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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is more affordable and offers good performance for general use with its Intel i5 processor and integrated graphics, making it suitable for tasks like web browsing, office work, and media consumption. It's also lighter and thinner, which makes it more portable, and has a larger 17.3-inch screen but with a standard refresh rate, suitable for those who prefer a bigger display for multitasking. On the other hand, the Acer Predator Helios 300, while more expensive, is a more powerful laptop with an Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, which is excellent for gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning. It has a smaller 15.6-inch display but with a higher refresh rate, enhancing fast-motion visuals in gaming. However, it's heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less ideal for frequent travel. Both laptops have ample storage and RAM for everyday tasks, but the Predator is better equipped for intensive engineering and creative workloads. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Aspire 5 17
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Acer Predator Helios 300
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2
7.2
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 5 17, with an integrated GPU and a 60Hz screen refresh rate, provides a fair experience for gaming and 3D applications where high performance and fluid motion are not the priority. In contrast, the Acer Predator Helios 300, which comes with a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a higher 144Hz screen refresh rate, offers a good gaming and 3D experience with enhanced graphics and smoother on-screen motion.
Engineering and Design
6.7
7.6
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is decent for engineering and design tasks due to its mid-range CPU and integrated graphics, which might struggle with more demanding software, whereas the Acer Predator Helios 300 is better suited for these tasks with its high-performance CPU and powerful dedicated GPU, which enable faster processing and better handling of graphic-intensive applications. While both laptops have IPS screens and sufficient RAM, the Predator Helios 300 also excels in screen brightness and color space coverage, which are crucial for detailed design work, but it is less portable and has higher operating noise compared to the Aspire 5 17.
Screen Quality
6.2
7.3
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 17 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Acer Aspire 5 17 offers satisfactory visuals with enough resolution and brightness but may not impress with vibrant colors or sharpness due to its average panel type. In engineering and design tasks, its screen shows limitations in color accuracy and range, which are critical for precise work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Acer Predator Helios 300 falls short as it doesn't deliver the high refresh rates required for smooth motion, despite its decent resolution and panel quality.
Battery
7.0 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The Acer Predator Helios 300 has 3.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Build Quality
6.5
7.4
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$700
$1,204
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Acer Predator Helios 300 costs $1,204.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The Acer Predator Helios 300 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 5 17, with its larger screen and longer battery life, is suitable for users prioritizing screen real estate for multitasking and longer unplugged usage, albeit at the cost of portability due to its larger size. In contrast, the Acer Predator Helios 300, though more compact, offers a more powerful CPU, enhanced RAM, and superior screen quality, catering to those who need higher performance for demanding applications, but compromises on battery life and is heavier, making it less ideal for frequent travelers.
Content Creation
7.2
7.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Predator Helios 300 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.2
7.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Aspire 5 17 and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Portability
Good
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Aspire 5 17 to have good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Acer Predator Helios 300 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | Acer Predator Helios 300 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $1,204 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.9'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 5.51 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 14.3" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 10" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 3.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50.3 Wh | 59 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 266 nits | 294 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 17
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NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | March 2021
"The Acer Aspire 5 17 laptop shows the expected strengths in the test. Besides the usual high build quality, the configuration convinces in most benchmarks and tests. The combination of CPU, GPU, and RAM is absolutely sufficient for the everyday office and browsing tasks of a laptop. It also renders the odd game passably if the requirements aren't too high. We liked the matte display in the test as well as the fairly manageable dimensions despite the screen size. It can also be used outdoors, even if it's certainly not a laptop designed for mobility."
Acer Predator Helios 300
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | November 2022
"The Acer Predator Helios 300 review is an overclocked gaming laptop with a good display. The Predator is large, heavy, and loud, but also offers plenty of performance according to gamers. An overclocked gaming laptop - or its user - also has to struggle with the usual disadvantages we mentioned above. On the other hand, overclocking is optional, and those who like it quieter and can live with a few less frames per second can also switch to the significantly more moderate Standard mode. Then the Helios 300 won't be any louder than the competitors."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 17 or the Acer Predator Helios 300
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
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