The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a robust build and is suited for gaming, with a higher refresh rate display that's great for fast-paced action but it has shorter battery life and is heavier. On the other hand, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers a larger screen, double the storage, and more RAM for multitasking, with significant battery life suited for lengthy work sessions and travel. The Zenbook excels in general performance but with a display not as suited for intense gaming due to the lower refresh rate. The Predator is less expensive, but if budget allows, the Zenbook provides an overall boost in specs and longer unplugged productivity. 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 keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for content creation
Good portability
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.4/10
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for general use, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is better for general use thanks to its higher RAM capacity, larger and higher-quality screen, and significantly longer battery life, making it well-suited for extended work sessions without charging. On the other hand, the Acer Predator Helios 300, while offering a competitive CPU and sufficient RAM for general tasks, is less portable and has a shorter battery life, which may limit mobility and uninterrupted usage.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
8.1/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 is good.
The Acer Predator Helios 300, equipped with an Intel i7 CPU, RTX 3060 GPU, and high-quality screen, caters to demanding engineering software and detailed designs; its 16GB of RAM ensures smooth multitasking. Meanwhile, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers double the RAM at 32GB, a potent AMD Ryzen 9 CPU, and an RTX 3050 GPU, providing ample power for complex design tasks on a vibrant screen, albeit with slightly less graphics performance. Both laptops reflect a tradeoff between portability and performance, with considerations like keyboard and speaker quality, and operating noise being secondary but noteworthy for user experience.
Content Creation
7.3/10
8.2/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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
7.1/10
7.9/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for software development, though the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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
7.3/10
7.2/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has a better screen for engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Acer Predator Helios 300 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 have panels that offer clear visuals and sufficient brightness, making them suitable for a variety of typical tasks like browsing and video streaming. Their high resolution and wide color gamuts render them equally good for engineering and design applications where color accuracy and fine detail are crucial. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is essential, their lower refresh rates make them less ideal compared to models specifically catering to those needs with faster screen updates.
Battery
3.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has 9 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.
Cost
$1,099
$1,500
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a price of $1,099 and the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 costs $1,500.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 300 to be good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is tailored for gaming and 3D applications with its robust Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 144Hz, providing smooth visuals and rapid image rendering. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17, while it offers a larger screen and excellent screen quality, has a less powerful Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, which may not be as optimal for fast-paced gaming but is still competent for gaming and 3D content creation.
Portability
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 to have 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
7.2/10
The Acer Predator Helios 300 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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 ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 compare to other laptops
"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."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 300 or the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17
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 ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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