Budget plan video gaming rigs are getting gloriously near to their premium equivalents in regards to their hardware offerings– just like budget plan smartphones have provided for a while now. Rather frankly I like it– it simply indicates you can get a gaming rig with extremely decent specs, and from a $3,000 budget, keep close to $2,000 in the bank.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is simply such a laptop computer. No, it hasn’t been chiseled from a single block of aluminum and it does not sound like a precision-tuned futuristic boom box, but to me that does not matter much. It’s still effective adequate to produce decent frame rates in AAA video games, is extremely elegant and has I/O choices galore. Plus, you can pick it up for a take. Keep reading to find this video gaming laptop computer’s best functions.
Trying to find more choices? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the very best gaming laptop computers offered right now.
Acer Predator Helios: Price and specifications
Looking at the setups for this laptop computer and right now, the base model Helios Neo 16 featuring an Intel Core i5-13500HX and GeForce RTX 4050 GPU with WUXGA (165Hz) display expenses just $1,199.99. For the high-grade model, however, you can expect to pay $2,799.99 for a laptop featuring an Intel Core i9-13900HX with GeForce RTX 4080 GPU and higher resolution WQXGA (240Hz) display screen.
” All that space has permitted Acer to squeeze in full-sized arrow secrets, a numpad, media keys and even a couple of helpful hotkeys– among which lets you gain access to Acer’s PredatorSense energy app with a Just single press
Comparing our Helios Neo 16 evaluation unit to laptop computers in the exact same budget plan classification, and you can currently purchase the Lenovo Legion 5i with an Intel i5-13500HX and RTX 4050 GPU with a greater resolution WQXGA (165Hz) screen for $1179.99, that’s $20 less than the most cost effective Helios Neo 16.
Up against MSI’s range of budget gaming laptop computers Acer’s $1,199.99 base model Helios Neo 16 is rather competitively priced. The most inexpensive 2023 MSI video gaming laptop we can currently discover in stock online is the MSI Stealth 14 for $1299.99 at Best Buy.
CPU: Intel Core i7-13700HX
RAM: 16GB DDR5/ 4800MHz
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060
Show: 16-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200p), 165Hz refresh rate, IPS-level
Storage: 512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
Ports: 2 x Thunderbolt 4, 3 x USB-A 3.2, HDMI 2.1, Micro SD card slot, Ethernet port, 3.5 mm combo jack, Kensington lock
Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
Weight: 5.73 pounds (2.6 kg).
Dimensions: 14.18 x 11.02 x 1.11 inches.
Battery: 90Whr.
Price: Start at $1,199.99.
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Design and build.
The Neo 16 is created to offer you all the functionality you ‘d expect in a much more expensive laptop however without the steep cost tag. That stated, the compromise is you do get a chassis with more plastic than you’ll find in some laptop computers.
The design is rather player centric. The laptop computer’s matte black surface has nearly a dark blue sheen to it. The lid features an Acer Predator logo, in addition to a code-like scramble of numbers for styling. Vents and grooves sit along the flanks and underside, offering it a kind of futuristic feel. While there’s no RGB light bar to speak of, the laptop computer’s angular lines and tall display make it appear costlier than it is; undoubtedly, if you’re hunting for a budget plan gaming rig, you ‘d be none the wiser that it costs around $1,000.
From a size viewpoint, the Neo 16 is among the larger 16-inch video gaming laptops I’ve seen this year. It measures 14.18 x 1.11 x 11.02 inches which is longer, larger and thicker than options like the Asus ROG Strix G16 and Razer Blade 16. That merely indicates it requires more table area to sit on. At 5.73 lbs it’s just about 3.2 ounces heavier though, so won’t cause any noticeable difference in portability.
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Keyboard and trackpad.
The Neo 16’s keyboard is an overall winner, being big, flashy, and boasting a really generous key layout. It extends the whole width of the base leaving just a fingernail’s width on either side. All that space has actually enabled Acer to squeeze in full-sized arrow secrets, a numpad, media secrets and even a few beneficial hotkeys– one of which lets you gain access to Acer’s PredatorSense utility app with a Just single press.
I was impressed by the colorful four zone RGB backlighting, which in default mode flashed periodically like a Fourth of July fireworks display. The keys themselves felt great and springy. Acer has made sure secrets transparent around their periphery which highlights the RGB. This openness was especially useful for finding the WASD keys during the night, since they truly pop out from the rest.
The trackpad felt great and responsive too, although I wasn’t a fan of its positioning, which is a little to the left of center. This implied my left wrist had to get by with less area than my right which my left thumb sometimes hit the trackpad by mistake. It wasn’t that much of a problem, but noticeable however.
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Ports.
With 5 USB ports available, just about all my usual devices were easily homed around the Neo 16. Two of these ports, being the really beneficial Thunderbolt 4 kind, made downloading files at as much as 40Gbps while all at once streaming to an external display as simple as pie. 2 Thunderbolt fours is one more than you’ll see in some superior competitors too– so hurrah, what a treat!
I was really chuffed by the other ports available as well. I had a HDMI 2.1 port as an additional display screen option, a LAN port for my LAN cable and 3.5 mm combo jack for my headphones. I even had a Kensington lock, which I wasn’t expecting in a laptop priced so low.
The port positioning was spot on, too. In reality, the Neo 16’s designer may well be a southpaw evaluating by the fact that the ports aren’t bunched around the left side like you typically see in some laptop computers. With the 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports, power and HDMI located along the back, I never ever felt cramped for space, regardless of the laptop’s bigger size.
Acer predator Helios Neo 16: Display and audio.
The Helios Neo 16’s WUXGA display screen is magnificently framed up by ultra-thin bezels on the sides and leading and the panel itself produces perfectly saturated color images, however do not anticipate the kind of fluid movement you will see in panels with 240Hz refresh rates. Suffice to state, you will sometimes see some micro stuttering– specifically when motion pans in from the far left or right. I only saw this occasionally, however it does make a 240Hz refresh rate a very desirable feature I ‘d definitely wish to have.
With only 400 nits of peak brightness, the Helios Neo 16’s display also just scrapes by with satisfactory contrast. This indicates you do periodically lose a few of the information in images. The low peak brightness also implies it doesn’t do well in sunshine; it’s best utilized inside on bright days– so, sorry pool owners, you’re going to have to take those pina coladas inside.
