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Predator Helios 300
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Swift X (2021)
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What we think

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

The Acer Predator Helios 300 offers better performance for 3D work, machine learning, and gaming at the expense of added weight and lower battery life, making it less portable. On the other hand, the Acer Swift X (2021) is more portable due to its lighter weight and longer battery life, suitable for everyday use and some entry-level gaming or creative work, but with lesser performance compared to the Predator. If you need high performance and don't mind carrying more weight and shorter battery usage, go for the Predator Helios 300. If you prioritize portability and battery life for general use, choose the Swift X. 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
Advantages of the Acer Swift X (2021)
  • Very good portability
  • Very good battery life
  • Very good speakers
  • Very good keyboard

Key differences

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Gaming and AI

7.2
Predator Helios 300
Swift X (2021)
6.3
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
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 X (2021) is only fair.

Engineering and Design

7.6
Predator Helios 300
Swift X (2021)
7.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 300 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for engineering and design, though the Acer Predator Helios 300 is somewhat better.

Screen Quality

7.3
Predator Helios 300
Swift X (2021)
6.9
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
372.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X has a better screen for content creation.

Battery

3.5 Hours
Predator Helios 300
Swift X (2021)
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.

Portability

Fair
Predator Helios 300
Swift X (2021)
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X (2021) 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
Predator Helios 300
Swift X (2021)
$580
Product image
Product image

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a price of $1,099 and the Acer Swift X (2021) costs $580.
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Key similarities

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General Use

7.4
Predator Helios 300
Swift X (2021)
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
372.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for general use.

Content Creation

7.3
Predator Helios 300
Swift X (2021)
7.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for content creation.

Software Development

7.1
Predator Helios 300
Swift X (2021)
7.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for software development.

Build Quality

7.4
Predator Helios 300
Swift X (2021)
7.6
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Acer Predator Helios 300 both have good build quality.

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How the Acer Predator Helios 300 and the Acer Swift X (2021) compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Acer Predator Helios 300Acer Swift X (2021)
Acer Predator Helios 300Acer Swift X (2021)

GENERAL

Price
$1,099
$580
Release Date
May 1, 2021June 1, 2021
Overall Dimensions
14.3'' x 10'' x 0.9''12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7''
Weight
5.51 lbs3.06 lbs
Width
14.3"12.7"
Depth
10"8.4"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i7-11800HAMD Ryzen 5 5600U
RAM
16 GB8 GB
DDR Memory Version
44
RAM Slots
20
Storage
512 GB512 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
3.5 Hours10 Hours
Battery Capacity
59 Wh59 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
15.6"14"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
1920 x 10801920 x 1080
Refresh Rate
144Hz60Hz
Display Brightness
294 nits372 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
7.4/107.6/10
Portability Score
6.9/108.6/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
YesNo
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
7.5/108/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
7.5/108/10
Speaker Quality Score
7/108/10
Webcam
720p720p
Fingerprint Reader
NoYes
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
YesNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
32
USB-C ports
11
USB-C Charging
NoYes
Display Outputs
32
Thunderbolt Version
4N/A

Shopping

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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 (2021)

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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 (2021)

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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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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