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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is a powerful gaming laptop with a high refresh rate display, dedicated graphics card, and strong performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks. It has a larger screen and better performance scores in demanding tasks, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable than the Apple MacBook Air (2020). The MacBook Air is significantly lighter, offers silent operation due to fanless design, and has a longer battery life, making it ideal for general use and portability. It runs MacOS, and while less powerful than the Helios for specialized tasks, it's well-suited for everyday productivity and multimedia use. Your choice should depend on whether you prioritize gaming and high-performance activities or portability and everyday use. 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 Predator Helios 16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.5
6.2
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 offers superior gaming and 3D performance primarily due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 240Hz, which are crucial for smooth and detailed graphics rendering. In contrast, the Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a less capable Apple M1 GPU and a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, also many popular games are not compatible with its MacOS, making it less ideal for gaming and intensive 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.7
7.3
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) 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.
Screen Quality
8.8
7.5
16.0in
SIZE
13.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
498.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
395.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 offers vibrant and accurate colors along with high resolution and brightness, making it great for general use and detailed engineering work; however, its lower refresh rate impacts the smoothness required for high-end gaming and 3D animation. The Apple MacBook Air (2020), while providing good resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and precision required by engineers and designers with its color accuracy, also doesn't support the high refresh rates crucial for fluid 3D experiences. Both devices fall short for dedicated gaming or 3D modeling due to their screen refresh rates, but excel in delivering clarity and color fidelity for general use and professional design tasks.
Battery
6.5 Hours
15.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Air has 15 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
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
13.3in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
10.0
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,599
$1,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a price of $1,599 and the Apple MacBook Air (2020) costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.0
7.6
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
498.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
395.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
15.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 16 to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
The Acer Predator Helios 16, equipped with a high-end CPU and ample RAM, is designed for performance-intensive tasks and gaming, with a quality screen and powerful graphics, but it is heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less portable compared to the lightweight and efficient Apple MacBook Air, which offers an excellent balance of performance from its custom CPU, good screen quality, and significantly longer battery life for everyday tasks. While the Helios 16 is more suited for users requiring advanced computational power and better heat management for longer sessions, the MacBook Air caters to those prioritizing portability, silent operation, and a premium build for general use.
Content Creation
8.2
7.8
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 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 Apple MacBook Air (2020) 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
7.9
7.7
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) 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.
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How the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the Apple MacBook Air (2020) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 16 | Apple MacBook Air (2020) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,599 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | November 1, 2020 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.9'' x 1'' | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 2.8 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.15" | 11.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.88" | 8.36" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700HX | Apple M1 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 15 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 49.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 498 nits | 395 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 3 | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Helios 16
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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."
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 16 or the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
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.
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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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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