Acer has announced significant upgrades to its Predator Helios 18 and 16 gaming laptops, set to release later this year. The Predator Helios 18 AI now features a dual-mode Mini LED display, offering 4K resolution at 120Hz or 1080p at 240Hz.
Although the refresh rate is slightly reduced compared to its predecessor’s 250Hz, this change allows for greater versatility in gaming experiences. The display also supports Nvidia G-Sync, ensuring smooth visuals by reducing screen tearing and input lag, and boasts a peak brightness of 1,000 nits.
Internally, the Predator Helios 18 AI has received impressive hardware upgrades. It can be configured with up to an Intel 15th Gen Core Ultra 9 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, 192GB of DDR5 RAM, and 6TB of PCIe Gen 5 SSD storage.
Acer highlights the AI capabilities of the RTX 5090, which supports over 150 optimized applications for advanced tasks like language model processing and image generation. With a starting price of $2,999.99, the Helios 18 AI will be available in the US in May.
The Predator Helios 16 AI, while smaller in size, shares many features with its larger counterpart. It comes with a 2560 x 1600 OLED display, capable of a 240Hz refresh rate for smooth gaming visuals. The hardware options mirror the Helios 18 AI, including the same processor and GPU, up to 64GB of RAM, and 4TB of PCIe Gen 5 SSD storage. Scheduled for a June release, the Helios 16 AI starts at $2,299.99, catering to gamers seeking slightly more compact yet equally powerful options.
Both laptops introduce new features designed to enhance gaming and usability. These include swappable mechanical keys for a customized tactile experience and sixth-generation AeroBlade metal fans for improved thermal performance, with up to 20% more airflow compared to traditional plastic fans. Additionally, both models support Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3, ensuring fast and reliable connectivity for gaming and streaming.
However, the laptops have some limitations, particularly in port selection, with only two Thunderbolt 5 ports available. This might be a drawback for users with multiple peripherals and accessories. Despite this, the combination of cutting-edge hardware, innovative cooling, and advanced AI capabilities makes the Predator Helios 18 AI and 16 AI strong contenders in the gaming laptop market for 2025.