Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop PC, 15.6" FHD IPS w/ 144Hz Refresh, Intel i7-8750H, GTX 1060 6GB, 16GB DDR4, 256GB NVMe SSD, Aeroblade Metal Fans PH315-51-78NP

Im not going to post a super long review, just what I cared about, what this laptop is, and what it isnt. Pro: Insane performance per dollar. Maxing out stuff like Diablo 3, WoW, Overwatch, DOOM, Various Source engine games (TF2, Halflife 2, black mesa, etc) will be butter smooth. This is a near-desktop replacement device. Pro: One of the best non mechanical keyboards. Great travel distance and key responsiveness Pro: Lighter than I expected. Its not an ultra-thin notebook, but very travel friendly. Pro: Premium Feel Pro: Gorgeous Display. Its a 144 Hz IPS display. Its gorgeous. There is some lightbleed when displaying almost all black screens, but thats expected. Not going to count that as a con. Con: It can get warm, to the point of discomfort near the WSAD keys, which I assume the GPU is located internally. I turned on the coolboost feature or whatever its called and this helped. Con: Bloatware. Took about 5 minutes to remove, but nobody likes bloatware. Con: Drivers out of box are a joke. My network performance was horrible until several driver installs and windows updates completed. Drivers are extremely out of date (8+ months old) out of box. Neutral: Design language is typical angsty 14 year old, red and black, stark angles, and angry looking PREDATOR logos. I personally dont care, some people might not like the loud looks. Neutral: PredatorSense software: It lets you slightly OC the 1060, which I did. It also lets you set fan curves. Theres plenty of third party software that does all this already but its nice of them to try. Neutral : 2 year limited warranty: I hope I dont need it. Neutral: NO Mechanical storage hard disk: It only has a 256gig NVME. Not a big deal because I use this exclusively for a handful of games to play while at work, but this might be a turn off for some. Overall, I am happy with this having spent $1200. I would not pay a cent more, but most laptops in this tier DO cost 1400+. If you want something to play games on the go, are cheap, but demand decent quality, there is your go-to laptop.

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Chances are you know a bit about computers if youve made your way through all of the laptop options to this guy. If you are new to buying computers, I will break down some of the specs, what they mean, and what I feel their value is. If not, scroll to the end for my final thoughts. For the new guys, heres the breakdown: SCREEN: 144hz IPS 1080p display. 144hz means you get 144 frames per second. Most laptop screens are going to get 60hz or nicer ones get 120hz. 144hz is fast. IPS displays are good for wide viewing angles and color production. I am surprised to see a 144hz IPS display on a gaming laptop because in the past, IPS were only used for graphic design. 1080p is Full HD, and is more than adequate for gaming on a 15 inch screen. 4k is kind of overkill especially for a budget. A 27inch 144hz IPS 1080p display goes for up to $300. I would estimate the value of this laptops display at ~$150 GRAPHICS: Nvidia gtx1060. I wouldnt buy a laptop without a graphics card, and it has to be NVidia. The 1060 is a great value and is perfectly capable of handling games at 1080p. The 1070 and 1080 are more for 4k gaming and make them kind of overkill and not as budget friendly. The 1060 should be able to connect to a 4k tv and play games in 4k, but they would probably look better in higher settings in 1080p on that same 4k tv. A desktop gtx 1060 still goes for about $300. CPU: Intel i7-8750h. This is a beast. 6 cores with hyperthreading. It supports ultra HD resolutions without a graphics card. I wont bore you with all of the details about how beastly this is. Bottom line, it is a top of the line CPU. the desktops i7-8700 goes for just over $300. a RAM: 16GB of ddr4 should suffice for just about anything. Leave a hundred screens open on your browser and play games while using photoshop. Who cares right?? You could get more but it would be overkill for a budget gaming machine. This much ram for a laptop sells for around $150 Storage: 256gb M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD. A lot of letters right? This is probably the fastest type of drive in the consumer market. Rather than a giant block in your laptop, this is a small card that goes in the motherboard. It is fast!!! No more PTSD every time you restart your computer. 256GB is enough for windows and several large programs like photoshop. I dont recommend this as a storage drive, only as an operating system/large program drive. Thats where the problem lies. This is the only drive in the laptop. You can easily install a second drive in the bay on the bottom of the laptop. It takes 3 minutes. I would recommend a hard drive from western digital. The installed 256gb m.2 drive goes for $120. However, adding another drive adds $100, upping the price of the laptop to $1300 (its currently at $1200) Bells and whistles: 1 USB 3.1(type c), 1 USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0, 1 HDMI 2.0, SD Card reader. (no thundercat port) HIgher end laptops have more bells and whistles like extra ports and fun other things. This comes with the basics, and most people wont need more than that. Keyboard: red backlight, side numpad. Cant change the colors. Kind of basic keyboard. This saves on overall cost of the laptop and its a bell or whistle I can live without. FINAL THOUGHTS: Adding up the assumed monetary value of the Display ($150), GPU($300), CPU($300), RAM($150), and Storage($120), We have a base value of $1020. I cant easily estimate the motherboard, battery, laptop shell, power cord, and other small parts, but assuming all those other parts add up to ~$300, that makes the value of this laptop around $1300. It sells for $1200 so it is a good value. Biggest selling point in price range: Other similarly priced laptops offer similar specs, but not many can boast of having that 144hz IPS display. Some competitors are at 120hz which isnt anything to scoff at. The M.2 NVMe is a must if you are considering other competitors. Other than that, most laptops in this pool offer the same general specs (CPU, GPU, RAM) CONCERNS: Audio: Audio kind of sucks. If you hold the speakers towards you, they sound fine, but they arent even close to ear level so all the sound is getting muffled by your lap. I usually use my headphones, but there are also a lot of bluetooth speaker options nowadays. Materials: The case is solid. Parts of it are metal and other parts are plastic. Oils from your fingers show up very well all over the laptop. Wear vinyl gloves when playing games (jk dont). You may have to clean it often. Overheating: All gaming laptops will get hot. In fact most other laptops I considered buying were criticized heavily for getting too darn hot. The ones that werent criticized for that were criticized for breaking at the hinges. I purchased this one because it was reviewed as being sturdy and cooler than other gaming laptops. I havent had any specific problems with this laptop, but others have suggested boosting the fan if in a hardcore gaming session. Invest in a cooling pad. It should be very hard to overheat this laptop to the point of failure.

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Not sure whether the thermal paste is badly applied, or this laptop just sucks. But it has serious issues with overheating. I was consistently hitting temps of 90C+ and hit spikes of 98C quite a few times. The laptop shut down twice because it maxed at 100C. This is happening with the fan on MAX and the GPU set to NORMAL, not even overclocking. However, based on reading other reviews, I believe this issue is not consistent with this item, it is a manufacturing flaw, not a design problem. This will happen to you SOMETIMES if you buy this laptop. This is not a risk Im willing to take, Im returning it for a different laptop which will not have cooling issues. This laptop, other than its (serious) cooling issues, was a great laptop and ran games well (for the first hour or so). *****EDIT: I forgot to add, the left control key worked about half the time, since day 1 of buying the laptop. I had to press it really hard to get it to work right. ******

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I was in the market for purchasing a laptop. I travel to conventions, LAN parties, and for work, so Id like to have a really mobile gaming PC. I was narrowing my scope to the following: 1. Playing games at higher than 60 FPS at medium to ultra settings, depending on the game and my preferences. This laptop does that. 2. Having a mobile VR machine, that way instead of hauling a beefy PC and all the VR equipment, I just have the laptop and go. This laptop does that very well (I have enjoyed Beat Saber with this laptop) 3. Being able to lightly content create via streaming and locally recording. I havent tried streaming yet. On paper, the laptop hits all 3. Having a hexa-core CPU and a full 1060 6GB, this hits all the bells. Now, to the problems Ive had: Ill share my experience so far: my first laptop purchase came in an Amazon box that look like it had a shotgun blast it, and the actual Amazon box was unsealed. While the actual laptop box looked fine, I was very skeptical. I immediately requested a replacement due to what I experienced, added on to the following: 1. If you wear a watch with a magnetic clasp on your left hand, you may have a bad time. The laptop thinks the monitor lid is closed by my guess, since if I wear my watch band contact a certain area of the left side of the laptop, the monitor will shut down without fail. Itll immediately resume (like opening/closing the lid), but its annoying (this happened on both laptops). 2. If you decide to use a headset with this, the software used may be confusing. The laptop has a beam formed microphone, and when you connect a headset, it deceptively tells you that the beam microphone is still on, instead of your actual headset mic. I troubleshot for a long time, its just something to keep in mind (this happened on both laptops). 3. This laptop only has a HDMI out - remember my desire for a mobile VR rig? Its impossible to output to your VR headset and to an external display like a TV or projector with whats built into the laptop. Im still researching a solution, since Id like for others to watch VR. Itll also only output to only certain monitors at high refresh rates via HDMI port (theres a thread on Acers forums). Newer monitors can do 120+hz refresh rates over HDMI, but most monitors cant. Keep that in mind if youre intending on using this laptop with an external monitor. Also, be weary of a 15.6 inch screen, its small and if you have to look down at a 45 degree angle at your screen for long times, itll suck. 4. Ultimately, the most important, is that this laptop throttles and overheats. Playing a game with nothing else in the background (PUBG, World of Warcraft, etc) will often cause your CPU to reach 100 degrees Celsius, causing it to throttle, FPS spikes, and stuttering until the temp comes back down to the realm. Ive troubleshot a bunch, and what is currently working is using aftermarket and Intel tweaking software to undervolt the CPU. Seriously not ideal, but Im now at a better 80-85 degrees with auto fan control. I also to installed Throttlestop to disable some of the laptop power management features to prevent it from downclocking, even at appropriate temperatures. After some significant software tweaks, I can say Im "happy" with it. I will probably pursue a warranty repair, because Acers community forums stated that the three options are to undervolt, request a warranty repair, or to replace the thermal paste & pads yourself. With the exception of the overheating, the rest of the caveats are minor at best. For a kick ass gaming experience at 1080p (hell, this thing has a 144hz refresh rate screen too!), its hard to beat this.

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I wanted to like this laptop. However, the heating issues are irredeemable and I’m returning the laptop. Pros - excellent screen, color is rich and refresh rate is silky smooth - fast CPU and GPU - overall build quality feels solid - good keyboard Cons - heating issues - This pretty much ruins the experience. Extensive throttling and stuttering due to temps of 100 *C routinely being reached within 5 min of beginning a gaming session. The aluminum portion between the top of the keyboard and the bottom of the panel becomes unbearable hot to the point that you can’t even touch it without burning your finger.

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This is an extremely high performance laptop with a few of the expected cons of being in this price range (battery life, limited storage out of the box, can get quite hot). Overall the pros far outweigh the cons and I feel great about the purchase. It runs newer games extremely well on high settings without any kinds of performance issues. If you want to get full use of the beautiful 144 hz screen you might need to turn a few graphical settings but its well worth it. I should point out that I did initially have some heat issues with this laptop where temperatures would consistently be above 90c on demanding games which caused throttling and massive frame drops. I fixed this by undervolting the CPU by 100 MV using throttlestop and running the fans at max speed during gameplay. This has completely solved the issue for me. If you wanted to you could also apply a quality thermal paste or buy a cooling pad but its probably not necessary. On top of the actual performance of the laptop its a pleasure to use. The keyboard is very good and feels great to type on. The screen is excellent which makes consuming all kinds of content on this thing very enjoyable. I mentioned the lack of storage out of the box but you can easily add an SSD / HDD to solve that. The only real con for this laptop that you cant address is the battery life, and its definitely a problem. Dont expect more than 2-3 hours at best even just doing simple tasks like browsing the web. I honestly wouldnt even bother trying to game on it without being plugged in. If thats not a major problem for you then I would highly recommend this laptop. Its raw performance rivals laptops that are in the 2k+ range and destroys everything else thats priced similarly. Ive only had this laptop for a week so Ill update if anything changes, but I am extremely pleased and expect this thing to last me several years.

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I was very skeptical on getting this machine at first as I havent had any Acer "gaming" laptop before and saw many people complaining on Acer gaming machine but I couldnt find any other laptop that offer more bang for your buck than this so I gave it a try and... yes I have zero regret for choosing this over the rest. Actually Im very much happy with this purchase BUT I wouldnt recommend this laptop for people who doesnt like to tinker with their brand new laptop or have no idea how to improve the cooling efficiency because this laptop gets HOT at stock when playing game at very high graphics settings. You wont be able to comfortably play Fortnite with maxed out settings as the temp will hit 94C (CPU) and 90C (GPU) at stock setup even on max fan setting at 23C room temp. After performing the below mentioned, my max temp on Fortnite (epic settings) is 80C (CPU) and 73C (GPU) at 22C room temp. **avg. 80+fps** Repaste - Grizzly Aeronaut Repad - (optional) Undervolt - ThrottleStop Remove the bloatwares (I reinstalled the OS instead) Raise the laptop (about 40MM high) Max fan speed Display: I was too worried with the anti-glare feature that I might not like the not so sharp display as Im used to the sharpness of my Alienware M15x 1080p and XPS 15 550 4K displays but surprisingly I still dont feel any less sharpness when using this laptop... Just to make myself clear, Im not saying theres no difference between the glossy panels and this anti-glare one. Its just that the difference is very minimal that it doesnt bother me at all despite my obsession with the screen sharpness of the glossy panels. (my scaling is at 100% vs 125% default) Light bleed is very minimal if theres any (thoughI havent check in a dark room yet) as I havent notice any unusual color on any part of the screen while using the laptop normally unlike my 9550 which I immediately noticed when I first boot the laptop. Keyboard: Much better than my 9550. I can type comfortably just like on M15x though Im typing on my mech keyboard more often since I got the laptop. Speakers: Mediocre it is (but the volume is not that low like how they say) Hope this could help someone whos looking to buy one.

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I purchased this laptop to be my gaming device while Im travelling. So far I have tested Battle Field 1 and Guild Wars 2 and was able to play at Ultra/Highest settings on both games at 60+ FPS (BF1 - Averaged 75 FPS, GW2 - Averaged 70 FPS). All of this was done without using the available overclocking that is configurable with Acers PredatorSense software. I purchased a 1 TB Samsung 860 EVO SSD to install in the 2.5" bay. After installation I found that the SATA+Power connector had a broken PCB (circuit board). I contacted Acers support and within 30 minutes they had put in an order to ship me out a new SATA+Power cable. I would like to note for those less technically inclined, they did offer for me to return the laptop and receive a completely new one. Since I know my way around a motherboard I chose to just replace the cable myself. So far Im very pleased with this laptop, for those who complained about the keyboard getting hot, this is a common issue on all gaming laptops. It can simply be fixed by setting the fan speed to max when playing video games. I just finished a 2 hour session of Battle Field 1 multiplayer and my keyboard is just slightly above room temperature. I have listed what I liked about the machine and what I didnt below as well as a summary of my review. Pro(s): Performance - This laptop has, at the time of this writing, the latest Intel Core i7 processor. Paired with the GTX 1060, this machine can easily run the latest games on Ultra/Highest settings at 60+ FPS at a resolution of 1080P. Display - The display is leaps and bounds better than many laptops in this price range. Many people complained about the display from last years model. Acer responded by putting a far superior display on this years model. Keyboard - The keyboard has great feedback and travel distance for a laptop keyboard. Customer Service - My laptop unfortunately had a broken SATA/HDD cable. After I discovered the problem, I called Acers customer support. After explaining the issue they without hesitation shipped me another cable. Ill update the post once I have installed and tested it. Con(s): Heavy - Even for a gaming laptop, this machine is heavy. Its a full pound heavier than some of its competition. Battery Life - I will never dock a star for poor battery life out of a gaming laptop. Battery life is always a trade off with every gaming laptop, there are no exceptions. If you plan on gaming with this laptop on the go, ensure you are near a power outlet. Modern Ports - If you are expecting a ThunderBolt 3 port, keep looking. This laptop does include a USB Type C port; however, it is not a ThunderBolt 3 port. Summary: If you are looking for a laptop that can run modern titles at 60+ FPS at a resolution of 1080P look no further this is the best machine for the money. If you are looking for a laptop to do general business with some light gaming I wouldnt recommend this laptop. You would be far better served with a GTX 1050/1050 Ti an 8GB of RAM. This laptop would be overkill and you wouldnt be pleased with the battery life.

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We recently purchased this laptop for my son. He needed it immediately because he was going away for college. When we received the laptop, it did not power-up. We immediately contacted Acer for technical support . Acer tech team recommended to send it back for repair. Its been 3 weeks and we still have not received the repaired laptop.. In the mean time, my son left for college without his needed laptop. THIS IS SOO FRUSTRATING.. UGH!! If anybody from the ACER team reading this review.. PLEASE HELP!!

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3:11 0:00 This video is not intended for all audiences. What date were you born? January February March April May June July August September October November December 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 1905 1904 1903 1902 1901 1900 Submit Adobe Flash Player is required to watch this video. Install Flash Player Pros: 144hz display Price Cons: Major overhearing issues This is probably the worst experience Ive ever had with a vendor built computer. I purchased my original unit back in June 2018 and purchased it mainly to take to LANs to avoid lugging my desktop around. Fist time actually using it to game was slightly over a month after purchase (too late for amazons no questions return policy) and boy was it horrible. Games tested where CSGO (low settings) Quake Champions (also low settings) Civ V (medium settings) all games after about 20 minuets of play would show signs of stuttering before frame rates would tank down to 20 fps or lower. Sent the original unit in for repairs and they swapped out the motherboard and sent it back to me for testing, same issues. 2nd round of sending it in they replaced the heatsink and that also did not stop the overheating. 3rd round they reinstalled windows (I told them numerous times I had already done this, and was also damaged in shipping and they tried to make me pay for the damages) didnt help. They took that unit back and replaced it with a new unit that should work "better than the last". So the second unit has the same problems as the first if not worse. Still fighting the battle of trying to get a refund from Acer. The most recent news is I sent a tier 3 representative a video of the issue and he said he would review the video with his engineers. I havent heard a thing back since. Ill update this review with more info if they ever get back to me. Attached is a video of the issue (disregard my lack of quake skills) Id steer clear of this laptop unless like others have said, you want to play the laptop lottery. Edit: STILL have a support ticket open. They tried to give me a "different model", ended up being the same PC with an added 1 tb drive and no 144hz panel . (Adding a spinning drive heat of its own will surely help with thermals). At this point they are trying to force feed me replacements that dont match the specs of the original laptop. Trying for a refund now, Ive wasted enough time is the past six months trying to get a working machine.

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