Acer predator helios 500 reviews portable#
Acer predator helios 500 reviews windows#

The animations and response times feel so smooth you’ll swear you’ve become more skilled. A game like Fortnite, which the Helios 500 can play at up to 144 FPS, will look ludicrously fluid. The Helios 500 has a 144Hz display, which means it can display framerates of up to 144 frames per second. The inky blacks of the Predator’s display make the bright colors of a game like Fortnite pop. The Predator Helios 500’s display puts it ahead of laptops like the Alienware 17 R5, which lacks the contrast and color accuracy of the Helios 500 has.

Acer predator helios 500 reviews windows#

Fortunately, it uses Windows Precision drivers, so two-finger scrolling and four-finger swiping worked as expected.

We also found the tap-to-click functionality to be overly sensitive, resulting in skips down the page while scrolling or accidentally dragging browser tabs. It’s made of glass, though tracking isn’t as smooth as many other laptops. Under the keyboard you’ll find a high-quality touchpad that’s good enough for general use (gamers generally don’t use touchpads in games). That’ll be an annoyance for gamers who play in the dark and need to see their keys without being blinded. In addition, Acer still hasn’t included multiple levels of brightness for the backlighting. The keyboard is backlit with RGB lighting, though it’s lit in zones rather than individual keys, like on the Razer Blade. You also get six programmable buttons above the function row that open up PredatorSense, Acer’s proprietary thermal control software, by default.Īnimations and response times feel incredibly smooth. Quick controls are hidden in the function row that gamers will appreciate, such as on/off toggles for Wi-Fi, the screen, and touchpad. The keyboard provides decent travel for fast typing, and the layout is comfortable. Predator’s unchanged design over the years means the good parts have hung around as well - and the keyboard is one of those. Ready to mash some keys? This is the keyboard for you It’s all the connections a gamer would ever need, complete with options for futureproofing accessories and powering external GPUs through Thunderbolt 3. On the sides, the Helios 500 has a standard array of three USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, and an ethernet jack. Riley Young/Digital TrendsĪcer has smartly moved some of the video output ports, like HDMI and DisplayPort, making them both easier to find and out of the way. We did notice some flex in bend in the lid, but everything is as sturdy as a $2,500 laptop should be. The good news is that if you do need to lug it around, you can pretty much guarantee it’ll handle the transportation thanks to its bulky chassis.

Acer predator helios 500 reviews portable#

In other words, the Helios 500 is not portable in the slightest, so look elsewhere if portability is a deciding factor for you. The Helios 500 measures in at 1.5 inches tall with the lid closed, which is thicker than two Razer Blades stacked up. Compared to the competition though, it’s actually a bit lighter than the Alienware 17, the king of bulk.

Weighing in at 8.8 pounds, don’t expect to throw this in your backpack and not notice.

Similarly, the Helios 500 doesn’t pretend to be thin or light in any sense of the word. The Helios 500 is not a thin or light laptop, and it doesn’t pretend to be.