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Updated January 10, 2024·
When choosing between the Acer Nitro 5 17 and the Acer Predator Helios 300, consider that the Nitro 5 17 usually costs less and comes with more storage out of the box, making it a more budget-friendly option. The Nitro 5 17 has a larger screen, which is great for immersive gaming and productivity, but this also means it is heavier and less portable than the Helios 300. The Predator Helios 300, while priced higher, has a newer CPU and is lighter, making it better for portability. If you need maximum gaming performance and value screen real estate, the Nitro 5 17 with its RTX 3080 might be suitable, while the Helios 300 offers a balance of performance and portability for everyday gaming and tasks. 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 5 17
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good overall display quality
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Acer Predator Helios 300
- The Acer Predator Helios 300 has no clear advantages over the Acer Nitro 5 17.
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.2
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for gaming and AI, though the Acer Nitro 5 17 is somewhat better.
The Acer Nitro 5 17 is equipped with a higher-end Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and offers an extremely high screen refresh rate, making it well-suited for immersive gaming and demanding 3D tasks. While the Acer Predator Helios 300 also provides good gaming performance with its Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, its lower screen refresh rate makes it less optimal for the highest level of competitive gaming, although it still delivers a solid gaming experience.
Content Creation
7.8
7.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for content creation, though the Acer Nitro 5 17 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
8.2
7.3
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a better screen than the Acer Predator Helios 300 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When considering a laptop for general use, the Acer Nitro 5 17, with its larger screen, offers a pleasant viewing experience with clear images and bright colors, thanks to its resolution and panel type, which may not be as significant in a gaming context. For engineering and design, both the Nitro 5 17 and Predator Helios 300 have displays that accurately reproduce colors, important for precise visual work, but they may fall short in displaying the widest range of colors some professionals require. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fluid motion is key, both laptops may disappoint due to lower refresh rates, affecting the smoothness of fast-paced visuals, despite their ample screen real estate and decent resolution.
Battery
6.0 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has 6 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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Predator Helios 300 and Acer Nitro 5 17 both have only fair portability, though the Acer Predator Helios 300 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$830
$1,204
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Nitro 5 17 has a price of $830 and the Acer Predator Helios 300 costs $1,204.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The Acer Nitro 5 17 and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 5 17, with its ample RAM and storage, high-quality IPS screen, and robust CPU and GPU combo, is suitable for general use, offering a balance between performance and battery life, albeit with less portability due to its larger size and weight. In comparison, the Acer Predator Helios 300 packs a powerful CPU and GPU, a decent screen, and considerable RAM, but trades off battery life and screen size for greater portability and a higher quality keyboard, making it a solid general use option as well.
Engineering and Design
8.0
7.6
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
7.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Nitro 5 17 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Software Development
7.4
7.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Nitro 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.
Build Quality
7.2
7.4
The Acer Predator Helios 300 and Acer Nitro 5 17 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 5 17 and the Acer Predator Helios 300 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 5 17 | Acer Predator Helios 300 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $1,204 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | May 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.9'' x 11'' x 0.98'' | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.9'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 5.51 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.89" | 14.3" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 10" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 3.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57.5 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 | 360Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 294 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | 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 | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 5 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | August 2021
"The Acer Nitro 5 17 is a solid mid-range gamer. The Nitro 5 does not belong to the top group of RTX 3070 notebooks: Compared with the RTX 3070 notebooks tested so far, the computer delivers below-average frame rates - this is due to the 100-watt TGP. The GPU performance can be increased a bit with a firmware update. The device scores with a high level of CPU performance. Throttling is not a concern. CPU and GPU can produce their performance constantly. The laptop heats up moderately under load. The noise development is on the usual class level."
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 Nitro 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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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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