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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Predator Helios 300 offers superior performance for intensive gaming and engineering tasks, thanks to its powerful processor and dedicated graphics card, making it well-suited for demanding applications. However, it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. Comparatively, the Acer Swift Edge 16 is considerably lighter and offers longer battery life, which enhances its portability. Its OLED display provides better color accuracy and higher resolution, benefiting general use and professional work like photo editing. However, it may not handle gaming or engineering tasks as effectively as the Helios 300 due to its integrated graphics. Choose the Helios 300 for peak performance or the Swift Edge 16 for portability and display quality. 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
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Acer Swift Edge 16
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.4
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
383.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.8/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for general use, though the Acer Swift Edge 16 is somewhat better.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is equipped with a powerful CPU and dedicated GPU, making it suitable for general use with solid performance, but it's heavier and has limited battery life which affects its portability. On the other hand, the Acer Swift Edge 16 provides excellent portability thanks to its lightweight design and longer battery life, and its high-quality OLED screen offers superior color reproduction and resolution for a better viewing experience. Both laptops have sufficient RAM for multitasking and ample storage, but differences in weight, battery longevity, and screen quality play a pivotal role in deciding which fits best for an individual's general usage needs.
Gaming and AI
7.2
6.7
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 144Hz, making it well-suited for gaming and 3D applications; whereas, the Acer Swift Edge 16, although it has a lower refresh rate of 120Hz, offers a quality AMD Radeon 780M GPU and an OLED display, which also makes it a strong candidate for gaming and 3D content with vibrant screen quality. Both laptops have capable CPUs, but the GPU and screen refresh rates are key for their gaming and 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
7.6
8.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 is good.
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
7.3
8.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Acer Swift Edge 16 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
7.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for software development, though the Acer Swift Edge 16 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
8.8
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
383.0 nits
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a better screen than the Acer Predator Helios 300 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 likely boasts a high-resolution display that, along with an excellent panel type and superior brightness, provides a crisp and vivid image, making it perfect for general use and detailed work in fields like engineering and design where color accuracy and clarity are crucial. However, its refresh rate may not be high enough to satisfy the demands of 3D applications and gaming, where smooth motion is key. On the other hand, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 provides a respectable visual experience for general activities and precision tasks, it may fall short in providing the peak display performance that gamers seek due to its inferior panel performance in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
3.5 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The Acer Swift Edge 16 has 7 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
16.0in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has very good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,204
$821
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a price of $1,204 and the Acer Swift Edge 16 costs $821.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
7.4
7.2
The Acer Predator Helios 300 and Acer Swift Edge 16 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 Edge 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 | Acer Swift Edge 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,204 | $821 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.9'' | 14.1'' x 9.7'' x 0.51'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 2.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 14.08" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 9.68" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | AMD Ryzen 7 7840U | |
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 | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 54 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3200 x 2000 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 294 nits | 383 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.2/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | N/A | |
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 Edge 16
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PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | October 2023
"The Acer Swift Edge 16 is a solid super thin-and-light that pairs a large, gorgeous 16-inch display with portable design that rivals the weight of LG’s superlight Gram 16. Remarkably, Acer achieves this at a lower price point without sacrificing performance. Boring design and disappointing battery life hold the laptop back from stardom, but its rivals frequently suffer in these areas, too. That makes the Swift Edge 16 an alluring value pick."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 300 or the Acer Swift Edge 16
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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