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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17 mainly depends on what you value in a laptop. For example, if a larger screen and better speaker quality are priorities for your gaming or multimedia experience, you may lean towards the Gigabyte Aorus 17. However, if you're looking for slightly better performance for engineering tasks, the Acer Predator Helios 16 with its more advanced GPU would be the better option. The Helios also boasts higher screen resolution and color accuracy, which can be beneficial if you're doing work with visuals. The trade-off here is that with the Aorus 17, you get a higher refresh rate screen which might be preferable for fast-paced gaming. Additionally, the Aorus 17 is slightly heavier and may have a shorter battery life due to the larger screen size. The Helios manages heat a bit better and has a quieter fan, which could enhance comfort during long use sessions. The Acer is usually less expensive, so if budget is a concern, that may sway your decision. Both have an equivalent processor and adequate ports for connectivity, but the Aorus 17 comes with a better webcam and potentially stronger build quality. 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 Gigabyte Aorus 17
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.8
8.0
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
498.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
267.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Acer Predator Helios 16 excels with its high-resolution display and superior brightness, providing crisp visuals for everyday tasks, whereas the Gigabyte Aorus 17 has lower brightness impacting its usability in well-lit environments. The Acer's color accuracy, with wide color gamuts, makes it an excellent fit for engineers and designers who rely on true-to-life colors for their work, outperforming the Aorus, which also has good color representation but not as extensive. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can cause motion blur and less fluid visuals in fast-paced scenarios.
Cost
$1,236
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a price of $1,236 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17 costs $1,700.
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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
267.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 16 to be very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 is good.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 offers a higher resolution display and better color accuracy for enjoyable general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17's larger screen may provide a more immersive experience but at a lower resolution. Both laptops are equipped with quality components, including robust processors and ample RAM, but users may find the Acer to be less portable due to its slightly heavier weight and shorter battery life compared to the Gigabyte, which may be a better option for those prioritizing longer use away from power sources and easier transportation.
Gaming and AI
8.5
8.1
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Gigabyte Aorus 17 are both very good for gaming and AI.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 stands out for gaming and 3D with a powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a high refresh rate screen of 240Hz, which is excellent for fluid visuals during fast-paced scenes. In comparison, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 also offers solid gaming performance with its Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and surpasses with a higher refresh rate of 360Hz, it might not match the overall image quality and graphics performance of the Acer due to the difference in GPU capabilities.
Engineering and Design
8.7
8.4
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Gigabyte Aorus 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 stands out in engineering and design due to its powerful CPU and high-quality screen, crucial for demanding software and detailed visuals; the Gigabyte Aorus 17, although slightly less portable with a larger screen, offers a solid CPU and GPU combo, making it also very competent for engineering tasks but its screen quality isn't as superior as the Helios 16. While both laptops provide ample RAM and storage, aspects like portability, keyboard, and speaker quality are secondary but adequate for professional use, and they both manage operating noise well.
Content Creation
8.2
8.0
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Gigabyte Aorus 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
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Gigabyte Aorus 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
6.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 17 has 6 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
5.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Gigabyte Aorus 17 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Gigabyte Aorus 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 Predator Helios 16 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 16 | Gigabyte Aorus 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,236 | $1,700 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | February 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.9'' x 1'' | 15.7'' x 10'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 5.95 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.15" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.88" | 10" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700HX | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 99 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 | 267 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 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 | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
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 Aorus 17
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NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | April 2022
"The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is a powerful high-end gaming machine. The Aorus 17 is a potent gaming notebook in a 17.3-inch format designed for FHD gaming at maximum settings. A Core i7-12700H processor and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU make this possible. A lightning-fast PCIe 4 SSD (1 TB) provides the necessary storage space and ensures short loading times. With the Aorus 17 XE4, Gigabyte delivers a well-rounded, high-performance gaming notebook."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 16 or the Gigabyte Aorus 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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