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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is the better choice for performance-intensive tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning due to its more powerful processor and dedicated graphics card. It has a larger 15.6-inch screen with a higher refresh rate for smoother visuals but is heavier and thicker, making it less portable. Meanwhile, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is more portable with a lighter and thinner design, a higher resolution screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio that's better for productivity tasks, and better battery life, but its integrated graphics are less suited for demanding graphics tasks. If portability and battery life are your priority for general use and productivity, go with the Surface Laptop; if you need more power for demanding tasks, the Acer Predator is your choice. 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.2
6.1
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" 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.
Screen Quality
7.3
7.2
15.6in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a better screen for engineering and design.
When considering general use, both the Acer Predator Helios 300 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offer screens with pleasing resolution and brightness, making them suitable for day-to-day tasks like browsing the web, watching videos, and working on documents. Designers and engineers will find the color accuracy and range on these laptops adequate for professional work that requires precise color representation for tasks such as photo editing and CAD software. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is crucial, these laptops may not be ideal due to their lower refresh rates, which could lead to less fluid visuals in fast-paced scenes.
Battery
3.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 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
13.5in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has excellent portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,099
$1,200
$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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for general use.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 offers a strong CPU and sufficient RAM that make it great for a variety of tasks, alongside a quality IPS screen and a dedicated graphics card, but it's heavier and has less battery life, affecting portability. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a high-resolution touchscreen with better portability and battery life, making it ideal for on-the-go use, but it relies on integrated graphics, which may limit performance on graphics-intensive tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.6
7.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 300 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 offers a high-performance CPU, ample RAM, a robust dedicated GPU, and good screen quality, making it suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks, but less portable due to its size and weight. Conversely, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a capable CPU and RAM for engineering, superior screen resolution with touch capabilities, and is highly portable, though it relies on integrated graphics which may not be optimal for GPU-intensive tasks.
Content Creation
7.3
7.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for content creation.
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
7.2
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for software development.
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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Acer Predator Helios 300 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,099 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.9'' | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 2.86 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 12.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 8.8" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 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 | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 47.4 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2256 x 1504 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 294 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.9/10 | 9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Helios 300
See more
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."
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
See more
Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Lori Grunin | October 2022
"The Surface Laptop 5 remains afloat as a solid machine. It's just not one that stands out in any particular way. Just like the last one. The biggest upgrade were some new components, but they perform in the same range as other laptops with them, and frequently at the bottom of that range. I suspect Microsoft's settings are very conservative to help keep cooling and battery life within reason in the older chassis design."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 300 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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