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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is often less expensive and may offer a good balance of price and performance for general use and gaming, although it's not the lightest for portability. The Lenovo Legion 9i, on the other hand, while possibly more costly, provides higher-end components and could offer better performance for intensive tasks like engineering, 3D modeling, or machine learning, but also consider its weight if you plan to carry it around. Consider your primary activities, if you favor heavy-duty tasks and can handle less portability, go with the Lenovo, otherwise, the Acer might be your choice for a balance of price and performance. 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
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 9i
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Best in class overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.5
9.2
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i stands out with its top-tier Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and a higher refresh rate Mini LED screen, making it excellent for gaming and 3D tasks, while the Acer Predator Helios 16, with its Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and slightly lower refresh rate IPS display, is very good for similar tasks but may not deliver the same level of performance and visual smoothness.
Engineering and Design
8.7
9.6
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good.
The Acer Predator Helios 16, with its powerful CPU and GPU, is very suitable for engineering and design, but the Lenovo Legion 9i surpasses it with an even more robust CPU, double the RAM, and a superior GPU, making it excellent for those tasks. While both have quality screens, the Legion's higher resolution and brighter display provide greater detail and vividness important for design work; however, its greater capabilities may come at the cost of lower portability and potentially higher operating noise due to increased power.
Screen Quality
8.8
9.7
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
498.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a better screen than the Acer Predator Helios 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo Legion 9i's display offers the highest clarity, resolution, and brightness levels, which ensures a clear and vivid experience for everyday tasks like browsing or watching videos. In engineering and design, the Legion 9i's superior color gamut coverage provides a wider range of colors, crucial for precision in graphic design and photo editing. However, both the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the Lenovo Legion 9i fall short for gaming and 3D purposes because they lack high refresh rates, which are key for smooth motion and a more immersive experience in fast-paced games and 3D simulations.
Battery
6.5 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
$3,420
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a price of $1,236 and the Lenovo Legion 9i costs $3,420.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.0
8.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
498.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i and Acer Predator Helios 16 are both very good for general use.
The Acer Predator Helios 16, while suitable for general use with a capable CPU and ample RAM, may offer slightly less performance compared to Lenovo Legion 9i, which boasts a higher-end CPU and double the RAM, enhancing multitasking and demanding applications. Additionally, the Legion 9i's superior screen quality, with a higher pixel density and brightness, provides a more vibrant and sharper display, although its larger battery capacity and higher resource specs can compromise portability and battery life compared to the Helios 16.
Content Creation
8.2
8.7
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
8.3
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion 9i to be very good for software development, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 is good.
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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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 Lenovo Legion 9i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 16 | Lenovo Legion 9i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,236 | $3,420 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.9'' x 1'' | 14.1'' x 10.9'' x 1.01'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 5.64 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.15" | 14.08" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.88" | 10.93" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700HX | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 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 | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3200 x 2000 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 498 nits | 682 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 6.4/10 | |
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 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
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 | 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."
Lenovo Legion 9i
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PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | December 2023
"The Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 16 or the Lenovo Legion 9i
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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