Acer - Predator Helios 18 Gaming Laptop - 18" 2560 x 1600 IPS 240Hz – Intel i9-14900HX – GeForce RTX 4090 - 32GB DDR5 – 1TB SSD - Abyssal Black

I recently snagged the **Acer Predator Helios 18** during a fantastic sale and grabbed the RTX 4090 version for $2,400 (down from $3,000!)—an absolute steal, especially since it was cheaper than the RTX 4080 version at the time. Here's my review of this powerhouse: **Overall Score:** 8.5/10 **Would Recommend (especially on sale)** --- **Pros** 1. **Stunning Mini LED Display** The screen is jaw-droppingly bright and vivid. I find myself using it at only 50–70% brightness because anything more feels like overkill. It's sharp enough to challenge the sun—not that I plan on gaming outside, but you probably *could* with this display. 2. **Top-notch Performance** This machine runs like a dream. In Performance mode, I hit consistent **55–60 FPS on demanding games** like *Horizon Forbidden West* and over **120 FPS with frame generation enabled**. While Turbo mode adds marginal improvements, the fan noise becomes a bit much, so Performance mode strikes the perfect balance. Temps are manageable, and I recommend propping up the back for better cooling. 3. **Great Keyboard & Trackpad** - The original keyboard feels excellent, though I don’t recommend swapping the “mag keys” for the included caps—they’re awkward and slowed my typing down. Stick with the original setup! - The trackpad is sturdy and oversized. The deep “clunk” when pressed is oddly satisfying. It's perfect for everyday use outside of gaming. --- **Mids** 1. **Software Woes** The bundled software is a mixed bag. It comes with some bloat (e.g., McAfee) that’s easy to remove, but **Acer's PredatorSense** software can be hit-or-miss. I encountered issues after installing updates—eventually requiring a system rollback to fix it. When it works, the RGB controls and system monitoring are excellent, but troubleshooting can be frustrating. 2. **Stock RAM/Storage** 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD are decent, but for the price and the amount of pre-installed software, I'd expected more. Upgrades are on my to-do list. --- **Cons** 1. **USB-C Charging Issues** The laptop struggles to perform when powered via USB-C. With a 100W USB-C charger, it lagged badly—almost as if it were on the verge of shutting down. Stick to the original charger for optimal performance. 2. **Heavy & Bulky** At 7 lbs (plus 3 lbs for the charger), this isn’t a laptop you'll casually toss in a bag. It's a tank, and investing in a heavy-duty backpack is a must for portability. 3. **Abysmal Battery Life** With just 2 hours of web browsing or light tasks, this isn't a device for extended on-the-go use. The powerful CPU drains the battery at lightning speed, even in Eco Mode. --- **Final Thoughts** The **Acer Predator Helios 18** is a behemoth—a true mobile desktop replacement that delivers insane gaming performance. For its price, especially on sale, it outperforms many competitors in its class. However, it's not for everyone. If you need something lightweight and portable, consider alternatives like the Asus G14 or G16. If you crave **maximum power, an incredible screen, and high FPS in demanding games**, this laptop won't disappoint. For me, it’s a great balance of performance and value—a no-brainer at $2,400. Sure, it's not perfect, but it’s a beast where it counts, and I’d absolutely recommend it on sale.

I own a desktop with a 4090 and 5800x3d, hooked up to an LG C2 42 inch TV, but sitting too long in my chair at my desk hurts back my after sitting for long and I wanted something more portable. This is my first time using a Mini-LED screen and I'm pretty impressed, coming from OLED the blacks obviously aren't as good, but they're still really good. I would say the brightness and no risk of burn-in is a positive that mini-LED has over OLED. I really love the Panel, it looks amazing. I'm a big fan of the touchpad and keyboard. The touchpad is really big and smooth. It hasn't taken me long to get used to and it's pretty comfortable playing Paradox games like CK3 and Victoria 3 with it. The Keyboard is also a good size. The swappable WASD keys are pretty neat and I like the full size arrow keys. I haven't played too many games yet, but I've tried Crusader Kings 3, Victoria 3, and Yakuza 0, all of them have been perfectly smooth and I can almost get to steady 200 fps in Yakuza 0 at ultra settings. I've added a 2TB SN850X SSD and upgraded the RAM to 64GB, it was a very easy process, just make sure you get a hex screwdriver if you don't already have one. The only downside, and the reason I'm giving it four stars instead of five, is that the cooling in turbo mode isn't the best. The 14900HX constantly throttles when playing games in turbo mode. I ended up buying a IETS GT600 cooling pad and that solved the issue completely. No more thermal throttling and the temps have dropped by more than 20 degrees Celsius when running the GT600 at full speed. The fans of the laptop and cooler are both pretty loud at high speed, but I don't care about the noise. I play games with headphones on and I always have a fan and an air purifier running in my room so it doesn't bother me. I bought this laptop on sale for $350 off, it's a great deal for having such a nice screen, a 4090, and a 14900hx, other laptops with the same specs and often worst screens are 1000-2000 dollars more. I would definitely recommend this laptop, as long as you don't mind buying a cooling pad and don't care about loud fan noises it's been perfect so far.

I've been playing around with this laptop for a while now. Overall, it's been good. I've been able to play games I wouldn't have dreamed of with my old PC. The screen is large enough, and it is great for playing games. Pros: 1) Large screen, nice for gaming. 2) Performance is good enough for most desktop replacements. 3) I like the keyboard lights and the replaceable keys. 4) It is a nice looking laptop and feels sturdy. Would I drop it open, no. If I dropped it closed I feel like it would live to see another day. The main cons and the reason this didn't get 5 stars: 1) I read the reviews saying the fans were loud. I thought people were exaggerating a bit. They weren't. It's basically a Boeing 747 taking off constantly. I've had people leave the room due to the noise it makes. I'm planning on getting a good cooling pad because it's basically wear a headset and F everyone else if you want to hear and enjoy your game. 2) Battery life. Again I read the reviews and didn't expect much. Gaming laptops have a bad battery life, I get it. I guess I just expected more than an hour on the higher performance modes. It has to be plugged in or it's done. In summary, if you don't care about the noise or battery life, it's good. Would I pay the full $2999 price? No. On sale for $2399, I don't think you'll be disappointed.