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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
Gaming and AI
7.2
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.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 provides better performance for gaming and 3D with its more powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz, which offers smoother motion and improved responsiveness in action-packed scenes. In contrast, the Acer Swift X, although still capable of handling games, is equipped with the less powerful Nvidia RTX 3050 and a standard screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which may not be as fluid during intense gaming or 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.6
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.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is suited for engineering and design tasks due to its powerful Intel i7 CPU, substantial 16GB of RAM, and RTX 3060 GPU which are crucial for demanding applications, while its high-quality IPS display supports good color coverage and contrast. The Acer Swift X, on the other hand, is also suitable for similar use with its efficient AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and RTX 3050 GPU, despite having less RAM at 8GB, and it offers better screen pixel density and brightness, along with superior portability and keyboard quality, making it ideal for on-the-go professionals.
Screen Quality
7.3
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.
For general use, the Acer Predator Helios 300 and Swift X offer clear, sharp visuals at high resolutions and are bright enough to view in well-lit environments. Engineering and design professionals will appreciate the consistent colors and wide color gamuts of both laptops which ensure accurate color representation. However, gamers and 3D designers might find the refresh rates on these models lower than ideal, leading to less smooth visuals in fast-paced scenes or when working with rapid motion in 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
14.0in
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
$580
$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
General Use
7.4
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.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is equipped with a higher-end CPU and more RAM, making it a solid choice for more demanding general use, such as multitasking and heavier applications, though it's heavier and has shorter battery life, affecting portability.
Content Creation
7.3
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.
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
7.3
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.
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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.6
The Acer Swift X (2021) 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Predator Helios 300 and the Acer Swift X (2021) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 | Acer Swift X (2021) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,099 | $580 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | June 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.9'' | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 3.06 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 12.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 8.4" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 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 | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 59 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 | 372 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.9/10 | 8.6/10 | |
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 | 720p | |
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 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
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 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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