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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is a midrange laptop that offers superior performance for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks compared to the Acer Swift 3 but has less battery life and is heavier, making it less portable. In contrast, the Acer Swift 3, a budget-friendly option, is lighter and boasts significantly longer battery life which enhances its portability, making it a good fit for general use, and with a touchscreen, it could be more versatile for productivity tasks, but has lower performance capabilities, especially for graphic-intensive tasks due to its integrated graphics. 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 overall display quality
- Good speakers
Advantages of the Acer Swift 3
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.2
6.3
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
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 3 is only fair.
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.
Software Development
7.1
7.6
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift 3 and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for software development, though the Acer Swift 3 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
7.3
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
309.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a better screen than the Acer Swift 3 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 3 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The Acer Predator Helios 300, despite being a gaming laptop, may have a display with lower refresh rates which is less optimal for fluid and fast-paced gaming visuals, whereas the display quality, in terms of resolution and panel type, suits general tasks and engineering well. The Acer Swift 3, designed more for general use and productivity, likely offers a balanced resolution and decent panel quality for sharp and clear images, which are beneficial for both everyday tasks and detailed engineering work, but lacks the high refresh rates needed for smooth 3D rendering. Both laptops may not cover the wider color gamuts required by professional engineering and design work, but still provide sufficient quality for non-professional use.
Battery
3.5 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The Acer Swift 3 has 12 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
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,099
$500
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a price of $1,099 and the Acer Swift 3 costs $500.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
309.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Acer Swift 3 and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for general use.
The Acer Predator Helios 300, with its powerful Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, excels at performance-centric tasks but is less portable and has shorter battery life, which makes it less ideal for on-the-go usage. Conversely, the Acer Swift 3 offers a balance with a solid Intel i5 processor and efficient graphics, better portability, a longer battery life, and a high-quality screen, making it a strong choice for those who prioritize mobility and prolonged use away from power sources.
Engineering and Design
7.6
7.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 300 and Acer Swift 3 are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is equipped with a high-performance Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics, making it well-suited for demanding engineering and design tasks that require substantial computational power and graphics capabilities.
Content Creation
7.3
7.6
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift 3 and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The Acer Predator Helios 300 and Acer Swift 3 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 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 | Acer Swift 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,099 | $500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.9'' | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 2.76 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 12.6" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 8.3" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i5-1240P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3.5 Hours | 12 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 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 294 nits | 309 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.9/10 | 8.9/10 | |
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 | 1080p | |
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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Dig into reviews and images
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 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | February 2022
"With the Swift 3, Acer delivers a 14-inch laptop with a sleek, slim metal chassis. The latter is of high quality and sturdy enough for everyday use, which is a real plus point among the 700-Euro (~$798) models. A new feature is Thunderbolt 4 in the Type-C format for peripherals or even displays (DisplayPort via Type-C). Unfortunately, a card reader is still missing, and the RAM is completely onboard, so there are no upgrade options here. Acer's 14-incher is affordable, yet it does everything most would want from a truly mobile laptop: Long battery life, a great display, quality, sufficient ports, light weight, and low noise and heat emissions."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 300 or the Acer Swift 3
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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