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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is slightly less expensive, offers a high refresh rate, and is aimed at gaming performance with a very capable graphics card. It's heavier and has a slightly lower battery life, but with a high-performance CPU and ample screen real estate, it could handle general use and engineering tasks well. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aero 17, while more expensive, comes with a larger, higher resolution screen, more storage, and a professional look. It's better for creative work with its color-accurate display, though its graphics card is slightly less powerful, making it less suitable for the most intensive gaming. Both laptops are similar in weight and portability, but the Aero offers a higher build quality score and a longer-lasting battery. Consider your primary use – gaming and intensive tasks for the Helios, or creative work and general use for the Aero. 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 gaming and AI
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aero 17
- Excellent overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.5
7.9
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 is good.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 excels in gaming and 3D tasks due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and high screen refresh rate, which is key for smooth visuals and gaming performance. The Gigabyte Aero 17 also provides an excellent gaming experience with its Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, but focuses more on screen quality with a higher resolution and pixel density, at the expense of a lower refresh rate compared to the Helios 16.
Screen Quality
8.8
9.2
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
498.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aero 17 for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 likely has a good balance of resolution and brightness for daily tasks, but it may lack the wide color gamut needed for professional design work. The Gigabyte Aero 17 stands out with a high-resolution display and wide color coverage, making it ideal for engineering and design users who prioritize color accuracy and detail. However, both models seem to fall short for gaming and 3D applications due to a lower refresh rate, which is key for smooth, responsive visuals in fast-paced scenarios.
Build Quality
7.4
8.0
The Gigabyte Aero 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
$1,236
$2,071
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a price of $1,236 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 costs $2,071.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.0
8.1
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
498.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.6/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Acer Predator Helios 16 are both very good for general use.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 are both suitable for general use thanks to their capable CPUs and substantial RAM, which ensure smooth multitasking and performance. While the Helios offers higher screen resolution and refresh rate for a crisp visual experience, the Aero 17 excels with a larger, high-quality display and better storage capacity, though it's less portable with shorter battery life; both have good keyboards but the Aero may have the edge in heat management and speaker quality.
Engineering and Design
8.7
8.8
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Acer Predator Helios 16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Predator Helios 16, with a high-end GPU and a powerful CPU, is tailored for demanding engineering software and has a high refresh-rate screen for smooth visuals, whereas the Gigabyte Aero 17 boasts a larger, high-resolution Mini LED display for detailed design work and higher RAM capacity for multitasking, both encompassing the very important factors of CPU, RAM, GPU, and screen quality. While the Helios 16 favors a balance between portability and power, the Aero 17 leans towards exceptional screen quality and speaker quality, with both experiencing moderate operating noise levels and providing decent keyboards.
Content Creation
8.2
8.4
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Acer Predator Helios 16 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
7.9
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Gigabyte Aero 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
5.5 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 17 has 5.5 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
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Acer Predator Helios 16 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 16 | Gigabyte Aero 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,236 | $2,071 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | March 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.9'' x 1'' | 15.6'' x 9.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.15" | 15.6" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.88" | 9.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700HX | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 498 nits | 368 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 6.7/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
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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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."
Gigabyte Aero 17
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NotebookCheck
Mike Wobker | May 2021
"Not only is the Aero 17 a very good laptop for gamers but also for content creators. With the upgrade to the Intel Core i9-11980HK, Gigabyte particularly improved the system performance. In addition, the hardware package is rounded by the extremely fast SSD and 32 GB of working memory in dual-channel mode. Compared to the predecessor, the battery life is reduced only moderately, and the 4K display also basically keeps its good qualities."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 16 or the Gigabyte Aero 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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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