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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If portability and battery life are priorities, and you'll be using the laptop for general use, the Acer Swift 14 should fit your needs well. On the other hand, if you need higher performance for activities like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the Acer Predator Helios 300 would be a better option despite its larger size and shorter battery life. The Swift 14 offers a higher resolution display with touch capability, which might be beneficial for productivity tasks, while the Helios 300 has a faster refresh rate suitable for gaming but a lower resolution screen. Both have the same amount of RAM and are priced similarly, but the Swift 14 has double the storage. 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 300
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good speakers
Advantages of the Acer Swift 14
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
458.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for general use, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 is good.
The Acer Swift 14 offers a superior experience for general use due to its lighter weight, higher resolution touchscreen, and longer battery life, all of which enhance portability and usability. In contrast, the Acer Predator Helios 300, while also suitable for general use, is heavier and bulkier with a lower screen resolution and shorter battery life, making it less ideal for on-the-go use but potentially better for gaming or tasks that leverage its dedicated graphics card.
Gaming and AI
7.2
6.7
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 14 is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 offers robust gaming performance with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 144Hz, which is crucial for smooth visuals in gaming and 3D applications. In contrast, the Acer Swift 14, while also suitable for gaming and 3D tasks, includes an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU and a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, making it adequate but less optimal for such intensive tasks compared to the Helios 300.
Content Creation
7.3
8.2
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 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
7.1
8.2
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift 14 is very good for software development, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 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.
Screen Quality
7.3
7.6
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
458.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a better screen than the Acer Swift 14 for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 14 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Acer Predator Helios 300 and the Acer Swift 14 offer pleasing visuals with adequate resolution and brightness, making them suitable for everyday tasks like web browsing, document editing, and video streaming. The Acer Swift 14 excels in engineering and design due to its superior color accuracy, covering more of the DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB color spaces, which are crucial for professionals who require precise color representation for their work. However, gamers and 3D content creators may find the Acer Predator Helios 300 lacking because its refresh rate does not meet the high standard needed for smooth visuals in fast-paced games and fluid 3D rendering.
Battery
3.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The Acer Swift 14 has 9 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
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.6 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Acer Swift 14 has excellent portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,099
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a price of $1,099 and the Acer Swift 14 costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
7.6
7.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift 14 and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The Acer Predator Helios 300 and Acer Swift 14 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 300 and the Acer Swift 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 | Acer Swift 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,099 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.9'' | 12.2'' x 8.4'' x 0.59'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 2.65 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 12.22" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 8.4" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3.5 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 56 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 294 nits | 458 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.9/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1440p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Helios 300
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NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | November 2022
"The Acer Predator Helios 300 review is an overclocked gaming laptop with a good display. The Predator is large, heavy, and loud, but also offers plenty of performance according to gamers. An overclocked gaming laptop - or its user - also has to struggle with the usual disadvantages we mentioned above. On the other hand, overclocking is optional, and those who like it quieter and can live with a few less frames per second can also switch to the significantly more moderate Standard mode. Then the Helios 300 won't be any louder than the competitors."
Acer Swift 14
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Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, John Peroramas | April 2023
"The Acer Swift 14 is good for school use. Its compact design makes it easy to carry around, and its battery lasts easily through a typical school day. You can configure the laptop with an FHD+ or QHD+ display; both look sharp and get bright enough to combat glare. The keyboard feels tactile but can be a little tiring to type on over an extended period, and while the touchpad is small, it's responsive to all movements and gestures. Its Intel 13th Gen. CPU can handle nearly every type of workload; however, its integrated graphics perform poorly, so it isn't ideal for students in technical fields like 3D graphics."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 300 or the Acer Swift 14
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.
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