Acer Predator Helios 300 (15.6″)

The Helios 300 is Acer’s mid-range gaming laptop for 2018 and 2019. It was released in June 2018 and originally shipped with Intel’s 7th-generation Core processors, but was later upgraded with 8th-gen options. Most configurations come with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card from the Pascal generation. It also comes with a choice of 144 Hz Full HD (1080p) IPS panels and NVMe solid-state drives.

Configurations

Available configurations vary by region and the Helios 300 is not customizable from the manufacturer. In the United States, most models feature either a quad-core 7th-generation Core i7-7700HQ or a more recent 6-core Core i7-8750H processor. The graphics card in most currently available models is the upper mid-range GTX 1060, which is based on Nvidia’s Pascal architecture and mostly identical to the desktop version.

Furthermore, the Helios 300 normally comes with a 256 GB PCI Express/NVMe solid state drive. This is used as a boot drive containing the operating system, but the Helios 300 also has room for an additional 2.5″ hard drive or SSD.

Internal memory (RAM) is limited to 32GB and most configurations ship with 16GB of standard-voltage DDR4 RAM.

Performance

Most configurations of the Acer Predator Helios are equipped with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card. The laptop version of the GTX 1060 is mostly identical to the desktop version, with the same amount of shaders/CUDA cores (1280) and (in this case) 6 GB of GDDR5 memory. However, the clock rates are slightly lower in the laptop version, which also reduces performance.

In combination with a Core i7 CPU, the performance is sufficient to run all games from 2018/2019 at the Predator Helios 300’s native 1080p resolution, often at 60 frames per second (FPS) with high settings. It may not be enough to run some of the more demanding games at maximum/ultra settings, but on the whole, the GTX 1060 is a capable GPU in its generation.

Predator Helios 300 Features

Some of the Helios 300’s highlights include a metal chassis and a backlit keyboard (red color only). Acer also emphasizes the AeroBlade 3D cooling solution, which consists of a thin, all-metal fan that allegedly offers superior airflow. Overclocking the GeForce GPU is not only possible, but actively supported via the included PredatorSense software.

Reviews

HotHardware (Core i7-8750H + GeForce GTX 1060)

… What’s interesting, though, is that our testing showed it consistently coming out ahead of other laptops with similar specs in gaming and graphics tests.

TheVerge (Core i7-8750H + GeForce GTX 1060)

The Helios 300 excels at gaming performance for hundreds less than the laptops MSi, Asus, or Razer have on the market.

KitGuru (Core i7-8750H + GeForce GTX 1060, 144Hz panel)

The Acer Helios 300 is a nicely balanced mid-range gaming laptop. It’s no style icon but looks smart enough while largely exhibiting good build quality and it packs in all the key features you should need.