With new updates in store for 2023, Acer has unveiled its latest lineup of 18-inch gaming laptops in the industry. Acer Predator Helios 16 and Helios 18 are making waves in the gaming community with their latest 16:10 QHD display, 250Hz mini LED display keyboard panel, Nvidia 40 series graphics card, and many more updates from their previous helios models.

The buzzing news in town is definitely Acer predator 16 inch and 18-inch gaming laptops. Its predator Helios lineup has top-notch specs and updated features for the 2023 generation of gaming laptops, which we will dig into in this review.

What’s New in 2023

The 2023 Acer gaming laptops had a huge upgrade from their previous versions in the lineup. Starting with the RTX-4080 graphics card that was never seen in any Acer laptop before. Besides, they have thrown in a min-LED feature with more than 1000 dimming units for both 16 & 18 models.

Other than that, the press conference indicated an update on the thermal situation by adding  5th gen Aeroblade fans, liquid metal, and vector heat pipes as their cooling system.

 We can tell there might be a major upgrade going on the back and they might come up with a better solution to their noisy turbos.

Acer Predator 16 inch vs predator 18 inch

The new versions of helios come in two different sizes- Acer predator 16 which is 16-inch laptop and helios 18 has an 18-inch display. Both of these models have 16:10 displays which are very new in the helios series.

The feature that people are looking forward to is the 250 Hz mini LED display. It has been used in high-resolution TVs but never in any gaming laptop; especially not in any 18-inch laptop; which gives helios 18 an edge over its direct 18-inch competitors.

According to Acer’s website, either of the models can be configured with a mini LED display, where AU Optronics mini-LED panel has over 1000 local dimming zones and can provide 1000+ nits at peak brightness, and has 100% coverage over DCI-P3 color gamut.

Also another new on the list is its Nvidia RTX-4080 graphics card.

Hardware specs and software

Features	Acer Predator 16 inch	Acer Predator 18 inch
Display & Mini-LED	16 inch, 16:10, non-touch QHD+ 2560 miniLED – 1024 dimming zones, 250 Hz 3ms, 1000+ nits, 100% DCI-P3 QHD+ 2560 x 1600 px IPS, 240Hz or 165Hz 3ms; miniLED per-key RGB backlit keyboard with NumPad on both sizes	18-inch, 16:10, non-touch, matte, QHD+ 2560 x 1600 px, miniLED – 1024 dimming zones, 250 Hz 3ms, 1000+ nits, 100% DCI-P3 QHD+ 2560 x 1600 px IPS, 240Hz or 165Hz 3ms FHD+ 1920 x 1200 px IPS, 165 Hz 7ms, 300 nits, 100% sRGB; miniLED per-key RGB backlit keyboard with NumPad on both sizes
Processor	Intel 13th gen Raptor Lake core i7	Intel 13th gen Raptor Lake, up to Core i9 HX
Graphics Card	Intel UHD + up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 12GB (up to 165W with Dynamic Boost) with MUX, Advanced Optimus, GSync	Intel UHD + up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 12GB (up to 165W with Dynamic Boost) with MUX, Advanced Optimus, GSync
Memory	up to 32 GB DDR5-4800 (2x DIMMs)	up to 32 GB DDR5-4800 (2x DIMMs)
Storage	2x M.2 PCIe gen4 2280 slots	2x M.2 PCIe gen4 2280 slots
Connectivity	WiFi 6E (Killer AX1675) 2×2 with Bluetooth 5.2, 2.5Gigabit LAN (Killer E2600)	WiFi 6E (Killer AX1675) 2×2 with Bluetooth 5.2, 2.5Gigabit LAN (Killer E2600)
Port	an ethernet port, two Thunderbolt 4.0 ports, HDMI 2.1, and three USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports	an ethernet port, two Thunderbolt 4.0 ports, HDMI 2.1, and three USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports
Battery life & Weight	90 Wh, 280 W power adapter, USB-C charging, up to 6-7 hours; 2.7+kg for Helios 16	90 Wh, 280 W power adapter, USB-C charging, up to 6-7 hours; 3+ kg for Helios 18

Both Acer Helios 16 and 18 have a 16:10 aspect ratio, whether you use the base mode or go all in with the mini-LED feature. Helios 16 is available in QHD Plus( 25001600) 165Hz panel whereas helios 18 has the same but can drop down to FHD Plus (19201200) 165Hz panel.

Speaking about configuration, both are built on Intel 13th Gen Raptor Lake processors. You can choose between its Core i9 or i7 HX processors. Both models support an RTX-4080 graphics card with 165W of total dynamic power.

In addition to this, memory and storage can get up to 32GB of DDR5 4800MHz RAM and 2TB of PCI 4.0 gen NVMe SSDs.

Much like its previous models, these laptops are not that portable and more on the heavier side. You can easily compare these with a full-functioning desktop because of upgraded specs, a cooling system, and a processor.

Aesthetically, Acer laptops have come a long way with their design. You will actually appreciate their minimalistic approach to the design. They gave the chassis a clean look; whether it is opting for the air grill above the keyboard or the defined armrests around the touchpad.

Getting into the keyboard, you’ll actually find it interesting that both the Helios 16 and the Helios 18 uses mini-LEDs for their full key RGB control. It also uses a 1.8 mm stroke depth design and anti-ghosting n-key rollover so that you can have an intense gaming match without worrying about a failed keypress.

Acer Predator 16 inch & 18 inch Performance

If you are all in for a high-performance gaming laptop; the good news for you is that Acer’s these models are going to be a dominator in the gaming market; and that is because of their performance. With the new RTX-40 series graphics cards, it is assumed that the fps rates of games will be increased from their usual on DLSS3 as well.

As they are built on an intel 13900HX processor; you’ll get a maximum clock speed of 5.4GHz and; hence experience low frame drop. 32GB DDR5 4800MHz RAM will provide a low latency lag.

Besides, you can edit your videos or play games as long as you want with its 6-7 hours of estimated battery life. Mini-LEDs on the display will provide accurate RGBs for gamers and editors who require accurate color.

Battery Life

The Acer predator 16 & 18 both gaming laptops draw power from a 4-cell 90 Wh battery that comes with a 330-watt charger. Battery life can be extended to 6-7 hours if you are using it for your everyday tasks; while it works fine for up to 4 hours of intense gaming.

Acer has added an ethernet port, two Thunderbolt 4.0 ports, HDMI 2.1, and three USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports. Besides, it has a Wifi-6E module.

Update from Helios 300, 2022 Version

Acer Predator Helios 300 has a 15.6-inch display which is smaller than both helios 16 & 18 models. Though the 17-inch 144Hz screen is slightly larger than helios 16.

Helios 16 & 18 had a major glow-up in terms of graphics cards where Nvidia-4080 is used in both models, whereas helios 300 is built with an RTX-3060.

In terms of battery health, Helios 300 can run for 4 hours on heavy usage whereas both Helios 16 & 18 can run up to 6 hours.

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