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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is typically a bit pricier and offers higher storage capacity, more RAM, and an Intel processor with a Nvidia graphics card, making it well-suited for gaming and engineering tasks that require strong performance. However, it is heavier and has a lower battery life, making it less portable. The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is slightly less expensive, lighter, and boasts a significantly longer battery life, which enhances its portability. The MacBook comes with an Apple M2 processor and is a more suitable choice for general use with a quieter operation, though it may not handle intensive gaming or demanding engineering applications as effectively as the Helios 300. 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 Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
501.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
15.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is somewhat better.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 offers strong performance suitable for general use with a high-speed CPU and plenty of RAM, along with a high-refresh-rate screen for smooth visuals, but it is less portable and has shorter battery life. In contrast, the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) boasts a high-resolution display with excellent color coverage and a highly portable design with long battery life, although it has less RAM and a less powerful CPU than the Acer, which may affect performance in demanding applications.
Gaming and AI
7.2
6.5
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is equipped with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and a high screen refresh rate of 144 Hz, making it well-suited for gaming and 3D applications, and it runs Windows which supports a vast library of games, including the most popular ones.
Content Creation
7.3
8.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (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
8.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 is good.
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
7.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
501.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Acer Predator Helios 300 for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you value vivid and accurate colors for tasks like photo editing or graphic design, the MacBook Air stands out with its superior color coverage. However, for fast-paced gaming or 3D rendering, the Predator Helios 300 may fall short due to its lower refresh rate. Both laptops offer high resolution and solid brightness, making them good for everyday use and professional applications that don't require quick screen updates.
Battery
3.5 Hours
15.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 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
15.3in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.4in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
10.0
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,099
$1,299
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a price of $1,099 and the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) costs $1,299.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
7.6
7.6
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is equipped with a high-performance Intel i7 processor and a powerful Nvidia RTX GPU, making it suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks, while its 16GB of RAM and quality IPS display support multitasking and detailed visuals. The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) offers a harmonious integration of the Apple M2 chip with a 10-core GPU and a retina-quality display, with higher resolution and color accuracy for precision work, enhanced further by its portability and silent operation owing to its lighter weight and fanless design, though with less RAM and internal GPU.
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How the Acer Predator Helios 300 and the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 | Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,099 | $1,299 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.9'' | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 3.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 13.4" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Apple M2 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3.5 Hours | 15 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 66.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2880 x 1864 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 294 nits | 501 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.9/10 | 9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 10/10 | |
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 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 3 | |
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."
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2023
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 300 or the Apple MacBook Air 15 (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.
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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