Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 Gaming Laptop 13th Gen Intel Core i7 Processor (16 GB/1 TB SSD/Windows 11 Home/NVIDIA ® GeForce RTX ¢ 4050) PHN16-71, (16″) WUXGA Display Review
New Intel Processor: Intel Core i7-13700HX Processor
Internal Specifications: Dual-channel DDR5 SDRAM support 16 (2*8) GB of DDR5 system memory, Upgradable up to 32 GB of DDR5 system memory
Display: 16.0″ display with IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology, WUXGA 1920 x 1200, high-brightness (400 nits) Acer ComfyView LED-backlit TFT LCD, supporting 165 Hz, Grey to Grey 3 ms by Overdrive, Nvidia Advanced Optimus capable. 16:10 aspect ratio, sRGB 100%, Wide viewing angle up to 170 degrees, Ultra-slim design, Mercury free, environment friendly
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM
Other Features: NVIDIA Advance Optimus, Liquid Metal 5th Gen Aeroblade 3D Fan, Full-Function Thunderbolt-4, HDMI 2.1
I recently upgraded from a Ryzen 3 2200U laptop, which I bought back in 2018. The performance leap is significant – almost 10 times faster in multicore benchmarks compared to my previous laptop. My work involves heavy usage of CAD and FEM-based applications, demanding substantial CPU power, especially in terms of multi-core performance, given the hyper-threaded nature of these applications. The laptop, which I received today, is performing exceptionally well. Let me share my observations across different aspects of this new device.
**CPU:**
The speed is impressive, to say the least. In fact, the Geekbench 6 scores are nearly 95-97% of the M2 Pro CPU in the Macbook Pro 2022, a device that comes with a hefty price tag of about 2 lakhs.
**Display:**
The display is excellent, particularly beneficial for design-centric tasks due to its size. Moreover, it is non-reflective, which adds to the overall viewing experience.
**Heat:**
In terms of heat, the laptop has only warmed up a bit during my usage, but it hasn’t become excessively hot. I don’t intend to use it for gaming, so I can’t comment on its performance in that regard.
**Webcam:**
This is a letdown. Despite the Amazon advertisement showcasing an FHD camera, it turned out to be a 720p disappointment. The quality is subpar, and there’s no slider to close it.
**Battery:**
Considering I purchased this as a portable desktop replacement for travel, my battery expectations were modest. However, it pleasantly surprised me. Even with a heavy configuration, it’s giving me 4-5 hours of battery life during moderate tasks. I anticipate it could reach 6-7 hours on a very light workload, exceeding my initial expectations.
**Likes:**
The multitude of connectivity options is a standout feature. With 3 USB-A ports, 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports, 1 full-size HDMI port, RJ45, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, this laptop is highly functional.
**Dislikes:**
The webcam quality is disappointing, and the speakers are not overly impressive. However, since I primarily use headphones, it’s not a significant issue for me.
I plan to provide further updates after a month of usage.
**Update:**
After 3-4 days of general use, additional observations have surfaced:
**Battery:**
I conducted various battery tests to gauge performance:
– Watching a Prime Video movie at best quality and 30% brightness with speakers at 25% volume resulted in a drop from 79 to 60, suggesting approximately 5 hours of video streaming over Wi-Fi.
– Turning off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and running a 1-hour 1080p 2.5GB local video clip at the same settings showed a decrease from 84 to 74. This indicates it could easily play up to 9 hours of offline video – a remarkable feat considering the screen size and CPU.
**General Workloads:**
With Wi-Fi on during regular browsing, the laptop averages 5-6 hours of battery life. I refrain from charging beyond 85%, unless heavy CPU power is required for modeling work.
*Edit:* The Acer Care app includes a battery limiter option, even functioning when the laptop is off, to limit the charge at 80%.
*Edit after 2 weeks:* Initially faced freezing issues, but after a driver update on May 30, the problem disappeared. The high refresh rate screen makes a noticeable difference, especially when compared side by side with my old laptop – it feels much smoother.
Attribute | Details |
---|---|
Brand | Acer |
Manufacturer | Acer, Quanta, Tech-Front (Chongqing) Computer Co., Ltd (Quanta Chongqing), 18#, Zongbao Road, Shapingba District, Chongqing, China |
Series | Predator Helios 16 |
Colour | Black |
Form Factor | Laptop |
Item Height | 56.4 Centimeters |
Item Width | 8.6 Centimeters |
Standing Screen Display Size | 16 Inches |
Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1200 pixels |
Resolution | 1900 x 1200 Pixels |
Product Dimensions | 56.4 x 8.6 x 56.4 cm; 2.6 Kilograms |
Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required (included) |
Processor Brand | Intel |
Processor Type | Core i7 |
Processor Count | 1 |
RAM Size | 16 GB |
Memory Technology | DDR5 |
Maximum Memory Supported | 32 GB |
Hard Drive Size | 1 TB |
Hard Disk Description | SSD |
Audio Details | Headphones, Speakers |
Graphics Coprocessor | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 |
Graphics Chipset Brand | NVIDIA |
Graphics Card Description | Dedicated |
Graphics RAM Type | GDDR6 |
Graphics Card Ram Size | 6 GB |
Graphics Card Interface | Integrated |
Connectivity Type | Wi-Fi |
Voltage | 230 Volts |
Power Source | Battery Powered |
Operating System | Windows 11 Home |
Average Battery Life (in hours) | 6 Hours |
Are Batteries Included | Yes |
Lithium Battery Energy Content | 90 Watt Hours |
Number of Lithium Ion Cells | 4 |
Number of Lithium Metal Cells | 4 |
Included Components | 1U (contains Laptop 1N, Power cord 1N, Adapter 1N, User Manual 1N) |
Manufacturer | Acer |
Country of Origin | China |
Item Weight | 2 kg 600 g |
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