Hey you, trust me, if you’re looking for a gaming laptop that will blow off your socks, the Acer Predator Helios 700 is a multi-level computer. From its revolutionary sliding keyboard to its class-leading output or back-breaking weight, to its vacuum-light fans when maxed out, the Helios 700 certainly makes a major impression. Only not big enough to yell, “Buy me!”
Check out the latest price for the Acer Predator Helios 700 PH717-71
Specs:
Display: 17.3-inch 1,920×1080 144Hz
PC CPU 2.4GHz Intel Core i9-9980HK
PC Memory: 32GB 2,666MHz DDR4
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080
Storage: 1TB SSD
Networking: Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x, Bluetooth 5.0, Gigabit Ethernet
Operating system: Microsoft Windows Home (1909)
Weight: 10.6 lbs/4.8 kg
Benefits:
- In most respects, it’s a generic Predator design, with one major exception: the entire keyboard deck slides towards you, tilting down the rest/touchpad portion of the wrist and exposing dual fans. This helps the machine to extract a lot more heat from within the machine and is required for Extreme CPU and GPU overclocking modes. Exposing fans means they’re getting noisy while they’re maxing out. Really, really loud. The loudest fans I think I’ve ever seen, causing me to raise the volume in my headphones to hear a conversation.
- On the one side, taking out the keyboard makes it look much more like a standalone device with a slanted palm, making it more convenient than most laptops for long typing sessions. It also ensures that when it’s hot, it doesn’t transfer heat through the keys, although the Predator’s rubber keycaps keep them from getting hot as well.
- Innovative slide-out keyboard
Downsides:
- Bad battery life
- Open hinge area allows dust in
- Insufficient configuration option
- The design makes this laptop model thick and heavy for usage
Verdict:
Here’s our verdict, speaking of speed, the Helios 700 is the zippiest we tested except the i9-9900K-based models; no surprise considering that the H-Series laptop processors have a lower power envelope than their desktop analogues. (At its maximum overclocking in the Helios, the processor draws about 107 watts.) But you don’t really get much by running in Extreme mode for gaming — the biggest boost seems to be RTX ray tracing (as measured by 3DMark Port Royal) and that’s only about 10%. You also have the option to use different CPU and GPU overclocking settings.
Check out the latest price for the Acer Predator Helios 700 PH717-71