Acer Helios 300 and Helios 500 are great gaming laptops, but what are the differences and which one should you get? This post will help you decide which one is right for you?
Helios 300 | Helios 500 |
BUY NOW | BUY NOW |
PROS | PROS |
Lots of power. Affordable price. 144Hz refresh rate. Decent battery life. | Lots of power for gaming. Large, color-corrected 144Hz display. Easily adjustable CPU and GPU. |
CONS | CONS |
Gets too hot. Loud fans. Lackluster sound. | Speakers are mediocre. Bad trackpad. Not cheap. |
SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
Brand | Acer | Acer |
Series | Predator | Predator |
Model | Helios 300 | HELIOS 500 |
QUICK INFO | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
Color | Black | Black |
Operating System | Windows 10 Home 64-bit | Windows 10 Home 64-bit |
CPU | Intel Core i7-9750H 2.60 GHz | AMD Ryzen 7 2700 3.20 GHz |
Screen | 15.6″ 144 Hz IPS | 17.3″ 144 Hz IPS |
Memory | 16 GB DDR4 | 16 GB DDR4 |
Storage | 512 GB PCIe SSD | 256 GB PCIe NVMe SSD |
Graphics Card | GeForce RTX 2060 | AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 |
Video Memory | 6 GB GDDR6 | 8 GB HBM2 |
Dimensions (W x D x H) | 14.23″ x 10.01″ x 0.90″ | 16.85″ x 11.73″ x 1.52″ |
Weight | 5.07 lbs. | 9.37 lbs. |
CPU | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
CPU Type | Intel Core i7 9th Gen | AMD Ryzen 7 2nd Gen |
CPU Speed | 9750H (2.60 GHz) | 2700 (3.20 GHz) |
Number of Cores | 6-core Processor | 8-core Processor |
Core Name | Coffee Lake | |
Turbo Frequency | Up to 4.50 GHz | Up to 4.10 GHz |
CPU L3 Cache | 12 MB | 16 MB |
CHIPSET | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
Chipset | ||
DISPLAY | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
Screen Size | 15.6″ | 17.3″ |
Touchscreen | No | No |
Wide Screen Support | Yes | Yes |
Display Type | Full HD | Full HD |
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 |
Panel | IPS | IPS |
Refresh Rate | 144 Hz | 144 Hz |
LCD Features | 144 Hz 3 ms 300 nits IPS 72% NTSC | IPS Display, FreeSync, 144 Hz Refresh Rate, 72% NTSC |
OPERATING SYSTEM | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
Operating System | Windows 10 Home 64-bit | Windows 10 Home 64-bit |
GRAPHICS | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
GPU/VPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 | AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 |
Video Memory | 6 GB | 8 GB |
Graphic Type | Dedicated Card | Dedicated Card |
STORAGE | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
SSD | 512 GB | 256 GB |
MEMORY | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
Memory | 16 GB | 16 GB |
Memory Speed | DDR4 2666 | DDR4 2666 |
Memory Spec | 8 GB x 2 | 8 GB x 2 |
Memory Slot (Total) | 2 | 4 |
Memory Slot (Available) | 0 | 2 |
Max Memory Supported | 32 GB | 64 GB |
OPTICAL DRIVE | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
Optical Drive Type | No | No |
COMMUNICATIONS | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
LAN | Killer Ethernet E2500 | Killer Ethernet E2500 |
WLAN | Killer Double Shot Pro Wireless-AC 1550 802.11ac WiFi featuring 2×2 MU-MIMO technology (Dual-Band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) | Killer DoubleShot Pro Wireless-AC 1550 802.11ac WiFi featuring 2×2 MU-MIMO technology (Dual-Band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
PORTS | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
USB | 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C (up to 10 Gbps) 3 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A (One with Power-off Charging) | 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C (up to 10 Gbps, DisplayPort over USB Type-C & USB Charging) 3 x USB 3.0 (one featuring Power-off Charging) |
Video Port | 1 x Mini DisplayPort | 1 x DisplayPort |
HDMI | 1 x HDMI 2.0 | 1 x HDMI 2.0 |
Audio Ports | 1 x Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack | 1 x Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack |
AUDIO | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
Audio | Waves MaxxAudio sound technology Acer TrueHarmony Technology Acer Purified.Voice technology with two built-in microphones | Waves MaxxAudio sound technology Acer TrueHarmony Technology Acer Purified.Voice Technology with Two Built-in Microphones |
Speaker | Two Built-in Stereo Speakers | Two Built-in Stereo Speakers with Subwoofer |
OUTPUT DEVICE | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
Virtual Reality Ready | Yes | Yes |
INPUT DEVICE | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
Touchpad | Precision Touchpad (supporting Windows Modern Touchpad gestures) | Precision Touchpad (supporting Windows Modern Touchpad gestures) |
Keyboard | 4-Zone RGB Backlit Keyboard | Dedicated Numeric Keypad Media Control Function Keys Backlit four-zoned RGB Keyboard with anti-ghosting |
Backlit Keyboard | Backlit | Backlit |
Webcam | HD Webcam (1280 x 720) supporting Super High Dynamic Range (SHDR) | HD Webcam (1280 x 720) supporting Super High Dynamic Range (SHDR) |
Card Reader | ||
GENERAL | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
Style | Standard | Thin and Light |
Type | Gaming & Entertainment | Gaming & Entertainment |
Usage | Consumer | Consumer |
POWER | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
AC Adapter | Lithium Ion | Lithium Ion |
Battery | Up to 6 hours | Up to 1.5 hours |
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT | HELIOS 300 | HELIOS 500 |
Dimensions (W x D x H) | 14.23″ x 10.01″ x 0.90″ | 16.85″ x 11.73″ x 1.52″ |
Weight | 5.07 lbs. | 9.37 lbs. |
Expert Reviews For Helios 300:
By Techau
All things considered the Acer Predator Helios 300 would sit a lot better with me if it wasn’t as big, given I take laptops with me daily, whereas this feels more like a laptop designed to take to a LAN party once a month. If I’m investing in a laptop I…By Hothardware
Summed up, the Predator Helios 300 is a fast gaming laptop at a fair price, with some unique features to boot. It may not be the same exceptional value it was a year ago, but with the addition of a 144Hz display, it still stands out against other similarly equipped configurations.By TechRadar
Despite two glaring flaws, namely the cooling system and the speakers, this budget gaming laptop packs a punch. If you’re serious about gaming but have a limited budget, you’re going to want to pick this one up.By UltraBookReview
The Helios 300 is Acer’s mind-range gaming laptop built on Intel HQ processors and 1060 graphics. The excellent pricing and solid performance are its main selling points, alongside a nice keyboard, alright IO and a fairly good screen on this updated 2018 model. There are however still some aspects to improve, like the size of the battery, arguable design decisions and rather lackluster speakers.By PCWorld
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is a comfortable, no-nonsense gaming laptop that delivers a refreshing amount of bang for your buck.Expert Reviews For Helios 500:
By TomsHardware
Those looking for a gaming laptop that does double duty as a powerful video editing rig will find a lot to like with this AMD-powered Predator. But an eight-core processor and Vega 56 graphics result in shockingly short battery life.By CNET
The Acer Helios 500 is a big-screen 17-inch laptop that has some excellent components and doesn’t cost a fortune, but also offers few surprises.By IGN
I really enjoyed using the Helios 500. From the display to overall performance, I can only think of small gripes, with the only major one being battery life. Overall it’s one of the most powerful laptops I’ve reviewed, and that’s saying a lot. Still, the Intel Core i9 model (with extra storage) is $500 more than the i7 version, which seems like a lot of money for what is likely to be not much of a boost in gaming, so be sure to consider that if you’re in the market.By TrustedReviews
Smooth performance and cool running make this a worthy top-end gaming laptop, despite limited portability and a few little flaws. Just keep an eye on battery levels.By LaptopMag
The Predator Helios 500 truly embraces its name with powerful graphics and an intense processor, all running at chilling…