Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 Review: A Gaming Laptop Upgrade Worth Considering

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, despite its lengthy name, proves to be a worthy upgrade from its predecessor, the Predator Helios 300 (2019). Having had the opportunity to test it out, we found that both the appearance and performance of this gaming laptop have undergone significant enhancements. Particularly noteworthy is the device’s impressive heat dissipation efficiency. Our Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 review unit falls within the price range of over $1,500 but under $2,000. Equipped with the RTX 4060, we discovered that this gaming laptop offers commendable performance within a reasonable price bracket, particularly when compared to its predecessor, the RTX 3060.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 Review

Design

Upon examining the Predator Helios Neo 16, we immediately notice its striking resemblance to the Nitro 16 Phoenix series in terms of design. Approximately 90% of its external appearance is identical. However, the Predator Helios Neo 16 sets itself apart with its dominant blue tone, characteristic of Acer’s high-end laptop line, giving it a distinct identity from the popular Nitro series.

Moving on to the Predator logo, although it no longer emits a glow, we don’t find this particular feature to be of significant importance. The A side of the laptop showcases additional textures, including an intriguing Morse code pattern, which we suspect might represent coordinates or some other cryptic message. The design of the Predator Helios Neo 16 maintains a distinct gaming aesthetic, complete with subtle indentations. For those who are not fond of the red color scheme found in the Nitro 16 Phoenix, the Helios Neo 16 offers an appealing alternative.

In terms of connectivity, the Predator Helios Neo 16 boasts notable upgrades compared to the Nitro 16 Phoenix. It includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI 2.1, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a microSD card slot, an RJ45 LAN port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Thanks to the Intel platform, both the Wi-Fi 6 card and the LAN port utilize Killer technology, effectively minimizing potential latency issues during gameplay.

The keyboard and touchpad of the Predator Helios Neo 16 closely resemble those of the Phoenix version. The typing experience, layout, and touchpad tracking are all reminiscent of the Phoenix model. It can be observed that the Nitro 16 Phoenix has benefited from the design and refinements typically found in laptops with a higher price tag, reaching nearly $1,500.

There is one crucial aspect to consider when it comes to the Predator Helios Neo 16, and that is its weight. Weighing in at 2.6kg without the charger, this is something to bear in mind if you intend to carry it with you every day for work. While the 2.6kg device is manageable when carrying it alone, adding the charger becomes impractical. We estimate the charger alone weighs approximately 1.5kg, making the combined weight reach up to 4.1kg, which is undeniably quite heavy.

Display

The screen of the Predator Helios Neo 16 provided us with complete satisfaction, whether for gaming or work purposes. There are several factors contributing to this satisfaction. Firstly, the screen boasts a spacious 16-inch size. Secondly, it features a QHD+ resolution of 2560 x 1600. Thirdly, the aspect ratio stands at 16:10, offering an immersive viewing experience. Additionally, the screen delivers a brightness of 500 nits. Lastly, the display quality impresses with 100% sRGB coverage, along with nearly 90% coverage of Adobe RGB and DCI-P3.

These parameters are highly impressive for IPS LCD panels. However, considering the price of the Predator Helios Neo 16, such performance is expected and anything less would be unacceptable. The color accuracy of the Acer Helios Neo 16 is also commendable, measuring at approximately 2.0, which proves more than sufficient for graphics-related work.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 review test

Performance

Our Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 review unit is equipped with the powerful Core i7-13700HX processor, boasting 16 cores and 24 threads. Among these, there are 8 P-core cores clocked at a turbo boost speed of 5.0GHz, alongside the RTX 4060 GPU. Notably, the Core i7-13700HX offers 2 additional P-cores compared to the Core i9-13900H. While its clock speed is slightly lower than the Core i9-13900H, the difference is negligible to us, considering that 5GHz is already quite high.

The RTX 4060 represents a significant upgrade from the RTX 3060, solidifying its position as a GPU with an excellent price-performance ratio. The RTX 4060 features enhanced VRAM (8GB compared to the RTX 3060’s 6GB), improved Tensor and RT cores, upgraded production process, and clock speed. Surprisingly, laptops equipped with the RTX 4060 are priced similarly to those with the previous RTX 3060.

We tested several AAA games with the RTX 4060, including Cyberpunk 2077, NFS Unbound, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Spider-man, and Predator Helios Neo 16. All these games ran smoothly at the native resolution of 2560 x 1600 and high graphics settings, even with ray tracing enabled and DLSS 3 + Frame Gen. During gameplay, the GPU’s temperature remained at around 74 degrees Celsius, with clock speeds ranging from 2.3GHz to 2.5GHz, and average power consumption of 100W.

During benchmarking, the GPU temperature increased slightly to 81 degrees Celsius, with a clock speed of 2.5GHz and a maximum power consumption of 140W. In other tests, the RTX 4060 outperformed the RTX 4050 found in the Nitro 16 Phoenix, despite having a higher TGP of 140W. The RTX 4050, when running at full load, only reached around 125W.

One aspect that impresses us the most about the CPU in the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is the remarkable heat dissipation efficiency achieved by Acer for this gaming laptop featuring the Core i7-13700HX processor. While the CPU’s TDP is rated at 45W, it can reach up to 156W under full load, yet it manages to maintain a stable power consumption of 100W. However, what surprises us, even more, is that the temperature remains at a mere 74-77 degrees Celsius. It’s quite rare to witness a laptop effectively handling a CPU with a power draw of 100W while maintaining such low temperatures. It responds well to CPU rendering tasks due to its high core count and clock speeds, although Blender performs optimally when rendering with a GPU, resulting in significantly faster render times for the same project.

Heat dissipation stands out as one of the key strengths of Acer laptops, particularly evident in the Predator Helios Neo 16. This is primarily attributed to the highly responsive fan design implemented by Acer, which operates at a rapid speed of 6000RPM for both the CPU and GPU. However, it’s worth noting that the fans run at full speed, resulting in noticeable noise levels during gameplay or work sessions. It is recommended to use a noise-canceling headset to avoid distractions caused by the fan noise.

Acer has also incorporated advanced features to enhance heat dissipation, including the 5th generation AeroBlade 3D fan technology and Vortex Flow distribution technology. Furthermore, liquid metal thermal paste is applied to both the GPU and CPU, along with the utilization of five copper heat pipes.

Overall, Acer has performed admirably in terms of performance and heat dissipation with the Predator Helios Neo 16. This gaming laptop delivers impressive performance within an appealing price range. It features 16GB of RAM, with the option to upgrade to 32GB, and includes two NVMe M.2 slots that can be upgraded to 2TB (standard configuration is 512GB). Additionally, the Core i7-13700HX and RTX 4060 provide robust performance when operating at full capacity.

Battery

With its 90Wh battery capacity, the Predator Helios Neo 16 enables us to use the device for nearly 5 hours. This duration is achievable by disabling the discrete GPU through the Advanced Optimus feature and setting the performance mode to a silent level. During this time, we can engage in tasks such as web browsing, texting, watching YouTube, and composing text, all while maintaining a brightness level of approximately 75%.

However, when the RTX 4060 is not turned off, the battery life reduces to about 3 hours. Even in this scenario, where the performance level remains in a silent setting, the device still exhibits impressive power efficiency.

Final line

In conclusion, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 proves to be a noteworthy upgrade from its predecessor, the Predator Helios 300 (2019). This gaming laptop impresses with its enhanced performance, particularly in terms of heat dissipation efficiency. The device’s external appearance receives a notable facelift, aligning it with the high-end Predator series, while the upgraded RTX 4060 GPU ensures a commendable gaming experience within its price range.

The screen of the Predator Helios Neo 16 further enhances its appeal, with its generous 16-inch size, QHD+ resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio, and excellent display quality. Whether for gaming or professional tasks, this screen delivers satisfying results and accurate color reproduction.

Under the hood, the Core i7-13700HX processor with its impressive core count and clock speeds shines, supported by Acer’s efficient heat dissipation system. The laptop maintains low temperatures even under heavy workloads, showcasing Acer’s commitment to providing optimal performance without compromising on cooling.

Furthermore, the battery life of the Helios Neo 16 proves reasonable, lasting up to 5 hours with certain optimizations. Disabling the discrete GPU allows for extended usage, making it suitable for various tasks such as web browsing, multimedia consumption, and text composition.

Overall, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 emerges as a compelling gaming laptop choice, offering a balance of performance, heat dissipation, screen quality, and battery life. It caters to the needs of gamers and professionals alike, making it a worthwhile investment within its price segment.

Price and availability

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, a sought-after gaming laptop, can now be conveniently purchased from Newegg.com. Starting at a price point of $1,525, this model includes impressive specifications such as the Intel i5-13500HX processor, GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card, 16GB DDR5 RAM, and a 512GB SSD for ample storage capacity.