- Acer's Predator Helios 18 laptop was always big and powerful, but it's bulking up even more. Acer already sells an
18-inch Helios gaming laptop, but will serve up two different
flavors of it in 2024. There's the standard generational
update, the Helios 18, and now the Helios Neo 18, which is mostly the same laptop, but positioned differently
on price and performance. We'll start with the
technically new system, the Helios Neo 18. The starting price on
this version is $1,549.99, and it will be
available in March. It's not a super low-cost
gaming laptop in general, but it is cheaper than most of the 18-inch
gaming systems we see. Like most gaming laptops
debuting at CES 2024, this machine will take the leap to Intel's 14th Gen Raptor
Lake Refresh HX processors. It can scale up as high
as the Core i9-14900HX if you want to invest on the CPU front, and there are lesser
14th-gen processor options to keep the price lower. On the GPU side, the main differentiator between the Helios Neo 18
a
nd the standard Helios 18 is that the Neo 18 tops out
with a 140-watt RTX 4070 rather than a 4080 or 4090. Because of this, the Neo is positioned as a
more budget-friendly take on the big screen gaming laptop, which usually push performance
boundaries as a priority. The 18-inch IPS display is 16:10 with a 2,560 by 1,600 resolution and a 240 Hz refresh rate. Nvidia G-Sync is also supported to reduce screen tearing and stuttering. Of course, a screen this
big means a huge laptop, so while it feels
sturdy and well-made, it's heavy and not so portable. Think of it more as a desktop replacement, and if you're eyeing the
more budget-friendly version of this laptop, it might be your only PC. At least you can take it
with you, unlike a desktop. As for the updated Helios 18, it starts at a more
intimidating $1,999.99. It can be freely configured with as much as an RTX 4090 at 175 watts, which is more graphics power
than its Neo counterpart. Nvidia has no new mobile
GPUs for this CES. This remai
ns the ceiling even for this new wave of gaming laptops. It, too, can run up to the same
Core i9 14th Gen processor. The default display is the same, but it also comes with an
advanced mini LED option with a barely faster 250 Hz refresh rate and 1,000 nits of brightness. One more neat inclusion is the set of MagKey 3.0 WASD keys with two more sets
added for customization. These are swappable, mechanical switches for the most-used keys by gamers, dialing in your desired feel for gaming. On both v
ersions of the laptop, Acer deploys the fifth
generation of its AeroBlade fans, as well as a liquid metal
thermal solution on the CPU to keep it running cool. The visual design of the
laptop has some flair without going too over the top, although your opinion may vary, and I do like the look
of the logo on the lid. Not to confuse things further, there are also 16-inch versions
of each of these laptops. The Helios Neo 16 and the Helios 16 follow the same general
ideas as the 18-inch model, scalin
g at different levels
starting at $1,499.99 and $1,899.99 respectively. That's all on this beast. I've been Matthew Buzzi. Check out all of our CES
2024 coverage on PCMag.com.
Comments
What about predator helios 16 2024?
wah,, emazin ini kak..
when will this one launch in brazil
I hope the Helios doesn't have that cooling problems like last year's, until they fixed it in the second half anyway
Looks like a chippy buggy alien bug logo
when will this one launch in India
18 inch is king
An 18" laptop that tops out with a 4070...