Both are surprisingly good, particularly the keyboard. Last but not least for the physical build: the keyboard and touchpad. At this price, it's a win if the screen isn't a demerit, and the Helios 300 provides a serviceable display with useful gaming features. A matte finish cuts down on annoying reflectivity. It's roughly what you'd expect from an average laptop, with fine sharpness and colors, no more and no less. Visually, the picture is good enough, if not remarkable. These are gaming-focused features, and the 1080p native resolution is the right pick for the graphics chip (more on that below). It features a 144Hz top refresh rate, as well as a 3ms response time with overdrive. The resolution is 1080p/full HD (1,920 by 1,080 pixels), and it's a high-refresh gaming panel. The display nestled between those bezels is average-quality. It's a partway transition, versus what we have seen on many other (admittedly, often pricier) systems. The new Helios 300's side bezels are pretty thin, but the top and bottom ones aren't. Trimmer bezels let manufacturers fit traditional-size screens into smaller overall footprints, and, of course, they also look sleeker. The screen bezels on this laptop are thinner than those on most gaming laptops of the past few years, but not as thin as they come. It includes very similar internal components the extra money gains you much better portability. Our Editors' Choice among midrange gaming models, the $1,699 MSI GS65 Stealth, measures just 0.69 by 15.1 by 10.2 inches and 4.4 pounds. The Y530 was just $1,029 in our test model and had a slightly nicer design, but since we praised that system for its size, the Predator earns the same kudos. Our last-generation Editors' Choice, the Lenovo Legion Y530, came in at 0.95 by 14.4 by 10.2 inches and 5.1 pounds, very close to the Helios 300. The Dell G5 15 SE, a less-expensive budget gaming laptop, measures 0.95 by 14.3 by 10.8 inches and weighs 6 pounds, a heftier proposition. In fact, it stacks up nicely to the competition. Acer went with its relatively new black-and-teal color scheme-an improvement on the overdone red-and-black combo used in the 2018 model, to my eyes-and opted out of any flashy, garish aesthetic choices. The Helios 300's design isn't quite premium-laptop quality, but it's visually restrained, and physically solid for the price. The Helios 300 hits both of those marks better than any competitor on the market right now, earning our Editors' Choice for entry-level gaming laptops.Įntry-Level Pricing Conceals a Powerhouse In the end, gaming laptops are about gaming, and the budget tier is about value. Its $1,199.99-as-tested price stretches the definition of a budget laptop, but the high frame rates and the features this laptop packs rival those of midrange models that cost hundreds more. That's what powers Acer's Predator Helios 300. Modern graphics chips provide more power to affordable machines than ever, and Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU, in particular, provides great bang for your buck. The field for entry-level gaming laptops is a vicious battleground: Legions fighting Predators with Blades, while Strixes and Stealths circle overhead. How to Set Up Two-Factor Authentication.How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac.How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files.How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill.How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad.How to Block Robotexts and Spam Messages. Follow the instructions in the video below to upgrade your Helios 300. How to Install a Second Hard Drive in Predator Helios 300 (PH315-53) - Acer CommunityĬan I add a second hard drive to my Helios 300?Some Helios 300 models have an additional hard drive slot to allow for installation of a secondary storage drive.
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