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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Predator Helios 16 generally costs less and offers more storage space and better graphics performance with a higher-tier GPU that's well-suited for intensive gaming and engineering tasks. However, it's heavier and offers a shorter battery life compared to the Gigabyte Aorus 5. The Aorus 5, while pricier and with less storage, features a high refresh rate screen which could benefit fast-paced gaming and it's more portable due to its lighter weight. Both have the same amount of RAM and are formidable choices for general use and 3D/machine learning applications; final selection should hinge on specific preferences for price, gaming performance, screen quality, portability, and battery life. 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 gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aorus 5
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.5
7.9
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.2/10
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 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good.
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.
Content Creation
8.2
7.6
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 is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 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
7.3
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
8.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Gigabyte Aorus 5 are both good for software development, though the Acer Predator Helios 16 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
8.8
8.0
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
498.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 offers a vibrant display with high resolution and brightness suitable for everyday tasks and detailed engineering work, ensuring crisp visuals and true colors, crucial for those fields. However, its lower refresh rate hampers its capability to provide smooth visuals that are often necessary for immersive gaming and working with fast-paced 3D applications. The Gigabyte Aorus 5, while providing satisfactory resolution and brightness for standard tasks and engineering design, also falls short in the gaming and 3D realms due to its modest refresh rate, which is a key component for fluid motion and responsiveness in those use cases.
Battery
6.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has 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.
Cost
$1,599
$2,359
$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 Gigabyte Aorus 5 costs $2,359.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.0
7.5
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
498.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 16 to be very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
8.7
8.2
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Gigabyte Aorus 5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Predator Helios 16 excels in engineering and design due to its high-performance CPU and GPU, large and high-quality screen, and significant RAM, which are essential for demanding tasks like 3D rendering or complex computations. The Gigabyte Aorus 5 also offers a powerful CPU and good GPU suitable for engineering tasks, but its smaller storage and lower screen resolution compared to the Helios 16 might limit it in handling highly detailed design work, although its lighter weight and quieter operation make it more portable.
Portability
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.0 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 and Acer Predator Helios 16 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 5 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 5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 16 | Gigabyte Aorus 5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,599 | $2,359 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.9'' x 1'' | 14'' x 10'' x 1.08'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 5.07 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.15" | 14" | |
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 | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
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 | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 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 | 3 | |
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 5
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Can Buy or Not
Vincent Chang | June 2022
"The Gigabyte Aorus 5 SE4 is a capable mainstream gaming notebook that will run the latest PC games with aplomb. However, it's not your stereotypical flashy gaming PC. Gigabyte has added some interesting tweaks. For example, the webcam placement and its Microsoft Azure AI tool — to automatically switch between power modes — are unusual for this genre. But more importantly, the pricing is fairly competitive and reasonable."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 16 or the Gigabyte Aorus 5
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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