Customers admire the Predator Helios 300's performance, graphics capabilities, and build quality, frequently praising its excellent cooling system and smooth refresh rate. However, some users point to the battery life and weight as potential drawbacks. The keyboard and display also receive positive feedback, while concerns exist regarding storage capacity for some users.
This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 596 reviews
Pros mentioned:
Cooling, Performance
Cons mentioned:
Size
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
S-Tier Laptop (Acer stepped up in 2022)
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Top tier laptop according to Jarrod’sTech (youtuber who specializes in laptops) alongside a couple lenovo legions for 2022. Yes, get it on sale (honestly this statement stands for any laptop from bestbuy unless its literally a brand new model). 3060 included is 115w + 25w boost, allowing this laptop to keep pace with lower tgp 3070 laptops. If you’re pushing this laptop on the highest graphical settings for gaming, yes it will be loud. It will also keep your laptop surprisingly cool compared to others (with the help of liquid metal!) Solid display (brightness and 100% sRGB) and decent built in camera (1080p). Wifi 6 and ddr5 ram too- with some room for upgrades if desired. Biggest downsides of this laptop are the weight and size (chunkier than many other laptops) and the noise. Also, included charger is chunky and a bit awkward to use in some instances. Overall this laptop is perfect for me since i dont mind the noise or weight. It allows me to play AAA titles in bed with my fiancé (luckily the sound from laptop fans dont bother her) at impressive fps/ nice settings, without worrying about cooking my laptop and becoming uncomfortable to play. Last thing i wanna note is you CAN DEFINITELY run AAA titles at high settings smoothly without the laptop getting too loud (subjective of course). It’s when you enable the built-in overclock features that make this laptop noisy. I mostly play using a headset so loud fans are well worth the trade-off for stellar performance and a cooler, longer-lasting laptop. Will be returning a 3070 (asus tuf dash f15 2022) I purchased at the same price because this performs almost as well without overheating the cpu and gpu, plus the overall better build design/ quality of this years acer.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Performance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Awesome value
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Cannot even begin to explain how pleasantly surprised i was by how good this laptop is. From the metal body instead of the cheap plastic to the packaging it comes in, truly a quality product. Even more amazing that i scored this thing on sale for $999 considering it retails for $1499.
First of all the actual construction of this thing is solid. Metal body all around with the exception of the bottom which is still plastic. Nice metal brushed blue tone to it gives it a very nice tone. The specs are really nice, i-7, Nvidia RTX 3060, 16GB DDR5, everything to make this thing a REALLY good mid range gaming laptop that will surely not be sluggish on performance. The RGB keyboard is really nice too. Overall extremely happy with it.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Speed
Cons mentioned:
Battery life
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Good gaming laptop
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Owned for 1 week, no problems with this laptop at all. The battery drains pretty quickly when gaming so I'm just going to keep it plugging and charging the whole time. This laptop is even faster than my gaming PC for some reason lol. Can easily run heavy games with high+maximum graphic settings smoothly.
I would recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
Weight
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Best bang for your buck!
|
|
Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Great gaming laptop for the price. I ended up upgrading the RAM from 16gb to 32gb (Crucial brand) and added an additional 1tb ssd (Western Digital SN850x). I love the keyboard feel and the RGB. It is quite heavy, but not a deal breaker when you consider all the hardware you are getting. The fans are super quiet on default mode, but when you are putting it under heavy load they sound like a jet engine taking off. I have some Sony noise canceling headphones wich work great for the noise. I also bought a cooling pad, and it seems to help out quite a bit. Not sure if the fans in the cooling pad are doing much or if its just because it raises the bottom of the laptop off the desk which allows more airflow. The screen is also great, everything looks nice and crisp. Could use to be brighter in full light scenarios, but unless you plan to game outside or something, it is definitely bright enough for most situations. Only real negatives if I had to get picky are... I wish it had a USB A on the back and maybe a better touchpad. The touchpad is ok, but it kinda makes a rattle noise when using it. I use a mouse, so it's not a real issue though. Overall very happy with the purchase. As others have said, wait for it to go on sale.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Performance
Cons mentioned:
Battery life
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Good PC for Gaming
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Ive had this PC for almost a year now. It handles everyday tasks with ease, but when gaming it can get a little hot. The fans get super loud when under demand so I bought an external cooling pad to help regulate temperatures. The battery life isnt really that good but that's to be expected on gaming laptops. Windows 11 is very buggy on this computer, I think thats mostly Windows' fault. The speakers and the screen on this laptop aren't that great. Windows 11 is also very buggy when trying to connect bluetooth headphones. Overall the performance is great, especially for the price. It can handle most games on medium to high settings.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Good Bang for your Buck, Great if caught on sale!
|
|
Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is a quite a good gaming laptop at its regular price point, but if you're fortunate enough to grab it for under that its an amazing one.
Its well spec'd, speedy, quiet except of course under heavy loads (to be expected in a laptop), with a great display, keyboard and logical well-spaced ports.
Additionally, if purchased at the lower price points, IMO that is where I would invest back into it with a 2TB or larger SSD. 512GB is quite small in today's world...FH5 alone is over 120GB.
Either way its a great laptop. Thank you.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Performance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
amazing
|
|
Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
i got this laptop on sale for $1000. absolutely worth the price. it’s a powerful machine that can run my games perfectly and keep up with my college work. the display is beautiful and the keyboard is so satisfying. i was most worried about the keyboard size since i have small hands, but i got used to it after a few hours with no problems. i’m still figuring out a few things since it’s my first high end laptop (i previously had a lenovo ideapad). would absolutely recommend to anyone in need of strong machinery.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Cooling
Cons mentioned:
Battery life
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Get it on sale
|
|
Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I got this on sale for 1199.99, I believe for this price point it is a great buy. 14 cores, 20 threads thermals stay quite cool for a laptop with a cpu like this. The 3060 works great for this display, has a higher power limit compared to other competitors and again, great cooling for mobile. The fans get loud at times, but that’s expected when you have this kind of hardware in a thin laptop. I installed a larger capacity m.2 & more ram, take apart was super easy and beginner friendly. One downfall about this product is the battery life when not plugged into the power brick and using full brightness etc etc. (just use the brick), but, acer greatly improved the battery life compared to the 2021 acer Helios 300, at least there were improvements. Perfect machine for someone that needs a “stronger” computer for school and likes to game occasionally.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Performance, Speed
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Predator Helios 300
|
|
Posted . Owned for 9 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The performance that came out of this laptop was extraordinary, was definitely worth its price. Can run anything without lag or delay. Would definitely buy another one since more new graphics cards release and there always being a new model of the predator Helios 300. 10/10 gaming laptop
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Speed
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
The Predator is Awesome!
|
|
Posted . Owned for 10 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I purchased this Acer Predator Helios 300 after weeks of checking reviews and doing comparisons. I've been using it for 11 months and I still love it. The speed is amazing, love the fact I can create my own customized back-lit color scheme, especially during football season lol. The one drawback I've noticed is the sound is awful. I either have to use my earbuds or an external Bluetooth speaker. They really need to improve the speakers in this version. The other drawback, for me in particular, is that I am a data analyst and use the Numpad consistently, in this model they have included the extra Predator key on the Numpad so the / key is moved to the right, which means when I attempt to use / in say a date as such 08/02/2023, I will always hit the Num key instead, thereby turning OFF the Numpad. Very frustrating when in the groove, but not a total killer. Also, just a heads up, the battery pack is a BRICK! It is extremely heavy and large. Overall I did take away 1 star for the sound and the numpad, but I still love my Predator!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Performance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Elevated Gaming!
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is the best gaming laptop for the value at Best Buy! Super fast, great monitor and illumination on the keyboard and lid. Performance numbers are outstanding and the build quality is excellent.
I would recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
Battery life
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Powerful laptop for a decent price.
|
|
Posted . Owned for 3 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This laptop is great value for what you're getting. I did buy this on sale during Black Friday, but the quality is great. The boot up is quick and I can run adobe programs and video games with ease. It does come with Windows 11, which I didn't pay attention to, but I've come to like the Windows 11 features and UI. The only issue is, I used to run some Bluestacks games on my laptop, and the version of Bluestacks that I use is not compatible on Windows 11. Very sad. :'( I don't really like to use laptops not plugged in so I don't have much experience on battery life in general.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Cooling, Performance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Buy it!! Amazing gaming PC!!
|
|
Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Amazing gaming laptop. Powerful with solid memory at 16gb memory and solid cpu. Powerful fans get the job done keeping this baby cool and the rgb lighting is a nice touch. Their hasn't been a game on steam that this computer hasn't been able to run and look great on. Responsive and the ability to upgrade your memory and ssd down the road easily is amazing and future proofed this laptop for years to come. Well worth the price of admission!!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Performance
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Good Laptop for Work and Gaming
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Build quality of the chassis is good. Decent battery life, about 5-6 hours. Good performance as expected of stock components. Easy to upgrade storage. Runs a bit hot when under moderate load with default fan speeds.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Speed
Cons mentioned:
Battery life
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Very Nice
|
|
Posted . Owned for 8 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Very good laptop. Although the battery runs out pretty quickly while gaming but the speed and smoothness of the laptop is spectacular.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Boi the best tech purchase I've had.
|
|
Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Previously i had a laptop with MX series chip. So jumping to rtx was a huge huge jump. It is so crazy fast, i already upgraded its ssd using ssd from bestbuy too. Now its got both speed and capacity. Considering old generation had some build quality issues as some YouTubers say. This piece is like one solid piece of a laptop. Thermals are so good too. 11/10
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Graphics, Performance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Worth the price
|
|
Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is my first pc and I’ve definitely fallen in love with gaming all over again. Runs smooth, graphics are beautiful, and it’s jus overall worth it.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great gaming laptop!
|
|
Posted . Owned for more than 2 years when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Great for gaming. To this day, ive had no issues. I have downloaded so many games and apps and it doesn't glitch at all.
You can add a second NVMe and additional ram if you need to.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Cooling, Performance
Cons mentioned:
Battery life, Weight
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great performance, classy design, and value.
|
Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Immediately after removing the protective cloth cover, I noticed how refined and sleek the new design is. The black brushed aluminum finish, along with the matte black accent make this gaming laptop something I would not hesitate to bring into a business meeting. I did notice some fingerprints right away though, so keep a soft cloth handy. The only thing that may give it away as a gaming laptop, is the thick vents in the back, which remind me of a high-end sports vehicle, and extend a bit further than I’d like.
The laptop feels beefy at 5.7lbs, but can still be carried around easily when closed, although it can get tiring when holding it open on one hand.
I really appreciate that the power, HDMI, mini-DP, and USB-C Thunderbolt ports are all in the back, which significantly reduce cable mess on the sides. There are plenty of ports on the sides, though, including 3 USB-A ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, and an ethernet port (yes!).
The screen lid can be lifted with one hand for those who like that and does not wobble too much. The bezels are visible, but still allow the 15.6” screen to come forward. However, the chin is pretty big -almost 1.5”! It’s not a big deal once you get used to it. By the way, I am glad that the “Predator” logo on the lid and the chin is much more subtle this time, adding to the sleek presentation. The RGB lighting effects are the hallmark of any gaming laptop, and this is done quite nicely here. I really like the bottom lighting accent, which looks like that of a tuner sports vehicle’s ground effects.
The keyboard’s layout is a bit odd in my experience. While I appreciate the implementation of a NUM pad, as I use it extensively, it feels rather squeezed to the left. For me, it wasn’t as intuitive, and I often kept hitting the “Predator Sense” key, and other keys when trying to hit backspace, enter, etc. This did somewhat affect my productivity. However, I am sure if I spend enough time, I will get used to it. I will say that the keys themselves feel great. There’s good travel, feel very clicky, nice size, and spaced properly (except with the NUM pad).
The touch pad feels very nice and smooth. It is precise, responsive, and clicks satisfactorily. However, it’s a bit on the small side, making gestures somewhat restrictive. This is not a big deal to me as I prefer using a mouse, especially when gaming, but is worth mentioning.
The 1080p camera is surprisingly good. There weren’t a lot of artifacts, even in darker conditions. And the microphone did a good job in picking up my voice at about arm’s length. Pretty nice for video calls.
The screen is very, very good -almost gorgeous. I appreciate the non-glossy display as my office is very bright, although I wish it was a bit brighter (only 300nits). The color accuracy is good enough to allow for some low-level video/picture editing. The colors pop quite nicely though, are vibrant, have good contrast, and are not washed out at all. This makes watching HD content and playing colorful games a pleasure -especially at night. The display’s 165Hz refresh rate with 3ms response is great for competitive gaming.
Speaking of games, this laptop’s performance is impressive. Having decent specs -Intel Core i7 12gen, an RTX 3060, and 16GB DDR5 RAM, I was able to play AAA games such as Elden Ring, Lego Star Wars (2022), and F1 2022 -all well above 60fps at maximum settings. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 and MS Flight Simulator had to be ran at medium-high settings but were still enjoyable. Of course, games like Star Wars BF2, Fortnite, and CS:GO ran well above 165fps. You can also activate the Turbo Mode with a button, which boosts performance, but also makes this usually quiet laptop sound like a vacuum cleaner.
To perform at its best, heat is excellently managed. I never saw GPU temperatures go above 85C GPU and 60C CPU under heavy loads. I did not experience any throttling or performance dips while gaming. As I mentioned already, this device is quiet, but under stress the fans can get awfully loud, especially if Turbo Mode is on.
The speakers are average just like almost all laptops’, so no surprise there. The sound does come through nice and clear, with good channel separation. However, as expected, no bass at all. Plus, if running the laptop in Turbo Mode, you’d best put on some headphones.
The battery life is average as well. It lasted for about 4 hours doing productivity work, and almost 2 hours playing games. I thought I would get more out of the 91Wh battery. The big 280W power brick is very heavy and may affect portability.
While being very fast, I was very disappointed by the small 512GB NVMe SSD. One must make decisions all the time as to which games to keep, since AAA titles can consume over 80GB (up to 120GB!!), Therefore, you must focus on 2-3 big titles, or a bunch of smaller sized ones. The good news is that this laptop can easily be upgraded, as there is an empty NVMe slot available, but may add to the cost.
As a mid-higher tier gaming laptop, I am quite impressed with the 2022 Predator Helios 300. I can play any AAA game on it with very minor concessions. Plus, I dig the new classy design. Keeping in mind the impractical small disk space and a nitpick here and there, I think the asking price seems to be about right, considering similarly spec’d models. Even better if you can get this on special, as you certainly will not regret it.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Cooling
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
cooling
|
|
Posted . Owned for 5 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This gaming laptop was so great and even though i palyed high graphics game its still remain cool.