Acer Predator Helios 300 Review: The Ideal Gaming Laptop?

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At First Glance

The 2020 updated model of Acer Predator Helios 300 comes with a 144Hz display and slight changes to other features. Although on a first glance, it looks like its predecessor. On a closer look, you will, however, discover that Acer improved on a few features such as the thermal design or display options.

The Acer Predator Helios 300 offers a perfect balance between performance and price. It is a gaming laptop for those who do not want to spend much but still need swift operations and smooth frame rates.

In terms of price and specs, it is a level below the top tier, which is acceptable for some.

Design, Dimension, and Weight Review

Measuring (W x D x H) 363.2 x 254 x 22.8 mm and weighs 2499.2 g, the Helios 300 is heavier than its direct competitors such as the MSI GE66 Raider 2020 (2404.4 g). However, it is relatively compact for a 15.6-inch gaming laptop.

Aluminum is used for the interior and the lid, in a black-blue color with matte finishes that picks fingerprints effortlessly. With angular planes and some light blue accents which contrast nicely against the black aluminum – Acer Predator Helios 300 seems as though it is seconds away from transforming into a modern digital robot.

While the air vents are grandly styled, every other thing is moderate. The backlit RGB keyboard is okay for the average user. However, the absence of a dedicated Caps-Lock indicator and the excessive light that creeps out the keycaps are little downsides.

In my Acer Predator Helios 300 design review, I give it a score of 7 because of few shortcomings. The lid, for one, inherits a panel-lit Predator logo and two decorative bars.

In terms of design, the logo and the two decorative bars are not the most subtle and could seem off in an official setting.

Another less enjoyable structuring is the positioning of the Status LED under the screen. It tends to get in your line of sight when used in a dark environment. Acer could have done better with this aspect of the design.

Finally, the speakers are structured to fire downwards. Although you can tune the speakers. However, in terms of audio quality, it is not the best out there. 

Processor (CPU) Performance Review

Acer Predator comes with a core i7-10750H. A very notable feature of this model is the single-button Turbo overclock mode. This sets the extreme GPU profile and pushes the fans to their max. The fans help reduce temperature but with extra fan noise to deal with the excess heat.

However, the overclock mode should be activated mostly when the laptop is plugged in.

Furthermore, thanks to the faster spinning fans on the Turbo Mode, the processor can run at slightly higher clocks in sustained loads.

Moreover, on Turbo Mode, the i7-10750 processor settles for clock speeds of 3.8+ GHz with a TDP of 70+W in all runs.

Finally, in my Acer Predator Helios 300 CPU review, it gets a 9 because of the CPU limitations to only 25W on battery – and the effect it has on the battery performance. Apart from this slight limitation, its performance is excellent. It executes operations smoothly.

Memory (RAM) Performance Review

With 16GB DDR4 2933 MHz RAM, the Helios 300 doesn’t struggle with its performance. Even with close to 45 exhausting Google Chrome tabs, a movie being streamed on Netflix, and a YouTube video being played, It experienced no difficulty.

Also, the Acer Predator Helios 300 performs well in long gaming sessions. For example, The Witcher 3 ran for close to an hour on the Ultra preset at 10801p, during which it reached between 47 and 58 FPS. Therefore, you should not face any throttling when gaming for long periods.

It scored a 9 for memory because of its excellent performance. This rating shows that the laptop does a little beyond just gaming.

In a Photoshop test, for example, it performed so well that it beat the average gaming laptop score.

Storage Options and Performance Review

Acer equipped the Helios 300 with a 1 x 1 TB SSD, precisely the WDC PC SN730.

The Predator Helios 300 supports up to 3 drives via M.2 Slots and comes with an upgradeability feature. The stress of swapping games off the included drive because of lack of space can be avoided by simply adding an additional 1 TB or even 2 TB hard drive.

The drive achieved excellent transfer speed in performance surpassing about 98% of comparable devices. 

Furthermore, the Acer Predator Helios 300 storage review scores an 8 because of its excellent storage performance. During a file transfer test, it averaged 741.9MB/S while transferring 25GB of mixed media.

However, because of the amount of storage some games require, a larger drive would have been preferable. The possibility of configuring the device with a larger SSD makes it acceptable though.

Graphics Card Performance Review

The Helios 300 took an all-out approach to graphics with a discrete Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU, an 8GB RAM and an integrated Intel UHD GPU.  

The graphics card is one of the most significant components in a gaming laptop, and the Helios 300 delivered in this aspect.

It scored a solid 10 for graphics features and performance. Its graphic card performs so well it gives the laptop enough to surpass the 70 FPS achieved by most mainstream gaming laptops.

The gaming experience on the Predator Helios 300 was very smooth. There was no stuttering or hiccups of any kind.

While playing Grand Theft Auto V for example, the laptop gave an 80 FPS performance.

Battery Life and Performance Review

The Helios 300 comes with a 58Wh battery, which achieves comparatively short runtimes. It drains its battery in under 5 hours when not in full use. Moreover, it lasts 3-4 hours on Power-Saver Mode with Wi-Fi on.

The battery life delivered by Acer Predator Helios 300 is way below the mainstream gaming average. It scores a 6 for its weak battery life. 

Moreover, when running on battery, it throttles its CPU and GPU, drastically restricting its battery performance. This further shortens its battery life.

In comparison, the Helios 300 is considerably inadequate in battery performance. It is the most disappointing feature of the laptop.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Regardless of its short battery life, the Acer Predator Helios 300 remains one of the best-value, mid-range gaming performance laptops in the market.

Gaming is where it remains nearly unbeatable. I recommend it mainly for gaming. However, Acer Predator Helios 300 also works for streaming Netflix movies, and working on Excel.

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