The Acer Predator line of gaming devices is well-known for offering advanced features and top-notch specifications. One of their latest products, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, is a gaming laptop powered by the 13th Gen Intel Core processor and NVIDIA 4000 series, providing high performance for various activities. How does it perform, especially when used for gaming? Here is the team’s experience with the Predator Helios Neo 16 in day-to-day usage.
Review of Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
Display – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Battery – 8/10
Features – 8/10
Design – 9/10
Overall Rating: 8.6/10
Conclusion
While the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 may have a relatively large size, it is well-matched with its high performance and unique design, all while maintaining a comfortable user experience.
Liked
Robust and fast performance
Remains cool during use
165Hz IPS display
Modern connectivity support
Disliked
Heavy body and charger
Turbo mode can be noisy
How the Product is Reviewed
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 comes with an unconventional design. At first glance, the laptop immediately gives the impression that it will boast cutting-edge performance and features.
The lid not only showcases the iconic Acer Predator logo but also various engraved codes and symbols, adding a futuristic touch to the laptop. The body also features precise industrial contours.
The Predator Helios Neo 16 offers a range of ports, including two USB 3.2 Gen2 ports on the right side, along with a USB 3.2 Gen1 port, microSD slot, and 3.5mm audio jack on the left side. Additionally, there are two Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI 2.1, and a power port at the back to minimize cable clutter.
It’s equipped with WiFi 6, Gigabit Ethernet, and Bluetooth 5.1 for connectivity. The laptop boasts ample air ventilation both on the sides and back for heat dissipation, along with vents at the bottom to draw in fresh air using two AeroBlade fans.
Entering the realm of 16-inch laptops, the wide display with thin bezels enhances the appearance of the Predator Helios Neo 16, giving it a modern aesthetic. An adequately performing webcam is located at the top of the display for video calls.
The laptop features a full keyboard including a numpad, providing a comfortable typing experience. The keyboard is equipped with four-zone RGB backlighting for customization according to style or mood.
The WASD keys have a slightly different accent for clear visibility, as is common with gaming laptops. Shortcut keys are also available for convenient access to various commands, including RGB lighting settings and the PredatorSense application.
PredatorSense acts as the hub for viewing system information and accessing settings for the features of the Predator Helios Neo 16. One of the options is to change operating modes like Quiet, Balanced, Performance, or Turbo to suit different needs and activities.
Below the keyboard, there is a touchpad with a spacious area for free movement without needing to readjust finger positions. The touchpad features effective palm rejection. However, it’s advisable to disable the touchpad when using an external mouse to prevent any inadvertent cursor movements.
Despite its large size, the Predator Helios Neo 16 boasts impressive high performance. The Intel Core i7-13700HX processor with 8 Cores and 16 Threads can operate at a maximum speed of 2.1 GHz.
This processor is paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 with 8GB of VRAM, supporting various modern technologies like NVIDIA DLSS3 and Ray Tracing for more realistic graphics. This GPU utilizes NVIDIA Max-Q technology, meaning it’s optimized for maximum performance with high efficiency. The RTX 4060 in this laptop is noted to have a Maximum Graphic Power (MGP) of up to 140W.
To support modern applications, there’s also 16GB of DDR5 RAM in Quad Channel configuration, along with a 2TB NVMe SSD running Windows 11 Home as the operating system. With this combination, the Predator Helios Neo 16 appears to have promising performance.
Test results indicate high scores for this laptop. The capability of the RTX 4060 in handling modern 3D graphics is unquestionable. The Core i7-13700HX processor achieves high scores for both Single Core and Multi Core in the Cinebench R23 test.
When used for gaming, the Predator Helios Neo 16 can run AAA games with impressive visual quality, including support for Ray Tracing. Turbo mode is activated for maximum performance.
In Shadow of The Tomb Raider, the laptop successfully runs it at around 102 FPS with the highest graphics settings at a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. In Cyberpunk 2077, the laptop provides a smooth gaming experience with an average of 41 FPS on Ray Tracing Ultra graphics settings.
For lighter esports games like Valorant, the Predator Helios Neo 16 handles it excellently with maximum graphics settings, achieving between 200-400 FPS depending on the match situation.
Although the fans sound powerful, they operate smoothly without any disturbance. The cooling system effectively maintains CPU and GPU temperatures within safe ranges even during intensive gaming.
The 16-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, 16:10 aspect ratio, and 100% sRGB coverage delivers a stunning visual experience. The display also supports a refresh rate of up to 165Hz, complete with NVIDIA G-Sync for maximizing the CPU and GPU performance in delivering smoother and more responsive motion without screen tearing.
Additionally, there’s NVIDIA Advanced Optimus which dynamically adjusts the refresh rate to either 85Hz or 165Hz based on the displayed content for a balance between power consumption and performance. However, the system experiences a brief unresponsiveness when switching refresh rates, which may be a minor inconvenience for some users.
In terms of audio, the speakers of the Predator Helios Neo 16 deliver loud and clear sound for an immersive multimedia experience. Both effects and dialogues are distinctly audible even at high volumes.
Equipped with a large 90Whr battery, the Predator Helios Neo 16 boasts commendable battery life. In the PCMark 8 Work test, it achieved a score of 3 hours and 42 minutes for the 165Hz refresh rate and 3 hours and 57 minutes for the 60Hz refresh rate. The difference between the two modes is not substantial.
This is quite impressive for a gaming laptop in this class, where achieving 2 hours of battery life is often a challenge. With a battery life of over 3 hours, the laptop remains reliable for light tasks or movie-watching when not connected to a power source.
Furthermore, the battery charges quickly, taking only 23 minutes to reach 50% or 80 minutes for a full charge from just 10% remaining. So, there’s no need to worry if you’re short on time to charge the battery.