No doubt, the name Predator Helios has been known as a powerful gaming laptop series from Acer. This laptop is equipped in such a way as to run with high performance. This time we will discuss one of them, the Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-53-72XD.
The Predator Helios 300 features the Comet Lake Intel Core i7-10750H. It is a processor that has 6 cores, 12 threads, 2.60 GHz base frequency, 5.00 GHz max turbo frequency, 12 MB Intel Smart Cache, 45 W Thermal Design Power, and integrated Intel UHD Graphics and a lot of advance techs such as Hyper-Threading Tech and Turbo Boost Tech. The i7-10750H is a high-end processor for laptops and usually used in high-performance laptops intended for gaming, digital media working, and similar.
Acer pairs the processor with a discrete NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with dedicated 6GB GDDR6 VRAM. This is a fast mid-range gaming graphics card that is designed for laptops and will most suit to play games in full HD (1080p) and high/ultra settings.
The system memory is rated at 16 GB of DDR4 2933 MHz SDRAM, which comes in two slots, and each consists of 8 GB. It is upgradeable up to a total max of 32 GB (2 x 16GB). However, the default amount is very adequate for working and gaming today.
To keep the document and media files, this Predator has a 512GB NVMe SSD. The selection of this SSD is great since it is fast and reliable. Same as the system memory, the storage space is upgradeable. There are 2 slots for SSD and one is still empty. You can add another SSD into the empty slot. Aside, this laptop also has an empty 2.5-inch HDD bay where you can add an HDD for storage expansion.
Acer delivers the Helios 300 with a 15.6-inch Full HD display. This anti-glare widescreen panel has 1920 x 1080 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, and LED backlight. The refresh rate of 144 Hz and the response rate of 9 ms allows every motion and action seems so smooth and lively. While the IPS offers a wide viewing angle without causing problems with image clarity and color accuracy.
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The port options that come with this thin gaming laptop are plenty enough and quite standard, except its Mini DisplayPort. The available ports are:
1 x USB Type-C port
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1port
1 x HDMI port
1 x Mini DisplayPort
1 x RJ-45 LAN port
1 x Headphone/microphone combo jack
The manufacturer explains that the USB Type-C supports high-speed data transfer up to 10 Gbps and for charging 5 V; 3 A. And you can add an external display via Mini DisplayPort.
For connectivity, Acer PH315-53-72XD utilizes all the possible options. On the wireless side, there is the Killer 1550i 2×2 Wireless AC and Bluetooth 5.0 tech. While the wired option uses Gigabit LAN through a Killer E2500 module.
The keyboard has a 15mm square button, so does the navigation keys. While the Numeric pad at right features smaller size keys. Acer uses 4-zone RGB LED with 4 intensity levels for keyboard’s backlighting.
The touchpad has an average size and plastic surface. It will handle day to day use smoothly and reliably.
The 720p webcam is at the top bezel between two microphones. While the stereo speakers are under the body, on the lateral side and along with DTS X Ultra, delivers a high-end 360° surround sound system. The sound quality is great.
Acer packs a 4-cell 58Whr Lithium-ion battery into this notebook as the power source. According to the manufacturer, the maximum battery run time is up to 6 hours, depends on settings and usage of the laptop. However, this battery is too small to fulfill the power needs since this is a laptop with high-performance. So then we cannot expect much to the battery-life.
Following the trend of a slim and light gaming laptop, this Predator Helios comes with a size of 14.3 x 10.0 x 0.9 inches and a weight of 5.51 lb. This device is still a slim and light laptop, though not the thinnest nor lightest one since there are many gaming laptops that are slimmer and lighter.
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Acer makes good work with the Helios Predator 300. They complement this laptop with many good things such as a powerful engine, RGB keyboard, many ports, good quality 144 Hz 3 ms matte screen, and others. Indeed there are some disadvantages such as there is no Thunderbolt 3 and card-reader, as well as the fact that the 58 Wh battery is insufficient, but does not directly affect performance. This laptop can still run with high performance.
This laptop is intended for playing games but is also good for work including work related to graphic design. At a price of $ 1,199.99 at the time of this writing, the Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-53-72XD is an affordable gaming laptop.
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Summary of Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-53-72XD
| Brand | Acer |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-10750H/Hexa-Core/2.60GHz-5.00GHz/12MB |
| RAM | 16 GB (2x8GB) DDR4 2933 MHz SDRAM |
| Storage | 512GB NVMe SSD |
| Graphics Processor | Integrated Intel UHD Graphics NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6 VRAM |
| Display | 15.6-inch Full HD 1920 x 1080 LED backlight 144 Hz 9 ms IPS anti-glare widescreen display |
| I/O Options | 1 x USB Type-C port 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1port 1 x HDMI port 1 x Mini DisplayPort 1 x RJ-45 LAN port |
| Networking | Killer E2500 Gigabit LAN Killer 1550i 2×2 Wireless Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Battery | 4-cell 58Whr Lithium-ion battery (up to 6 hours) |
| Dimensions | 14.3 x 10.0 x 0.9 inches |
| Weight | 5.51 lb |
| O/S | Windows 10 |
