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Updated January 10, 2024·
When choosing between the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17, here are some considerations: The Acer Predator Helios 16 is somewhat less expensive and offers a higher resolution screen with a taller aspect ratio that is beneficial for productivity tasks. It also has a vibrant color-range coverage, which is great for image and video editing, and its smaller screen size makes it slightly more portable. On the contrary, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17, while more expensive, boasts a larger screen and a significantly higher refresh rate, making it ideal for gaming, where fast motion display is crucial. Both laptops have a similar weight, high-quality keyboards, and gaming-oriented designs, so if budget and the very highest gaming performance are less critical than a balance between work and play, the Acer could be the better choice; however, if gaming is your top priority and you don't mind the additional cost, the ASUS could be the way to go. 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
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.8
8.1
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
498.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
292.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
When considering general use, the Acer Predator Helios 16 stands out with its display that offers crisp images and vibrant colors due to its high resolution and superior panel technology, which typically also delivers superior brightness. For engineering and design tasks, the same laptop excels with its coverage of professional color spaces, ensuring accurate color depiction crucial for detailed design work. However, both the Helios 16 and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 fall short for gaming and 3D because they lack high refresh rates, which are essential for smooth motion and responsiveness in fast-paced visual environments.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has very good 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
$2,499
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a price of $1,599 and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 costs $2,499.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.0
7.9
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
498.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
292.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 16 to be very good for general use, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 exceeds in general use partly due to its superior main processor which handles multitasking and complex tasks with ease, and a higher-quality keyboard which contributes to a better overall user experience. On the other hand, the Acer Predator Helios 16, while having a strong processor, falls slightly behind the ASUS in terms of screen quality and battery life, impacting its performance for extended use and visual tasks, although it remains a solid choice for general purposes.
Gaming and AI
8.5
8.4
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 are both very good for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.7
8.6
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Predator Helios 16, with its high-resolution screen and powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, is ideal for engineering and design work that requires detail and precision in visuals, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 offers top-tier CPU performance with its Intel i9-12900H processor and a high refresh rate screen for smooth visual rendering. Both laptops provide substantial memory and storage, but the Helios 16 offers better screen quality for color-sensitive work, though the Scar 17's superior processing power may better suit computational demands; however, both are less portable due to size and weight, with decent keyboards and manageable operating noise, where the ASUS pulls ahead slightly in speaker quality.
Content Creation
8.2
8.2
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 are both very 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
7.9
7.5
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and ASUS ROG Strix Scar 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.
Battery
6.5 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has 7 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
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.3 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.0in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 16 to have only fair portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 16 | ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,599 | $2,499 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.9'' x 1'' | 15.6'' x 11.1'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 6.39 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.15" | 15.55" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.88" | 11.1" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700HX | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 498 nits | 292 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 5.9/10 | |
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 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | No Webcam | |
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 | 2 | |
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 | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
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."
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | May 2021
"Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 laptop review: liquid metal 7 nm AMD Zen 3 is stunning. The raw performance increase is absolutely bonkers if you're upgrading from a laptop on Coffee Lake-H or older. The 45 W Ryzen 9 5900HX is neck-to-neck with the thicker, heavier, and hotter Schenker Ultra 17 running on a desktop-class Core i9-11900K despite their wide TDP differences. The performance-per-watt advantages can make Intel Rocket Lake feel like a last generation platform at times. As for the chassis itself, it's a huge light show with RGB LEDs on almost all sides of the system."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 16 or the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17
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 ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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