Given that the Acer Predator Helios 300 typically costs more, it stands out for gaming with a higher refresh rate display and dedicated graphics capable of hardware ray tracing and DLSS. It is bulkier and has shorter battery life, making it less portable than the HP Spectre x360. On the other hand, the HP Spectre x360 is less expensive, offers better portability with longer battery life, and has a higher resolution touchscreen that enhances its use for general tasks and media consumption. It is not ideal for intensive gaming or 3D/machine learning tasks due to its integrated graphics. If you need a laptop for engineering, gaming, or 3D workload, the Acer is the stronger choice; however, for general use, mobility and if budget is a concern, the HP may serve you well. 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 HP Spectre x360
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Good portability
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4/10
8.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
406.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The HP Spectre x360 is very good for general use, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 is good.
The HP Spectre x360 features a higher resolution touchscreen with a 2-in-1 convertible design suitable for versatile use and better battery life, making it very good for general use; whereas the Acer Predator Helios 300, while also good for general usage, is less portable and has shorter battery life but offers a dedicated graphics card and higher refresh rate screen which may appeal more to gaming. Both laptops have similar CPU and RAM capabilities, but the HP's advantage in screen quality and battery life make it a better choice for users prioritizing portability and versatile display options.
Gaming and AI
7.2/10
6.6/10
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
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 HP Spectre x360 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Content Creation
7.3/10
8.2/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Spectre x360 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
8.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Spectre x360 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
7.3/10
7.6/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
406.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a better screen than the HP Spectre x360 for gaming and AI, while the HP Spectre x360 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the HP Spectre x360's higher resolution and brightness offer sharper visuals and better visibility in various lighting conditions compared to the Acer Predator Helios 300. In engineering and design applications, the HP Spectre's wider color gamut support ensures more accurate color representation, which is crucial for detailed work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Acer Predator's lower refresh rate hinders performance, yielding less fluid motion and responsiveness than models designed for those specific tasks.
Battery
3.5 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The HP Spectre x360 has 11 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.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The HP Spectre x360 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
$1,099
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a price of $1,099 and the HP Spectre x360 costs $1,000.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Spectre x360 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 is good.
The Acer Predator Helios 300's strengths lie in its powerful Intel i7 CPU, sizable RAM, and dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU, making it a solid choice for running engineering applications and design software requiring robust graphics performance. In contrast, the HP Spectre x360, with a similarly strong Intel i7 CPU and adequate RAM, boasts a higher-resolution touchscreen for precise design work, combined with greater portability and superior speaker quality, but it relies on integrated graphics, which may be less capable for highly demanding graphics tasks.
Portability
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Spectre x360 to have good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Predator Helios 300 and the HP Spectre x360 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."
"As we said, Lenovo's Yoga 9i is a tough competitor to the Spectre with an equally admirable OLED display. We're sad that neither of them has an HDMI port nor a niche or slot to hold the stylus, though the HP wins points for its bundled mini docking station and magnetically attached pen. Your choice will come down to screen shape—and in our eyes, just as seeing an OLED screen spoils you for an IPS panel, enjoying a tall 3:2 display spoils you for a more conventional view. The HP Spectre x360 13.5 is our new favorite 2-in-1."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 300 or the HP Spectre x360
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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
126,195
Recommendations made
27,343
Consumer hours saved
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.