Customer Ratings & Reviews

The Acer Predator Helios 18 Gaming Laptop is like no other gaming laptop I’ve ever owned. It’s big, really BIG at 18” and a little over 7 lbs. but it is an absolute game changer…see what I did there! This is an impressive machine for gaming, but is also a powerfully spec’d laptop for anyone looking to write code, use as a work system or for just cruising the internet…but clearly it’s built for gaming…and Acer does not disappoint. Unboxing & Setup: As mentioned, this machine is big, shipping weight is close to 16 lbs. and there is a box in a box in another box…so it’s secure. In the box is the laptop, a charging cord, the 330W charging block, Magkey 3.0 swappable WASD keys, a protective cover and warranty paperwork and user’s manual. Windows 11 is included and at start up there were a few updates that ran, but all and all it was only a few minutes from opening the box to logging into my Battle.net account. First Impressions: The Predator Helios 18 is an impressive machine that feels very sturdy and well built. I’ve owned other Acer laptops and the same high-quality build shows through. There is a full size keyboard and numeric keypad. The RGB effects are included in the backlit keyboard as well as the Predator logo and the infinity bars across the back edge of the screen hinge. The keyboard backlighting is full keyboard and individual key as well. I really like the tactile feel of the keyboard, it’s sits perfectly between too light and too snappy. The addition of the swappable WASD keys is also a really cool feature and is a differentiator in keyboard technology in my opinion. The trackpad is a good size and is slightly offset to the left to align with the keyboard. It’s responsive and predictable with just the right amount of tactile feedback. I’ve started using this system daily and when not gaming, it’s an easy system to use for the office, creativity or just watching movies. The speakers are adequate but I’ve found myself on headphones more than not. My Bluetooth mouse connects and operates perfectly. Specs & Performance: This is the area where the Predator Helios really shines, it boasts a stacked list of specs from Intel, NVIDIA and more. The Intel Core i9-14900HX processor paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics GPU delivers outstanding gaming performance, multitasking power and creative capabilities. As is the norm these days, NVIDIA and Intel take advantage of AI technology to enhance performance of their respective hardware and also provides a bit of futureproofing of the Predator laptop. The 32GB DDR5 dual channel RAM and 1TB SSD storage compliments the already impressive list of specs for this machine and support even the most memory-hungry games on the market. The 18” (diagonal) WQXGA 250Hz panel with Mini LED technology delivers vibrant colors and smooth visuals. Whether you’re exploring virtual worlds or binge-watching your favorite shows, the display won’t disappoint. Battery life is not great, and I didn’t expect it to be. While gaming it’s always on AC power, but if I need to put a spreadsheet together while sitting on the couch, there’s plenty of juice to handle that and more. The 330W power brick is a bit on the heavy side, so you won’t want to move it around unless it’s really needed. There are so many other impressive attributes to this laptop like Acer’s PredatorSense 5.0 control panel that provides performance stats, system customization and also allows for RGB customization…although this piece was being controlled by Windows Dynamic Lighting out of the box. There’s also the Magkey 3.0 WASD replaceable keys that add game-changing customization to the WASD keys. WiFi 7 support, AI-Assisted noise reduction and 5th Gen AeroBlade 3D fans to keep the systems temps regulated and ensuring peak performance while gaming or putting heavy loads on the system. Final Thoughts: For me the Acer Predator Helios 18 is going to be my desktop replacement gaming and daily driver computer. It is BIG, but that size is fantastic for gaming, creating or watching videos. It’s an impressive system that is absolutely loaded with all top-end hardware, includes AI technology, runs quietly and stays cool while gaming and can tackle any non-gaming task I’ve thrown at it. This is not a system for everyone, but it will certainly fill the needs for a large swath of gamers and those wanting a highly spec’d machine for doing everything else…I would highly recommend this monster! Pros: • Perfectly spec’d with top-end Intel and INVIDIA processors • 18” display is large and well-balanced for gaming performance & watching videos • Build quality is top notch and this machine feels like it will last a lifetime • RGB effects add to the gaming experience yet aren’t overdone • AeroBlade 3D fans perform well and run relatively quietly • Overall keyboard/key feedback is great for gaming and daily use • Swappable Magkeys 3.0 provide additional gaming WASD customization • Multiple outputs including USB-C, HDMI, ethernet and USB-A • 250Hz refresh has been a big upgrade from my previous gaming system • I liked the placement of the power cord on the back edge of the system Cons: • Ethernet port should be placed on the back edge with power and USB-C ports

Wish i had returned this. Games lag and skip frames. This laptop runs extremely hot. It will burn u quickly. I had to delete armor crate because the laptop would not switch to the video card when playing a game. The display is amazing and looks crystal clear and vibrant however the rest of the laptop is not good at all and I wish I had returned it but I didn't know it was going to do all of this.

Laptop is a beauty, rgb on the back, keyboard feels nice but does this thing get hot. With core temp, i was seeing 103c on all 8 performance cores on the cpu with performance mode (NOT EVEN ON TURBO). Predator sense can only show a max of 99C. This laptop was consistently thermal throttling. Acer made it impossible to undervolt the PC too. I can see why this laptop is constantly getting discounted, you pay for 4090 but it behaves as a 4080. Screen is gorgeous though, and the box Acer send it in is magnificent. I just wish they could of created a system that had much better cooling. TLDR: Gets way to hot that it impacts gameplay on all modern games, but man is it a pretty laptop.

Overall my review is mixed. I bought this in June of '24 on sale. Perhaps I got a lemon, and I will update after I see how good (or bad) Acer is with supporting their products. Overall, the performance is great, and I get it over 100 fps on the most demanding new games with ultra maxed out settings. However, the cooling has to be at maximum to maintain reasonable temperature while gaming - which is expected when you put a bunch of powerful hardware in a small confined space. The big issue is with the power connector, and possibly motherboard in general. This is where the "lemon" part comes in. The connector for the power supply is VERY loose, as in it pretty much falls out with a light breeze. It was tolerable as long as I didn't move it, but now it loses connection even when sitting still. The power connector is just garbage! Worst still, it switches performance modes when it loses connection and switches to power and when it gets connection again too, causing massive lag spikes in my game or anything really. BIOS also randomly loses settings and the laptop just has issues booting sometimes, with the keyboard flashing for several minutes before it *finally* decides to boot (usually with BIOS cleared....). The issues have become pretty bad, so I'll see how good (or bad) Acer is at honoring their warranty and will update this review. Hopefully they're as good as Dell is and will send a tech to my home with parts.

Got this amazing laptop in. Much better quality then I expected as I can see so much within it and even the fans at the back work as good heaters for my freezing hands. +1 for the display. +1 for the keyboards, I like the clicky feel I get from them. +1 for the touchpad. Feels smooth and nice. +1 for RTX 4090. I can play games without weird glitches yay! +1 for good support already for questions answered about upgrading. Only complaint I've had so far is on software side when it upgraded the bluetooth drivers got mucked up. Resolving it was easy, just download from support page on acer. All in all, at the price I bought this, a very good deal.

This laptop is well-built but very loud at high fan settings. I would recommend using Performance setting rather than Turbo as the fans ramp up the noise very fast. The Mini-LED screen is very bright and color-accurate in DCI-P3. 250 mhz refresh rate taxes eve the RTX 4090 unless you reduce graphics settings or frame-generate. The Wi-Fi 7 is great for maxing out your home Internet if you have a 1gb/s or slower Internet speed. And the 2.5 gb/s Ethernet can go even faster than that.

This is the second Acer I have bought and I am very happy with it. The first one, bought eight years ago is still running fine and has no issues other than the chipset cannot work with Win 11, that was the only reason I had to get a new machine. This Win11 model has been fantastic. I dont use either of these for gaming, but instead I bought them for the graphics specs, screen quality, speed, etc. I have been very happy with all. It was very easy to get up and running, it boots up in seconds and is just an all round terrific machine. If there was one thing I was not sure if I was going to like it was the multi-colored backlit keys. However, those can be controlled and have a multitude of colors (solid colors) and that was solved very easily. These 'laptops' are big though and I keep mine on my desk and it will not likely be taken anywhere as its bigger than most and might be too heavy for some people. Otherwise, I will have this one for as along as I can and will likely look to buy another Acer many years from now.

This laptop is such a disappointment. The screen is amazing, the keyboard feels great, the sound is even pretty decent. This is where the good ends. The touchpad is too big and sensitive. This is so bad that if you are typing in something like word, because the cursor keeps moving. The second issue is sound. There are intermittent white noise bursts when watching videos and playing games. It causes pauses in the videos and games both. It's pretty annoying. The third issue I'm guessing is due to heat. In intense games like Spider-Man Remastered, Tekken 8, SF6, etc. I notice texture issues and graphics glitches. They don't last long, but they break the immersion and can cause clipping issues in game. It's really sad because the laptop itself is really amazing feeling. (to answer questions, yes, I've used different sound driver packages and I'm updated to the latest firmware).

My current gaming laptop is an Alienware M17-R4 which is a great laptop but it's 3+ years old and I have the version with only 16 GB RAM which is soldered on unfortunately. I've been searching for a replacement laptop within the last 1-2 months and the first laptop I settled on was the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i. I don't game too much so the 9i would've been a good compromise especially since it offered a Mini LED screen for media consumption. Well, I purchased one from Best Buy and discovered a few things that bothered me with the 9i. One, even though it came with a Mini LED screen, it only works when HDR mode through Windows is activated, otherwise, you have a regular IPS display. Second, with HDR OFF/disabled, I still noticed some IPS glow and minimal backlight bleed which could be attributed to the QC process from Lenovo. I ended up returning the 9i because those "minor" issues were something I wasn't willing to compromise on especially given the price. The hunt for another laptop began. Next was the Alienware M18-R2 which has great specs and build quality but the display sucks especially for the price so this was a no go! Ultimately, it came down to the Acer Predator Helios 18 and Asus ROG Strix Scar 18. As much as I liked the design of the Scar 18, I couldn't justify the price difference of almost $1000 between the Helios 18 and Scar 18. Luckily, Best Buy had the Helios 18 on sale at the time of purchase with a sale price of $2499.99! Upon picking up my order from the store and opening it when I got home, I was surprised by the quality of the packaging! Next, the build quality seems really good and it's definitely heavy for sure! Upon booting up for the first time and going through the standard Windows process, I was amazed at the quality of the display like OMG it looks so darn good!!! Best of all, the local dimming from the Mini LED is ON at all times (i.e. no need to turn it on by some command or through enabling of HDR via Windows)! Definitely no backlight bleed or IPS glow whatsoever. The only noticeable "issue" I see is minimal glow around white text against a black background but this is expected with Mini LED! Again, I'm just stunned at the quality of the display and to me, this laptop alone is worth the display even if it didn't come with a 4090 but unfortunately you can only get the Mini LED with the 4090 from my understanding. From my research, the Helios 18 supposedly has 1000 dimming zones compared to the Scar 18 which has 2000+ dimming zones but with the difference being almost $1000, I'd take the 1000 dimming zones as it is really good already!!! If you're looking for a gaming laptop that can also function as a media device, I'd highly recommend taking a look at the Helios 18!

This laptop is amazing. I traded in my 16" MacBook Pro for this laptop, and I was a little wary about buying this laptop. There is no better laptop design than the MacBook Pro. However, I am extremely happy with this machine. The most important thing to me is usability as a laptop. A MacBook Pro never gets warm and never gets loaded, the speakers sound great, and the keyboard is comfortable. So switching to a PC laptop worried me. I was worried that this laptop would be too hot for sitting on my lap when I was in bed, or it would be loud. If you put the laptop in "Quiet Occasion" mode in PredatorSense, it shuts down the GPU and minimizes performance, and this laptop is comfortable and quiet on your lap. In performance mode, this thing is loud and hot, but you do not always need that kind of power. Being able to cool and quiet down the laptop is a great feature. For most people, this is a very powerful gaming laptop. However, it is still amazing that you can get this laptop so you can sit on your lap. For anyone complaining about battery life, what is wrong with you? This thing is a beast and is not meant to be on battery. If you want battery life, get a MacBook Pro, I love the keyboard, especially the fact that the keyboard does not get warm when in "Quiet Occasion" mode. I am a MacBook Pro user, so I have high standards. The keyboard is comfortable and responsive. I like this keyboard more than I do my MacBook Pro. I am amazed at how good this laptop is at being a laptop. Lowering the performance by switching to "Quiet Occasion" in PredatorSense is comfortable, quiet, and cool. Then, when I want to play a game, I put it on a table and put it in gaming mode, which is blazing fast, super loud, and really hot. I cannot believe how amazing this laptop is and I have been saying this nonstop for the past three days to everyone. To top it all off, you can get a 3-year accidental damage warranty from Acer for $229. This is an expensive laptop, and the three-year accidental damage warranty for that price was amazing. This laptop is absolutely amazing. It is well worth the money. It can be both a gaming laptop and an everyday work laptop all at the same time.

Very nice, great display, can run a bit hot but for my purposes no additional cooling has been required. Super fast. Would highly recommend.

I really wanted to like this laptop. Here is the bad: 64gb modules will not work. They get too hot. 111.8c on the module closet to the heatsink. The CPU sits at 99/100c for any gaming. While its made for this, yes, other 14900k laptop will sit 90 or under. Only intensive cpu taske should cook this high. But I could forgive all of that (including the locked down bios for undervolting or underclocking) if it wasnt foe their MUX chip. This laptop will NOT play nice with Freesync or non-gsync monitors. By that I mean, on GSync monitors, this will have zero stutter and task issues. On an LG TV with VRR or Freesync monitors with gsync compatibility, it will stutter horribly. Tab out to youtube and back to your game? Prepare for serious stuttering until it can regain its senses. Turning off features for gsync does not work. Other laptops do not have this issue. Seems to be Acer only. Returned and will just wait for the 50 series from Asus or a 4090 from Asus/MSI to get back in stock.

I recently purchased the Acer Predator Helios 18, and it has exceeded my expectations in almost every way. As someone who uses their laptop for both work and gaming, this device provides a seamless experience. What I Liked: Performance: Equipped with an Intel i9-4900HX processor and an RTX 4090 GPU, this laptop handles heavy multitasking, gaming, and video editing effortlessly. The 32 GB RAM ensures smooth operation, even with multiple demanding applications running simultaneously. Display: The 18-inch screen is a standout feature, offering vibrant colors and sharp visuals. It’s perfect for both gaming and productivity tasks. Build Quality: The laptop feels robust and well-designed. The RGB keyboard adds a nice touch, and the cooling system does an excellent job, keeping temperatures under control during intense sessions. Storage: The 1 TB M.2 SSD provides ample storage space and fast boot/load times. I haven’t experienced any lag or delays while accessing files or applications. What Could Be Improved: Portability: Due to its size and weight, it’s not the most portable option, but that’s expected for a high-performance laptop like this. Battery Life: The battery life could be better. While it’s sufficient for moderate use, it drains quickly during gaming or heavy tasks, so keeping it plugged in is often necessary. Overall, the Acer Predator Helios 18 is an incredible choice for gamers and power users who need top-tier performance. I’m thoroughly impressed and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a premium laptop.

Works but gets hotter than the 4080 o had before same computer basically same besides the screen an graphics card but cpu was running 10 degrees Celsius hottor an was work to setup the 4080 was quick easy an simple on this one had to redo almost all the drivers an alot more updates an as for graphics qaulity the screen is better but not sure if the 4090 is that much better than the 4080

First of all, terrible name for a laptop. I'm grateful they didn't put it in big bold letters on the back of the screen. Good luck taking that laptop to a coffee shop. Unfortunately you can't take it to a coffeeshop anyway because the jet turbines they put in this thing kick on at full blast. Also, the bloatware on this device is insane. Not a fan.

All in one portable powerhouse. Impressed by the visuals and performance during gaming on this thing.. It's sexy, well built with a side of stealth. Gave it 4 stars because 1tb of SSD is mediocre given today's standards. Picked up an additional 2tb during Black Friday.. Overall I'm happy with my purchase. Thank you best buy!

This is a highly cost-effective laptop. At this price point, with these specifications, nothing more needs to be said.

Very nice and powerful laptop, totally worth it! Happy with the purchase

Solid gaming laptop with a bright, colorful screen and some sweet RGB on the keyboard. It does heat up a bit when gaming, and the fans get pretty loud, but hey, that’s just how laptops are.

I either got a faulty product or it's bad design. Likely the latter and the reason this is quite a bit cheaper than the competition at this spec. Lost a whole weekend to this. 1. First issue was the screen is dim when turning on until unplugging and plugging back in the power cord. After talking to ACER (zero help) and their forms settled on making sure to shut down and never rest since it would retain the fix on a shut down. Was going to keep it at this point, but then the problems began to stack once a load (not even a gaming one, just downloading a game while watching YT). The CPU throttles unless you manually go in a turn the fans to max, since the auto fans will let it cook. While under the moderate load of downloading and watching YT, it seems it can't provide enough power to the USB ports and connected devices drop out. My sound blaster g6 kept dropping out, tested it on another laptop and it's fine. Checked logs and the usb ports go to low power state while under any load at all. First and last ACER product. You get what you pay for and although still very expense it's cheaper than other brands and there's a reason for that. Real shame, has the best display I've ever seen short of latest LG OLED TVs. On its way to be returned.