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What we think
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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 offers robust performance suitable for gaming, 3D work, and intensive engineering tasks, thanks to its high-performance processor and dedicated graphics card. However, it comes with a higher price tag, it's less portable due to being heavier, and its battery life may not be as long-lasting as more energy-efficient models. The Acer Swift 3, on the other hand, is more budget-friendly and lightweight, making it exceptionally portable with better battery life. It's a good fit for general use and can handle productivity tasks well but might struggle with the more demanding software applications and games that the Predator can manage. Choose the Predator if top-notch performance is necessary and you're okay with spending more, otherwise, the Swift 3 is a great value option for everyday computing 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 Neo 16
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Good speakers
Advantages of the Acer Swift 3
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.3
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift 3 is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 excels in gaming and 3D tasks largely because of its powerful Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and high screen refresh rate, which are crucial for fast-paced and graphic-intensive experiences. On the contrary, the Acer Swift 3, with its integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and standard refresh rate, offers modest performance that is suitable for less demanding games and 3D applications but falls short for intensive gaming.
Engineering and Design
8.3
7.1
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift 3 is good.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 excels in engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU and GPU, better screen refresh rate, and higher color coverage, which is critical for tasks that demand greater processing power and visual accuracy. On the other hand, the Acer Swift 3 offers a balance between performance and portability, with a decent CPU and integrated graphics, touchscreen feature, lighter weight, and longer battery life, making it suitable for day-to-day engineering tasks with the added benefit of easier handling and mobility.
Screen Quality
7.8
6.8
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
373.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
309.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a better screen than the Acer Swift 3 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
If you prioritize a crisp, vibrant display for everyday tasks and professional design work, consider the Acer Swift 3 or Predator Helios Neo 16, as both offer high resolution and brightness with robust color reproduction, vital for accurate visuals in engineering and creative applications. However, if your primary focus is gaming or 3D rendering, neither of these models would be the best fit due to their lower refresh rates, which can result in less smooth visuals in fast-paced games or 3D simulations. When choosing, weigh the importance of display qualities against each laptop's performance, battery life, and portability to ensure it aligns with your primary use case.
Battery
5.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 5 hours of battery life. The Acer Swift 3 has 12 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
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$799
$500
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the Acer Swift 3 costs $500.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.7
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
373.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
309.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Acer Swift 3 and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 are both good for general use.
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.
Content Creation
7.7
7.6
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Acer Swift 3 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
7.5
7.6
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift 3 and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 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
7.4
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Acer Swift 3 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 Neo 16 and the Acer Swift 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 | Acer Swift 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.11'' | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 2.76 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 12.6" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11" | 8.3" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500HX | Intel i5-1240P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 12 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 56 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 373 nits | 309 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 8.9/10 | |
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 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | August 2023
"The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 sacrifices portability and a truly budget price in the name of additional power. While remaining relatively budget-friendly, this gaming laptop packs serious processing chops, and Acer optimizes its internals to deliver respectable 1080p (or 1200p) gameplay from an RTX 4050. Its keyboard and chassis design won't win it any awards, but its display is a cut above for the price."
Acer Swift 3
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NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | February 2022
"With the Swift 3, Acer delivers a 14-inch laptop with a sleek, slim metal chassis. The latter is of high quality and sturdy enough for everyday use, which is a real plus point among the 700-Euro (~$798) models. A new feature is Thunderbolt 4 in the Type-C format for peripherals or even displays (DisplayPort via Type-C). Unfortunately, a card reader is still missing, and the RAM is completely onboard, so there are no upgrade options here. Acer's 14-incher is affordable, yet it does everything most would want from a truly mobile laptop: Long battery life, a great display, quality, sufficient ports, light weight, and low noise and heat emissions."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 or the Acer Swift 3
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.
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