Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop

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I have had the opportunity to use and review the Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop over the past two weeks.  Before reading on, I just wanted to say a huge thank you to Karen and the team at Agent 42. They gave me the chance to review this product when many others wouldn’t.

I also want to state that I am not by any means a computer expert.

My product reviews are more from the angle of an everyday user who wants to know if a product is right for them or not.  All of the opinions are my own and reflect my honest experience of the product.

Specs

Name	Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-51
Processor	Intel Coffee Lake Core i7-8750H CPU
Video	Intel HD 630 + Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB
Memory	8GB DDR4
Storage	250GB SSD + 1TB 5400 HDD
Connectivity	Gigabit LAN, Qualcomm QCA6174 Wireless AC , Bluetooth 4.1
Ports	1x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.1 gen 1, HDMI, mic/earphone, SD card reader, LAN, Kensington Lock
Battery	Battery – 48 Wh, 180 Wh charger

Design

The design of the laptop is no-nonsense.

It comes in a black plastic and brushed metal case with red slashes and the predator logo proudly displayed on the lid of the machine and under the screen. The back of the laptop has the air vents, again with a red border.

It has some quite harsh edges and a metal trim running around the base of the laptop and the trackpad.  It’s not the prettiest of laptops, I would say that it was solid and functional.

The screen is 17.3-inch, and it weighs in at just under 3kg, and it measures 29mm thick. The Predator has the usual selection of ports, including USB 3.1 Type-C.

If you wanted to upgrade the laptop, there are two panels on the base of the laptop that allows for access to the hard disk and memory slots.

Keyboard and trackpad

The keyboard has a distinctive red backlight, and the WASD buttons are highlighted in red.  This is handy for gamers who use the keyboard to play games.  I liked the feel of the keys and typing was an easy task using it.  The trackpad was very responsive.  However, I did notice a little clicking sound after a while.

Screen and Sound

This laptop has a full HD, 1080p LCD with IPS (in-plane switching).  Yes, I had to look this up, it provides a better user experience due to its wider angle and enhanced colour quality. 

All I know is that the screen was great to look at and games looked amazing on it!  The games I played and the music I listened to sounded as I would expect on this laptop.  It has a good volume level as well.

Performance

Gaming

Having never had a gaming laptop before, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  The first thing I did was made sure that the drivers were up to date. I then downloaded my entire Steam library, including games I’ve never been able to play, as well as some games from my Xbox library.  These games included, Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 4 and State of Decay 2.

I was pleased to see that the games had set themselves to at least high settings by default.  I did use the overclocking feature to try to squeeze a bit more out of the laptop, and more often than not it worked.  What I did notice when gaming for more extended periods was that the laptop would get quite hot and loud.  Please take a look at some of my screenshots of Forza Horizon 4.

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Everyday Use

For everyday tasks, this laptop works superbly well.  I used it for writing my games reviews, watching videos, listening to music, browsing the web – mostly at the time.  I didn’t notice any lag or slow performance.  The laptop just breezed through it.

Battery Life

The battery life wasn’t that impressive, but then again, for something so powerful, it wouldn’t be.  If you’re using the laptop for everyday activities, with overclocking turned off, you’re going to get about 5 hours of battery life.  Overclocking is turned off when the battery is lower than 40, even when plugged in.  I honestly don’t think that this laptop is designed for gaming on the go.  To get the full power from this machine, you’re going to need to have it plugged in.

Conclusion

At the cost of £1,099.99, the Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-51 is considered a budget gaming laptop.

If you want to play games at their very highest settings, consistently, with the best display, better audio, and premium design, you’re going to have to pay anything upwards of £2500.

However, if you’re looking to spend a lot less, and get more than a satisfying result, then this is the laptop for you.

It was an absolute pleasure to use this laptop and it re-opened my eyes to the excitement of PC gaming.  The Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-51 gets a recommendation from me.

Now time to save to buy one!

Rapid Reviews UK Rating

You can purchase the Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-51 at the following link, https://uk-store.acer.com/predator-helios-300-gaming-notebook-ph317-52-black-3