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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is less expensive than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and offers high performance with a particular strength in gaming due to its dedicated Nvidia graphics card. It also has a high refresh rate screen which is great for fast-paced action but comes with a bulkier design and heavier weight. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, while more expensive, comes with a superior OLED touchscreen display, higher resolution, a lighter and thinner build, more storage and double the memory, potentially making it a better fit for professionals needing portability and screen quality for tasks like design and video editing. Both are capable machines but the best choice will depend on whether gaming performance or screen quality and portability are more important for your needs. 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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
- 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
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for general use, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
7.6
8.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 offers superior performance for engineering and design tasks due to its more powerful processor, double the amount of RAM, and a high-quality OLED screen with better resolution and color accuracy, catering well to tasks that demand high-fidelity visuals and multitasking capabilities. In contrast, the Acer Predator Helios 300, while still suitable for engineering and design, offers a lower-end CPU and GPU, less RAM, and an IPS screen with lower resolution and color coverage, but benefits users who prioritize a higher refresh rate display and might be more budget-friendly.
Content Creation
7.3
8.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
8.2
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
8.5
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen than the Acer Predator Helios 300 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 may have a good display for general activities due to an appropriate resolution and brightness, but its color gamut coverage might be less critical for everyday tasks than engineering, leading to a good classification. However, for engineering and design tasks where accurate color reproduction is paramount, the display might not offer the wide color gamuts required for precise work, hence only a good rating. Meanwhile, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16's display excels in color accuracy and has a broad color spectrum essential for engineering and design, but falls short for gaming and 3D where the lower refresh rate fails to deliver the smooth visuals preferred in this use case.
Battery
3.5 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 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
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 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
8.0
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
$1,120
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a price of $1,204 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.2
6.7
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
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
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Predator Helios 300 to be good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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.
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How the Acer Predator Helios 300 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 | Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,204 | $1,120 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.9'' | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 4.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 13.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3.5 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
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 | 393 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.9/10 | 7.9/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.6/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
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."
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2022
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 300 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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