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Acer updates its gaming laptops with new Intel chips

The Predator Helios 700, Helios 300 and Triton 300 all get spec bumps.

Acer

Intel’s 10th-generation chips are flowing, which means that every PC maker needs to update their machines accordingly. Acer’s deep bench of Predator laptops are getting refreshed with new, but not dramatically different, silicon from today. That includes the Predator Helios 700, Helios 300 and Triton 300, which also get improved NVIDIA graphics options too.

First up, the flagship Helios 700, Acer’s desktop-replacement laptop that packs a sliding keyboard inside. When you pull it forward for easier typing, it opens up the body’s top vents for improved cooling, which you’ll need for its new chips. The 2020 refresh now includes the option of either a 10th-generation Core i7-10875H or a Core i9-10980HK, both of which are overclockable. Alongside, you’ll get the choice of either a RTX 2080 Super or the RTX 2070 Super, both of which will need a lot of cooling.

Acer says that the Helios 700 will be better at dissipating heat thanks to its new thermal solution, PowerGem, which it first announced last September. It’s a pad that sits on the chip, pushing heat away 3.83 times more efficiently than existing solutions. That’s been paired with three copper heat pipes, a vapor chamber and a pair of custom AeroBlade fans,

Other changes include the addition of a second Thunderbolt 3 port and the ability to order up to 64GB of 2933 RAM. One thing that you’ll be familiar with is the 17.3-inch HD IPS display, running at 144Hz with NVIDIA G-Sync -- it’s the same as on the existing model. Same goes for the connectivity options, which include a Killer DoubleShot Pro WiFi 6 AX1650i card and Ethernet options.

You can still adjust the actuation point on the keyboard’s WASD keys, but Acer has changed the way you do it. Last year’s model used a linear switch (branded as MagForce) but the company says that it’s now using something it’s calling MagTek. Swap out the regular keys and, much like Steelseries’ Apex Pro, you’ll be able to adjust the actuation point on those keys depending on how you play.

Acer’s Predator Helios 700 will cost $2,400 when it arrives in October, although European buyers will be able to pick it up a month earlier for €2,700.

Stepping down a level, the Helios 300 is Acer’s Max-Q model, with the option of RTX 2070 graphics, 10th-generation H-Series Intel processors and a 240Hz 15.6-inch display. This more affordable gaming laptop will let you order up to 32GB 2933MHz RAM and has space for a pair of SSDs and a 2TB HDD. If you want one of them on your desk, then you’ll need to hand over $1,200 or €1,300 when it arrives in the US and Europe this July.

The only model in the series we’ve spent even a second of face-to-keyboard time with is the Triton 300. It’s designed to be more portable than the Helios models, not that we’re able to go many places right now. As above, the new model gets 10th-generation Intel Core chips and the option to add in NVIDIA RTX 2070 graphics. Similarly, Acer has taken the attitude that if isn’t broken, don’t fix it, keeping that 15.6-inch, 144Hz FHD display (with a 3ms response time) unchanged from the prior model.

What has been tweaked is the cooling, with a redesigned thermal system and improved intake and exhaust vents. Immediately, in the hand, you’ll notice that the Triton 300 isn’t too beefy that you can’t tote it around in your bag pretty easily. That said, it is a fingerprint magnet, so don’t go anywhere without a soft cloth to hand, or else you’ll regret it. Should you want one, it’ll cost $1,300 when it lands in the US come October, and feel jealous that Europeans have been able to snag them (for €1,399) since July.