Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop, Intel Core i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060, 15.6" Full HD 144Hz Display, 3ms Response Time, 16GB DDR4, 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD, RGB Backlit Keyboard, PH315-52-75DE,Black

The media could not be loaded. Version Purchased:16GB i7-9750H with GeForce RTX 2060 and 512GB NVMe SSDInitial thoughts:Packaging was quite nice and secure. Felt the laptop was very well protected.Ports:3x USB 3.1 Gen 11x USB 3.1 Gen 2 (USB-C) - Not Thunderbolt 31x Headset Port1x Gigabit Ethernet Port1x MiniDV Port1x HDMI 2.0 PortGraphics:When you first use the laptop, please be advised that games and such will likely default to the Integrated graphics card. I didn't realize this and when testing it in Modded MC RLCraft with Optifine, Max Quality, and Shaders I was only getting between 50-90FPS. Once I changed Nvidia Control Panel to make the RTX2060 the default processor, it jumped up to almost 240FPS.Memory:While I got the 16GB Model I plan on Upgrading to 32GB when Budget allows for it. (Or 64 if/when there is a firmware update, as many MFG's do down the line)[TURBO]:Preset hard-button above keyboard that changes to "Extreme" Overclocking, according to Predator Sense. Didn't notice a difference in CPU? Maybe it is a GPU boost? Either way, it definitely overclocked the twin built-in fans.LED Back-lit Keyboard:While I cannot say for older models, This keyboard is NOT JUST BLUE. In Predator Sense you can change the color of the keyboard in Zones, or apply a lighting effect. As you will see in the video review, I changed mine to purple.Battery Life:Still not adequately tested. I am still updating and installing common software that I use for Development, Work, as well as gaming, so I know it will be about a week until the system is balanced enough to get a decent reading on the battery. That, and Windows itself has already done 2 updates.Productivity:AutoDesk Revit 2018 Runs like a dream on here! Opened a decent sized project I was working on and was able to do a High-Quality Render of a cut section in about 8 Minutes, sync back to the central model in 45 seconds, and then close the model. Maneuvering in 3D with this laptop is a dream, even compared to my workstation. The High CPU Speed really helps since Revit sadly still relies on single-core high speed CPU threads. I would definitely recommend this laptop for CAD/Revit Productivity.Webcam Note:If you are not paying attention, when you first get this machine you will notice that your webcam randomly will turn on... Particularly once you plug in a set of headphones. No... you are not being spied on, this time anyway. This is due to "Waves MaxxAudio" "Waves nX" using the "Sweetspot" feature. It is trying to give you a relative audio experience based on where the computer "Sees" you siting , and can simply be turned off.Keyboard:I specifically chose this laptop over the 500 Series because of the 10-Key layout. In addition to Electrical Work in Revit, I also do programming and reporting. Having access to a 10-Key is a huge boon to me. Typing in general on this keyboard feels natural and didn't require much transitional learning from my Microsoft Surface Book Gen 1.Trackpad:Overall the trackpad is nice, but it is a trackpad. Get a mouse, and turn off touchpad functionality when the mouse is connected and save yourself a lot of heartache.Fan:For everyday use, the fan is fine. If you enable Turbo though, be sure to have a good pair of Noise Canceling Headphones and hopefully have a room/office to yourself. It is quite loud and obnoxious.Additional Notes: I have noticed that there are keyboard protectors for this laptop, and I fully plan on getting it to protect the Chiclet keyboard long term. With the upgradability that this laptop has, I see it lasting many years to come.Also... For some, I know it is called a laptop... Please don't use this on your lap. The way the airflow is designed you could seriously damage it, or yourself if you do. I have seen temperatures reach 180 degrees on this laptop already. If you want to use it in a portable fashion, get yourself a nice lap mat that encourages airflow. This is more like a mini Desktop Replacement with how powerful it is.

Take this review with a grain of salt, because I'm a longtime PC gamer, but this is my first gaming laptop.My Model: Acer Predator Helios 300 (PH315-52) 512GB NVMe SSD, RTX 2060, i7-9750H, 16GB RAMGaming 4/5This laptop runs games very well, but there are 2 (related) issues: Heat and Fan Noise. As stated, I'm not a laptop gamer, so I'm not used to my keyboard getting hot, or hearing my fans scream playing DOOM 2016 and Fallout 4. The laptop ran the games perfectly, but I thought I was going to burn a hole in my desk doing it. I've got a large cooling pad with 5 fans in it, but temps still got over 85C in the CPU, and the keyboard got very warm. Even with the fans turned to Max and Cool Boost enabled, it still ran hot. I'm not sure how much heat is too much, so I'm not going to use this for long gaming sessions of newer games. Temps got over 90 in Red Dead Redemption 2, but that game seems terribly optimized, so I can't hold that against it.Web Browsing 5/5The CPU handles multiple tabs and programs flawlessly, and the WiFi card is much better than any other device I own. Videos look good on the IPS display, and the speakers are surprisingly good (I've been disappointed by speakers on friends' laptops).The Rest 3/5As mentioned, the device gets hot under heavy loads, and that causes the fans to get loud. Much of the body of the device seems to be made out of aluminum, which feels nice to the touch and adds durability, but conducts heat like no one's business. The battery life only lasts a few hours unless you go into power-saver mode, and the camera/microphone are worse than my phone. The trackpad is good, but I don't really like it's off-center position.Overall 4/5I bought this as a way to take my computer with me, and thanks to cloud services I can do just that. I can play my games on the go when required (cloud saves through Steam), and keep up with things online at work (perks of being a maintenance man with your own office). However, I wouldn't recommend this as your primary game machine, as it simply runs too hot and loud. I feel like I'm actively shortening it's lifespan by playing Red Dead Redemption 2, and that's a terrible feeling on a ~$1700 laptop. Using for short bursts here and there when you have down time, or when visiting friends, feels just fine though, and that was what I bought this for.

my alienware kicked the bucket and i needed something quick to game and work on so i ordered the 2060 version, it is really really nice, i love it, it came undervolted already so i didnt have to change that but it does run a bit hot when gaming hard at about 89c but i bought a 25 dollar cooling fan pad and with that it stays down to 76c-85c depending on how hard i am on it so its perfectly fine, it plays my oculus rift for hours without even a sweat at 75c without a cooling pad like its nothing, fortnite on high settings is smooth as silk so just get this one if youre looking for a bad ass small lappy that can handle gaming, editing, whatever, very happy.

Great deal, well worth the price runs Minecraft modpacks with shaders and ray tracing quite well. it has no issues with steam VR. the battery life is really good about 2-8 hours depending on what you are running. it charges very quickly in around one to two hours. it boots up in around 30 seconds and the light-up keyboard is fun to mess around with. great value money well spent I got the 16GB model