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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you're looking for a more budget-friendly option with robust performance for general use and gaming, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 may be the way to go. However, if you prefer a laptop with a better balance between performance, portability, and battery life, and are willing to invest more, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 could be suitable. The ASUS may also offer finer build quality and a more premium feel, appealing for more mobile users or professionals. Consider how each of these factors aligns with your needs – high performance and value with the Acer, versus improved portability and potentially longer battery life with the ASUS. 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
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Best in class speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.5
8.5
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 leads in gaming and 3D applications primarily due to its superior Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate compared to the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16's Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and lower refresh rate. Moreover, the ASUS has a more powerful CPU and higher screen quality with better resolution, contributing to a more vivid and responsive gaming experience.
Content Creation
7.7
8.2
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for content creation, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 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.
Screen Quality
7.8
9.0
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
373.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
627.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a better screen than the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a display that offers good brightness and resolution, making it suitable for tasks like browsing and office work, but its refresh rate is lower, which can hinder the gaming and 3D experience where smooth motion is key. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16's display provides excellent brightness and high resolution as well as wide color gamuts, ensuring crisp and accurate visuals crucial for engineering and design professionals. However, similar to the Acer, its lower refresh rate may not be ideal for gaming and 3D modeling, where fast-paced visuals benefit from higher refresh rates to reduce motion blur and provide more fluid on-screen action.
Portability
Fair
Good
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has very good build quality, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$799
$1,842
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 costs $1,842.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.9
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
373.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
627.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
6.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 are both good for general use.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is suited for general use as it packs solid RAM and an Intel i5 CPU, which are very important for smooth multitasking and basic computing tasks, while its IPS screen with good color coverage ensures a quality display. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 also fits general use well, with a high-end Intel i9 CPU and ample RAM, a high-resolution IPS screen delivering excellent visual clarity, and superior battery life, making it a strong performer for more demanding applications, albeit at a higher price point and with better portability due to its lighter weight.
Engineering and Design
8.3
8.8
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 outshines the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 for engineering and design primarily due to ASUS's superior CPU and GPU, which translates to better performance in computation and graphics-heavy tasks, and a higher-resolution screen which is crucial for detailed work. While both have substantial RAM and screen quality, the ASUS also offers better portability and a quieter operating noise, making it a more versatile option for mobile professionals, albeit at a possibly higher price point.
Software Development
7.5
7.7
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 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.
Battery
5.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 5 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has 4.5 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 | ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $1,842 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.11'' | 14'' x 9.7'' x 0.83'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 13.98" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11" | 9.69" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500HX | Intel i9-13900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 373 nits | 627 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 7.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
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 | 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."
ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | March 2023
"The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is not yet as optimised as its predecessor. Compared to the previous gen, performance and efficiency have improved significantly. What's more, the wonderful, Mini-LED Nebula display is a contender for the main highlight and almost manages to put the CPU and GPU in the shade. We already found its predecessor to be a well-rounded and well-optimised gaming machine. Generally, but not unequivocally, that also applies to the new Asus M16. Similar to most of the current, new laptops, we are dealing with a double generational leap in terms of the CPU and GPU. However, this change doesn't always run smoothly."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 or the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
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 ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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