it's been a consistent trend that Intel's processor this year is quite a bit better than AMD's, not just in raw performance, but also in the fact that it can multi-task much better due to its new hybrid architecture, by having cores that can deal with much more demanding tasks, like gaming, 3d modelling, video editing etc. and other cores that can perform less demanding tasks, like web browsing, working with documents, listening to music etc.
Essentially, you could web browse or watch/listen to a youtube video while playing a game or editing a video, with no issues whatsoever).
the better RAM (Reasons: even though both have the new DDR5 Memory at 4800mhz in Dual Channel, I'm honestly a sucker for the fact, that Acer decided to go the extra mile and give the ram a thermal pad in order to give it some cooling and make sure that it doesn't degrade that much overtime).
the better SSD (Reasons: just like with the RAM section, even though both have the new PCIE Gen 4 SSD's installed and at 1 TB of storage, the read and write speeds on both were vastly different, the Strix's only went up to 3500 mb/s reads and 2500 mb/s writes, where as the Helios can go up to 6500 mb/s reads and 4500 mb/s writes, almost twice of what the SSD on the Strix can).
the better Ports (Reasons: the Strix features only two USB Type-A 3.0 ports, two USB Type-C ports and neither support Thunderbolt, an HDMI 2.0, a LAN port and a DC port, where as the Helios has three USB Type-A 3.0 ports, one USB Type-C port but at least it's Thunderbolt 4, an HDMI 2.1, a LAN port and a DC port, yeah I much more prefer having 3 USB Type-A ports over only 2, plus not having Thunderbolt 4 and only an HDMI 2.0 does hurt the Strix quite a bit).
the better MUX Switch (Reasons: I just do not like the MUX Switch on the Strix, not only do you have to go into the armoury crate software to disable it, but you also have to restart your computer every time you want to turn Optimus off which is just tedious as hell.
With the Helios you simply need to go into the Nvidia control panel, disable optimus and that's it, you don't even need to restart or do anything extra to get it to work properly).
the better Thermals (Reasons: for real, even if you don't toggle the dynamic boost in order to access the full 140W power of the GPU, the thermals on the Strix G15 are still pretty average, where as the Helios 300 even with both of the CPU and GPU running at their full power are kept very cool, about 15 degrees below their maximum temperature ceiling which is just very impressive in my opinion.
And yes, even though the Helios only achieves this by having the fans go crazy and produce a significant amount of noise in the process, for me I don't care, as long as my laptop is cool and working properly, I don't see it as an issue in the long term).
the better User Software (Reasons: despite Asus trying their hardest to make the Armoury Crate software appear both sophisticated and flashy at the same time, it makes me prefer the more simple and straightforward interface of Acer's Predator Sense software a lot more.
It has pretty much all the same features, plus I really like the fact that you can add in your own JPEG or GIF file, to replace the boot animation of when you turn on the laptop).
the better Name (Reasons: okay, this one is me trolling a little bit, but seriously am I the only one who thinks that the Helios has a much better and cooler sounding name than the Strix.
Let's compare the two and examine what each part of the name represents: Acer - Predator (a creature that prays upon others and who is at the top of their respective food chain, also probably a reference to the GOATED Predator Movie from 1984 starring the AWESOME Arnold Schwarzenegger). Helios (a reference to Helios from Greek Mythology who is often stated to be the God of the Sun). 300 (I like to think that this is a reference to the movie 300 directed by Zack Snyder and I don't care what anyone says, that movie is a Cinematic Masterpiece).
Asus - Republic Of Gamers (I'm sorry, but that's just cringe and just feels way too much on the nose, like we get it Asus your laptops are mainly used by gamers, specifically Esports gamers, but still it just sounds way too lame and cringe to me). Strix (a reference to a mythological owl from Greek Mythology which was said to be a fairly large, violent, bloodthirsty and wicked bird of ill omen, that fed on human flesh and blood, edgy and disgusting, way to go Asus). G15 (honestly, I don't even know what this could represent).
And that's about it, VERY SORRY for the insanely long essay that I just made on why I think the Helios is better than the Strix, but I just wanted to let out what was on mind and share it with some of you lovely people in the comments, and for anyone who wishes to reply to my comment please do, I really want to know everyone's opinion on it and maybe find some that either agree or disagree with what I have to say.
This is a very well thought out essay. I would like to add a suggestion that will speed up the buying process for something expensive (like a computer) and minimize buyer's remorse!
Start with first principles; establish use case(s) and requirements before buying anything expensive. For example, for a new potential computer purchase determine: 1. What programs do I need to run for my workflow? 2. What are the recommended hardware/operating system requirements for those programs? 3. Do I need to be able to travel with the computer? 4. What is my budget? 5. What is the time-frame of when I need the new computer? 6. Once the hardware/operating system requirements, budget, and time-frame are established, then start doing research on computers that satisfy your requirements. 7. Identify the correct computer (Jerrod's channel helps!), and buy it! 8. ???? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 9. Profit.
Thanks, and have a wonderful time! (✿◦’ᴗ˘◦)♡
Is HP doing anything in 2023? I don't see any gaming OMENs around. I had the one with the RTX 2070 from 2020 and still going strong.
Thinking the same thing 😂
Can I ask, what size SSD card would fit comfortably in the 2nd expansion slot (as you mention a 2tb doesn't fit)? Thank you for your excellent videos Jarrod.
Looking for an answer to this as well, can't seem to find one tho
My wife actually surprised me with this for Christmas today. It's been over a decade, but I think I'll keep her.
We wanna 3 month uses review of this laptop from you.
Unfortunately I don't get to borrow most laptops that long to do long term testing, and even if I did there would be too many for me to actually use more than one all the time.
Thank you for the good review! I'm really worried about the 2-nd nvme slot that you're unable to install another drive. I hesitate between this one Helios 300 with 3070 Ti or Legion 16" but but RTX 3070, both with 12700H, or Nitro 5. Some models are configured with DDR4, others with DDR5.
Stay with DDR4 now for cost.
A 1tb nvme card fits in that second slot. I swapped them out and put my 2tb in the main slot and my 1tb in the second. DDR5 is def better but 32gb cost about £50 more than DDR4. The 3070ti is a better card than the 3070. I'd go with the predator over the legion personally.
Back were the glory days (that I never witnessed) when Acer’s Helios 300 was one of the best.
Really reassuring to see a recommendation from Jarrod when I've just snagged one for 1500$ (i9 12900H + 3060 variant). I'd like to see if Jarrod can somehow test and add the list of compatible m.2 SSDs for the second slot 🙏🏻
Bro even I got the same today, but stuck pixel on the display. Requested for replacement :/
btw did you benchmark whats the score ?
@@mdaasil2329 multi-core around 18500 and single core around 1850 in Cinebench R23.
Btw where'd you order the laptop from? Flipkart?
If yes lemme know how the replacement process goes.
bad deal, lenovo smokes this
@@bennickclayton6468 I'd have gone with Lenovo if they had laptops in stock. Can't wait because I need one to get work done.
Add to that, a similarly specced Lenovo 5i pro is 3-500$ more than the acer here in India. Also the Lenovo doesn't smoke this one. The acer has the 5i pro beat in every single test in this video except for the screen response time.
What's best laptop around 2.2 lac for the 16 inch or 17.3 inch screen?
I was sitting in predator helios 300 from 2019. (1060 6GB, and 4 core intel don't remember)
and Couple days ago switched to this immediately when I saw 3070ti and 12500 (my version also has 1k 165Hz).
It's perfect for my tasks and also I finally can run some games.
Thanks Acer, apprectiate that.
Also it's light so carrying it on my back doesn't feel heavy.
7 decades guy here... I've decided to go with the Helios 300 discussed here. Question: In your review what is specific model number are your referring to? I'm not sure if Best Buy is showing the same one? ~ Much Thanks ~
This is the PH315-55. The Best Buy model may not be the same. The thing to look out for is a 12th gen CPU to indicate that is is the 2022 model.
For anyone that may be wondering, you can upgrade the DDR5 ram up to 64gb... Acer says 32gb, but I just installed (2) 32gb Crucial ram this evening and it's running beautifully.
They also say upto 1tb hdd too but I have 3tb. 1x1tb + 1x2tb.
What speed is your ddr5?
Just ordered mine and can't wait to try it!
I got the 2021 Acer Nitro 5 17" laptop on sale for $1399 with Ryzen 7 5800H and RTX 3080. Last year's models are where it's at!
Ofc we want to see LEGION 5 (but pro or not?) VS HELIOS300 :)
Have an issue with this laptop after 4 days of use it randomly stops charging and now when turning it on the turbo light and light to the side comes on for 5secs and cut off
Last month I bought a Acer Helios predator 300, i7-12700H 2.70 Ghz, 32gb ram, RTX 3080, 2 TB ssd...
And I really like it. Dont have any complaints, problems or issues. It actually impressed me how great it runs and still keep the temp under 65c under heavy load.
My old Acer Nitro 7 was up in the 90c+ territory.
Id recommend this laptop to anyone looking for a great gaming laptop...
How much is it?
@@blinktv4182around 2500 dollars
I am thinking of buying the 3060 variant which is now available for 1000USD on best buy... Is it worth for price?
@@kiran2176 I would say yes. Though i havent tryed it but if it is running as great as this one (just with a 3060) then yes... I have zero complaints about this laptop. Running the new cod modern warfare 2 on maxed out settings, native resolution 1440p, exclusive fullscreen and get 100-150 fps.
@@LesPeterGuitarJam sure brother. performance vise I have no doubt. But I have questions on the durability of this laptop like any hardware related problems... I guess it depends on the piece we get.....
Is interesting to saw this from a 2019 Helios 300 I bought by your recommendations... I'll think to upgrade to this new one. Still very very happy from my 2019 one.
Damn,1 hour and almost 10k view?
OMFFFFGGGGG LETSS GOOO
I really was waiting for this video 💙
Love you jarrod (you uploaded this at the right time)
Thanks to your review, I bought one as it was on sale at Best Buy!
Can you please share the link?
@@alaukiktandlekar114 I got the 1080p 3060 model from Best Buy which is on sale.
@@kurroth i am in Montreal, Canada. I am not able to find the sale
@@alaukiktandlekar114 It is a US only sale then. I tried sharing the link but the comment keeps getting deleted somehow.
@@kurroth are you on discord?
Hi Jarrod Just want to know the part number of the tested laptop if possible as I am about to buy it and don't want to end up buying a different config from the one above 😅
could you make a video showing how you pry open this laptop? after unscrewing tried prying but i realised i was bending the case. videos on how you get into every laptop you make would be amazing, i gave up and screwed it back !
Hey, are you gonna be reviewing the new Dell G16? There don’t seem to be a lot of reviews for it yet, and I was interested in buying one. Might be hard to get your hands on one in the near future, though.
I was planning get this laptop this year since a friend recommend it but after your other vid i had my doubt but now i am gonna buy thanks!
Just bought one as my first gaming laptop, really excited!!
Hope you enjoy it!
I read that the Samsung 980 Pro and Samsung 990 Pro in 2 TB models, both only have chips on one side. So they would both fit in the second M2 slot in this Acer Predator laptop
Hi, sorry im not sure i understand your comment, could you recommand a m2 that is at least 2to that would fit on this 2nd slot ? Thanks in advance =]
Ho wait now i got it its those 2 you mentionned you're talking about lol
Pulled the trigger and bought the best buy black friday deal. Will be my first Acer, as Im going from an asus laptop Ive had since 2013.
Both excited and incredibly scared.
My predator laptop i bought in 2016 sadly died this year. Used almost every day for gaming since i bought it. The laptop is still fine tbh but the charging port wont work anymore 🥲 But i had it for 7 years! Which is super impressive to me cus everyone bashed me when i bought it and said it would only last 2 years 😂 it couldn’t run the nex gen stuff the last few years but still went strong🥰
Looking to upgrade and unsure of which pc to buy, kinda want to stick with the same series but they have almost doubled in price from when i bought the best back then rip
Is there anyway to get these with increased RAM? Or is 16GB the only one available. Also how would these 16GB of ram compare to another laptop of 32GB or more. And if anyone cared to explain if the difference lies on if it’s DDR5 vs another configuration of RAM? Not too informed on these
This hinges are like it came out 10 years ago
Absolutely beautiful machine, although more expensive than a legion currently with similar spec on offer, it’s actually nicer in some ways. No problem with touchpad, have had similar with other laptops.