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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 16 is generally less expensive and offers solid performance for general use, gaming, and engineering tasks. It has a high refresh rate, good battery life, and ample storage. However, the Acer Predator Helios 16, while slightly more expensive, provides a higher refresh rate display, more storage, and slightly better performance in 3D and engineering applications. The Predator also has a premium build quality and better heat management. Both laptops are equipped with similar graphics cards and processors, making either suitable for gaming. If you prioritize a faster screen and superior build, consider the Predator Helios 16; if you're looking to save money without significant compromises, the Nitro 16 is a capable option. 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 Nitro 16
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Acer Predator Helios 16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for content creation
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.0
8.5
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Acer Nitro 16 are both very good for gaming and AI, though the Acer Predator Helios 16 is somewhat better.
The Acer Nitro 16 and Predator Helios 16 are praised for gaming and 3D because they come with the potent Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and offer high screen refresh rates, 165Hz and 240Hz respectively, providing smooth visuals. While both have capable CPUs, the Helios 16 comes with a screen that slightly outperforms in brightness and color coverage, enhancing visual quality for gaming and 3D tasks.
Screen Quality
8.3
8.8
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
494.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
498.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, a screen's panel type, resolution, and brightness define its quality, so both the Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Predator Helios 16 are likely using panels that offer crisp images and good visibility in various lighting conditions, which is less demanding than specialized tasks. Their suitability for engineering and design suggests they offer a wide color gamut, providing the accuracy needed for tasks that involve precise colors like photo editing or CAD work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fast-paced visuals are common, the importance of high refresh rates is paramount, and it appears these laptops have lower refresh rates which may result in less smooth motion rendering.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 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.
Cost
$1,050
$1,599
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Nitro 16 has a price of $1,050 and the Acer Predator Helios 16 costs $1,599.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
8.0
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
494.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
498.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 16 to be very good for general use, while the Acer Nitro 16 is good.
The Acer Nitro 16 boasts strong general-use capabilities featuring a punchy AMD CPU, ample RAM, and a high-quality IPS display that is suitable for daily tasks, media consumption, and multitasking, but its slightly heavier build and shorter battery life might make it less ideal for frequent travelers. In comparison, the Acer Predator Helios 16 offers a similarly capable Intel CPU and RAM setup, with improved screen color accuracy for a more vibrant display, and its lighter weight and better heat management make it a more portable and comfortable choice for extended use, although at the expense of some battery efficiency.
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Acer Nitro 16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Predator Helios 16 are excellent for engineering and design use due to their robust CPUs, ample RAM, and high-performance GPUs coupled with quality displays that offer good resolution, color accuracy, and high refresh rates for detailed and smooth visuals. While the Nitro 16 is slightly heavier and thus less portable, both models feature quality keyboards and decent speakers but might get noisy under heavy loads due to their powerful hardware.
Content Creation
7.8
8.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 16 to be very good for content creation, while the Acer Nitro 16 is good.
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
7.7
7.9
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Acer Nitro 16 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
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Acer Nitro 16 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Predator Helios 16 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Nitro 16 and the Acer Predator Helios 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 16 | Acer Predator Helios 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,050 | $1,599 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.1'' | 14.2'' x 10.9'' x 1'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 10.88" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i7-13700HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 494 nits | 498 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 6.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | June 2023
"Video editing, rendering and, of course, gaming represent the Nitro 16's core competencies with a Ryzen 7 7735HS and GeForce RTX 4070 providing the necessary power. Both chips run at consistently high clock speeds. A fast PCIe 4 SSD (1 TB) provides the required storage space and ensures short loading times. With the Nitro 16 AN16-41, Acer has a well-specced, mid-range gaming laptop in its portfolio."
Acer Predator Helios 16
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Dig into reviews and images
IGN
Samuel Horti | June 2023
"The Predator Helios 16 stacks up well against its closest competition in benchmark comparisons. The Acer Predator Helios 16 isn't perfect. It's bulky, its lid feels flimsy and some of its keys are just too damned small – but none of its problems are fatal, and it shines where it counts. The powerful graphics and processor combo are spot on for this price point, the fans stop it getting hot under pressure, and the display is as good as you’ll find under $2,500. It's simply one of the best laptops to play demanding games on."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 16 or the Acer Predator Helios 16
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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