Predator Helios 500 Review – A desktop disguised as a laptop
INTRODUCTION
Acer Predator Helios 500 PH517-52 Series 11th generation gaming notebook, Intel Core i9 Tiger Lake Octa Core i9-11980HK 2.6Ghz with Turbo Boost up to 5.0Ghz 24MB L3 Cache Processor, 32768MB (32GB) DDR4-3200 SO-DIMM Memory (216384) Acer Predator Helios 500 PH517-52 Series 11th generation gaming notebook, Intel Core i (3840 x 2160 resolution) Comfyview IPS, 120Hz LED Backlit Display, nVidia Geforce RTX 3080 with 16GB of specialised graphics, 4 Cell Battery, 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, 2.5. ( Acer Predator Helios 500 17 amd )
This notebook has a Gigabit LAN, Bluetooth,
a Webcam, a Backlit Keyboard, a Full-Size Keyboard with Numpad, and a Full-Size
Keyboard with Numpad. HDMI out, Display Port out, SD Card Reader, and 3x USB
3.2 Gen 2 Type-A Ports in addition to 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C Ports (USB 3.2
Gen 2 up to 10 Gbps / DisplayPort over USB-C / Thunderbolt 4) are all included.
3.9 kg, One year of the 64-bit home version of Microsoft Windows 10 Include a
guarantee or protection.
Technical Specs
|
Model |
PH517-52-90NY |
PH517-52-78L6 |
|
Processor |
Intel® Core™ i9-11980HK |
Intel® Core™ i7-11800H |
|
Graphic |
NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080 16GB GDDR6 |
NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080 8GB GDDR6 |
|
Display |
17.3″ 120Hz UHD Slim Bezel 100% DCI-P3 HDR1000 IPS Mini LED
Display |
17.3″ 360Hz FHD Slim Bezel 100% sRGB IPS Display |
|
Memory |
64GB 3200Mhz DDR4 RAM |
32GB 3200Mhz DDR4 RAM (upgradable to 64GB) |
|
Storage |
2TB PCIe NVMe Gen4 SSD (2 x 1TB) |
1TB PCIe NVMe Gen4 SSD (2 x 512GB) |
|
Wireless & Networking |
Killer™ Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i |
|
|
Input & Output |
2 x USB Type-C™ ports with 1 port supporting: |
|
|
Audio |
DTS® X: Ultra Audio Supported in Windows Spatial Sound for PC Gaming |
|
|
Webcam |
720HD Webcam |
|
|
Dimensions |
400 (W) x 319.2 (D) x 35.3 (H) mm |
|
|
Warranty |
2 years On Site Warranty with Accidental Damage & Theft |
|
|
Weight |
3.9 kg |
|
|
Price |
RM19,999 |
RM13,999 |
Design
The Predator Helios 500 shows a resemblance to its smaller,
15-inch brother, the Predator Helios 300. Both computers have the well-known
Predator logo on the top of the lid, and each side has two engraved stripes.
The body has a matte finish, which makes it nice to touch and hard for
fingerprints to stick to.
What I really like about the Predator Helios 500 is its back where
the air vents are positioned—it looks really modern and cool. The air vents
remind me of the engines on a space ship. It’s just a joy to watch. The fact
that the laptop lights up makes things look even better. Turning on turbo mode
will cause the Predator logo and other details to shine red. My only wish is
that future models will let us change the lights' colours.
Looks aside, know that the Predator Helios 500 is a big gaming laptop. At 35.3 mm thick, it’s easily twice as thick as many other 17-inch gaming computers. It also weighs 3.9 kg, which is the same weight as a new baby.
Fortunately, unlike most babies, this baby is very strong. No longer must you worry about the flimsiness of a thin laptop. You'll only have to work hard to move this around. Keep in mind that for the laptop to work at its best, it needs two power sources. This means that you have to carry around more weight.
The Predator Helios 500 is big, but Acer makes good use of its
size by giving it 5 USB ports. With 2 USB Type-C and 3 USB Type-A Gen 2 ports,
an HDMI 2.1 port, a mini-HDMI 1.4 port, and separate audio jacks for headphones
and a mic, you'll have more than enough ports for any job. When you add a 720p
webcam to the mix, the laptop will easily meet all of your work needs as well.
Screen and Sound
The sharpness of the Predator Helios 500's screen is what makes it
the best. The UHD (3840 x 2160) resolution easily blows away the displays of
most gaming computers. The change is so huge that it's hard to believe. The
image quality and colours are stunning. It's even better than many TVs that are
made just for gaming.
Its update rate is the only thing I don't like about its amazing
screen. 120Hz is still enough to get a smooth gaming experience and easily
enjoy any FPS game, though I wished it could be higher. Nevertheless, it’s
still a good trade for the 4K HD resolution in my eyes.
SEE ALSO : Apple MacBook Air “Core i5″ 1.4 11” Early 2014 Specs
The laptop has DTS X: Ultra Audio technology and works with
Windows Spatial Sound for PC Gaming when it comes to sound. The sound is loud,
clear, and well-balanced, and there's even a touch of surround sound for the
win.
Keyboard
The Predator Helios 500 keypad has every feature you could want. The
keys aren't too small, and they feel great when you press them. In addition,
you'll get a full Numpad. In general, it's easy to type with. You can also
change the metal keycaps on the WASD and arrow keys that come with the laptop.
The keypad also features customizable RGB lighting. The cool thing
about the laptop's RGB lighting is that it can be changed to fit your needs.
With the PredatorSense app, you can set a lot of different effects.
I also have nothing bad to say about the touchpad. It works well and
is big enough that it doesn't get in the way when you're typing. It also feels
good to click with.
Thermals
Earlier in this review, when I said that the Predator Helios 500 is a cool laptop, I meant
it literally. The laptop has good cooling inside, which helps keep its
temperature down. Those air vents that look like rocket thrusters aren't just
for show. Overall, the laptop will stay below 80 degrees celsius at all times.
As for the fan, turning up the laptop to turbo mode does result in
a bit of noise. However, having used the Predator Helios 300 before, the
Predator Helios 500 is significantly quieter.
Battery and Source of
Power
One thing you’ll know with the laptop is that it has two 330W
power supplies. The Predator Helios 500 has two charging ports, so this is not
an extra power supply for you. To get the most out of it, you'll need to charge
it with both plugs at the same time. If you try to turn on fast mode without
charging or with only one power supply connected, Predator Sense will tell you
that you need both power supplies connected and the battery to be above 40%.
At full charge, the laptop will last a solid 4 hours. If you
charge it with both power sources, it will be fully charged in about an hour
and a half.
Because it needs two power sources, you'll have to plug it into
two sockets. This makes it pretty difficult to game in turbo mode in cafes or
public places, where power sockets are generally alone and far apart from each
other.
Predator Sense
The Predator Sense programmer makes it easy to change the settings
for your gaming needs. From changing how the RGB lights work to making the
laptop run faster. The WASD key setting is a cool thing I learned about
Predator Sense.
This setting lets users change the WASD keys to either Standard
Key or Mag Force Key. Standard Key Setting is what most laptops have, while Mag
Force Key is made for driving games where pressing W harder makes your car go
faster.
Benchmarking
It goes without saying that the speed tests are a breeze for the
laptop. When PCMark 10 was run on the laptop, it got a score of 5,766. This is
much better than most working and creator computers on the market today.
3DMark Time Spy got a huge score of 11,683, which is great. It can
handle almost any hard job you throw at it, especially if it requires a lot of
GPU power.
How well a game does
Acer says that the Predator Helios 500 can play games as well as a
PC, so it's obvious that I'll test that out. In short, it's a powerhouse that
can run games with the top settings and native 4K resolution with no problems.
God of War on the PS5 works just as well as I remember it. I was
able to run the game at high settings with native 4K resolution and DLSS turned
off at an average of 45–50 FPS.
Even when RTX is turned on and the game is running in native 4K,
it can still get between 60 and 70 FPS, which is insanely good.
Rainbow Six Extraction, one of the newest video games, could be
played on the Predator Helios 500 at an average of 50–60 FPS. As always, this
is at 4K quality and the highest graphics setting.
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Closing Thoughts
Whoever said "size doesn't matter" has obviously never
seen a Predator Helios 500. If this review hasn't already made it clear, the
Predator Helios 500 is a gaming monster. It's a desktop in the form of a
laptop.
Whether it's the crazy 4K resolution, the great performance of the
CPU and GPU, or the great way it handles heat, it gets the most important parts
of a gaming laptop right on the head. The only bad things about it are that it
needs two different power sources and that it is big and heavy. Also, at RM
19,999, it's one of the more expensive items. No matter what, this gaming
laptop is the one to beat when it comes to efficiency. The Predator Helios 500
is for gamers who want the best gaming experience on a gaming laptop.
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