If your priority is to save money and still get solid performance for general use and gaming, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is a suitable choice. However, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i offers a higher resolution display, potentially better performance due to a more advanced CPU and GPU, and a lighter, slimmer form factor for better portability. The Lenovo is more expensive, but if you need greater performance for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or higher-end gaming, and value a more portable design, it might justify the additional cost. The choice between the two depends on balancing your budget against your performance needs and the importance of portability. 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
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i.
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good battery life
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8/10
8.0/10
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
373.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
343.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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.
For general use, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a good combination of resolution and brightness, providing clear and vibrant images, making it suitable for everyday tasks. However, when it comes to engineering and design, although it displays a wide range of colors, it's overshadowed by the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i’s better coverage of professional color gamuts, making the latter superior for work that requires color accuracy. Both fall short for gaming and 3D tasks, as they lack high refresh rates, which are essential for smooth motion and fast-paced visuals those activities demand.
Battery
5.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 both have only fair portability, though the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$799
$1,055
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i costs $1,055.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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.
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
8.0/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion Slim 5i to be very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and has a high screen refresh rate of 165 Hz, which are very important for gaming and 3D performance. In comparison, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i features a slightly more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and the same refresh rate, but also offers a higher resolution screen, which, along with a better CPU, may enhance gaming and 3D rendering quality, making it very good for these activities.
Engineering and Design
8.3/10
8.4/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is equipped with an Intel i5-13500HX CPU and Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, making it a solid choice for engineering and design tasks, with a high screen brightness enhancing visual clarity, although it's slightly bulkier and heavier which affects portability.
Content Creation
7.7/10
8.0/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5i both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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 Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 or the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i
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.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
125,295
Recommendations made
27,148
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.