When Acer came out with the first 18″ laptop, it was a surprise after all the smaller diagonals. The novelty is already the second generation of this high-performance gaming machine, and despite the fact that there is not much new happening on the outside, on the other hand, there is no need to improve what works well, the main changes occurred inside.
The novelty adopts a relatively compact design with dimensions based on the 17″ siblings from last year’s predecessor. Thanks to better display storage and construction, the manufacturer managed to install an 18″ display without increasing the size of the notebook by reducing the frames. Of course, this does not mean that the new Helios 18 is an easy-to-port laptop. After all, high performance requires effective cooling and space. Compared to older generations, however, a shift can be seen here. Compared to gaming laptops, the overall design is also more moderate, without significant accents. The manufacturer expects that the notebook will also be used in a work environment, where conspicuous lights and design fads are not worn much. However, this does not mean that game fans would lose their favorite lighting effects. The Predator logo is subtle, but, of course, it lights up. The more prominent lighting element is the strip with the cooling vents on the top side behind the display curtains, which is all backlit just like the keyboard. The backlight can be adjusted and turned off. The flat body is matte and made of aluminum. The construction is very strong and hardly bends. The lid opens easily with one smooth movement with one hand. Its frames are really narrow around the entire display and the top one hides the webcam. The grid above the keyboard is briefly interrupted on the left side by the Turbo button. The keyboard has an excellent backlight. Keystrokes are long, with softer feedback. Clicking mimics a mechanical keyboard, which makes typing on it good. At the bottom is a huge touchpad with a glass surface that is extremely smooth. Cooling holes are located at the back and sides, air intake is from below and also through the keyboard. Thanks to this, the keyboard does not heat up.
However, the truth is that the design and the lights would be a bit lacking for a gaming laptop. The new Acer Predator Helios 18 (PH18-72-963C) is equipped with top components from Intel and nVidia. The drive is handled by a new generation Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, supported by 32 GB of DDR5 RAM, installed in two 16 GB modules. Graphics are handled by a dedicated nVidia GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card, which promises monumental performance, all at a graphics TGP of only 175 W, which was unthinkable a few years ago. In the role of storage is a 2 TB high-speed SSD disk. The traditionally rich port equipment offers an RJ-45 connector, USB-A 3.2 (Gen. 2), 3.5 mm audio connector and a microSD card reader on the left side. On the right are a pair of USB-A ports, one in USB-A 3.2 (Gen. 2) version. On the back, in addition to the dedicated power connector, there is a pair of USB-C 3.2 (Gen. 2) ports with Thunderbolt 4 and DisplayPort support and an HDMI port. Even this time, the USB-C ports are not enough to power the laptop, and the included 330 W power source must be used. However, this is understandable given the notebook’s performance.
The novelty is equipped with an 18.1-inch IPS display with mini LED backlight, WQXGA resolution (2560 × 1600 pixels), 250 Hz refresh rate and G-Sync support. The display is anti-reflective and covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color space. The pair of speakers supports the DTS:X Ultra standard and offers very good sound for notebooks. The built-in microphones are capable of canceling noise, which is great for gaming or conference calls.
The laptop is one of the top performers on the market, so you’ll be hard-pressed to find any modern game that you can’t play without problems at maximum settings. In addition, it also brilliantly handles demanding work tasks, such as video rendering, working with 3D models, and the like. We also tested it with the latest version of the DaVinci Studio software, where it handles work with 5.7K ProRes video without any problems, it also coped well with processing large series of photos and the like. It also achieved excellent results in the 3D mark and Cinebench tests. Cooling is provided by Acer Predator CoolBoost technology, which combines a pair of fans and heat pipes to efficiently remove heat from the notebook. The 90 Wh battery will keep the device alive for about 4 hours 15 minutes under normal use, which is not bad at all for a gaming laptop. However, you cannot avoid connecting to the network when playing games or performing demanding tasks.
Acer Predator Helios 18 is one of the most powerful gaming laptops on the market. With an 18.1″ IPS display, high performance and good cooling, it is a device not only for gaming, but also for demanding work tasks. If that wasn’t enough, it also exists in a variant with an nVidia GeForce RTX 4090 card.
PROS, CONS:
+ Performance, quality cooling, 250 Hz Mini LED display, processing, keyboard
– Noisier under load
PARAMETERS:
Predator Helios 18 (PH18-72-963C), Windows 11 Home, Intel Core i9-14900HX, 32 GB DDR5 5600 MHz, 2048 GB PCIe NVMe SED SSD PMP4 + N (M.2 SSD), microSD card reader, – 18″ WQXGA (2560 × 1600), 16:10, IPS Anti-Glare 250 Hz, DCI-P3 100%, 1000 nits, DDS support, HDR 1000, Low blue, Mini LED, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 12G-GDDR6 (2C51216*6 ), 20 Gb/s 175 W MGP, Wi-Fi 7 802.11be 2×2 Killer 1750x + BT 5.3, FHD USB TNR camera with 2 microphones, RGB backlit keyboard with individual key lighting, 2× USB Type-C port supporting: USB 3.2 Gen. 2 (up to 10 Gb/s), DisplayPort via USB-C / Thunderbolt 4, 3 A/DC-in port 65 W, 1× USB 3.2 Gen .1, HDMI 2.1, RJ-45 – DTS X, audio, 2x 5th generation AeroBlade 3D fans + liquid metal thermal grease, set of replaceable keys WASD – Predator MagKey, MagSpeed and MagClick, PredatorSense application, 90 Wh Li-ion battery, 330 W 5.5phy AC adapter, Abyssal Black + black aluminum LCD cover + keyboard cover, 2x vent cover
Cena: 3179 EUR
Source: www.nextech.sk
