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Acer Predator Helios 300 (PH315-53-72RY) Review: Excellent Gaming Performance

Acer Predator Helios 300

Acer's Predator 300 gaming laptop series is one of the company's best and most popular gaming machines, and it is available in a variety of configurations to suit gamers' budgets.
Acer Predator Helios 300

The Predator Helios 300 (PH315-53) is powered by Intel Core i7-10750H with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, it's the one we picked for this review since it packs more processing power and better GPU for an immersive gaming experience.

Acer Predator Helios 300 (PH315-53-72RY) Specs

Windows 10
15.6" IPS LCD Full HD display 1920 x 1080 resolution
2.60 GHz Intel Core i7-10750H
6 GB GDDR6 VRAM NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU
8GB LPDDR4 SDRAM
1TB 7,200 rpm Disk Drive
512GB nVMe M.2 (Expandable up to 1TB SSD (2x M.2 slot))
WebCam - 1280 x 720 resolution w/ 720p HD audio/video recording
Stereo HD Audio
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n+ac+ax
Bluetooth
Gigabit Ethernet
HDMI port, display port, USB 3.1 (3X), Headphone jack,
4 cells Lithium-Ion Battery Capacity
59 wh
2 Year Warranty

Unboxing
Buying the Acer Predator Helios 300 comes with a few small bonuses, which are used to entice more buyers, and so this strategy is effective time and time again because nearly everyone wants extra value when they spend their hard-earned money.

Acer Predator Helios 300

Our package comes with cool accessories, this includes the gaming chair, gaming mouse, gaming headset, and the gaming mouse pad which is a really large cool gaming mouse pad.


Inside the box of the Predator Helios 300 are the usual contents, this includes the Predator Helios 300 laptop, 230W power brick, power cable, Planet9 cool stickers, and the user manuals.

Using a laptop is simple; they are portable, easy to transport in backpacks, even with the power brick included, and they allow you to be productive almost anywhere you go.

Design and Built
Overall, the Helios 300 is constructed of more durable plastic, with an aluminum accent around the lid and base, giving it the appearance of a more premium laptop than the previous model.

Acer Predator Helios 300

The overall body of the Helios 300 is constructed of durable plastic material, with aluminum accents on the lid and on the base, which gives it a more premium appearance while also increasing its resistance to flexing and breaking.

When the laptop is turned on, the Predator logo shines brightly on the lid, which is flanked by blue plastic strips. The lid is easy to open with one hand, and the base does not move when the lid is opened.

Acer Predator Helios 300

This laptop features a number of ventilation grills on the bottom to keep it cool, as well as a speaker grille, and the exhaust hot air is on the rear and on the left and right sides of the chassis. It employs custom-engineered cooling technology in its 5th Generation AeroBlade 3D fan, which features a new design that lowers noise while enhancing airflow.

Acer Predator Helios 300

In terms of I/O, this laptop boasts a multitude of options, including an RJ-45 connector, two USB Type-A 3.1 (Gen. 1) ports, and an audio jack on the left side. 

Acer Predator Helios 300

On the right side, you'll find a Mini DisplayPort, an HDMI connector, a USB Type-A 3.1 (Gen. 1) port with the Sleep and Charge function, and a USB Type-C 3.1 (Gen. 2) port. The SD card reader is one feature I miss; it would have been good to have this to effortlessly transfer files from the camera's SD card.

Acer Predator Helios 300

It is common for the power jack to be located on one of the laptop's sides rather than at the back of the device. Being in the back makes accessing it a little more difficult because you must close the lid before you can remove the wire.

The Predator Helios 300 doesn't have built-in biometric features, it's something that is not uncommon on most gaming laptops, and it's also a faster way to unlock Windows.

Overall, it's a standard-looking gaming laptop; there's nothing particularly fancy or unique about the design, but it's more functional, with plenty of exhaust to dissipate heat to keep it cool and make battery life longer.

Display
The Predator Helios 300 features a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS LCD panel with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, and 142 PPI pixel density. It has a 16:9 aspect ratio, and a pitch of 0.18 Ñ… 0.18 mm.

Acer Predator Helios 300

The display boasts excellent colors, with 90+ percent sRGB color coverage, but has limited contrast and blacks. It has a 144 Hz 3ms panel with a maximum brightness of 300 nits. It's armed with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 for graphics performance with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM.

Acer Predator Helios 300

The screen has a 3ms response time, which is responsive and fast; however, it does not support G-sync, so there is occasional frame-tearing when playing games when the framerate does not match the refresh rate. However, when playing games or simply using it as a laptop to browse the web or perform video processing, it gives generally beautiful colors and fast refresh performance.

Above the display is a 720p camera; it's not the finest webcam, but it's better than nothing. It would have been ideal if Acer used a 1080p resolution webcam because this is a gaming laptop is also great to use for online meetings, which is the new standard these days.

Overall, the Predator Helios 300 display panel has nice, pleasant viewing angles with a good maximum brightness and contrast ratio, the sRGB and backlight function well, and there is no flickering. The colors look amazing, and the default settings are adequate for daily usage. Playing games at a 144Hz frame rate with fast response times provides an excellent gaming experience.

Keyboard and Trackpad
The keyboard has a nice layout with good click feedback, as well as a number pad and a power-on button, which are all integrated into the design of the keyboard. The keys have good spacing between them, but they appear to be a little crammed together, making it less comfortable. However, it will only take a short period of time before you become accustomed to the layout of the keys.

Acer Predator Helios 300

The WASD keys, arrow keys, and Predator Sense button, which opens the Predator Sense app, which allows you to customize the systems as well as the keyboard lighting, are all highlighted with a blue accent on the keyboard. The tactile feedback on the keyboard is good, and it has a nice feel.

Acer Predator Helios 300

Below the keyboard is a large touchpad devoid of conventional buttons; because the location is off-center, my left thumb frequently rests on it while gaming; however, it incorporates a palm rejection feature that ensures it never triggers unwanted input.

Acer Predator Helios 300

Storage and RAM Expansion
The Helios 300 is equipped with a 512GB solid-state drive and a 1TB hard disk diver. Upgrading requires the removal of the rear cover using a Philips screwdriver. There are extra M.2 NVMe storage slots with a capacity of up to 1TB are available for quicker and bigger storage capacity. While the 2.5-inch 1TB HDD may be changed with a SATA SSD for improved and quicker performance.

Acer Predator Helios 300

It also features two LPDDR4 SDRAM slots, with 8GB pre-installed that can be changed or upgraded up to 32GB DDR4 RAM. Upgrading is rather simple if you know what you're doing or are familiar with how RAM, SSD, and HDD function. So it is preferable to use experienced technicians to replace these items.

Wireless Connection
For wireless connection, the Helios 300 is equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, and a Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i Wireless LAN IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n+ac+ax. It's a new Intel wireless product launched in the last quarter of 2020 its a certified WiFi 6 (802.11ax).

Work and Gaming Performance
The Predator Helios 300 we got for this review is the PH315-53-72RY model, powered by a 2.60 GHz Intel Core i7-10750H processor, 6 GB GDDR6 VRAM NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, LPDDR4 SDRAM 8 GB, 1 TB 7,200 rpm HDD, and 512 GB nVMe M.2 SSD. It runs on Windows 10 Home edition.

Acer Predator Helios 300

In terms of processing power, this gaming machine is equipped with a powerful CPU that is paired with a superb GPU, as well as plenty of storage that can be upgraded for even better performance in the future.

Acer Predator Helios 300

We tested the Helios 300 in PCMark 10 benchmark app, and it scored at 4934 overall scores. Another test we use is Handbrake video encoding it was able to process a 10-minute 4K video as fast as 8-minute.

Acer Predator Helios 300

For graphics, we used DMark and run DirectX 11-driven subtests, on mainstream Sky Diver it scored 40K which is on top of the list while Fire Strike is scored 17k which is still one of the best scores for mobile gaming pc.

Acer Predator Helios 300

Using the Predator 300 for work purposes is great; programs such as word processing, third-party applications, multi-tab web browsers, and Filmora (video editing software) run smoothly side by side, and it can easily handle multiple apps running at the same time, making it simple to complete workloads.

Acer Predator Helios 300

The Helio 300's performance is best measured through actual gameplay. The first game we tried was Call of Duty, and it performed admirably; the game runs smoothly, the keyboard controls are snappy, and the 144Hz frame rate makes it easy to target opponents and win the game.

Acer Predator Helios 300

NBA 2K21 is another fantastic game for NBA lovers, and the visuals on this game are incredible, thanks to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with great details on the players. The controls are responsive, much as in shooting games, and the gameplay is really smooth.

There is no denying that the Helios 300 with an Intel Core i7-10750H processor is a fantastic computer that can be used for both work and gaming purposes. Playing games is a blast, especially when you have responsive commands and amazing graphics that provide a multitude of details to make the gaming experience more immersive.

Overclocking Button

This gaming laptop has a built-in overclocking capability, which can be accessed by pressing the Turbo button situated directly above the keyboard, or by utilizing the Predator program.

Acer Predator Helios 300

Overclocking forces the CPU and GPUs to work harder, resulting in a more powerful and quicker reaction when playing games. The disadvantage of this function is it tends to get hot on top of the keyboard and the slightly increased exhaust fan noise, which you can clearly hear spinning and may distract you when playing games.

Battery Life
The battery is still an important aspect of a gaming laptop, and the Helio 300 can reach 6 hours of usage, which is excellent for a 15.6-inch Full HD gaming laptop, This means that you can do more work and play more games without constantly looking for a power source to plug in and charge the battery.

PROS
Good built quality
Great gaming performance
Super smooth 114Hz screen
Upgradable storage drives
Easy to open for upgrade/cleaning purposes
Nice design
Plenty exhaust fans
Good Battery life

CONS
Chassis can hot when Overclocked
The base model is not too impressive
Max RAM is only 32GB DDR4
No SD card slot

Verdict
The Acer Predator Helios 300 (PH315-53-72RY) is a versatile gaming machine, it can smoothly run the latest games and video editing software thanks to its Core i7-10750H processor and the GeForce RTX 2060 graphics. Main components such as RAM and storage can be easily upgraded to fully maximized its performance. The Full HD, 144Hz IPS display offers stable viewing angles, with good contrast, fast response times, and good color reproduction. If you are looking for a flexible laptop that can be used for work and capable of gaming the Predator Helios 300 is a good choice and It's also available in different SKU's that you can choose based on your budget.

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