Our VerdictIf you’re of the opinion that desktop computers should be able to be folded up and put in a cupboard, then Acer has the laptop for you. Its power puts it right near the top of the best gaming laptops list, but you’ll have to pay for the privilege of owning one.
Our VerdictIf you’re of the opinion that desktop computers should be able to be folded up and put in a cupboard, then Acer has the laptop for you. Its power puts it right near the top of the best gaming laptops list, but you’ll have to pay for the privilege of owning one.
Our Verdict
Our Verdict
If you’re of the opinion that desktop computers should be able to be folded up and put in a cupboard, then Acer has the laptop for you. Its power puts it right near the top of the best gaming laptops list, but you’ll have to pay for the privilege of owning one.
ForSupreme portable power250 Hz refresh rateBuilt like a tankAgainstNoisy cooling systemCPU underperformingNo Thunderbolt/USB4Not 100% portable
ForSupreme portable power250 Hz refresh rateBuilt like a tank
AgainstNoisy cooling systemCPU underperformingNo Thunderbolt/USB4Not 100% portable
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Forgive me if you’re getting a sense of déjà vu, as this 18-inch laptop has almost exactly the same specs as theAsus ROG Strix Scar 18and others reviewed earlier this year. It’s cheaper than the Asus laptop though, yet comes in heavier and ever so slightly wider and thicker.
It also has one of the loudest cooling systems I’ve ever come across. It’s a cliche in gaming PC reviews to say that a machine sounds like a jet taking off, and as I’ve been not too far away from a few Eurofighters, an F-35C (loudest thing ever when hovering) and a Gripen this summer I can say it does not sound like that. It sounds like what it is, a pair of massive fans doing their best to keep some hot chips under control in a tight space.
Leaving it in sleep mode overnight completely emptied the battery, so perhaps it wasn’t as asleep as it was pretending to be. If laptops could sweat this one would be positively dripping, though all that cooling does have the effect of keeping the CPU and GPU temperatures mostly in the 70s or 80s (°C, though the Intel Core i9 can hit 100°C), but you’re not going to want it on your lap when it’s working hard as it gets very hot underneath.
Predator Helio 18 specs(Image credit: Future)CPU:Intel Core i9-14900HXGPU:Nvidia RTX 4090 (175 W)Memory:32 GB DDR5Screen size:18-inch IPSResolution:2560 x 1600Refresh rate:250 HzStorage:2 TB SSD, microSDConnectivity:Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth, gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-CDimensions:29 x 404 x 312mm (1.14 x 16 x 12.2 inch)Weight:3.25 kg (7.17 lb)Price:$3,100|£3,600
Predator Helio 18 specs
(Image credit: Future)CPU:Intel Core i9-14900HXGPU:Nvidia RTX 4090 (175 W)Memory:32 GB DDR5Screen size:18-inch IPSResolution:2560 x 1600Refresh rate:250 HzStorage:2 TB SSD, microSDConnectivity:Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth, gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-CDimensions:29 x 404 x 312mm (1.14 x 16 x 12.2 inch)Weight:3.25 kg (7.17 lb)Price:$3,100|£3,600
(Image credit: Future)
CPU:Intel Core i9-14900HXGPU:Nvidia RTX 4090 (175 W)Memory:32 GB DDR5Screen size:18-inch IPSResolution:2560 x 1600Refresh rate:250 HzStorage:2 TB SSD, microSDConnectivity:Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth, gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-CDimensions:29 x 404 x 312mm (1.14 x 16 x 12.2 inch)Weight:3.25 kg (7.17 lb)Price:$3,100|£3,600
The payback for all this heat generation and noise is some very tasty performance. Though using one of the best headsets is probably a good idea while playing games on it, as the built-in speakers, while generally pretty good, are going to struggle to produce clear dialogue over the fans.
The CPU is one of those Intel 14th-genRaptor Lake chips you’ve probably read about recently. This is still a developing situation at the time of writing, and all I can say is that in my time using it for games, VR, creative software and synthetic benchmarking, I didn’t see any evidence of instability despite pushing it to 100% on all cores. Reviewers only spend a few weeks with a machine at best, and long-term problems that only affect a portion of users are impossible to account for. It remains an excellent CPU. Rarely have I seen the Cinebench CPU rendering benchmark go so fast. It was a joy to watch… if you’re weird like me.
Though it must be said the Intel chip isn’t performing at its absolute best, though. The cooling might be loud, but it’s still running up to 100°C and hitting a limit, and a limit that’s holding its chip back compared with the same CPU inside the Asus Scar 18.
Above the keyboard you will find, as is traditional, a screen. This is a 16:10 IPS with a 250 Hz max refresh rate that’s… fine, I guess. It’s nothing special. An OLED would have been nice. However, this isn’t a particularly portable laptop, so the idea here may well be that it spends its time using the HDMI 2.1 or USB-C port on the back to hook up to a 4K OLED or ultrawide external screen, an arrangement that turns it from a laptop to a desktop replacement that tidies away neatly and doesn’t spray cables everywhere.
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(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
Buy if…✅You want the best and the biggest and are prepared to pay for it:The Helios 18 is absolutely a gaming desktop replacement, not a laptop, but with the performance to match a much bigger machine.
Buy if…
✅You want the best and the biggest and are prepared to pay for it:The Helios 18 is absolutely a gaming desktop replacement, not a laptop, but with the performance to match a much bigger machine.
✅You want the best and the biggest and are prepared to pay for it:The Helios 18 is absolutely a gaming desktop replacement, not a laptop, but with the performance to match a much bigger machine.
Don’t buy if…❌You need a laptop that you can fit in a backpack easily:We’re going to need a bigger bag. And maybe an exoskeleton.
Don’t buy if…
❌You need a laptop that you can fit in a backpack easily:We’re going to need a bigger bag. And maybe an exoskeleton.
❌You need a laptop that you can fit in a backpack easily:We’re going to need a bigger bag. And maybe an exoskeleton.
Further evidence for this supposition is found in the positioning of the ports, which see power and video sockets on the back of the Helios 18, from where they can trail neatly across your desk and disappear rather than poking from the sides.
Speaking of power, it can charge over USB-C if you can give it enough juice, so it could potentially single-cable with a suitable screen, but also comes with a separate and enormous brick that puts out 330W and fills the machine’s gigantic battery surprisingly fast. This isn’t reflected in the Helios' battery life, sadly, as the power-hungry components mean while you might get four hours out of it if you’re being frugal, turning on the rendering hose sees the battery life drop to more like an hour.
What Acer has produced here is a whacking great gaming laptop containing some of the finest components it’s possible to obtain in 2024. It’s ludicrous, and I love that it exists. It’s not throw-in-a-bag portable, and the screen looks dull compared to the OLEDs that are starting to proliferate, but if you can put up with the noise (and afford it) then there are few better ways to play games on a laptop right now.
Acer Predator Helios 18: Price Comparison
$2,099.99ViewLow Stock$2,939.99$2,699.99View$2,999.99$2,759.99View$3,099.99$2,849.99ViewNo price informationCheck Amazon
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$2,939.99$2,699.99View
$2,939.99$2,699.99View
$2,939.99$2,699.99View
$2,939.99$2,699.99
$2,699.99
$2,999.99$2,759.99View
$2,999.99$2,759.99View
$2,999.99$2,759.99View
$2,999.99$2,759.99
$2,759.99
$3,099.99$2,849.99View
$3,099.99$2,849.99View
$3,099.99$2,849.99View
$3,099.99$2,849.99
$2,849.99
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The Verdict85Read our review policyAcer Predator Helios 18If you’re of the opinion that desktop computers should be able to be folded up and put in a cupboard, then Acer has the laptop for you. Its power puts it right near the top of the best gaming laptops list, but you’ll have to pay for the privilege of owning one.
The Verdict
The Verdict
85Read our review policyAcer Predator Helios 18If you’re of the opinion that desktop computers should be able to be folded up and put in a cupboard, then Acer has the laptop for you. Its power puts it right near the top of the best gaming laptops list, but you’ll have to pay for the privilege of owning one.
85Read our review policy
85
Acer Predator Helios 18If you’re of the opinion that desktop computers should be able to be folded up and put in a cupboard, then Acer has the laptop for you. Its power puts it right near the top of the best gaming laptops list, but you’ll have to pay for the privilege of owning one.
Acer Predator Helios 18
If you’re of the opinion that desktop computers should be able to be folded up and put in a cupboard, then Acer has the laptop for you. Its power puts it right near the top of the best gaming laptops list, but you’ll have to pay for the privilege of owning one.
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