For a balance of performance and portability, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) is a solid choice with its slightly slimmer design and comparable specs to the Acer Predator Helios 16. However, if you prioritize a higher refresh rate for smoother gaming and better color accuracy for creative work, the Acer, with its 240Hz screen and superior DCI-P3 coverage, would be more suitable. The Acer also offers Thunderbolt 4 ports for faster data transfer, which could be a deciding factor if you work with high-speed peripherals. Both laptops are equipped with the same powerful CPU and GPU, ensuring excellent performance for gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering tasks. Consider the Acer for its superior display tech and connectivity options, or the Lenovo for a slightly more compact form factor and longer 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 content creation
Good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024)
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.8/10
8.1/10
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
498.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
6.5 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has 3.5 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.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 16 to be very good for general use, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) 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.
Gaming and AI
8.5/10
8.5/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) 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
8.7/10
8.7/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.8/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) are both very good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.9/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 16 to be very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) 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
7.9/10
7.7/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) 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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) and Acer Predator Helios 16 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.4/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,449
$1,425
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a price of $1,449 and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) costs $1,425.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) compare to other laptops
"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."
"The midpriced Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 follows some of our favorite gaming machines, including last year's model and the higher-end Legion Pro 7i Gen 8 tested earlier this year. But pedigree doesn't count for much in the computer world, and gaming laptops require a certain level of power and graphics performance to justify their prices. The Pro 5i Gen 8 just doesn't do that, offering middling CPU and GPU performance rather than the sort of muscle that would make it a great value."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 16 or the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024)
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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.