For a balance of performance and portability with a focus on gaming, engineering tasks, and general use, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is a solid choice. It offers a powerful Intel i5-13500HX processor and an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, which are excellent for intensive applications and gaming, though it will consume more power and may run warmer under load. The 16-inch IPS display with a 165Hz refresh rate is great for fast-paced motion in games, and the 16:10 aspect ratio provides additional vertical space for productivity. However, the OLED screen of the ASUS Vivobook S 15 offers superior color accuracy and contrast, making it ideal for content creators and those who value display quality for entertainment. The ASUS, with its Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and Intel Arc 8-Cores GPU, is more suited for general use and light creative work, and it's more compact and lightweight, offering excellent battery life and a premium build quality. It's less powerful than the Acer for gaming and demanding engineering software but excels in portability and screen quality. If you prioritize performance for gaming and engineering over ultimate portability and screen fidelity, choose the Acer. If you value a stunning display, longer battery life, and a more portable design for general use, the ASUS is the way to go. 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 for gaming and AI
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good portability
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
6.7/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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
7.8/10
8.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
373.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
600.0 nits
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has a better screen than the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
5.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 5 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has 9 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
15.6in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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
$1,249
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED costs $1,249.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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.
Engineering and Design
8.3/10
8.0/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED are both very good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.7/10
8.0/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED to be 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.
Software Development
7.5/10
7.8/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1620
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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
7.4/10
7.4/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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 ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED excels as a capable work machine at an affordable price. It offers commendable performance, thanks to its 12th Gen Intel chip, delivers quality on-screen entertainment with its 15.6-inch OLED display, and can (kind of) get you through a full day of work. Oh, and its special Asus Antibacterial Guard is a nice touch for those who like a clean laptop."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 or the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED
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.
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.
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