Acer is stepping up its game with the latest Intel 11th Gen Core H-Series CPUs and an array of Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 Series graphics options including the newly announced Nvidia RTX 3050 and 3050 Ti in the Predator Triton 300 and Predator Helios 300.
Both laptops are also getting a number of other upgrades to go with the internal boost including new display options.
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Predator Triton 300 specs and highlights
The Predator Triton 300 remains a surprisingly thin powerhouse of a gaming laptop at 0.78-inches. It still houses peak performance capabilities thanks to the new Intel 11th Gen Core-H Series CPU with up to 4.6 GHz, up to an Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and 32GB of DDR4 RAM.
Depending on what you look for in your mobile gaming experience there is either a blink and you'll miss it several times over 360Hz FHD panel option or for those that want to see every last detail on the screen there's a 165 Hz QHD panel available. The laptop supports a 3ms overdrive response to avoid screen tearing.
Connectivity won't slow you down either with both Intel Killer E2600G Ethernet and Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i. Ports are plentiful with HDMI 2.1, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, Mini DisplayPort 1.4 and a Thunderbolt 4 port. A second Thunderbolt 4 port would have been nice to see, but it's still a solid array.
The keyboard offers 4-zone RGB backlighting along with colored WASD and arrow keys to ensure that you aren't ever hunting for movement keys. The audio experience is tailored for gamers with DTS X: Ultra audio that can deliver spatial surround sound through your headphones or speakers.
Acer put a lot of thought into keeping this thing cool, which again given the relatively thin frame is excellent. It uses a dual-fan system with metal blades that Acer claims offer 55% better airflow than a plastic fan.
Predator Helios 300 specs and highlights
The Predator Helios 300 gets a similar internal upgrade to its sibling with the new Intel 11th Gen Core H-Series processors, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU and up to 32GB of RAM. And in case you were worried about storage, the 2TB HDD in the laptop should have you covered.
Display options are also nearly identical with either a 360Hz FHD panel or the higher resolution 165 Hz QHD panel. Both again feature a 3 ms overdrive response to eliminate tearing or ghosting. The 4-zone RGB keyboard gets transparent concave keycaps over the WASD keys to make them stand out. A Turbo key will let you overclock with the press of a button and the PredatorSense key gives you full control over your laptop's performance with the Predator custom utility app.
Connectivity is solid with Intel Killer E2600 ethernet controller, Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i. Ports include HDMI 2.1, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, Mini DisplayPort 1.4 and a Thunderbolt 4 port. You don't get short-changed on your audio experience here either with the same DTS X: Ultra audio.
Outlook
While our reviewer was already thrilled with the Acer Predator Triton 300 in its price range, this update cranks everything up another notch and may have addressed our two concerns with improvements to the keyboard and audio experience.
The Acer Predator Helio 300 on the other hand came up short in our recent review due in part to weak battery life. Intel's 11th Gen processors have certainly shown improvement when it comes to battery life over the 10th Gen found in that model, so hopefully, along with its newfound power, it gets some added longevity.
Pricing and availability are still coming for these laptops, we'll update with that information as soon as it's available.
