Acer Predator Helios 500

amazon Acer Predator Helios 500 reviews

External design

Really at a glance, this Helios 500 laptop is not too aggressive like other high-end gaming laptops on the market, but its design is not too monotonous but still partly shows the outstanding personality of the laptop. Because it belongs to the Predator series, it also has some familiar design features inherited from the “elders”, such as a bit of the Predator 21x laptop combined with a bit of the Predator Triton 700. The exterior details are more minimalistic, looking softer, only pressing a few points such as the Predator logo in the center of the lid, or the rear heat sink…. to create eye-catching and attractive.

If you are a regular follower of information about Acer laptops, the beveled design of the machine looks quite familiar, but for newcomers, who have not been exposed to much, the chamfered style makes the machine look somewhat more innovative, different than the monotonous laptops currently on the market.

The first thing I don’t like about the Helios 500 is that it belongs to the high-end product line, but the case is made of plastic, which is usually only found in mid-range or low-cost gaming laptops. However, due to good texture processing and strange colors, Helios does not feel cheap, and does not suffer from creaking phenomenon when using the force of typing as well as leaning on the hand.

The surface of Helios 500 is painted with matte blue-black imitation metal, this shell is scratch-resistant, anti-slip, and does not leave fingerprints and sweat when holding. This is a remarkable positive point, and at the same time, the two sides of the machine are beveled slightly to the sides, creating a bit of an angular feeling. The manufacturer also added distinctive lines on the lid to bring the overall design harmony.

The hinge of the machine is stable and firm, you can completely open and close the lid up and down with one hand, completely reducing the phenomenon of shaking, and creaking every time you move or lightly bump the screen like some models. The hinge has the same color scheme as the machine but is not painted red as prominently as the previous Helios 300, or like the Nitro 5 Carbon.

Continuing on the two sides of the machine, on the left side we have 2 Thunderbolt 3.0 ports, 1 USB 3.0 port, 1 Ethernet port, and 1 heatsink slot. On the right side, we have 1 Kengshinton lock, 1 mic port, 1 headphone port, 2 USB 3.0 ports, and an extra heatsink slot, this side slot is made larger than the left edge. As well as the 2 large heat sink slots on the back are also made of different sizes, an asymmetrical design looks quite good, and unique, with beautiful and outstanding colors. On the back, it is indispensable to have a power port for the machine, 1 Display Port, and 1 HMDI 2.0 port.

I appreciate that Acer has removed unnecessary connections such as optical drives and VGA ports, which not only helps to reduce production costs but also contributes to the thinner and lighter Helios 500.

The bottom surface is made to look quite attractive, funny to say, but this side shows more clearly the fashion quality of a gaming laptop than the front side!!! The bottom surface is divided into areas that are quite easy to see, helping users to remove, replace and upgrade hardware components easily.

Four uniquely designed rubber feet create a comfortable slope to help dissipate heat better while creating a comfortable feeling for the user.

Recently, I have had a rough feeling about the external design of the machine, but what we are most interested in is the internal hardware of the machine and how is its performance, so right now I will start. start the machine up.

Internal hardware and performance

Predator Helios 500 is Acer’s latest gaming laptop, currently, as far as I know, there will be 2 versions in the market, i7, and i9. The version of the laptop I’m holding in my hand has almost the most advanced configuration equipped with an 8th generation Core i9 processor Coffee Lake i9-8950HK, the machine uses VGA is Nvidia GTX 1070 for powerful overclocking ability.

Next, we have 4 ram slots with 32GB available in the machine, DDR4 standard, 2666MHz bus, which can be upgraded to a maximum of 64GB. The 2 hard drives in the machine are 256GB SSD and 1TB HDD with upgrade options to SSD (512GB or 1TB) and HDD to 2TB.

Machine configuration information

With the growth of the PC gaming industry, Intel has seen growing consumer demand for laptops as fast as desktops, which has led it to bring new processors that are already on the market from PC to laptop. i9 is also the first mobile chip manufactured by Intel that has 6 cores and 12 threads, in addition to providing better gaming performance, the new high-end chip line can increase the ability to handle high-volume workloads such as Edit 4K video, run virtual reality software or handle professional 3D graphics.

Specifically, Intel said that this line can increase the frame rate (fps) when playing games by 41%, 4K video processing speed by 59%, and overall performance by about 29% compared to the generation i7 chip line high-end old life.

In addition to Core i9-8950HK, Intel also launched two more Core i7s, 8850H and 8750H, which also have 6 cores and 12 threads, so when you hear 6 cores on a laptop, don’t conclude that it is Core i9.

Core i9-8950HK has the letter K on the back, then this is a multiplier unlocked chip line. By default, this i9 runs at 2.9GHz, you can completely overclock up to 4.6GHz more easily than its previous chips thanks to TurboBoost 2.0 technology.

To optimize to push the performance limit of the chip, Intel combines TurboBoost technology with Thermal Velocity Boost, which is a feature that increases the chip clock speed by up to 200MHz when the CPU temperature is not too high ( below 50 degrees Celsius), increase the Core i9’s clock to a maximum of 4.8GHz. This feature will automatically turn on or off depending on the condition of the machine.

The i9-8950HK also supports Intel Optane, a new memory technology invented by Intel that increases response and processing times, improving performance to deliver a smooth desktop-like experience). Optane’s speed is much faster than a traditional SSD or SATA HDD. If you buy a new laptop with an HDD and support Optane, Intel says their speed can be increased by 2.2 times for normal work tasks, 4.7 times faster game loading, and multimedia file access. It is also 1.7 times faster than a normal HDD. With this kind of power, it is clear that the i9-8950HK is only used for gaming laptops and workstations, but it is difficult to be present in thin and light models like Ultrabook.

Screen

Predator Helios 500 has a screen size of 17.3 inches, a fairly thick screen border, a screen ratio of 16: 9, uses a high-quality IPS panel with the most advanced optional resolution of UHD/4K 3840 x 2160, operates at 60 Hz, and displays 100% of the sRGB color spectrum (default is FullHD 144Hz refresh rate). No matter which monitors you choose, it supports NVIDIA G-Sync technology to prevent tearing. 4K screen with G-Sync technology, this is the most remarkable feature besides the i9-8950HK chip that Acer has invested in this laptop to make a difference compared to other gaming laptops on the market. The above factors also make up the not-so-cheap price for the Helios 500, but I think it’s worth the investment.

Preliminary experience playing games on this screen with 4K resolution with the strength of IPS panels is wide viewing angle and G-Sync technology, for very good display quality, extremely beautiful and vivid, sharp images sharp, honest, fresh colors, relatively brilliant. Besides, when watching movies or playing bright colorful games, this screen can highlight the main tones (red, blue, orange, …) and flatter the viewer’s eyes.

Especially with the Thunderbolt 3 port and HDMI 2.0 port, the machine also supports G-Sync when outputting to an external display. There are some opinions of experts who are concerned about the ability of the GTX 1070 to handle the 4K screen option at a high frame rate. Acer says the GPU is also supported overclocking like the CPU if the heat dissipation is enhanced.

Helios 500 is also capable of displaying outdoors or in strong light environments very well thanks to its high brightness as well as being equipped with Anti – Glare anti-glare coating.

Unlike the screen, the sound system of the Helios 500 is only quite good. The sound quality of the machine is only good, the bass is deep but not strong enough, and the mid and treble ranges are relatively clear and not too sharp. In fact, with current technology on laptops, it is difficult to meet the needs of fastidious gamers. You should invest in a set of separate speakers or a high-quality headset.

where can you get a Acer Predator Helios 500 online

Acer Predator Helios 500 PH517-51-72NU Gaming Laptop, Intel Core i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Overclockable Graphics, 17.3″ Full HD 144Hz G-Sync Display, 16GB DDR4, 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD, 1TB HDD: Buy it now

Keyboard

Having a large size, the Helios 500 is of course equipped with a Full-Size keyboard set with a full Numpad and anti-ghosting keys. In particular, 4 keys W S A D, and 4 navigation keys are highlighted with blue outlines – these are the keys most used by gamers in shooting games, and sports … In addition, as well as many other gaming laptops, the Helios 500’s keyboard RGB backlighting is customizable with 16.8 million colors, and the keys have anti-ghosting technology that helps complex commands and “combo” in the game be recorded. Acer also equips the Helios 500 with 1 row of 5 keys that can program its features to serve well for games that require a lot of Hot Keys (shortcuts for quick actions).

Although it is not a mechanical key, the keys on the Helios 500 have good feedback, and short key travel, when typing quickly, it makes less noise, so it is not only suitable for gamers but also for those who have work needs. An office requires a lot of typing and fast. The Touchpad area is pretty well made with a prominent blue-led border and has a delicate stylized diamond cut. The operation in this area is quite easy, with a smooth swipe, and accurate press. However, equipping a gaming mouse is essential for you to have the most optimal experience.

Each gaming laptop manufacturer almost has its specialized utility software such as Dragon Center (MSI), and ROG Gaming Center (ASUS). For Helios, it’s Predator Sense (Acer Predator)

This software not only helps us manage and monitor system performance, temperature, CPU clock, GPU, and RAM … but also provides functions to optimize the system such as adjusting fan speed higher for better cooling when gaming, or adjusting overclocking when using heavy tasks that require the CPU and GPU to operate at full capacity.

Switch between profiles using the device such as working, playing games, or saving battery, supporting game features such as surround sound, sound orientation, customizing keyboard light colors, assigning features to key sequences macros…

Gaming

For high-end professional gaming laptops like the Predator Helios 500, the gaming experience is a factor that many gamers care about. So right now I will try to play the games that are quite hot on the market today, with the highest configuration settings (Very High, Ultra, Epic) in each game. In general, games like NFS Payback, Farcry 5, GTA 5, Overwatch, and PUBG can all be played on Predator Helios 500 at the highest graphics setting with a stable frame rate.

Specifically, at 4K resolution, the average FPS is obtained from 60 – 80 in the Epic graphics of the OverWatch game, followed by Far Cry 5, a very hot game today, the feeling of playing is quite smooth. in shooting and explosion scenes with FPS ranging from 55-70 at Ultra graphics, although sometimes the FPS drops slightly, it is still stable with the impressive overclocking ability of the system.

According to my subjective assessment, this GTX 1070 when overclocked in performance will not be much inferior, compared to GTX 1080 MAX Q shortened version.

Radiators

One thing on gaming laptops that many people care about as much as performance is the cooling system. When you just start using heavy applications or playing games, the device will automatically activate the cooling system to prevent high temperatures from affecting performance.

Helios 500 with exclusive AeroBlade 3D technology maintains cool with 2 steel fans with 59 blades and 5 heat pipes that provide cold air to the main components of the machine while venting heat out. outside. According to the experience, the heat sink significantly increases the amount of air intake (about 20-25%), although it is still quite hot when playing games for a long time, the heat is mainly concentrated in the midsection of the keyboard while the palm rest area is only slightly warm. The cooling fan of the machine makes quite a loud noise.

Acer’s exclusive Dust Defender feature, the fan will reverse every 3 hours of use to push dust and heat out to keep the system clean to ensure stable operation for a long time and protect internal components to be more durable.

Fan speeds through the Predator Sense software can also be easily adjusted and customized for gaming or overclocking situations.

Battery life

Although equipped with 4 Cell batteries with a capacity of 75 WHrs, having to carry a 17.3-inch screen and powerful configuration, the battery life of Helios 500 is not impressive. Actual testing for the machine used for normal office applications, surfing the web, listening to music, watching a 1080p HD movie, using headphones instead of external speakers, and leaving the volume at 80%, and brightness at 80% for the machine to run until the battery level is 20%, this time is only about 3 hours while playing the game is about 1 hour 30 minutes.

User Interface and Software

Operating System

The Acer Predator Helios 500 comes pre-installed with Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro operating systems, providing a familiar user interface, intuitive navigation, and robust security features for enhanced productivity, gaming performance, and multimedia capabilities. The Windows operating system supports a wide range of applications, productivity tools, and gaming platforms, enabling users to personalize their computing experience, optimize system performance, and access digital content effortlessly while benefiting from regular updates, security patches, and software enhancements for improved functionality and user satisfaction.

PredatorSense Software

Acer’s PredatorSense software enhances user control, system monitoring, and customization options for the Predator Helios 500, allowing users to:

• Performance Monitoring: Monitor system performance metrics, including CPU and GPU temperatures, fan speeds, and power consumption, to optimize gaming performance, prevent overheating, and maintain system stability during intensive workloads.
• RGB Lighting Customization: Customize keyboard lighting effects, RGB color profiles, and lighting synchronization settings to create personalized gaming setups, visual themes, and ambient lighting effects that reflect individual preferences, gaming styles, and aesthetic preferences.

Gaming Profiles and Macro Settings

PredatorSense enables users to create custom gaming profiles, macro settings, and keyboard shortcuts for personalized gameplay experiences, strategic command execution, and efficiency optimization during gaming sessions. The software’s intuitive interface, user-friendly controls, and advanced customization options empower gamers to tailor system settings, performance parameters, and peripheral configurations to meet specific gaming requirements, maximize gameplay immersion, and achieve competitive advantages in various gaming genres, scenarios, and multiplayer environments.

Security and Privacy Features

Biometric Authentication

The Acer Predator Helios 500 integrates advanced security features, including Windows Hello biometric authentication technology, to enhance user privacy, data security, and system access control:

Windows Hello: Utilizes facial recognition or fingerprint authentication to securely log into the system, access personal accounts, and authenticate online transactions without entering passwords, enhancing user convenience, data protection, and identity verification for enhanced security and privacy.

Privacy Controls

The laptop includes built-in privacy controls, such as webcam shutters or physical camera covers, to safeguard user privacy, prevent unauthorized access, and mitigate potential privacy risks associated with webcam use, ensuring user confidence, personal information protection, and digital security during online interactions, video conferencing, and multimedia activities.

Gaming Performance and Experience

Gaming Capabilities

Equipped with high-performance hardware components, including powerful processors and dedicated graphics cards, the Acer Predator Helios 500 delivers exceptional gaming performance, visual fidelity, and gameplay experiences across a wide range of gaming genres, scenarios, and resolution settings:

• Graphics Performance: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 or GTX 1080 graphics cards ensure smooth frame rates, high-definition visuals, and immersive gaming experiences at ultra-high settings, enabling gamers to enjoy demanding AAA titles, VR (Virtual Reality) applications, and graphic-intensive games with enhanced detail, realism, and visual clarity for an unparalleled gaming experience.
• FPS and Frame Rate Stability: With support for high refresh rates up to 144Hz and NVIDIA G-Sync technology, the laptop enhances motion fluidity, reduces screen tearing, and minimizes input lag during gameplay, ensuring consistent FPS (Frames Per Second) performance, smooth animation transitions, and responsive controls for competitive gaming, fast-paced action, and real-time strategy (RTS) gameplay without visual artifacts or performance interruptions.

Thermal Management

The Acer Predator Helios 500 employs an advanced cooling system, including dual AeroBlade™ 3D fans, copper heat pipes, and heat dissipation technology, to manage thermal output, regulate internal temperatures, and optimize system performance during extended gaming sessions:

• Heat Dissipation: The efficient heat dissipation system prevents overheating, thermal throttling, and performance degradation by directing heat away from critical components, including the CPU and GPU, ensuring sustained gaming performance, system stability, and reliable operation under heavy workloads, intense gaming scenarios, and extended use conditions.
• CoolBoost Technology: Acer’s CoolBoost™ technology enhances cooling efficiency and fan speed control, allowing users to manually adjust cooling settings, optimize airflow, and maintain ideal operating temperatures during gaming sessions to maximize performance, minimize heat accumulation, and extend system lifespan without compromising gaming performance or user comfort.

Audio and Multimedia Experience

Audio Quality

The Acer Predator Helios 500 incorporates dual built-in stereo speakers with Acer TrueHarmony™ and Waves MaxxAudio® technologies to deliver immersive audio experiences, dynamic sound output, and enhanced bass response for gaming, multimedia playback, and entertainment:

• Sound Enhancement: The integrated audio enhancements optimize sound quality, dialogue clarity, and audio immersion, enhancing gaming realism, cinematic experiences, and multimedia enjoyment without requiring external speakers or headphones for audio enhancement, ensuring clear, balanced sound output and enhanced acoustic performance across various applications and audiovisual content.

Connectivity and Multimedia Options

The laptop offers extensive connectivity options, including multiple USB ports, HDMI outputs, and audio jacks, to accommodate various peripherals, external devices, and multimedia requirements:

• Peripheral Connectivity: Supports high-speed data transfer, multimedia output, and peripheral connectivity through USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A and Type-C ports, HDMI 2.0, Mini DisplayPort 1.4, Ethernet (RJ-45) port, and a 3.5mm audio jack for flexible connectivity, external display integration, and audio device compatibility, ensuring seamless multimedia playback, gaming setup customization, and external device synchronization without connectivity limitations or compatibility issues.
• Wireless Connectivity: Integrated Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth® 5.0 technology provide reliable wireless connectivity, network performance, and device compatibility for online gaming, streaming, file sharing, and wireless peripheral connectivity, ensuring seamless connectivity, reduced latency, and enhanced network performance during online gaming sessions, multimedia streaming, and content sharing without cables or wired connections.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Acer Predator Helios 500 stands out as a formidable gaming laptop that combines robust performance, immersive gaming experiences, and advanced features designed to meet the demands of gamers, content creators, and power users seeking superior gaming performance, multitasking capabilities, and mobility without compromising on style, functionality, or gaming prowess. With its high-performance hardware specifications, including powerful processors, dedicated graphics cards, advanced cooling solutions, and customizable RGB lighting, the Helios 500 delivers exceptional gaming performance, visual fidelity, and user experience across a wide range of gaming genres, scenarios, and competitive gameplay environments, making it an ideal choice for gamers looking to elevate their gaming experiences, maximize productivity, and enjoy immersive multimedia entertainment on the go.