Last year, I said Acer’s 2022 Helios 300 was one of the best gaming laptops you could get.
It sucked for a couple of years before that,
until they finally redesigned it and fixed all the problems I had with it.
So what did Acer do in 2023 after finally getting it right? They threw the whole thing
away and started again with another redesign! Let’s check it out, as well as the new Nitro.
But first, Gigabyte and their Aorus GeForce
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Acer have dropped the 300, and are instead giving us the Helios 16 and Helios 18,
referring to the screen sizes. I suppose that is easier to understand,
compared to having both a 15 inch and 17 inch version of the Helios 300.
The new design has fewer angled bits and is simpler looking, despite the new RGB lighting
on the back, which seems to replace the front light bar in last year’s model. The Predator logo
on the lid is much smaller compared to last year, and overall I think the new design looks cleaner.
Just like previous Helios gaming laptops, this is an Intel only model with no AMD Ryzen CPU
options. We’re getting Intel’s latest 13th gen Core i9 or i7 HX processors,
and up to Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics with a 165 watt power limit, so close to full performance.
The Helios goes up to 32 gigs of DDR5-4800 memory, but Intel’s HX CPUs actually go up
to DDR5-5600 this year, so Acer might not be taking full advantage of that if they’re
selling the Helios with slower memory. I’ll have to check that when I get them in for review.
Both the 16 and 18 inch screens are 16:10 this year,
so more vertical screen space compared to 16:9.
The 16 inch screen has a 2560 by 1600 resolution with 165Hz or 240Hz IPS-Level
panel, and there’s also a 250Hz Mini-LED option which gets super bright with high color gamut.
The larger 18 inch screen also uses the same 2560 by 1600 resolution with the same three
screen options, but for some reason there’s also a lower 1920 by 1200 165Hz option for the Helios 18.
That seems a bit strange to me, the lower resolution would make more sense on the
smaller Helios 16. For me personally, at 1080p I do start to notice the pixels on
a 17.3” screen. Maybe I sit too close, but I can only imagine this becoming more obvious to more
people once you have the same amount of pixels and start stretching it out further to 18 inches.
Both the 16 and 18 inch models have advanced optimus support with a MUX
switch, just like last year.
Based on this render that’s on Acer’s website, it seems to be using the same cooler as last year,
as the heat pipe layout looks the same as the 2022 Helios 300 that I tested.
The port layout is a bit different this year,
but as far as I can tell both the 16 and 18 inch models have the exact same ports.
The left has gigabit ethernet, USB Type-A, a Mini SD card slot,
something new for the Helios series, and a 3.5mm audio combo jack. The right has
a couple of USB Type-A ports and a Kensington lock at the back, while on the back from left
to right we’ve got the power input, HDMI 2.1, and two Type-C Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Speaking of the back, the RGB lighting on the bit that sticks out can be customized
through software along with the per-key RGB keyboard, which has 1.8mm of key travel.
Let’s move over Acer’s Nitro series, which is meant to be a cheaper, more budget friendly
option compared to the higher tier Helios series. It looks like there’s no more Nitro 5 this year.
Instead we’ve got the Nitro 16 and Nitro 17, which like the Helios, refers to the screen size.
Unlike the Helios, the Nitro series offers the latest processors from both Intel and AMD,
not just Intel. Interestingly the Intel model apparently goes to DDR5-4800 memory,
while the Ryzen version can support faster DDR5-5600 memory.
According to Intel’s specs, even the mid-range i5 and i7 H series processors should go up to
DDR5-5200, so again it might just be that Acer is choosing to sell the Intel ones with 4800 memory.
I’ll be sure to find out if you can still upgrade it to faster DDR5-5200
memory yourself once I get it in for review, make sure you’re subscribed!
Based on the fact that AMD’s HX processors seem to go up to DDR5-5200, I’m going to assume that
the Nitro is instead using HS series processors, as for some reason these support higher DDR5-5600.
The 16 inch screen is 5% larger compared to the older 15 inch version and also now
has the taller 16:10 aspect ratio, just like the Helios. It’s available
with 1920 by 1200 or 2560 by 1600 resolutions and a 165Hz refresh rate.
The larger 17 inch version has 1080p 144Hz or 165Hz options,
as well as 1440p 165Hz, and these are your typical 16:9 aspect ratio.
Last year’s Nitro 5 was updated with a MUX switch for the first time,
and now this year both the Nitro 16 and 17 are getting upgraded with advanced optimus,
so you can swap between integrated and discrete graphics automatically without needing to reboot.
And the Nitro now also uses liquid metal on the CPU, just like the higher tier Helios.
The ports also look the same as the Helios, and that goes for both the
16 and 17 inch models - they’re all the same, so I won’t repeat myself.
According to the product pages, the Intel versions have Wi-Fi 6 support while the AMD
versions support the newer 6E standard. Given it’s not specified and my experience with testing Wi-Fi
in AMD laptops, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the killer options in the Intel laptops end up
performing better. Wi-Fi cards are only like a $20 upgrade though, so it’s not really a deal breaker.
It’ll come down to personal preference,
but I prefer the smaller muted Acer logo on last year’s model, compared to the new
N they’re sticking in the middle this year. I don’t know, It’s just a bit too edgy for me..
As for pricing and availability,
Acer’s Helios 16 will be available in North America in March, starting at $1650 USD,
while it costs an extra $50 and a month of time to get the larger 18 inch model.
The Nitro 16 and 17 start from around $1200 USD, and come out after the Helios series in May,
but also at a lower price point, though the exact specs for what this includes aren’t mentioned.
I mean the fact that Acer’s product page advertises the
Nitro with DLSS 3 support implies that it’s at least using Nvidia’s RTX 4050 graphics,
and Nvidia have said that RTX 4050 laptops will start from $1000, so I don’t know for sure,
but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if that $1200 Nitro was with the RTX 4050.
4050 laptops at that entry level price point aren’t going to have nice features like a MUX
switch, advanced optimus and liquid metal. I thought this was interesting because in the
past Acer’s Nitro series has generally been more budget friendly than this. I was kind of hoping
that they would also refresh it with that new refreshed RTX 3050 6 gig, because at least then
we’d get an option below $1200. Not everyone has that much to spend on a laptop. So for
that reason I’d also be surprised if Acer stopped selling their last gen cheaper models. Otherwise
they’re just not going to have anything in the lower price range. I get it, this year’s Nitro
does have new extra features and those don’t come for free. But yeah, it sounds like its
features are starting to get pretty close to the Helios, and that’s starting to cost more money.
Check out the rest of the new gaming laptops coming out in 2023 over here! There are some
really cool models coming out this year, so I’ll see you over in one of those videos next!