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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
For a balance between affordability and gaming capabilities, the Acer Predator Helios 300 with a dedicated graphics card could be a great choice; however, it's heavier and larger, making it less portable. On the other hand, the Dell XPS 13 Plus, although more expensive and lacking a dedicated graphics card, offers better portability, a higher-resolution OLED touchscreen, superior battery life, and is better suited for general use and business needs. It's also lighter and thinner, enhancing its portability, but it may not perform as well in 3D or engineering applications compared to the Acer due to the integrated graphics. Additionally, the Dell's keyboard and build quality are rated higher, providing a more premium experience. 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 Dell XPS 13 Plus
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
374.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.1/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for general use, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers superior portability due to its lighter weight and smaller size, along with a higher-resolution OLED touchscreen that provides better screen quality, and it also has longer battery life, which is essential for general usage. In contrast, the Acer Predator Helios 300, while also good for general use, is heavier and bulkier making it less portable, has an IPS screen with a lower resolution that is not a touchscreen, and has shorter battery life, though it compensates with a more powerful dedicated GPU for gaming or intensive tasks.
Gaming and AI
7.2
6.4
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 13 Plus is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 stands out with its stronger dedicated Nvidia RTX graphics unit and a higher screen refresh rate, making it preferred for smoother gameplay and more demanding 3D tasks. The Dell XPS 13 Plus, while offering a high-quality OLED screen and integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics for casual gaming, may not match the Acer's performance in more graphics-intensive applications.
Engineering and Design
7.6
8.2
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus excels in engineering and design use due to its higher RAM capacity and superior screen quality with OLED technology and higher resolution, which enhances detailed visual work. In contrast, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 provides a strong CPU and dedicated GPU for demanding tasks, it falls behind in screen resolution and quality for precision design applications.
Content Creation
7.3
8.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Dell XPS 13 Plus 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
8.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus 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
8.4
15.6in
SIZE
13.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
374.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a better screen than the Acer Predator Helios 300 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Dell XPS 13 Plus offers a crisper, clearer display with higher resolution and brightness, making it easier on the eyes for reading and web browsing. Its superior color accuracy and wider color gamut make the XPS 13 Plus excellent for engineering and design, where precise color representation is crucial. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both the Acer Predator Helios 300 and the Dell XPS 13 Plus fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which lead to less fluid motion and responsiveness compared to displays optimized for these tasks.
Battery
3.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The Dell XPS 13 Plus 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
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
13.4in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has excellent portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has very good 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
$1,204
$1,849
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a price of $1,204 and the Dell XPS 13 Plus costs $1,849.
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How the Acer Predator Helios 300 and the Dell XPS 13 Plus compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 | Dell XPS 13 Plus |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,204 | $1,849 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.9'' | 11.6'' x 7.8'' x 0.6'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 2.71 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 11.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 7.84" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i7-1280P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 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 | 55 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 13.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 294 nits | 374 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.9/10 | 9.2/10 | |
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 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
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."
Dell XPS 13 Plus
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The XPS 13 Plus is powerful, but has its drawbacks. Dell did not only update the processor generation, but also decided to offer two completely different models from now on. The XPS 13 Plus gets the faster Intel Alder Lake-P chips, and the Core i7-1260P in our review unit offers good performance figures. However, the device once again shows the problems of the current Intel CPUs, because the high performance requires a lot of power. This affects the battery runtime as well as temperatures, so the new model (even with the Optimized power profile) is louder than the older model."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 300 or the Dell XPS 13 Plus
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 Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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