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Updated January 12, 2024·
Choosing between the Acer Nitro 17 and the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 involves considering your priorities. The Nitro 17 has a larger 17.3-inch screen and superior battery life, which is favorable for immersive gaming and longer unplugged use, but it is heavier and larger, making it less convenient for travel. On the other hand, the Helios Neo 16 offers a slightly smaller 16-inch screen with a higher resolution, meaning sharper images, housed in a lighter and more compact design for improved portability, but this comes with a modest compromise on battery capacity. Both utilize the same graphics card, so gaming performance will be similar, but the processors differ, with the Nitro 17 equipped with an AMD Ryzen and the Helios Neo with an Intel i5, which could affect performance in processor-dependent tasks. The Helios Neo is typically less expensive, offering a balance between cost and capability for someone seeking solid performance on a budget. 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 17
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
- Very good for engineering and design
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.4
7.8
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
373.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a better screen than the Acer Nitro 17 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the Acer Nitro 17 and the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 offer clear and bright displays with high resolution, providing a crisp and enjoyable viewing experience for everyday tasks and media consumption. When it comes to engineering and design, these laptops' screens display colors accurately and cover a wide range of color gamuts, ensuring that professionals can see their work with the precision and detail they require. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both models lack high refresh rates which are crucial for smooth motion rendering, making them less optimal for fast-paced visuals and high-end gaming experiences.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 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.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has only fair portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$970
$799
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 costs $799.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
373.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.1/10
The Acer Nitro 17 and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 17 is appreciated for general use due to its larger screen for easier viewing and substantial storage for various applications and media, but is heavier and less portable compared to the slightly lighter Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, which offers a high-quality display with better screen resolution and aspect ratio for immersive visuals, though with less built-in storage space. Both laptops house powerful processors and ample RAM to handle everyday tasks smoothly, and each has a robust build with effective heat management, but their larger size and gaming-oriented design mean battery life and portability are not their strongest suits.
Gaming and AI
7.4
7.5
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Acer Nitro 17 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Acer Nitro 17 and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 both feature powerful GPUs and high screen refresh rates, which are essential for a smooth gaming and 3D experience. However, the Predator Helios Neo 16 has a higher screen resolution and better colorspace coverage, giving it a slight edge in screen quality over the Nitro 17.
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.3
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Nitro 17 is good.
The Acer Nitro 17 is equipped with a capable AMD CPU and a high-quality Nvidia GPU, along with a standard full HD screen, making it a solid choice for engineering and design tasks; however, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a more color-accurate and brighter screen with a higher resolution, which benefits detailed design work, and it is lighter, enhancing its portability despite having a similarly powerful Intel CPU and Nvidia GPU.
Content Creation
7.8
7.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 17 and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 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
7.4
7.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Acer Nitro 17 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The Acer Nitro 17 and Acer Predator Helios Neo 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 17 and the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $799 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | April 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.11'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 14.2" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 11" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i5-13500HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 373 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 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 | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 17
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | October 2023
"The Acer Nitro 17 isn't an exceptional gaming laptop; it's kind of chunky even among 17.3-inch notebooks, with a lackluster keyboard, and it doesn't outperform comparably priced machines. But there's a lot to like about it, including a good array of ports, a screen that's sharp and bright for work and play alike, and battery life that soundly beats the competition. All this comes at an affordable price. If size and weight aren't big concerns, you'll find the Nitro 17 a dependable big-screen gaming rig. If you crave higher quality, consider a slight step down or up in screen size with the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 or Alienware m18 respectively."
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | August 2023
"The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 sacrifices portability and a truly budget price in the name of additional power. While remaining relatively budget-friendly, this gaming laptop packs serious processing chops, and Acer optimizes its internals to deliver respectable 1080p (or 1200p) gameplay from an RTX 4050. Its keyboard and chassis design won't win it any awards, but its display is a cut above for the price."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the Acer Predator Helios Neo 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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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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