Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 Review: Out on a Hunt (www.gadgets360.com)

Gaming laptops are a dime a dozen these days, and everyone is trying to bring something unique to the table. The new

, although a mouthful, offers more than just gaming performance. AI is all the buzz right now, and most manufacturers are trying to join the bandwagon by slapping ‘AI’ next to the product name. While Acer hasn’t done that with its latest Predator Helios Neo 16 laptop, it does have a dedicated Microsoft Copilot key and can run several AI-accelerated software.

I used the Predator Helios Neo 16 as my daily work/gaming laptop for a couple of days to see how it performed across various tasks and to find out if it was worth the Rs. 1,74,999 price tag. Read on to find out.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 Design: Looks the part

• RGB logo on the lid
• Weighs 2.8 kg
• Colour – Abyssal Black

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 looks like most other gaming laptops while offering some unique design elements. The lid is made from aluminium and has a single-colour RGB logo along with a few laser-etched encrypted codes at the corners. These codes basically reveal to be nothing more than ‘Helios Neo’ and ‘Join Predator Force’. You will find instructions on how to decrypt the codes online.

The laptop gets dual fans for cooling

 

At the back, you’ll find a protrusion that has a transparent top and some design elements underneath, along with the world’s Helios Neo 16. The sides have plenty of port options as well. On the left, you’ll find an Ethernet RJ-45 port, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A connector, a microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack.

The right side houses two USB Type-A ports (one with power-off charging support), a Kensington lock slot, and indicators for power and battery. You’ll also find ports at the back. There’s an HDMI 2.1 slot, a power connector, and dual USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 ports. The intakes sit at the back, while the exhaust vents are located on both the left and right sides.

The ports on the rear help with a clean desktop setup

 

Opening the lid is one-handed, and you’ll be greeted by a full-size keyboard and a large enough trackpad. There’s also a mode key on the top left side of the keyboard that lets you quickly change performance modes. You get three microphones on the laptop and a web camera placed at the top bezel.

The laptop is big and heavy, though, especially if you take the 330W charger into consideration.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 Display: Bright and vivid

• 16-inch WQXGA IPS display
• 240Hz refresh rate
• 500 nits brightness

You’ll find a matte display on the Predator Helios Neo 16 that is a pleasure to look at. The 16-inch panel has slim bezels on either side and has a 16:10 aspect ratio. It supports HDR mode and covers 100 percent of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. The 240Hz refresh rate and Nvidia G-Sync support are handy when playing games. The panel delivers vivid colours with good contrast. With HDR enabled, you’ll find that supported content will appear brighter with better dynamic range. Watching…