Acer has refreshed its Predator gaming products this year with a wide variety of offerings ranging from laptops, desktops and monitors. The Taiwanese device maker made the announcement during its Global Press Conference (GCP) which was live streamed from Taiwan.
Apart from the usual improvements in terms of performance, the vast majority of the gaming laptops now feature higher refresh rates and RGB keyboards.
Here are 4 new products in Acer’s Predator line up that you should be paying close attention to.
Predator Helios 300
The Predator Helios 300 (PH315-53) gets a 15.6” Full HD IPS display with the option for 240Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time. The display offers 300 nits of brightness and Acer’s ComfyView that has an anit-glare matte surface that reduces reflections.
Within its metal body the Helios 300 can be configured up to a 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H mobile processor, up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX2070 Max-Q graphics that takes advantage of Nvidia’s Turing architecture to combine real-time ray tracing and programmable shading. It can be configured with up to 32GB of DDR4 memory and a 2TB of Solid State Drive (SSD) storage. You can even expand the storage further with up to a 2TB hard disk drive (HDD).
Like the past versions of Acer’s Predator laptops, the Helios 300 utilises the company’s 4th Gen AeroBlade cooling technology. The latest design reduces noise while increasing airflow, maximising cooling and allows gamers to push the laptop harder while keeping critical areas cooled.
The Helios 300 can be customised with PredatorSense, an app that allows gamers to set the colour of the four-zones on their keyboard as well as monitor and control the laptop’s cooling fans
Let’s not forget ports here. The Helios 300 offers a full range of ports that include HDMI 2.0, Mini DP, along with a USB 3.2 Gen 1 and Gen 2 port.
The laptop has a thickness of 22.9mm and weighs 2.3kg when fitted with a HDD and SSD. It runs on Windows 10 Home out of the box.
According to Acer, the Predator Helios 300 will be available in North America as well as Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) markets in July at with prices starting at USD 1,199 (about RM 5,124) and EUR 1,299 (about RM 6,288) respectively. It is expected to reach China in June with a starting price of CNY 8,999 (about RM 5,446).
Predator Triton 300
Want even more power? The all-metal body Predator Triton 300 (PT315-52) is always ready to go to the next battlefield with a portable design that is just 19.9mm thick. It boasts a 15.6” Full HD IPS panel and a blazing quick 240Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time. It also offers 300 nits of brightness and Acer’s ComfyView.
It can be configured with up to a 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H mobile processor and up to Nvidia GeForce RTX2070 Max-Q graphics. You can fit it with up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM and up to 3TB of SSD storage.
Just like the Helios 300, the Triton 300 features Acer’s 4th Gen AeroBlade cooling technology to help it stay cool. Another shared feature is the 4-zone RGB keyboard which you can customise using the included PredatorSense software.
A special Turbo button lets you instantly overclock the machine at the press of a button. There is also the Predator Sense button where you can monitor the laptop’s performance as well as adjust the colours of the keyboard.
Equipped with Killer’s E2600 Ethernet Controller that Acer claims to improves online gaming experiences by minimising lag. It also features Killer WiFi 6 connectivity, that promises faster transfer speeds.
With DTS:X Ultra the two laptops can turn any pair of headphones or speakers into a 360-degree surround system. This allows you to experience your games with greater spatial sound while enhancing your favourite movies and music.
The Triton 300 is lighter and slimmer than the Helios 300, weighing just 2.1kg and is 19.9mm thick. It runs on Windows 10 Home.
The Predator Triton 300 will hit North America store shelves by September with prices starting from USD1,299 (about RM 5,552). EMEA markets will get the Triton 300 in July with prices starting from EUR 1,399 (about RM 6,772).
Predator Orion 3000
Acer’s Predator line up is more than just laptops, it includes gaming desktops too. The Predator Orion 3000 (PO3-620) is a powerful piece of hardware that fits in any gaming setup.
The Orion 3000 is configurable up to a 10th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super. It also can be configured with up to 64GB of dual-channel DDR4 RAM. Storage wise, it can hold up to a 1TB SSD but if that is not enough, you can fit two 3TB hard disk drives inside and get an additional 6TB of storage.
It boasts a newly designed case that features a carry handle for easy lifting and transport of the unit. There is also a hidden headset cradle that pops out, offering you a space to park your gaming headset.
Customisable vertical light bars adorn the front of the case and two FrostBlade fans on the front and back. Acer’s FrostBlade fans aren’t just for show as they help the intake and exhaust of the PC. The choice is yours as the Orion 3000 offers 16.7 million colours to select from via the Predator Sense interface. The optional tempered glass side panel gives you plenty of room to showcase the internal components powering the machine.
On the front, the Orion 3000 provides gamers with easy access to two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, both a Type-A and Type-C at the front. There are also audio jacks located in the front for easy access. The inclusion of DTS:X Ultra allows you to enhance the spatial sound effects in games. The included Killer Ethernet E2600 helps prioritise network traffic for gaming.
Users have the option of choosing to run Windows 10 Pro or Windows 10 Home on the desktop.
The Orion 3000 will be available in North America by September with prices starting from USD 1000 (about RM 4,274). The EMEA region will get it in August starting at EUR 899 (about RM 4,352) and China gets it in July with prices starting from CNY 8,999 (about RM 5,445).
Predator XB253QGZ
Last but not least there is the Acer Predator XB253QGZ gaming monitor. This 24.5″ Full HD IPS display offers an improved 240Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time. It is Nvidia G-Sync compatible, promising to deliver smoother and faster gaming without screen tearing or display stutter.
According to Acer’s specs the monitors is capable displaying 16.7 million colours and offers a 99%sRGB colour gamut. It has two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, an audio out port and two USB 3.0 ports on the side.
Additionally, it has two USB ports at the rear, but these are reserved to power the Light Strip that sits at the bottom of the monitor’s chin. The Light Strip offers RGB lighting that you can change to the colour of your choice. Acer said the lights are said to be able sync to the beat of music and shows different lighting effects when playing games. Gamers have the option of adding twin 2W speakers if they prefer to game without headphones.
The monitor also comes with Predator GameView which provides a number of useful features such as the ability to set the level of dark boost and making precise colour adjustments.You also have a choice of different game modes: action, racing and sports, optimising the monitor for the game you are currently playing.
Acer said the monitor, which is part of its Predator XB3 Series will be available in North America in September with prices starting at USD 430 (about RM 1,837), in EMEA by August starting at EUR 439 (about RM 2,125) and China in July starting at CNY 2,999 (about RM1,814).
You can catch Acer’s live stream in the video below.
