Acer Predator Helios 500 review - pros and cons

Gaming reality has already firmly entered everyday life and won the hearts of a large number of gamers. Laptops for games are attracting more and more interest every year, and new items in this area attract a lot of interested glances, although most of them are far behind in price the popular models of conventional laptops. And the Acer Predator Helios 500 is no exception. In this article, we will consider whether this model corresponds to the ratio of price and quality, as well as how great the differences between gaming devices and conventional ones are, and what to look for when choosing them.

How to choose the best laptop for gaming

Power and graphics are often the main criteria for choosing a gaming device, and these indicators are one of the main differences from the usual working options. But for the transfer of a colorful and realistic picture and maximum performance, the device must be with powerful hardware and high-quality cooling so that the laptop does not get warm during games. A compact and lightweight laptop or ultrabook is clearly not suitable for these purposes, therefore, the gaming model, thanks to impressive components, is endowed with a fairly large weight and increased dimensions, which in turn is not suitable for study or everyday work. Another feature of gaming models is the presence of additional radiator grilles on the case and backlighting on the keyboard, either all keys at the same time, or certain combinations.

The monitor screen is also important. It should have a good resolution of 1920 * 1080 (FHD) to 2560 * 1440 (QHD) and 3840 * 2160 (4K). In gaming models, two types of matrices are usually used: IPS and TN. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The IPS-matrix has good color reproduction and good viewing angles. TN has a high response time, which is important in dynamic game scenes. Has its own characteristics and screen coverage. Glossy reproduces color and contrast beautifully, but reflects light and creates glare. There is no reflection in the matte anti-reflective screen.

The most important element in a gaming laptop is a powerful and fast processor. After all, it is he who is responsible for performance. But the choice here is not great, and for gamers either Intel Core i5-7300HQ or Intel Core i7-7700HQ, or AMD A 8 or A 10 with a frequency of 2.2 GHz are offered.

A good video card should be responsible for a high-quality and detailed image, which is of great importance in games. For this reason, a video card from NVIDIA or Radeo is installed in gaming models. Although not a single video card can transfer all the capabilities of 4K resolution so far.

What's more important about a gaming laptop is the size of the RAM. Modern games need a lot of it, so to play better, you should choose a device with 16 GB of RAM. This is quite enough for gaming. A very large volume is not required here, it is only needed for video or graphics processing.

The hard drive type must also match the gaming model and support high speeds. Compared to a conventional hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD) significantly outperforms it in speed. In popular premium models, manufacturers can install both drives at the same time.

All these powerful components get very hot during dynamic play. An integral part of a gaming laptop should be a quality cooling system with additional fans, heat pipes and ventilation grilles. What you should pay attention to here is the direction of the blown air and the acceptable noise limits. All this should not be distracting during the game.

Finally, make sure that you have all the necessary ports, including HDMI for connecting an additional monitor.

Of course, a proven manufacturer is also important. Each individual decides which company is better to choose a device, and below is a top-end laptop from Acer, whose models are always in the first places in the ratings of high-quality and functional devices.

Acer Predator Helios 500

In 2018, Acer released a novelty from the Predator series for gamers, which harmoniously combines original design and powerful functionality.

Equipment

In addition to the laptop itself, the package includes:

• power adapter 19.5 V 16.9 A;
• power cable;
• kit for installing an additional hard disk drive (HDD);
• documentation.

Appearance

The robust case is distinguished by high-quality assembly and impressive dimensions. The gaming model is devoid of slenderness and is a weighty 4-kilogram device made of durable matte plastic measuring 428 * 298 * 38.7 mm. It, however, lacks such parameters as moisture protection and shock resistance.

Aggressive and at the same time noble design lives up to its name. A perfect combination of bluish black with bright blue elements that have become a tradition for the latest models from Acer.

On the left are a pair of USB 3.0 Type A and 2 USB Type-C – Thunderbolt 3 connectors, transferring at 40 Gb / s.

On the right are two more USB 3.0 Type A inputs and audio outputs for headphones and a microphone, the placement of which on the right side is not a very good solution.

On the back, manufacturers have placed a charging connector, HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort - video outputs. It is not clear that there is no card reader, the presence of which makes copying files easier and faster.

All of these facets feature air vents, through which the bright blue radiator grille is visible, although its location on the right side can cause discomfort for the hand using the mouse.

The ergonomic membrane keyboard is also designed for comfortable gaming. The split keys have a full-size layout with an additional number pad and medium key travel. Frequently used blocks are highlighted in blue: the WASD and navigation keys, which are important in a gaming laptop and facilitate the visual perception of the gamer.

All other keys are illuminated by blue RGB backlighting, which is much more pleasing to the eyes than the commonly used red. In this model, you can also change the highlight color, but not on the entire surface, but on conditional 4 segments.

A convenient keyboard on top has a number of additional buttons for setting up basic events and switching profiles.

The top lid opens 135 degrees, making it easy to set up a good screen layout, and the tight hinges keep it in any position.

Specifications

Screen

Acer Predator Helios 500 with a screen diagonal of 17.3 inches, depending on the configuration, has different types of matrices. The manufacturer offers IPS-matrices either 4K with good resolution or high speed Full HD, but either type supports the revolutionary technology that ensures fast and smooth gaming process - NVIDIA G-Sync.IPS-matrices convey a contrasting picture, bright colors and a wide viewing angle, but not very deep blacks.

The matte screen is not framed by narrow frames, but they look quite harmonious without interfering with the perception of information. The monitor is placed on rubber stands that separate it from the keyboard. Above is a video camera with HD resolution, but in gaming models this is a rather weak link. It is, at most, suitable for video calls in good lighting conditions.

The matte finish eliminates glare and stray light reflection. The brightness can be adjusted to suit individual comfort conditions. In general, color gamut and contrast do not stand out with extraordinary parameters. In terms of quality, they are quite standard for gaming laptops.

Performance

Processor options, as well as matrix types, vary depending on modifications. PH517-51 are endowed with Intel components - Core i9, Core i7 or Core i5, PH517-61 have components from AMD - Ryzen 5 and 7.

All Intel models are equipped with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, AMD with Radeon RX Vega 56. Built-in RAM also ranges from 8GB to 64GB DDR4, but all models have DIMM slots for self-expanding RAM.

In different modifications, there is a significant difference in the availability of hard drives. Early models can be equipped with one HDD, while for professionals, the best-selling option can have two high-speed SSD and HDD.

For individual settings, a special PredatorSense application is provided, which allows you to customize the operation of the video adapter. In the "Turbo" mode, its frequencies increase to 1630 MHz. The app also helps you set up the desired profile, hotkeys, keyboard backlighting, fan control and Acer TrueHarmony sound settings.

Wireless networks are supported using Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11a, 802.11ac, 802.11b, Bluetooth 4.1, 5.0.

All these components are cooled by two specially shaped 59-blade fans. Five heat pipes are used to accelerate the release of hot air. Both fans are controlled independently of each other. In idle mode, the laptop is almost silent.

Sound

In most gaming devices, the sound quality is poor, since the use of an additional headset is implied. But in the Acer Predator Helios 500 you can immediately hear that the manufacturers paid special attention to this problem. This model has a much better sound compared to other analogs. The laptop has built-in stereo speakers and a subwoofer. Of course, deep bass for lovers of high-quality sound will still not bring maximum positive emotions, but still there is a hint of low frequencies here. Waves Nx virtual surround sound technology is also supported.

For tuning, you can use, as mentioned above, Acer TrueHarmony or Waves MaxxAudio with an equalizer.

Autonomy

Laptops of this class, carrying out such energy-consuming processes, can hardly count on long autonomy even with a powerful battery.

Depending on the modification, the laptop can be equipped with a lithium-ion (Li-ion) or lithium-polymer (Li-pol) battery 4810 mAh. Such a fairly good battery on average with a screen brightness of about 100 cd / m² and Wi-Fi without a network connection can work a little over 2 hours. With less costly processes, it will last for 3 hours. But gaming laptops are not designed for long-term autonomy, and hardly anyone thinks that the battery in them keeps charging the longest.

Where to buy at an affordable price

The average price for the Acer Predator Helios 500 is 140,000 rubles. How much the device will cost depends to a large extent on the modification and the components included in it.

In any case, these are not budget models, but inexpensive laptops will not be able to compete with them in terms of characteristics, because the popularity of gaming models is based precisely on the high technical parameters provided by expensive materials.

You can choose which option is better to buy on the websites of electronics stores, Yandex Market, or get information from aliexpress.

Outcome

• ergonomic and comfortable to use;
• powerful processor;
• good screen resolution and self-adjusting brightness;
• the ability to control the video card;
• highly efficient cooling system;
• availability of Thunderbolt 3 ports;
• sound quality.

• hot air outlet and the presence of audio ports on the right panel;
• lack of a card reader;
• weak parameters of the video camera.

Which laptop is better to take and which company is better to choose, undoubtedly everyone chooses for himself, but Acer in the Predator Helios 500 models offers a large selection of various modifications, from a fairly low price to expensive top-end premium models. Therefore, in order not to make mistakes when choosing, it is advisable to immediately determine the necessary equipment and not overpay for unclaimed capabilities of the device.