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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Predator Helios 300 and the Acer Swift X (2023) cater to different needs. If you're looking for a gaming laptop with higher 3D performance and don't mind the extra weight, the Predator Helios 300 with its more powerful GPU and higher refresh rate display fits the bill. However, it has a shorter battery life and is heavier, making it less ideal for frequent travel. Conversely, if portability and longer battery life are priorities for general use, the Swift X is lighter with a higher resolution display and a significantly longer battery life, though it offers slightly lower performance for 3D tasks and engineering software. Choose the Helios 300 if gaming and engineering tasks are your main focus, or the Swift X for general use, work, and travel. 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
Advantages of the Acer Swift X (2023)
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
390.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for general use, though the Acer Swift X (2023) is somewhat better.
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.
Content Creation
7.3
8.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X (2023) 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
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for software development, though the Acer Swift X (2023) 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
8.0
15.6in
SIZE
14.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
390.0 nits
The Acer Swift X 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 Predator Helios 300, while designed for gaming, may fall short due to a lower refresh rate which is crucial for smooth visuals in fast-paced 3D environments. However, its screen resolution and panel type ensure clear and sharp images suitable for both general use and detailed engineering work. The Acer Swift X (2023), with its high-resolution display and wide color gamut, excels in providing accurate colors for engineering and general tasks, yet its lower refresh rate may not satisfy the needs of gaming and 3D applications.
Battery
3.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The Acer Swift X has 10 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
14.5in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X (2023) has very good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.2
6.9
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 300 to be good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2023) 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.
Engineering and Design
7.6
8.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X (2023) to be 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.6
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Acer Predator Helios 300 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,099
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a price of $1,099 and the Acer Swift X (2023) costs $1,100.
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How the Acer Predator Helios 300 and the Acer Swift X (2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 | Acer Swift X (2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,099 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.9'' | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 3.31 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 12.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 9" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i5-13500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3.5 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 76 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 294 nits | 390 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.9/10 | 8.3/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
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 X (2023)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | March 2022
"The Swift X is an Acer for entry-level gaming. With the entry-level graphics chip, our Acer not only beats every single current AMD and Intel iGPU, but also Intel's dGPU Iris Xe Max. However, despite being a GDDR6 version, the GTX does not match the expectations set by its own counterparts from our database. This may be a result of the single fan, which only produces moderate noise levels under load. The performance level of the thin and light 1.4 kg (~3.09 lbs) 14-inch laptop is impressive nonetheless."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 300 or the Acer Swift X (2023)
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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