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Predator Helios 16
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ThinkPad Z16
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What we think

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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

Choosing between the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is a matter of balancing your needs in performance, display qualities, and purpose. The Acer Predator offers robust performance for gaming and 3D work at a midrange price, but with a heavier build and less impressive battery life. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, while more expensive, boasts a superior screen with higher resolution and an OLED display, alongside greater portability and a longer-lasting battery, which suits professional environments and tasks that benefit from higher screen quality and color accuracy. The ThinkPad also has an edge in general use with a more premium build quality, but is less suitable than the Predator for intensive gaming and high-performance needs. 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
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
  • Very good for software development
  • Very good overall build quality
  • Good portability
  • Best in class speakers
  • Excellent keyboard

Key differences

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General Use

8.0
Predator Helios 16
ThinkPad Z16
8.6
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
498.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Acer Predator Helios 16 are both very good for general use, though the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is somewhat better.

Gaming and AI

8.5
Predator Helios 16
ThinkPad Z16
6.7
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is only fair.

Screen Quality

8.8
Predator Helios 16
ThinkPad Z16
8.5
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
498.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.

Portability

Fair
Predator Helios 16
ThinkPad Z16
Good
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

Build Quality

7.4
Predator Helios 16
ThinkPad Z16
8.0
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has very good build quality, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 has good build quality.

Cost

$1,236
Predator Helios 16
ThinkPad Z16
$1,120
Product image
Product image

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

The Acer Predator Helios 16 has a price of $1,236 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
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Key similarities

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Engineering and Design

8.7
Predator Helios 16
ThinkPad Z16
8.4
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 16 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 are both very good for engineering and design.

Content Creation

8.2
Predator Helios 16
ThinkPad Z16
8.5
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Acer Predator Helios 16 are both very good for content creation.

Software Development

7.9
Predator Helios 16
ThinkPad Z16
8.2
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 to be very good for software development, while the Acer Predator Helios 16 is good.

Battery

6.5 Hours
Predator Helios 16
ThinkPad Z16
7.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 16 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 hours of battery life.

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How the Acer Predator Helios 16 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Acer Predator Helios 16Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
Acer Predator Helios 16Lenovo ThinkPad Z16

GENERAL

Price
$1,236
$1,120
Release Date
March 1, 2023May 1, 2023
Overall Dimensions
14.2'' x 10.9'' x 1''14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62''
Weight
5.73 lbs4.27 lbs
Width
14.15"13.95"
Depth
10.88"9.35"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i7-13700HXAMD Ryzen 7 6850H
RAM
16 GB32 GB
DDR Memory Version
55
RAM Slots
20
Storage
1024 GB2048 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
6.5 Hours7 Hours
Battery Capacity
90 Wh72 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
16"16"
Display Technology
IPSOLED
Resolution
2560 x 16003840 x 2400
Refresh Rate
240Hz60Hz
Display Brightness
498 nits393 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
7.4/108/10
Portability Score
6.4/107.9/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
YesNo
Premium Business Laptop
NoYes
Fan Noise Score
7.5/108/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
7.5/109/10
Speaker Quality Score
7/109.6/10
Webcam
1080p1080p
Fingerprint Reader
NoYes
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
YesNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
30
USB-C ports
23
USB-C Charging
YesYes
Display Outputs
33
Thunderbolt Version
4N/A

Shopping

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Acer Predator Helios 16

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Dig into reviews and images

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 ThinkPad Z16

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Dig into reviews and images

PCWorld

Matthew S. Smith | September 2022
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."

Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 16 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16

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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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.

By the numbers

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Laptops evaluated
48,640
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125,895
Recommendations made
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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.

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