Customer Ratings & Reviews

I did many hours of research before buying a laptop this holiday season. Originally I was looking at 4070s, but after watching benchmark videos I realized the performance of it kind of didnt justify the extra cost over a 4060. Further looking into things, the 4080 is about a 45-60% increase in performance over the 4070. While the 4090 was only 8-15% better than a 4080. So my conclusion, was that a laptop with the 4080 would be what the best bang for buck. Also 12GB of VRAM is quickly becoming the bar. Okay, so this laptop. The Acer Predator Helios 18... An 18 inch screen is very nice. There's many models with less, but my preference was not caring about being a bit heavier and bigger and opted for max screen size. The screen looks awesome. 2560x1600 looks sharp on 18". It is also a good resolution for the mobile 4080. I did not realize the monitor also had gysnc until i unboxed! Pro tip: Use alt f3 for nvidias game filter. If the game supports it, you can do some great things. The RGB options are better than most other laptops from what ive seen. You can customize the keys, front logo, back logo, and the "infinity mirror" on the back as well. Very cool. Very slick. Nicely designed. Not too little, but not too much. I think Acer nailed it. The touch pad, is nice. Great size. Very responsive. And i like how just a little tap is enough to click. The interchangeable mag keys are cool. However, use with caution. As i almost had to return because i couldnt get my W key to work after trying them out and just settling on the default key. A friend fixed it... They're just very finicky. I guess I was being too gentle when putting it back on. Performance has been excellent. I was looking at Asus laptops, but based off reviews they just overheat way too much. A larger laptop will give better cooling. Those super slim designs are cool, but if you plan on gaming... then know what you're signing up for. The different profiles in predator sense software make it easy for me to choose between quiet, balanced, performance, turbo. The only time i ran into the CPU overheating was after downloading games then playing them right after and trying to do it all in quiet mode. Generally the GPU peaks at 80c while gaming in performance mode. Which is hot, but good for a laptop. I bought another SSD, from what ive read and seen, it should be easy to put in. You just need the right tool to open the bottom. However I have not done this yet. Will update my review if there are any issues when I cross that road. But from my knowledge, there are two SSD slots. The wifi on it, works great. At my friend's house one of my steam downloads peaked at 759mbs. He has GB internet.. so yea it made use of it. Though I think steam throttled me down shortly after to a steady 400mbs. It also has built in Bluetooth, which I did not know until I unboxed. It's been nice just using the same headset that I use with my phone. Battery life isn't exceptional. You may get 2 hours tops with it just sitting not doing anything. Im not really sure what the standard for battery life is in gaming laptops though. Overall, from unboxing on 12/27/24 till now... My experience with this laptop has been excellent. I bought it on sale for 2k. While cheaper than the competition, I do not see any cut corners or blemishes in quality. It is a fine machine!

The Acer Predator Helios 18 is a powerhouse that exceeds expectations for gaming and productivity. The massive 18-inch screen with a stunning 240Hz refresh rate delivers buttery-smooth visuals, making it perfect for fast-paced gaming and cinematic experiences. The laptop’s cutting-edge cooling system ensures peak performance without overheating, even during extended sessions. The build quality feels premium, and the customizable RGB keyboard adds a sleek touch. Whether you're gaming, editing, or multitasking, the Predator Helios 18 handles it effortlessly. This laptop is worth every penny for anyone seeking unparalleled performance and display quality!

This computer is nothing short of amazing. It’s been working quite well for me. I got it for work and gaming. The computer doesn’t overheat but temperatures can get around 85 degrees Celsius on the CPU while gaming. If your working then 60-75. I haven’t seen the 4080 go past 75 degrees Celsius even with high usage. I also bought an external fan cooler and it keeps temps in the 50’s on average. It’s really a great machine and you’re getting the best bang for your buck. Games tested: Roblox - works pretty well around 150 frames but it could be more depends on your setup. Rocket League: 400+ FPS with 1-4 latency which isn’t that bad honestly. It’s very playable and enjoyable. The computer runs smoothly and it’s easy to configure. I do have to remind new buyers to update all software as mine came outdated.

Love my new Laptop. I'm not a high end PC gamer but feel I over kicked my need with this one. One thing that's not 100% clear is to achieve max performance you have to be plugged in. Some reviews say this is a loud PC but only when you turn fan settings on max. Performance mode (not Max) has an auto fan settings that only boosts when needed. I'm getting +90FPS on the new Indiana Jones game with ultra setting and path tracing off. Oddly enough the built in screen does support HDR for videos but will not play games (that I've found) in HDR. Lastly this thing is huge. Don't get it expecting to be super portable. It is not.

I needed to upgrade my 19 acer predator (9750H w/ 1660ti a great machine also) been searching for a while, the acer predator supplies a very good product for a good deal. First off going from 15.6" 1080p to 18" 2k outstanding. I was lucky enough to catch this 400 off on sale with a 24 month no interest option. So far its fast, its beautiful and it places AAA games very very well. Heat is always the enemy, highly recommend getting a cooling pad so the fans can pull all the air needed. I cant say enough good about my past and the short experience I have with this beast. Id recommend them. If you get one you wont regret it.

"This computer delivers outstanding performance with lightning-fast processing speeds, excellent multitasking capabilities, and a sleek, modern design. It's perfect for both work and entertainment, and the build quality feels premium and durable".

It is exactly what it promises a very powerful and future proof gaming laptop with a great screen. Although it is bulky and noisy, but the raw performance makes those compromises worth it. I am confident it will keep crushing games for years to come.

This will be used strictly for my photography and nothing else. The programs for photo work are becoming too sophisticated for my 9 year old desktop (upgraded except for CPU & MB). It was time for an upgrade and this Acer fulfilled my needs!!

Overall is a beast... everything is good... games, editing, rendering etc. But 1 question and hopefully Acer will answer this. Whats the maximum RAM and SSD for this machine? because i need to upgrade it, 1 TB SSD is not enough.

SUMMARY: Buy the Acer - Predator Helios 18 for the monster screen and killer performance as other considerations fade away. Sure, there are compromises on lesser things like a webcam, but you’re a gamer and its good value for the class, and, well, you buy it for the big screen. It will make you see games in a whole new way (pun intended). PROs: - Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU (36MB Cache, up to 5.8 GHz, 24 cores, 32 Threads). - 18”, 500 nits, LCD IPS Screen, 2560x1600 screen resolution, 16:10 ratio. If you want bigger, pack up your external monitor (which it connects fine with). - 240 Hz screen refresh rate. Unbelievably smooth graphics. - Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, 8GB GDDR6 and ray tracing - 32 GB DDR5 RAM - 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD with an additional second slot available. - Two 40Gbps 4.1 thunderbolt ports for fast external SSD connections. Especially great for large media collections so you can keep the games on the internal SSD. - 3, 20Gbps USB-A 3.2 ports, 1 HDMI 2.1 port, Gigabit ethernet, headphone jack, microphone jack. - Wi-Fi 7 - Insanely great fully customizable color backlit keyboard, very useful for gaming and work by calling attention to specific keys. And flashy. - Swappable magnetic WASD keys from work mode to gaming mode. - Quality build with limited flex (though it is plastic). - Easy to access (dedicated key) Predator Sense software to easily change on the fly gaming and machine customization. A MATTER OF TASTE: - Be careful to not block the heat exhaust ports. You will want this on a flat solid surface and for max turbo performance you might want a cooling pad. - Four fan sound levels, 1) hurricane approaching but I am gaming on fire, 2) loud but still gaming, 3) ‘balanced’ and loud if gaming, not loud if working and 4) look ma no fans quiet (but thermally throttled) - Mediocre speakers. With the fan noise you will want to wear headphones anyway. - Mediocre web cam that works for Zoom meetings but not for biometrics. - Modern svelte black aesthetic, you will still stick out from the crowd with the flashy RGB flash (back lid, back case, and keyboard). Not a fingerprint magnet. - Customizable vent covers. For the person that really needs to make a statement. - No biometrics for security. It’s old school password all the way. - Not a touch screen. - Micro-SD card reader. Why not go all the way to SD? - The Predator Sense software to manage and customize the computer’s operation parameters was a tad complicated to wade through but very useful. - Runs hot, as one would expect for this much power, but the cooling system keeps the throttling to a minimum. - Battery life is a bit of an overstatement for the large 90 WH battery, more like a battery dash. You won’t want to be far away from a plug for long. I could get almost 3 hours if I didn’t do anything fun, but what’s the point of that? It does charge fast with the power brick. In a pinch also charges from USB C, but you won’t be gaming. CONs: - I really was having too much fun to identify a deal breaker of a con. For me, on a lower performance machine some of the matter of taste items would fall into the con zone, but I was willing to forgive them here because it’s just so much fun. REVIEW INTRO: Here’s the thing, is the glass half empty or half full and do you care at all which if there is an 18-inch monster screen with killer performance? Acer clearly worked hard to make a desktop replacement gaming machine ‘affordable’ without compromising the gaming. If I wanted a content creator machine, more than a few of the items under ‘matter of taste’ would be fall to cons. But I wanted a game machine with a screen that is as immersive as possible. And to be candid, I just couldn’t get past the absolute WOW factor when playing games, to really be concerned about work related compromises. Gaming was just so much more immersive with the 18-inch screen and limit busting performance that I pulled out a few oldies but goodies games and saw them in a new light. Way too much fun for me to be productive. WHAT IT ISNT: Let’s get all those ‘negatives’ over with. At 7.2 pounds (before the 330-watt power concrete block with industrial cords) the Acer is more accurately called a luggable than a portable. Not to mention its 15.9 x 12.27 x 1.14 inches sitting closed on the desk. This isn’t going to fit into your school backpack. It’s not going to be your go to music player. The speakers are better than nothing but clearly added to check off a box. Yep, it has speakers. You will want to use headphones because of the fans anyway. The webcam and 2 microphones are like the speakers, they check a box, and will get you to Zoom. There’ that’s over. Did I mention in actual use I barely noticed any of these because it has an 18-inch monster screen and killer gaming performance? THE SCREEN, THE SCREEN, THE SCREEN: Can’t say enough good about the screen, bright, good color, decent blacks, no glaring backlight bleed and even the 16:10 screen ratio is optimized for gaming (versus wider ratios better for movie watching). All that AND 18 inches? It’s amazing how much more action a bigger screen brings to the table. Sure, you know how that feels with your 4k 27-inch external screen (the Helios 18 supports two of those btw), but it’s more satisfying at a buttery smooth 240 Hz on a laptop you can lug around. GAMING ANYONE?: Even with all graphics settings at Ultra (or equivalent), the Acer chewed through anything I threw at it (frame rates greater than 100 were common). There are two game modes, Performance and Turbo. Turbo gave about a 10% frame rate boost and are the numbers reported rates here. For example, Everspace 2 a galactic shooter, was consistently over 90 FPS and frequently over 100. Mirage: A Biplane Adventure Aerial combat, and stunt simulator, maintained 200 FPS even with amazing graphics. I tried a demo of a new game coming out, Soulmask, a survival experience and the world was incredibly rich and smooth. And what review would be complete without Baldur’s Gate 3? Nailed it, typically FPS was over 100, would occasionally drop to 80. Yes, this IS a gaming machine. THE BUILD: Acer managed to pull off a premium feel build with limited flex with plastic. No flexing keyboard or bouncy screen here. The full-sized keyboard has decent travel and a distinct mechanical feel. And Acer really paid attention to gamers with the swappable magnetic WASD keys from work mode to gaming mode. Numerous function keys to help customize the gaming experience on the fly. THE FANS: Me (get it?). Okay, a machine of this power needs a superior cooling system and the Helios does it with fans. I didn’t often see thermal throttling, but the price is noise. When ran in “Turbo mode” (screaming performance) the fans are loud. I mean, really loud. If it had wings, it would take off from the air it shoves out the side vents. People literally 6 feet away feel the fan wash. Take it a notch down to “Performance mode” and now they are only loud. “Balanced mode”, occasionally loud as CPU demand warrants, and in “desperate I am at the library (as if) Silent Mode” it never turns on the fans and is silent but severely thermally throttled. You won’t be gaming in silent mode. Except maybe solitaire. EVERYTHING ELSE A COMPUTER IS FOR: I’m not going to dwell on it, but yes it gets the job done as well. The keyboard is responsive, and I found the ability to color code the home keys a different color to be very helpful for speed. Yes, I occasionally glance at the keys. With plenty of ports, peripherals were easy to attach, and I really liked the two 4.1 thunderbolt ports for connecting my 4 Tb external SSD Lightroom Photo Library. Super-fast photo editing. Sure the battery life was a bummer, but this isn’t an on the road portable machine. I loved the large screen for working. This is a tower computer replacement. WHO IS THIS FOR? You are willing to pay for the privilege of the best in gaming experience in a package that is luggable so you can slap it down at a LAN party and watch others drool. Or you want to get rid of your tower computer. Or you just want the biggest screen and insane frames per second action. Getting a machine well spec’ed out for content creation (work) is the icing on the cake. WHO ISN’T THIS FOR? Maybe you lean more towards content creating than gaming. You want all the above AND a unibody aluminum build, a top-notch webcam, great sound system, perhaps a bit lighter, willing to give up some performance to thermals so its quieter, and you have an extra $1000 laying around. In that case I suggest you look at what Razer has to offer. Or maybe you want biometrics security. Or maybe money isn’t a concern, you want a 4K mini-LED screen, the MSI Titan 18 arguably squeezes out a bit few more percentage points in performance and $3000 MORE from your bank account. IN SHORT, you probably already know you want an 18-inch screen, you just want to know if it performs. It does. Does it have all the connection options you might want? It does. And while it’s hard to call $2300 (on sale) a good value, for a gaming machine with these chops, it really is about the best 18-inch bang for the buck I can get today. It’s incredibly fun and made me see laptop gaming in a whole new way.

Nice laptop everything runs like butter and all games look crystal clear

The Legion Helios 18 is an impressive and highly capable gaming machine. This model comes equipped with a 14th gen Intel 14999HX i9 processor, GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, 32GB DDR 5 RAM, and a 1TB M.2 SSD.  All of which is powerful enough to handle every game I’ve thrown at it so far. Built-in ports include two Thunderbolt 4 DisplayPort capable USB-C ports, 3 USB A 3.2 ports, one HDMI 2.1, one audio port, an RJ-45 ethernet port, and a Kensington lock slot. The “abyssal black” chassis is highlighted by colorful RGB lighting on the keyboard, keyboard deck area, and along the top rear of the deck. Lighting and fan control is handled through the Acer PredatorSense app, which is pretty robust and offers numerous additional features for system customization and performance optimization. Lighting can be customized for zones or entire regions. My only complaint with the laptop’s design is the placement of both USB-C ports on the rear. There are no USB-C ports on the sides, only USB-A. The laptop’s large footprint makes reaching the back ports a chore during use if working with limited desktop space and around other hardware as I am. I invested in an extended length cable USB-C hub to make it more convenient for me to access the USB-C ports.   The 18” WQXGA 240Hz LCD panel is dazzling, bright and vivid. The 4080 model doesn’t share the mini-LED panel of the 4090 variant, but the 500 nit IPS screen is more than bright and vivid enough for my gaming needs. My games are displayed with crisp graphics and vibrant colors, along with good visibility in dark in-game environments. I occasionally make use of the HDMI port to connect to my external OLED gaming monitor when I prefer a larger viewing area, but the built-in display is usually sufficient for most of my gaming sessions. I only noticed one small flaw with the screen, a tiny amount of backlight bleed in the lower right corner. Otherwise, the screen is practically flawless with nice uniform blacks and grays on the rest of the screen. I seldom see or notice the bleed other than during boot and on certain dark backgrounds during desktop use. I’ve never noticed the bleed during gaming, even when I’m in dark areas in the games.   The backlit keyboard has highly visible characters and solid feeling keys with good travel. The large trackpad is sufficiently responsive with good sensitivity. I don’t use it much, opting instead for a USB gaming mouse, but I have no issues with phantom taps or stray drifting whenever I use the trackpad. Sound from the speakers is merely okay. I honestly can’t rate them any higher than that. They’re basic laptop speakers and they sound like it. Audio is mostly flat, with no impactful bass nor immersive surround effect. I definitely prefer using a headset or external speakers, but the built-in speakers are suitable in a pinch if better options aren’t available. Sound profiles can be tweaked in the PredatorSense app.  Another item I don’t use much is the 1080p front facing camera. It seems adequate, again if better options aren’t available, but not on the level of a good USB external camera.   The Helios easily handles my current library of recent AAA title games at high 100+fps framerates with smooth gameplay action and cut scenes.  I’ve played two popular racing titles, a popular dystopian first-person shooter set in the future, and a popular third-person co-op shooter. All of the games are resource hungry, especially on higher quality settings, but the Helios handles them all with ease. Any rare instances of framerate dip are not only few and far between, but barely noticeable when they occur. Particle and other effects are rendered effortlessly for an eye dazzling immersive experience. Smoke, light reflections, fire, and explosions all look great and render better than any other system I’ve played on to date. The graphic settings of each game automatically default to high, ultra, or extreme, usually one of the latter two or mixture of the three. I can likely get even higher frame rates if I dial down the graphic quality settings, but see no need to do so. I’m happy with both the framerate and visuals on higher settings.  The 1TB drive is speedy, and capacity is sufficient for a handful of large 80+ GB titles. A second internal M.2 slot is available for additional storage if preferred over external supplemental storage. Fan speed is acceptably quiet most times when not gaming and doesn’t really ramp up until the GPU is taxed. The fans kick up moderately loud during gaming but not loud enough to be disruptive to my gaming or others nearby. I can hear all sounds and spoken dialogue clearly through the internal speakers with the fans blasting at higher speeds. The machine stays cooler than I anticipated, even after hours of playing some of the most resource intensive games available. I can feel the hot air being expelled from the side vents but the top deck stays cool or barely warmer than room temperature even during intense and lengthy gaming sessions. Monitoring the GPU and CPU temperatures through the Predator overlay revealed that both run acceptably cool during gaming and never reach concerning temperatures. The machine has excellent air-cooling capability, particularly for a laptop without any liquid cooling.   Extras include a neoprene protective sleeve and spare mechanical key caps for the WASD keys.  Preinstalled software is kept to a minimum and I only removed two applications that I did not want to keep. Other than the rear-mounted USB-C ports, I have zero complaints with the Helios and have been more than impressed by the machine’s raw power and ability to keep things relatively cool during gaming. I haven’t tested battery life beyond an hour because I seldom use a gaming laptop without AC power. However, battery duration is spec’d at 5.50 hours maximum run time.

The Acer Predator Helios 18 laptop is a beast of a machine. It boasts an 18-inch Mini-LED display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels and a refresh rate of 250 Hz, ensuring a crisp and smooth gaming experience. The laptop has a classic gamer aesthetic, but it’s relatively modest. It’s designed in dark, almost-inconspicuous black and features some RGB flash, including an RGB strip on the rear, a backlit Predator logo on the lid, and RGB keyboard lighting. However, all these features can be turned off via the Predator Sence app that comes pre-installed for a more subtle look. The lid and keyboard deck are made from a powder-coated black metal, while the base is a solid-feeling matt black plastic. Under the hood, the version in this review is powered by an Intel Core i9-14900HX processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 GPU. It also comes with 32 GB of DDR5-5600 RAM and 1TB NVMe-SSDs, making it more than capable for gaming, streaming, productivity, and multitasking. If you’re a content creator, it’s more than capable. The design is robust with a powder-coated black metal lid and keyboard deck. The base is a solid-feeling matt black plastic. However, at 7.3 lbs, it’s quite hefty and not ideal for portability, although it is lighter than the similarly equipped Alienware M18 and and MSI Titan (I have an M18 and it is noticeably heavier at 8.9 lbs). So, while it’s not the lightest in its class, it’s also not the heaviest. It’s somewhere in the middle, but something to consider if portability is important to you. The chiclet-style keyboard with RGB lighting and replaceable WASD keys is a gamer’s dream. The trackpad is big and one of the better ones I’ve experienced. The connectivity is also top-notch with multiple USB ports, HDMI, and even a microSD card reader. The Predator uses a 2560 x 1600 Mini LED screen that is sharp and super bright. With its HDR support colors just pop. With a refresh rate of 250 Hz games were buttery smooth. The display offers a contrast ratio of 1000:1, so while the blacks might not be the deepest compared to some laptops with OLED screes, especially at higher brightness levels, the overall color richness and accuracy are pretty impressive. All in all, if you’re a gamer, this Predator’s display is going to be a real treat. For an idea of the Predator’s gaming performance, I ran a few benchmarks using Cyberpunk 2077, all at Ultra Quality settings with RTX: Ultra, No DLSS 36.4 FPS Ultra, AMD FidelityFX 59.7 FPS Ultra, DLSS (Auto) 72.6 FPS In PCMark 10 tests (productivity and content creation), The Predator’s score was 8,351. The laptop comes with Windows 11. Acer has also pre-installed the Predator Sense software, which provides several operating modes that significantly influence performance and noise emissions. However, there’s no additional bloatware. The Predator is not without a few drawbacks. The battery life is not the best. I left a video running the battery dropped from 100% to shut down in a little under 3 hours, but I will say the battery recharged very quickly. Also, while the Predator is definitely a powerhouse, there are rivals out there that offer slightly faster performance, but at not so insignificant higher prices, although at this price point, they are all expensive and a few hundred dollars may not worry some potential buyers. The cooling system can manage the laptop’s heat, but it does so at the cost of increased noise or decreased performance. The laptop tends to limit its system at higher temperatures. There’s a Turbo fan mode that can alleviate the heat situation, but it significantly increases the noise from the fans. There’s also a Performance fan mode which is quieter and cooler, but it results in somewhere around a 10% drop in frame rates. For example, the Cyberpunk 2077 Benchmark when set at Ultra Settings (RTX) using DLSS completed at 72.6 FPS with Predator Sense in “Turbo” Mode. The fans were running at maximum and the noise was very noticeable. With the same video quality settings and Sense set to “Performance” Mode, the fan noise was barely noticeable, and the benchmark completed at 66.6 FPS. The built-in webcam is mediocre and does not support facial recognition for Windows Hello support. Since it also lacks a fingerprint scanner, you will have to key in a password or pin, which in my view is a huge disappointment for a laptop in this segment. The Acer Predator Helios 18 is a solid choice for gamers looking for some portability, big-screen experience and very powerful specs. It’s got a few drawbacks, but it’s obvious some compromises were made to make the Predator come in with the lowest MSRP in this very premium laptop space. If I could, I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 rating, but since whole numbers are required, I will round it up to a 4. It just depends on whether the compromises are worth the lower price tag, and that's completely subjective to the actual buyer. Overall, it’s a pretty impressive machine, particularly at its price point compared to others in this very high-end gaming laptop segment.

The large screen is wonderful. My previous gaming laptops were a 17 inch and then a 15 inch and definitely preferred the larger screen size. The Predator does have some weight to it, especially the charging brick but it is manageable to carry from place to place. The aluminum parts of the case really makes it feel like the premium laptop it is as well as the rear section that lights up. The only item I dislikes about the lighting is that the wasd keys are lit differently than the rest of the keyboard and I couldn't find a way to have the same lighting effects apply to the whole keyboard. Speaking of the wasd keys, there are extras provided to get a different feel when gaming and are easy to switch. The mag click ones feel really good. The performance of this laptop is excellent. I had no issues with any of the games I played, no frame drops what so ever. There is a button on the top left that switches modes between quiet, balanced, performance and turbo when plugged in. I chose to play on performance mode. While playing, the fan sound was noticable but the speakers are good enough to where it isn't an issue. The cooling system seems to have been designed very well because the temps were good and the exhaust was pushing out quite a bit of air. I feel that this model was the best all around setup for the price and ended up being a good value. This model is a little below the top model that is offered but it still handled everything I did on it. I am very pleased with it as I know it will be up to handling games for quite a while.

Very good gaming laptop powerful beast I like it recommend

The Acer Predator Helios 18 Gaming Laptop is a beast of a machine. I'm loving this laptop for all my gaming needs when I'm not at my gaming desktop setup. This laptop is big, but it's a full machine that runs everything I've thrown at it. The Intel Core i9 14th generation, 24 core processor is blazing fast and by far the fastest processor I have had in a laptop. Lightning fast while playing games, streaming, editing, and working. This laptop has the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 with 12GB of graphics memory capacity and Ray Tracing. The hard drive is a 1TB SSD, along with 32 GB of DDR5 SDRAM. The matte ComfyView screen is measuring in at 18" LCD with 2560 x 1800 screen resolution, NVIDIA G-Sync 240Hz refresh rate. I feel that this laptop has a sufficient amount of connectivity available to power and connect all my various items. Built into the left, rear, and right you get a headphone jack, microSD card reader, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A port, 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A ports, 2 Thunderbolt USB Type C ports, 1 HDMI, 1 Network RJ45 port, and the power port on the rear. And if you're connecting to wireless like I am, the Wi-Fi 7 capability is very fast and never drops the connection. I'm loving the look and style of this Predator Helios 18 Gaming Laptop with the RGB per key backlighting and rear ambient lighting built into for a soft glow. The 90Wh battery can run 5.5 hours maximum time, but that varies depending on how heavy the usage is based on the gaming I'm doing. The Predator Sense software works pretty well allowing me to adjust fan speed and lighting effects easily. For a machine this large the fans have to work hard to keep this at optimal temperature and therefore can seem loud when gaming, but I don't notice it when I have my headphones on and am deep into a FPS game. Another unique feature is the ability to have the MagKey 3.0 MagClick which allows for swappable keyboard keys. Gives you the ability to customize it for gaming needs and speed purposes for optimal precision. This is also my first laptop with Microsoft CoPilot built in and there is a hot key for CoPilot just to the right of the space bar. I've found myself using the built in feature to Windows 11 frequently and rely on it heavily while being online and researching. Front facing camera in this laptop is a 1080p camera which I am loving since I don't need to purchase an additional external camera for better quality. Yes this laptop is large and weighs in at 7.17 pounds. It also has a large power brick that comes with it, but that's to be expected with a machine of this size. I love the fact that a laptop sleeve is included in the packaging to ensure I can keep my machine safe when I'm traveling. I have been on the road for work a lot and spending evenings in hotels, so this Acer Predator Helios 18 Gaming laptop has been amazing to have with me so I can game as aggressively as I would on my usual gaming desktop. I feel that this laptop has the full capability of being a standalone gaming machine and I could bypass the need for a gaming desktop. Ultra fast laptop that doesn't slow down with any of the games I've played, streams in excellent video clarity and quality, and the sound quality with dtsX coming from both speakers is clear and loud. Expensive, but on par with many other laptops at this size and components.

The Acer Predator Helios 18 is a beast of a gaming laptop, with performance that was stunning during my testing. While it is a massive laptop that is better suited to desktop use than actually sitting in your lap, this is one impressive machine that can handle any gaming task with ease. From the moment you unbox the Predator Helios, you know that this laptop means business with its great build quality and formidable size. Weighing in at over 7 pounds, this computer is built with a mix of metal and plastic, with plenty of vents to aid in the cooling process during gaming sessions. For ports, the Predator Helios is equipped with an HDMI port, 2 USB-C ports, 3 USB-A ports, an ethernet port, a micro-SD card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The AC adaptor connects via the rear of the machine and is a large, 330-watt brick that adds to the overall bulk of this unit. There are several special features that are found on this laptop, and some really nice touches that come straight from the factory. Inside the box, a branded sleeve is included to make traveling easier; additionally, swappable MAG 3.0 keycaps for the WASD keys are included in the packaging. The Predator Helios uses 5th Gen AeroBlade 3D fans for cooling that did get quite loud, but on the bright side, my games ran flawlessly at the same time. This laptop also uses AI technology to improve the quality of voice communications, and features extensive RGB lighting that can be controlled via the PredatorSense 5.0 app. Lastly, Wi-Fi 7 capabilities ensured that my internet connection was stable and aided in fast download speeds during my testing. As for technical specifications, the Predator Helios 18 has some very nice hardware. It includes: - 18" LCD IPS screen with 2560 x 1600 resolution, a 240Hz refresh rate, and a brightness of 500 nits. - 1080p front-facing camera. - Intel Core i9 14th Gen 24-Core processor - 1 TB SSD - 32 GB DDR5 RAM - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Graphics All in all, I was expecting the Predator Helios to excel at running demanding titles, and I was not disappointed in the slightest. Gaming Tests: Fallout 4: I've spent so much time with the game, that I know immediately if a system is running it poorly or flawlessly, and the Predator Helios was definitely in the “flawless” camp. During my playtime, I ran the graphics preset on “Ultra,” and I never had to move it to a lower setting. Framerates were exceptionally high, and combined with the 240Hz refresh rate, meant the action looked insanely smooth while I explored the post-apocalyptic wasteland. Even graphically intense sections like downtown Boston ran butter-smooth, and I experienced no issues in graphical quality or framerate drops while I played this game. While this is a game from late 2015, running it on "Ultra” is still a task that some gaming PCs struggle with, and the Predator Helios has no trouble at all keeping the action running smoothly and effortlessly. Starfield: This is another title that I was able to run on the "Ultra" setting for the duration of my playtesting. While the graphics are similar to Fallout 4, being a much newer title means it's technically much more demanding for the system you're playing it on. That being said, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Starfield look this good, on any PC or console prior to this. The Predator Helios is able to run Starfield on "Ultra" settings, all while maintaining high framerates with no drops in quality. This held true during surface missions, in crowded cities, and during space flights and dogfights. Honestly, at this point, I was wondering if there was anything this laptop couldn't handle when it came to gaming. Cyberpunk 2077: By far the most demanding title I played, I was able to run this game on "Ultra – Ray Tracing" settings for the entirety of my testing. For me, this was simply astonishing, as Ray Tracing alone seems to be something that forces lesser systems to struggle and drop in quality. While on "Ultra – Ray Tracing," the framerate never dropped, and Night City looked absolutely phenomenal on this beast of a laptop. I did run the game on “Ray Tracing – Overdrive” for a little while, but found this was the only time that the framerate did drop a bit during testing. Still, “Ultra – Ray Tracing” looks so impressive that I would be willing to bet that just about anyone would be happy to explore this dystopian future with graphics so breathtaking. When it comes to gaming laptops, you want them to do at least one thing exceptionally well, and that's play games. I found that the Predator Helios 18 did a phenomenal job of playing a variety of titles on graphic settings that would force other systems to raise the white flag. Some may argue that due to the sheer size and weight of this laptop, its more suited as a desktop PC than a true laptop, and I would have to agree that making this a portable setup would be difficult. Still, that's about the only real downside I can find when it comes to this amazing machine. If you’re looking for a laptop that can truly hold its own when it comes to incredible gaming performance, look no further than the Predator Helios 18!

As computer gaming becomes more competitive, more and more people need to make sure they have the right gear to keep up. Specs matter and performance matter, and that is what the Acer Predator Helios 18 Gaming laptop brings to the table. It has a great blend of high end specs but also just being a ton of fun to use. PROS: - Unboxing this is a lot of fun, you can just tell the premium effort that was put into this laptop as soon as you open it. It has a really nice design, solid build, but still feels very portable even with how big its screen size is. - The Predator Helios comes with a lot of great ports including HDMI and Thunderbolt which is a big pro as that can allow you to dock into other setups if needed. - The screen is probably the biggest win for this. It is 18 inches but feels even bigger given how tall it is and not just super wide, but it also has 240hz refresh rate which is insanely fast. Add this all with a dedicated Nvidia graphics card and you have really exceptional display that works fantastic for gaming or consuming content. - My next favorite part of the keyboard and trackpad. Both are really responsive and provide an awesome typing and gaming experience. The illuminated keys make for a fun high end gaming experience along with being able to swap our keys easily which is a cool feature as well! - Getting into the specs a bit more, I think the 1 TB SSD is a great way to have amble storage but not overheating too much since it's a SSD. I also really like how it's WiFi 7 ready to give you the fastest WiFi on the market right now! CONS: - My only downside is with this much power in a laptop comes a big charging cable, would be nice if they could find a more compact solution to this for gaming laptops. BOTTOM LINE: - The Acer Predator Helios 18 hits all the boxes you want when looking for a gaming laptop. The screen is brilliantly big with a super fast 240hz refresh rate, it has tons of power with its processing and Nvidia dedicated graphics card, and provides a really fun typing and clicking experience when gaming or whatever else you might want to do. All of this in a portable package considering its size and specs. Acer did a fantastic job on the one and I think you will all really enjoy it!

Even though this Acer Predator Helios 18 Gaming Laptop Model PH18-7293VM is not the top of the Acer line (that being the Acer Predator Helios 18 Model PH18-72-924C), for hundreds of dollars less, this model has everything a gamer, photo / video editor / content creator or CAD designer could need for fun and productivity. Starting with an impressive 18" WQXGA (Wide Quad Extended Graphics Display) IPS Full HD LED display that refreshes at a high-end 240Hz and has an awesome 3 millisecond response time at a 500 NIT brightness that provides superior quality images, high pixel density, smooth action response and accurate color reproduction. This high-end display is driven by NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4080 Graphics Card with 12GB of GDDR5 VRAM, which provides what is needed for sharp, fast, competitive gaming at 1440 / 4K and a detailed, immersive experience for movies and multimedia. The Acer PH18-7293VM runs Win11 Home on an Intel I9 14th Generation 14900HX CPU with 24 Cores and 32 Threads with a Base Frequency of 2.2GHz to a Max Turbo Frequency of 5.8GHz for blazing fast computational performance and super-efficient multitasking. It has 32GB of DDR5 5600MHz frequency RAM, which much more than any current game requires. Acer also provides the PH18-7293VM a spacious and exceedingly fast 1TB M.2 NVME SSD, with another open M.2 slot to add another SSD drive without voiding the warranty. I ran a UserBenchmark Pro benchmark on this laptop and got the following results: Processor - "With an outstanding single core score (1 of 24) this CPU is the cat's whiskers: it demolishers everyday tasks such as web browsing, office apps, and audio/video playback. Additionally, this processor can handle intensive workstation, and even full-fledged server workloads. Finally, with a Gaming Score of 120%, this CPU's suitability for 3D Gaming is outstanding." Graphics - "172% is a record breaking 3D score, it's almost off the scale. This GPU can handle all 3D games at very high resolutions and ultra detail levels." Boot Drive - "416% is an exceptional SSD score. This drive is suitable for heavy workstation use, it will facilitate fast boots, responsive applications and will allow for fast transfer of multi-gigabyte files." Memory - "32GB is enough RAM to run any version of Windows and it's far more than any current game requires. 32GB will also allow for large file and system caches, virtual machine hosting, software development, video editing and batch multimedia processing." Add to those outstanding features, (2) high-performance 40Gbps transfer rate Thunderbolt 4 ports in USB C format that can support (2) 4K external displays or blazing-fast external drives and components, and (3) 20Gbps transfer rate 3.2 USB A format ports. There is also a HDMI 2.1 port and a Micro SD card slot. There is an awesome Killer Wi-Fi 7 320MHz card aboard, which is the latest and fastest Wi-Fi available and a Killer 10/100/1000/2500 2.5Gb Ethernet Controller on board. In addition, this baby has a 1080p built-in camera and (2) built-in mics. All of these high-end features are run on a 90 Watt Power Supply. All these premium components cause the Acer Predator Helios 18 Gaming Laptop Model PH18-7293VM to run hot, especially on Auto Balanced Fan mode. It was so hot on Windows 11 set-up that set-up froze and I had to reboot and start over, which was successful after I placed laptop on a laptop cooler. Everything stabilized after that and once I was setup and loaded the Acer PredatorSense application which comes with this unit, I changed the CPU fan settings off of Auto to a constant medium setting. It was after that that I was able to attain the fantastic benchmark scores. (I definitely suggest a good laptop cooler.) Acer has really put together an impressive, well-built and well laid-out premium laptop in the Acer Predator Helios 18 Gaming Laptop Model PH18-7293VM. The built-in, colorful light show is an added bonus making this one of my favorite go-to laptops for gaming and photo editing. I would definitely suggest this laptop to a friend or relative.

I have been very excited to receive my new Predator Helios 18 as I do a lot of "gaming" by way of simulators such as MSFS 2020 as well as Iracing & DCS and most if not all of these are very demanding on CPU's & GPU's. After thoroughly using my new Helios 18 for almost a week now I could not be more pleased with the performance that I have received from the unit. My Helios18 is equipped with an Intel I9-14900 HX for the CPU & Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU as well as 1 Tb hard drive, 32gb of Ram, WiFi 7 & an 18" mini-LED screen. I currently own an Asus Strix Scar and Alienware R18 M1 which are both all AMD devices and honestly I have always been impressed however there have been occasional hiccups with the all AMD setups which had me eager for this setup using Nvidia which is more mainstream especially when dealing with updates going smoothly. The first thing I noticed is how much lighter the Helios is than my Alienware yet it still seems to have a solid build & feel to it. The look is very clean and has a mirrored rgb on the top rear that constantly catches my eye. Setup was straightforward and no different than any other pc and there is some bloatware but not an overbearing amount. Once I had everything set up I began to download MSFS 2020 and was immediately impressed by the quickness of the Helios as it took only an 1:40 where this is usually a minimum 2 hour process on my other laptops, I assume this was in part due to the WiFi 7 & my Orbi satellite setup. I have used the Helios almost constantly over the last week either in MSFS or Iracing and have been thoroughly pleased with the performance and especially framerates averaging over 80-90 fps in MSFS and from 160-200 in Iracing with the setting near max on both. I have tried to push things to the limits and the Helios just humms along cool & quietly with the fans hardly ever reaching max speed. I also love the available connection options, RJ-45 ethernet, MicroSD, 3.5mm audio jack, x3 USB 3.2 type A, x1 HDMI 2.1 and x2 USB Type-C /Thunderbolt 4 which should allow me to do anything I choose. The 18" screen is truly magnificent with a 2560 x 1600 resolution at 250hz and 1000 nits of brightness which combine for amazing visuals. I have also wired to my triple monitor sim racing setup via the USB-c Thunderbolts and everything has gone extremely smooth the entire time. I have been very impressed by the 4080 GPU and like the simplicity of the Nvidia settings when attaching external monitors. As you would guess the Helios 18 is large and will consume a good bit of real estate so be prepared but it does not bother me at all. I do not go mobile with either of my 18" rigs and mostly leave them on the desk as they are essentially desktop replacments for me however some people may be limited in space. Overall, I love this laptop and plan to get as much use out of it as my time will allow. I would personally reccomend the Helios 18 to anyone & I'm sure you will be as happy with it as I am.