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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
For a balance of performance and portability with a focus on gaming and engineering tasks, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is a solid choice, offering a powerful Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a high refresh rate screen, though it's heavier and has a shorter battery life. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is more expensive but excels in portability, has a touchscreen with higher resolution, and is well-suited for general use and business environments with its sleek design and Windows 11 Pro operating system. It's also more future-proof with USB4 and Thunderbolt support. Your choice should align with your priority between performance-heavy tasks and a lightweight, premium business experience. 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
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
- Very good overall display quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.6
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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.
Engineering and Design
8.3
7.8
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is good.
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.
Screen Quality
7.8
8.1
16.0in
SIZE
15.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
373.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has a better screen than the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 for general use, engineering and design, and content creation.
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$799
$1,200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.7
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
373.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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
7.8
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 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
7.8
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | June 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.11'' | 13.4'' x 9.6'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 3.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 13.39" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11" | 9.61" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500HX | Intel Core Ultra 7 165H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 47 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 2496 x 1664 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 373 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
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."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
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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