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Acer Predator Triton 17 X: a premium gaming laptop that packs a punch

2:59 pm | June 4, 2024

Acer Predator Triton 17 X: Two-minute review

There's an argument to be made for packing in as much power as possible when it comes to the best gaming laptops, and that's the space the Acer Predator Triton 17 X occupies. For the most part, it forgoes being the sleekest and smallest of its kind to go all-in on pushing boundaries for those with deep enough pockets to take the plunge.

Priced at $3,599.99 / £3,299.99 / AU$7,999, the Acer Predator Triton 17 X isn't a budget pick by any means, but that's the cost of packing in enough horsepower to give even the best gaming PCs a run for their money. While the mobile RTX 4090 doesn't exactly rival what its desktop counterpart can do, the performance margin is within an acceptable ballpark range; you can think of it as similar to an RTX 4080 desktop GPU.

Where this rig stands out from competitors is with its display. The Triton 17 X features a staggering 250Hz refresh rate with a 1600p resolution screen. That 16:10 aspect ratio means you get more real-estate for gaming, and the results are impressive. Fortunately, the components inside this Predator laptop mean you'll be able to push even the latest and most demanding games to superfast frame rates.

No corners have been cut with the quality-of-life features here, either. This laptop is armed with a six-speaker setup, an excellent keyboard, and a healthy port selection, so even when you're not gaming, you'll have a good experience. Just keep in mind that the Triton 17 X is not the most practical notebook with its 3kg / 6.6lbs heft, so it might not be your daily runner to work or school on the side.

Compounding this is the majorly disappointing battery life. The Acer Predator Triton 17 X lasts around two hours at best when enjoying media playback or browsing the web, and about an hour when getting stuck into one of the latest games. You'll want the charger nearby, but if you can overlook these issues then there's a stellar machine underneath it all.

Acer Predator Triton 17 X: Price and availability

MSI Triton 17 X screen — (Image credit: Future)

How much does it cost? $3,599.99 / £3,299.99 / AU$7,999
When is it available? It's out now
Where can you get it? In the US, UK and Australia

The Acer Predator Triton 17 X is one of the pricier gaming laptops on the market, coming in above the $3,000 / £3,000 mark (and at AU$8,000). Considering the hardware inside, that shouldn't come as a huge surprise, though. Acer isn't pulling any punches from the choice of CPU and GPU, through to the display, RAM, and storage. Simply put, it's far from a cheap gaming laptop, but if you want to be on the bleeding edge and have the cash to splash then it could be worthwhile.

As a frame of reference, the price of entry for the Predator Triton 17 X puts it in league with other top-end offerings such as the Origin EON 16SL when fully specced out, or the Alienware M16 and Razer Blade 16 (2023) in higher configurations. You aren't getting the best value for money on the market, nor the strongest price-to-performance ratio, but in terms of sheer raw power, the Triton 17 X has it in spades.

Price: 3 / 5

Acer Predator Triton 17 X: Design

Design of the MSI Triton 17 X — (Image credit: Future)

Stunning 250Hz mini-LED display
Packed with ports
A bit heavy at 3kg / 6.6lbs

Acer Predator Triton 17 X: Specs

Here's what's inside the Acer Predator Triton 17 X supplied to TechRadar.

CPU: Intel Core i9-13900HX
GPU: Nvidia RTX 4090
RAM: 64GB LPDDR5
Storage: 2TB NVMe Gen 4.0
Display: WQXGA (2560 x 1600) 16:10 IPS 250Hz
Ports: 2x USB 3.2, 2x USB-C, 2.5Gb Ethernet, 3.5mm audio jack, microSD card slot
Wireless: Wi-Fi 6E; Bluetooth 5.1
Weight: 3kg / 6.6lbs
Dimensions: ‎‎28 x 38.04 x 2.19cm (LxWxH)

The most notable thing about the Acer Predator Triton 17 X at first glance is the display which is certainly a leading model as far as gaming laptops go. This portable powerhouse packs in a 16:10 WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600 resolution) screen meaning more real-estate is available for gaming than 16:9 can offer. It's bolstered by a 250Hz refresh rate and is Nvidia G-sync compatible, so there's no screen tearing.

It's not the first laptop to feature a mini-LED display, but it is an excellent example of the panel tech in action. While not quite as vivid as OLED, it is considerably brighter, and the 1,000 local dimming zones do a solid job of standing in with similar black levels. Considering the hardware inside, an RTX 4090 mobile GPU backed up by an Intel 13th-gen Core i9 processor, you'll be able to take advantage of that high refresh rate, too.

Acer's design philosophy for this machine is "excellent in excess" and that's clearly demonstrated with the hardware packed into a portable form factor. Mind you, this rig weighs in at 3kg / 6.6lbs making it one of the heavier models on the market. With a 17-inch screen, it's fairly large as well, and while technically portable, the 17 X is unlikely to be something you'll commonly be slinging into a bag. It's more of an out-and-out desktop replacement.

While you're likely to plug in one of the best gaming keyboards and best gaming mice, the Acer Predator Triton 17 X features a solid keyboard and trackpad for casual web browsing and typing. It offers pleasant multi-zone RGB lighting which looks the part when playing in darker environments. The trackpad isn't as nice as some of the glass ones you'll find on a similarly priced Razer Blade, but it gets the job done. Again, a dedicated mouse will do the trick better.

No expense was spared on the connectivity front here, either. There are two USB-C ports, two USB 3.2 ports, 2.5Gb Ethernet, an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack. You'll have no shortage of options for either work or play, and it's good that the manufacturer chose function over form in this respect, as some thinner laptops can sacrifice port selection to achieve their svelte nature.

Design: 4 / 5

Acer Predator Triton 17 X: Performance

Keyboad of the Triton 17 X — (Image credit: Future)

Unparalleled 1080p and 1440p gaming performance
Silky smooth refresh rate
Gets very hot and loud

You won't be surprised to learn that a gaming laptop powered by the Intel Core i9-13900HX and Nvidia RTX 4090 with 64GB of LPDDR5 RAM absolutely mowed through our suite of benchmarks and games. The display for the laptop tops out at 250Hz, and you'll have all the horsepower necessary to achieve those kind of frame rates in 1080p, and drive very smooth gameplay at 1440p as well.

Acer Predator Triton 17 X benchmarks

Here's how the Acer Predator Triton 17 X got on in our game testing.

Total War: Three Kingdoms (1080p) - 364fps (Low); 140fps (Ultra)
Total War: Three Kingdoms (1440p) - 290fps (Low) ; 92fps (Ultra)
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p) - 118fps (Low); 107fps (Ultra)
Cyberpunk 2077 (1440p) - 129fps (Low); 89fps (Ultra)
Cyberpunk 2077 RT Ultra - 85fps (1080p); 83fps (1440p)
Red Dead Redemption 2 (1080p) - 147fps (Low) ; 128fps (Ultra)
Red Dead Redemption 2 (1440p) - 108fps (Low); 86fps (Ultra)
Geekbench 6:
Single - 2,720
Multi - 17,308
3DMark:
Night Raid - 72,575
Fire Strike - 31,498
Time Spy - 16,866
Port Royal - 11,261
PCMark10: 8,069
CrystalDiskMark: Read - 6,441.97; Write - 4,872.65
Cinebench R23:
Single - 1,941
Multi - 25,624
TechRadar battery test: 1 hour 8 minutes

It's comparable to what the MSI Titan 18 HX can do, albeit without the 4K resolution, not that you'll necessarily need 4K in such a small display anyway. It wasn't uncommon for the demanding games tested, such as Cyberpunk 2077 or Red Dead Redemption 2, to exceed 100fps when maxed out in 1440p. Even CPU-bound titles such as Total War: Three Kingdoms were no sweat for the 13900HX, as this game could exceed a lightning-fast 300fps.

Synthetic figures are equally strong as evidenced by 3DMark's range of GPU benchmarks alongside PCMark 10. Acer hasn't skimped on the choice of Gen 4.0 NVMe SSD either, with a strong performance of 6,441MB/s for reads and 4,872MB/s for writes. All told it's a very encouraging package showcasing the prowess of the hardware, but not without a few drawbacks.

While the RTX 4090M is roughly equivalent to the desktop RTX 4080 with its 16GB GDDR6 VRAM and lower power draw, the combination of CPU and GPU here does result in excess heat and loudness. It wasn't uncommon for the rig to reach upwards of 90 degrees when under stress, with the fans drowning out the otherwise impressive six-speaker surround setup. This could be counteracted by employing the use of one of the best gaming headsets, but it's worth noting all the same.

Using the HDMI 2.1 port, you'll be able to hook up the Acer Predator Triton 17 X to one of the best gaming monitors for that big screen experience should the 17-inch display not be enough for you. You may also want to invest in a dedicated laptop riser to keep the fans of the machine elevated to aid cooling, too.

Performance: 4 / 5

Acer Predator Triton 17 X: Battery life

Closed lid of the MSI Triton 17 X — (Image credit: Future)

Lasts around two hours when web browsing or for media playback
About an hour of gaming on battery power

What's most disappointing about the Acer Predator Triton 17 X is the battery life which just about manages two hours on a single charge with media playback or casual browsing. When gaming, you can expect about an hour or so, give or take, so you'll need to keep a charger handy if you want to have a full session of gaming for the evening.

Keeping the Acer Predator Triton 17 X plugged in at all times isn't ideal in terms of its portability factor, obviously, but as we already observed, it's a little too large and bulky for that anyway. The battery life is a shame considering there's a 99.98Wh four-cell power pack inside, but it's not too big a shock when factoring in that there's 175W of power drawn by the RTX 4090M GPU alone.

Simply put, if you're after excellent battery life for a portable machine then the Acer Predator 17 X won't be for you. Instead, we recommend considering one of the best Ultrabooks, even if you won't get anywhere near the same level of processing power.

Battery: 2 / 5

Should you buy the Acer Predator Triton 17 X?

Buy it if...

You want a no-compromise gaming experience

The Acer Predator Triton 17 X packs a punch with its RTX 4090 GPU and 13th-gen Core i9 CPU backed with a staggering 64GB of RAM. All that power translates to commonly getting over 100fps in 1440p with maxed out details.

You want an out-and-out desktop replacement

With its powerful hardware and generous port selection, you'll be able to hook up the Triton 17 X to an external monitor for a big screen gaming experience.

You're in the market for a productivity powerhouse

While the Acer Predator Triton 17 X is geared towards gamers, its 250Hz refresh rate and cutting-edge hardware make it a good choice for creatives who need all the VRAM and raw performance grunt they can get.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best value for money

There's no getting around the eye-watering MSRP of the Acer Predator Triton 17 X at $3,599.99 / £3,299.99 / AU$7,999. If you're on a tighter budget, you'll clearly want to consider a more mid-range model instead.

You want a laptop with a good battery life

Despite its 99.98Wh battery, you can expect only around an hour of gaming when not plugged in. Media playback doubles that to around two hours based on our battery test (conducted at 50% battery with half max brightness). Whatever the case, don't expect much longevity with the Triton 17 X.

Also consider

First reviewed June 2024

Asus ROG Ally X: an impressive array of community inspired improvements

8:01 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Gaming Computers Gaming PCs | Comments: Off

The Asus ROG Ally X's existence has been well known for quite some time now, but now it's been officially revealed in its entirety. Now that the cat is completely out of the bag, we know what specs it's rocking, as well as its pricing and launch date.

But how does it measure up in terms of performance, build quality, and more? I was able to briefly get my hands on the PC gaming handheld and try it out for a bit, seeing if it truly felt like a new model worth releasing. Thankfully, there are plenty of quality-of-life changes both externally and under the hood to justify its existence.

Asus ROG Ally X: price and availability

The Asus ROG Ally X will launch on July 22, 2024, and it will be available in the US, UK, Australia, and other regions.

Currently it's available for pre-order exclusively through Best Buy in the US and Curry’s in the UK for a retail price of $799.99 / £799. In Australia, you can pre-order it from JB Hi-Fi for AU$1,599. The pricing for the ROG Ally X is a bit steeper than the original model, though the latter is still available for purchase and cheaper than ever.

Asus ROG Ally X: specs

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Here are the specs for the Asus ROG Ally X at a glance.

Asus ROG Ally X: design

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PC gaming handheld on white table — (Image credit: Future)

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back of PC gaming handheld on white table — (Image credit: Future)

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There have been several changes to the Asus ROG Ally X's design, both externally and internally, which was inspired by users who gave precious feedback and modders posting videos of them revamping the original ROG Ally for upgrades.

The chassis has been enlarged, allowing for more space for an upgraded motherboard, more memory and storage, and a larger battery, among other changes. Since the chassis is larger, it's much better fitted for those with larger hands, especially as the button layout has also been adjusted to prevent accidental presses.

The joysticks have been completely overhauled to be stiffer and with 5 million rotation cycles, and just by testing them out on a few games, I could immediately feel the difference. They're also larger and the rubber grip feels more comfortable, perfect for longer gaming sessions that leave your hands sweaty. Its D-pad is more precise and just better designed as well, making it much easier to navigate menus in and out of games.

Internally, the larger chassis means that the fans are superior - though they're smaller, they push out more hot air. As a result, the vents no longer push out extremely hot air from the top as you reach over to access the top controls. This also means that Asus was able to update the components, taking a page from all those DIY videos showing buyers modifying for the same reason. It also means you can add upgrades more easily without tearing apart the entire outer casing.

Asus ROG Ally X: performance

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Though I couldn't run any proper benchmarks to test out exactly what the Asus ROG Ally X is capable of, gameplay performance is still just as smooth and nearly as stutter-free as before. The processor hasn't been upgraded for this model, nor has the display, meaning it's more or less the same experience.

The difference, however, is how all those design improvements enhance the gameplay experience. The joysticks and D-pad make navigating through game worlds much smoother, and the adjusted button layout, coupled with the slightly larger system, takes out all the frustration of accidental presses and a too-small chassis that the original system had.

Having more RAM to work with is a boon for more intensive AAA titles that the ROG Ally previously struggled with at times, and the included storage is the perfect amount to install quite a library of the best PC games.

Another upgrade that has the potential to be game-changing is the battery life, as the capacity has been doubled to 80Wh. We'll have to test and see, but if the ROG Ally X could get six hours or more, that alone would be the best reason to invest in this system since not even the Steam Deck can do that.

It'll be interesting to see just how much the improved specs affect performance, which we'll be testing once we get our hands on the PC gaming handheld and take it for a more thorough spin ourselves.

Asus ROG Ally X: early verdict

So far, the Asus ROG Ally X seems quite promising. Though it only serves as an in-between for the eventual ROG Ally 2, it sports tons of quality-of-life changes and enhancements that address nearly every issue buyers of the original ROG Ally had. For those looking for a new PC gaming handheld that's not the Steam Deck, this could truly be a contender for a true Steam Deck rival.

However, the only drawback that could hold it back is that the processor hasn't been updated, meaning that performance will most likely not change too much from the original. And with that model's price going down while the ROG Ally X starts off quite pricey, this could end up being a major deciding factor in its success.

Corsair One i500 review: can a gaming PC evolve gamer culture by embracing old, forgotten ways?

4:00 pm | May 6, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Gaming Computers Gaming PCs | Tags: AIO, Corsair One, PC, RTX | Comments: Off

Corsair One i500: Two-minute review

The Corsair One i500 isn't necessarily the most powerful gaming PC out there, it's not very upgradeable, and in terms of style, it's the kind of product that will inspire some very strong opinions — including my own.

Its specs are such that it is an easy contender for the best gaming PC of 2024 just in terms of performance, and its price is absolutely in line with the kinds of gaming rigs I've seen running Core i9-14900K and RTX 4080 Super or RTX 4090 GPUs.

Starting at $3,599.99 / £3,499.99 (about $5,220), this isn't a cheap gaming PC, but for what you're getting in terms of specs, you'd normally be getting a standard mid-tower PC case, usually in black, with large RGB fans with a tempered glass side showing off even more RGB trim, and you'd still be paying nearly $3,500 or more for the privilege.

That is to say, most gaming PCs today lean so heavily on RGB to define their style, that 'style' isn't really even a factor when considering which one to buy. The cases might vary, they might have a wraparound glass panel to show off the insides more fully, but the fundamental design principle of 'show off the components', which are lit up like a carnival, remains the same no matter what PC you buy.

The Corsair One i500, meanwhile, doesn't even have Corsair iCue, the company's proprietary RGB control software. It does have RGB, namely in the two trim lines that flank the case's wooden front panel, but it's limited compared to other gaming PCs. Instead, the Corsair One i500 uses a wooden front panel and fabric side panels to define its aesthetic, along with the aluminum case underneath that comes in either black or silver.

Depending on the case color, you'll get a different wooden front panel (a walnut color for the black case and a pine color for the silver), and both cost the same, so you won't have to pay a premium for one over the other. The PC also comes with a headphone hanger attachment that can fit onto either side of the case, and there are more than enough ports for whatever peripherals you have.

More than anything, this PC reminds me of the Atari 2600 from my childhood, equipped as it was with a wooden panel along the top edge like everything else was in the early 1980s. That quickly gave way to hard black plastic in later models and soon consoles and later PCs left behind natural textures for futuristic flash and forms that persist up to the present. It's in this milieu that the Corsair One i500 feels like something dropped into the gaming PC market out of a flying Delorean. After so many years of RGB and aggressive gamer aesthetic, it's still shocking how something as simple and retro as a wood panel on the front can feel so refreshing.

It's not all positive, though. If there is anything that can be considered a negative with this PC, it's its lack of easy upgradability. The small form factor case is going to limit what you can fit in it, but the GPU AIO cooler also means that any GPU upgrades in the future are not going to be as simple as dropping in a new graphics card in a few years. You can more easily upgrade the SSD and RAM, however.

But this isn't really a gaming PC for builders or tinkerers. This is much more a gaming PC for those who want the best without messing with the cables and components, but who also want their new gaming PC to reflect their significant investment. In that, the Corsair One i500 is unmatched.

Corsair One i500: Price & availability

A Corsair One i500 on a desk — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

How much is it? Starting at $3,599.99 / £3,499.99 (about $5,220)
When is it available? Available May 6, 2024
Where can you get it? You can get it in the US and the UK at launch, with Australia availability in June 2024.

The Corsair One i500 is available in the US and UK now, starting at $3,599.99 and £3,499.99, respectively. It will be available in Australia in June, but official pricing hasn't been released for the APAC region yet.

Both configurations available at launch come with an Intel Core i9-1400K processor and 2TB NVMe storage, and the base configuration comes with an Nvidia RTX 4080 Super and 32GB DDR5 RAM, while the max configuration comes with an Nvidia RTX 4090 and 64GB DDR5 RAM for $4,699.99 / £4,699.99.

This is more expensive than something like the current Alienware Aurora R16, which maxes out at an Intel Core i9-14900KF, RTX 4090, 64GB DDR5 RAM, and 2TB PCIe NVMe storage for $4,049.99 / £3,919. In Australia, the Aurora R16 maxes out at AU$5,772.80 for an Intel Core i9-14900KF, an Nvidia RTX 4080 Super, 64GB DDR5 RAM, and 2TB storage.

Other gaming PCs like the Acer Predator Orion 7000 and HP Omen 40L will sell for roughly the same as the Aurora R16, so the Corsair One i500 is going to be more expensive than the competition, but its competition also features much of the same style as every other gaming PC you've seen in a Best Buy or Curry's for the past decade. Whether the Corsair One i500's style is worth the extra premium will be up to you, but after all the gaming PCs I've reviewed over the years, I believe it's absolutely worth the premium.

Value: 4 / 5

Corsair One i500: Specs

Up to an RTX 4090 with AIO liquid cooling
Not easily upgradable

Specs: 4.5 / 5

Corsair One i500: Design

Gorgeous small form-factor case
Ample cooling fans
Fabric side panels might get grimey over time

The Corsair One i500's biggest appeal is its style.

I haven't seen a wood-paneled gaming device since the Atari 2600, and that device was released when I was a toddler. That's been enough time, I think, for a wood-paneled device to be cool again, and given the state of PC gaming hardware for the past several years, seeing something new is more than just refreshing.

I can't say that the Corsair One i500 will transform PC gaming culture to move beyond its decade-old Decepticon-inspired PC cases with over-the-top RGB lighting, but I hope it inspires a new paradigm for what companies can do with a gaming PC. The market desperately needs it.

In terms of specific design notes, this is technically a small form factor gaming PC, though it is bigger than something like the Asus ROG G22CH. Taller than it is wide or deep, this is more like a gaming console than a traditional gaming PC. If you've been looking for a living room PC, this will fit right in with a living room aesthetic.

If you spend this much money on a gaming PC, you should hopefully be able to upgrade to an Nvidia 5000 series graphics card in a few years, but the small form factor case is going to limit what size GPU you can fit.

On top of that, the graphics card in this case is unshrouded, relying on an AIO GPU cooler to manage heat dissipation. You could obviously take all of the fans and heatsink off of any future graphics card you buy and fit it into this PC, but understandably, this is a fairly advanced modification for a GPU.

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On top of the internals, there are a number of distinct design features that you won't really find anywhere else.

First, the side panels are covered in a soft, breathable fabric. This creates a very cool look to the PC, but fabric in tech devices tend to discolor and gunk up over time, especially if they cover a fan blowing dust out of a PC case.

Still, the fabric panels are a beautiful design touch. Another very cool feature is the tap-to-activate light on the backside of the case, which you can tap to light up the backports while you're plugging in peripherals and other cables. It's a small touch, but given that the backside of a gaming PC can often be cast in shadow, having an easy way to illuminate the area in question is incredibly useful.

Taken all together, the Corsair One i500 is the coolest prebuilt gaming PC I've ever used, and it's all the more impressive given how far it stretches past the 'accepted' gamer aesthetic into something new. I'm sure a lot of people won't like the design of this PC, but I don't care. The fact that Corsair took the risk to make a dramatically different kind of PC earns five stars in my book.

Design: 5 / 5

Corsair One i500: Performance

Fantastic gaming 4K performance
You can probably get the same kind of performance for cheaper if you don't mind less appealing aesthetics

Now, as good as the Corsair One i500 looks, this is a gaming PC, so its performance matters as much as — if not more than — its aesthetics. In this regard, you won't be disappointed with this PC.

Its starting GPU, the RTX 4080 Super, is one of the best 4K graphics cards on the market, second only to the Nvidia RTX 4090, which is an optional upgrade for the Corsair One i500. So no matter which GPU you get, you'll be able to get 4K@60FPS on just about any title on the market, especially if you enable Nvidia's DLSS 3 in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and any game that features ray tracing.

The RTX 4090, however, is the only graphics card I've ever tested that can get you close to 60 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 with ray tracing maxed out without upscaling, so if you're looking to play 4K at native resolution, you do at least have the option of going with the RTX 4090.

Given the hardware here, this is also a very competent creative performer, so those who like to get some work done will like what's on offer here, but I wouldn't call this the best workstation PC going. This is a gaming PC through and through, and it's here that this PC excels.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Corsair One i500?

Buy the Corsair One i500 if...

Don't buy it if...

First reviewed May 2024

MSI Titan 18 HX review: a gaming colossus

8:52 pm | May 2, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Gaming Computers Gaming Laptops | Tags: Battery Life, Far Cry, LED, Tomb Raider | Comments: Off

MSI Titan 18 HX: Two minute review

The MSI Titan 18 HX returns in 2024, reclaiming its title as the best gaming laptop for those looking to splurge on the most over-the-top desktop replacement money can buy.

The Titan 18 HX, like its 2023 predecessor, the MSI GT77 Titan HX, is a $5,000 desktop PC masquerading as a gaming laptop. Clocking in at just under 8 lbs/4kg, you're going to feel this one if you ever have to actually carry it anywhere, and most backpacks out there won't even fit it. This laptop, then, will be relegated to your desk with the occasional trip to another room at most.

While it sacrifices portability, it does come with some absolutely bonkers hardware, including a 175W RTX 4090 mobile GPU, a 95W Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, up to 128GB DDR5 RAM, and up to 4TB SSD storage, with one of its three M.2 SSDs slots being a PCIe 5.0 interface for the best SSD speeds possible (though it doesn't come with a PCIe 5.0 drive, you'll have to provide that yourself). Throw in the world's first 18-inch 120Hz 4K+ mini LED display with 120Hz refresh and HDR1000 certification, and you have the most decadently specced gaming laptops I've ever tested.

And before you say it, mini LED isn't an OLED, I know, but I honestly prefer mini LED displays on gaming laptops, and this one can get you 112% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, so video editors and other creative pros might want to take note of this one as well.

Design-wise, this laptop is an improvement over its predecessor in a number of ways, not the least of which is that it does introduce some grey into the chassis to help break up the super-aggressive gamer black styling of the GT77 Titan HX (and even adds some light blue accent touches to the rear), as well as introducing a seamless trackpad and more refined curves into the keydeck.

The Titan 18 HX's mechanical keyboard, meanwhile, features Cherry MX ultra low-profile switches that are a dream to type on, and the seamless trackpad is adequate for basic use; but as with any gaming laptop, you'll probably want to use the best gaming mouse you have handy while actually gaming.

Given the laptop's size, MSI was able to pack in some powerful speakers that provide a much more immersive audio experience than you'll find on a lot of other laptops. Of course, you'll have to turn the volume up to drown out the whine of the laptop's cooling system, which can get noticeably loud under strain. You can adjust this in the MSI Center, though it will come at the cost of performance.

Speaking of performance, gaming on this laptop is an absolute joy. The very best PC games run buttery smooth at max settings, and while enabling ray tracing at the laptop's native 3840x2400p resolution on some titles will require you to use DLSS upscaling to get a playable framerate at 4K, that's the case with even the best graphics card in a desktop PC.

Still, for the amount of money this laptop will cost you, you could also be forgiven for asking if it's really worth the price. If you're the type to ask such a question, don't worry, it's an easy question to answer: this laptop isn't for you. If you want the absolute best gaming performance in a theoretically portable form factor and money isn't an object for you? Well, you are exactly the person this laptop is designed to cater to, and you won't find many, if any, better gaming laptops on the market than the MSI Titan 18 HX.

MSI Titan 18 HX: Price and availability

An MSI Titan 18 HX on a table — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

How much is it? Starting at $4,999.99 / £4,379.98 / AU$6,999
When is it available? It is available now.
Where can you get it? You can get it in the US, UK, and Australia

The MSI Titan 18 HX is available now in the US, UK, and Australia, starting at $4,999.99 / £4,379.98 / AU$6,999. All configurations come with an Intel Core i9-14900HX processor and 4K+ mini LED display, and the US has two configurations on sale right now. They both feature an Nvidia RTX 4090 mobile GPU and 4TB storage, with the only difference being a choice between 64GB or 128GB RAM.

In the UK, the Titan 18 HX starts with an Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, 64GB DDR5 RAM, and 2TB PCIe 4.0 storage, and goes up as high as an RTX 4090 with 128GB RAM and 4TB storage. In Australia, the Titan 18 HX starts with an RTX 4080 GPU, 32GB RAM, and 2TB storage, and goes up to an RTX 4090, 128GB RAM, and 4TB storage.

In no universe is this a cheap gaming laptop, and it's challenging to think of another 18-inch laptop that goes quite this hard on the specs. Even the Alienware m18 R2 pulls back from a full 4K display, much less 4K+, and tops out at 64GB RAM. Even upping the m18 R2's storage to 8TB with everything else maxed out doesn't even bring you up to the MSI Titan 18 HX's starting price.

Again, I can't stress this enough, only those with the deepest pockets need consider this one.

Value: 2.5 / 5

MSI Titan 18 HX: Specs

This is easily the most obscenely configured gaming laptop I've ever laid hands on, and I wouldn't be surprised if you could still play the latest AAA games at max settings at 4K for the rest of the decade. The hardware will likely physically fail on you before this thing is rendered obsolete when it comes to gaming or high-end performance.

Specs: 5 / 5

MSI Titan 18 HX: Design

Gorgeous mini LED display
Improved chassis aesthetics
Ports galore
Low-profile mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX switches

The MSI Titan 18 HX introduces several improvements over last year's Titan, while generally keeping the fairly Decepticon-like aesthetic that the Titan is known for.

Starting with the sheer size of the thing, it's slightly bigger than its predecessor, a feat I didn't think possible. It also adds about 0.5 lbs to its weight, making it by far the heaviest laptop I've used in at least a decade or more.

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Opening it up, you'll find a low-profile mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX switches for some seriously smooth typing. The trackpad has gone seamless, as well, offering a glassy but responsive surface for your palms and fingertips to glide over. The trackpad itself is responsive, with good feedback, though a gaming mouse or controller is recommended for higher-level precision.

The Titan 18 HX comes loaded with 4x2W up-firing speakers on either side of the keyboard, as well as 2x2W subwoofers for extra bass, all of which work together to create some very rich sound, at least as far as laptop speakers go.

The IR webcam also gets an upgrade over last year's model, now at full HD as opposed to 720p, and features a physical privacy shutter, which you always love to see on a laptop.

The display though is the big feature here with a speedy 120Hz refresh rate on a 3840x2400p mini LED panel that is bright and vibrant. It also has VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification for a fantastic color contrast with deep blacks, and covers 112% of the DCI-P3 color gamut according to our tests.

In terms of ports, having a chassis this big means you can cram in a lot of ports, and the Titan 18 HX does not disappoint. You get three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two Thunderbolt 4 ports with DP output (with one featuring PD3.1 certification for fast charging devices), one HDMI 2.1 port that can push 120Hz video at 4K, an SDCard slot, an RJ45 ethernet port, and a 3.5mm combo jack. You even get a Kensington lock slot for good measure.

Overall, this is one of the best-looking MSI gaming laptops I've seen this year, and its wealth of features, ports, and more make it a standout device before we even get to its performance.

Design: 4.5 / 5

MSI Titan 18 HX: Performance

Best-in-class performance
Able to hit 60 FPS at 2400p on most games without upscaling
Upscaling can get you 60 FPS or better in games with ray tracing turned on

This gaming laptop absolutely puts some of the best gaming PCs to shame with its performance. Its 2400p resolution understandably taxes the hardware when playing high-end games at its native resolution at max settings, but in titles like Assassin's Creed Mirage, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Far Cry 6, the Titan 18 HX is easily able to clear 60 FPS at 4K on its highest settings, and that's not even factoring in any graphics upscaling.

Turn upscaling on, where available, and you can push the limits of the display's refresh rate on most games. If you factor in ray tracing, though, you can get in the neighborhood of 60 FPS or higher with appropriate upscaling, and on games like Cyberpunk 2077, it's an absolute necessity if you want to max everything out and get a better-than-just-playable frame rate.

Looking at its competitors, though, among the other 18-inch gaming laptops we've tested in our labs so far this year, none can match what the MSI Titan 18 HX brings to the table in terms of performance. The fact its competitors are all limited to 1600p QHD+ displays means that if you want the absolute bleeding edge of what laptop gaming can deliver in terms of 4K visual spectacle, the Titan 18 HX is really your only option.

Performance: 5 / 5

MSI Titan 18 HX: Battery life

Terrible battery life, but it'll rarely be on battery power anyway
Charging to full will take you a couple of hours

Understandably, battery life is not this laptop's greatest strength, but to call it a weakness is a bit unfair. This is not the kind of laptop you'll use unplugged for any length of time, as you would one of the best ultrabooks or a MacBook Pro.

This is a desktop replacement, so even though its two hours and 40 minutes of battery life while surfing the web is a pretty funny data point for a $5,000 laptop, you'll never actually use the Titan 18 HX this way outside of extremely rare instances. Its bulk will make it difficult to bring it anywhere period, much less somewhere that doesn't have an available wall outlet.

Still, compared to other 18-inch gaming laptops, the Titan 18 HX's battery performance still falls about 20% below the class average of three hours and 27 minutes. That means it doesn't get a total pass from me on battery life, but it is hardly a factor anyone should realistically consider for a laptop like this.

Battery Life: 2.5 / 5

Should you buy the MSI Titan 18 HX?

Buy the MSI Titan 18 HX if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

If my MSI Titan 18 HX review has you considering other options, here are three other laptops to consider:

How I tested the MSI Titan 18 HX

I spent about a month testing the Titan 18 HX
I used our standard suite of benchmark tests
I primarily played games on the Titan 18 HX, though I also used it for general computing and content creation

I spent about a month with the MSI Titan 18 HX, using it as an everyday work machine at home while gaming at night once work was done. I also used it for content creation work with Adobe Photoshop.

This is a gaming laptop, first and foremost, so I tested it with our standard battery of gaming benchmarks and other benchmarks that check for CPU, GPU, and overall system performance.

I've been reviewing laptops for TechRadar for nearly half a decade now, and as a lifelong PC gamer, I know how games should run on given hardware, and how much that hardware should cost you to maximize the value to the consumer. I also have a Master's Degree in Computer Science, so I'm able to really dig in and analyze the nitty-gritty of the hardware in a way many other reviews can't.

First reviewed May 2024

Acer Predator Helios 18 review: massive power in a massive package

12:00 pm | May 1, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Gaming Computers Gaming Laptops | Comments: Off

Acer Predator Helios 18: One-minute review

The Acer Predator Helios 18 is massive. If you’re looking for a light, slim, and ready-to-hit-the-road gaming laptop, this is not it. This is a desktop replacement in every sense of the word, from its 18-inch screen to its seven-ish pound weight. And, the battery life is not going to hold up for nomadic use.

But, desktop replacements have their place. The Acer Predator Helios 18 has the power, after all, to hang with the best gaming laptops thanks to some robust internals. And, while it’s out of range of the best budget gaming laptops, it’s reasonably priced for what you get, especially when you think about getting a desktop with a similar level of performance and a display that’s just as fast or sharp.

So, if you’re looking for a beast that can run games like Cyberpunk 2077 on absolutely maxed out settings and don't mind that it’s a bit tough to carry around, the Acer Predator Helios 18 might be for you.

Acer Predator Helios 18 front — (Image credit: Future)

Acer Predator Helios 18: Price & availability

Acer Predator Helios 18 closed lid — (Image credit: Future)

How much does it cost? Starting at $1,699.99 (about £1,339 / AU$2,576)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK

Despite the fact that the Acer Predator Helios 18 starts at $1,699.99 (about £1,339 / AU$2,576) for its base configuration and goes to $2,499.99 (about £1,968 / AU$3,788) in the US, the price tag is actually fairly reasonable when put into context.

The base configuration is pretty powerful in its own right with an Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 as well as a 1200p screen with a 165Hz refresh rate, but the review configuration, which is also the max one in the US, might be a better deal despite being much pricier.

The Core i9 CPU and 4080 GPU are significant upgrades, not to mention it has double the RAM, and the screen is blazing fast at 250Hz and has a higher resolution. Considering this laptop comes with an 18-inch screen, you’re probably not going to need to supplement it with one of the best gaming monitors, either. If you calculate the cost of a desktop rig with similar specs and a screen with a 250Hz refresh rate, you’ll probably end up spending even more.

Consider some other desktop replacements and the Acer Predator Helios 18 looks like a real bargain as well. The MSI Titan 18 HX that launched earlier this year may have impressed us with its 14th-Gen Intel Core i9, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, 4TB SSD, and 128GB of RAM (!), as well as a UHD+ 18-inch mini LED screen, but it also goes for $4,999.99 / £4,379.98 / AU$6,999 to start. The Acer Predator Helios 18 is a much more accessible desktop replacement for most people.

Unfortunately, this model is not available in Australia at this time.

Value: 3.5 / 5

Acer Predator Helios 18: Specs

Acer Predator Helios 18 underneath — (Image credit: Future)

When it comes to internal specs with the Acer Predator Helios 18, you’re looking at a small range. You either get a 13th-Gen Intel Core i7 or i9, 16GB or 32 GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 – 4080 Laptop GPU, and 512 GB or 1 TB SSD, though you can upgrade to 2 TB in the UK.

There is a small range in displays as the cheapest option comes with a 1920 x 1200p resolution at 165Hz refresh rate instead of the sharper and faster 2560 x 1600p resolution at 250Hz. Interestingly enough, the more expensive configurations are lighter and ever-so-slightly thinner.

Specs: 4 / 5

Acer Predator Helios 18: Design

Massive dimensions
Sharp, speedy display with great HDR
Good keyboard and trackpad

Acer Predator Helios 18 keyboard and track pad — (Image credit: Future)

The aesthetics of the Acer Predator Helios 18 is all black, giving it a somewhat muted gamer-centric look. The matte-black finish does have a habit of picking up fingerprints, especially the lid. But, if you’re considering this laptop, that’s probably not a huge consideration.

Speaking of huge, the Acer Predator Helios 18 is massive. Measuring 15.9 x 12.3 x 1.14 inches (404 x 312 x 29mm) and weighing 6.97 lbs (3.16 kg), it’s going to take up a lot of desk space. Considering this is basically a desktop replacement for a gaming computer, it’s no surprise, especially since it houses an 18-inch display.

As far as the display is concerned, the WQXGA resolution (2560 x 1600p) is plenty sharp, not to mention its 250Hz refresh rate is going to make all your games look smooth as butter. Of course, its 3ms response time is not going to be quite the same as fast refresh monitors aimed at competitive gamers as they typically have a 1ms response time.

Acer Predator Helios 18 HDR — (Image credit: Future)

However, one thing this display has over most speedy monitors (unless you’re willing to drop a lot of cash) is the HDR. It has a VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification – the highest I’ve seen on a laptop.

Port-wise, there’s plenty of everything including an HDMI 2.1 port and USB-C ports that support Thunderbolt 4. There’s even a microSD card reader, along with 3 USB-A ports, an ethernet port, and mic/headphone combo jack.

Since there’s so much space here, the Acer Predator Helios 18 comes with a full-sized keyboard complete with a numpad. There’s even a dedicated button to switch between power profiles. The typing experience itself is perfectly fine except for the fact that the keyboard is set somewhat further back on the chassis so it can feel a little awkward if you don’t keep it right on the edge of your desk. At least it comes with brilliant RGB backlighting as expected of any premium-quality gaming laptop.

The trackpad is also pretty good, not to mention quite large. It’s fast and responsive, perfect for day-to-day use. Of course, you’ll still want to invest in an external mouse for gaming. But, for general use, I have no complaints. And, unlike other outsized trackpads, I don’t have issues with it accidentally registering my palm as an additional press even though it basically hovers right over it.

Design: 4.5 / 5

Acer Predator Helios 18: Performance

Acer Predator Helios 18 left ports — (Image credit: Future)

Awesome gaming performance
Thermal efficiency is very good
Decent audio quality

Acer Predator Helios 18 right ports — (Image credit: Future)

Acer Predator Helios 18: Benchmarks

Here's how the Acer Predator Helios 18 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Night Raid: 72,381; Fire Strike: 29,957; Time Spy: 15,746
GeekBench 6.2: 2,920 (single-core); 17,941 (multi-core)
25GB File Copy Time (seconds): 22.6
Handbrake 1.6 4K to 1080p Encode: 96
CrossMark Overall: 2,217; Productivity: 2,046; Creativity: 2,477; Responsiveness: 2,020
F1 23 1080p (Ultra) 68 fps
Cyberpunk 2077: 1080p (Ultra) 108.22 fps
Web Surfing Battery Test: 4:40:50
PCMark 10 Battery Life (Gaming): 1:44

I’ve spent my last couple of laptop reviews praising the outsized performance of gaming laptops coming with Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics cards. Sure, there are some compromises, but having better lighting physics thanks to Ray Tracing is not exactly a make-it-or-break-it issue when it comes to enjoying a game.

That said, if you do care about getting the absolute full experience, the internals on the Acer Predator Helios 18 can do them without breaking a sweat. Whether it’s Cyberpunk 2077 with the latest updates, Starfield, Hogwarts Legacy, or any other demanding game, I could max out the settings including ray tracing and have very few issues.

Of course, there is still some performance boost you’ll get from a 4090 over a 4080. When running Cyberpunk 2077 on “Ray Tracing: Overdrive'' at the Acer Predator Helios 18’s native resolution of 2560 x 1600p at 250Hz, the average FPS is just 38.81. So, it’s not quite the smoothest, but that’s still plenty impressive considering the combination of the resolution, refresh rate, graphics settings, and Ray Tracing settings, not to mention the HDR is maxed out. Backing off on some of those settings just a little will give you imperceptibly smooth results. For our standardized benchmarks, for instance, running Cyberpunk 2077 on Ultra settings at 1080p gives an FPS score of 108.22.

Acer Predator Helios 18 Far Cry HDR — (Image credit: Future)

If those results are still not good enough, you’ll have to spend for a desktop with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 (desktop results are still going to top laptop ones with the same internals) or a gaming laptop with a 4090.

Just as importantly, the thermal efficiency is such that I only feel a little heat near the back of the laptop when gaming. So, even under load, the Acer Predator Helios 18 stays calm and collected so to speak.

As far as audio quality goes, no laptop is going to beat a nice pair of headphones or speakers like the Kanto Ora I still have set up. Still, the sound quality is decent enough that you’ll only really miss some rumble when gaming without any external audio solutions.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

Acer Predator Helios 18: Battery life

Acer Predator Helios 18 back and back ports — (Image credit: Future)

Battery life is okay for non-gaming
Battery life is very short otherwise

As it's a massive gaming laptop powering an Intel Core i9, 32GB of RAM, and, most importantly, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, it’s no surprise the Acer Predator Helios 18’s battery life is pretty short.

In fact, the fact that it lasts just under five hours in the web surfing benchmark is surprisingly high, though the laptop shifts to integrated graphics when not doing graphically intensive work. Looking at its PCMark 10 battery life of just under two hours, it’s clear that this gaming laptop is more of a desktop replacement than a portable gaming machine, though it’s certainly easier to transport than a desktop. Do not expect to use this laptop for long unplugged.

Battery life: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the Acer Predator Helios 18?

Buy the Acer Predator Helios 18 if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

If my Acer Predator Helios 18 review has you considering other options, here are two laptops to consider...

How I tested the Acer Predator Helios 18

Acer Predator Helios 18 angled screen — (Image credit: Future)

Tested for a month
Pushed it as hard as possible gaming-wise
Played with various settings

I used the Acer Predator Helios 18 for a month, playing a number of demanding games like Starfield, Hogwarts Legacy, Battlefield 2042 and Cyberpunk 2077. While doing so, I ran the games at various settings, particularly at the highest ones with ray tracing on wherever possible as well as HDR, and took note of the results. I also tested each aspect of the laptop from the keyboard and trackpad to the webcam and speakers.

After spending time with the Acer Predator Helios 18, it’s clear that this is meant to be a desktop replacement that can handle just about anything a gamer would want it to.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.

First reviewed April 2024

Razer Blade 14 (2024) review: premium performance on the go

8:14 pm | April 29, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Gaming Computers Gaming Laptops | Tags: Battery Life, Razer Blade, RTX | Comments: Off

Razer Blade 14 (2024): Two minute review

The Razer Blade 14 (2024) continues to impress as a gaming powerhouse in a remarkably compact form.

It remains largely unchanged in design from its predecessor, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, considering it has long been my top pick for the best gaming laptop going, and this latest refresh makes a compelling case for keeping that title.

Starting with its design, the familiar all-black CNC-milled aluminum chassis is both eye-catching and sturdy, with a weight that reinforces its premium build without sacrificing portability.

Performance-wise, the Blade 14 is more formidable than ever, thanks to its updated AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor and the choice between Nvidia RTX 4070 and 4060 GPUs. This setup handles everything from intense gaming sessions to demanding creative workloads with ease, supported by a cooling system that, while noisy, effectively manages heat even during extended use.

The display is another highlight, boasting a 2560x1600 resolution with a 240Hz refresh rate. It delivers vibrant colors and smooth visuals, making it a delight for both gaming and multimedia consumption. However, it does fall short of some competitors when it comes to brightness and HDR support.

Keyboard and trackpad functionality are excellent, providing comfortable typing and precise control. Razer Synapse software remains a useful tool for tweaking performance settings and personalizing the RGB lighting to enhance both aesthetics and functionality.

Battery life is decent for a gaming laptop, offering about 10 hours of light use and significantly less during gaming or high-performance tasks. Port selection is adequate, though the lack of an Ethernet port might irk some users.

Overall, the Razer Blade 14 (2024) is an excellent, if expensive, choice for those who need a powerful, portable laptop that can handle almost anything thrown its way.

Razer Blade 14 (2024): Price and availability

A Razer Blade 14 (2024) on a desk — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

How much is it? Starting at $2,199.99 / £2,149.99 / AU$3,999
When is it available? It is available now.
Where can you get it? You can get it in the US, UK, and Australia

The Razer Blade 14 (2024) is available now globally, starting at $2,199.99 / £2,149.99 / AU$3,999 for the base model with an RTX 4060 GPU and 16GB RAM. You can opt for my review configuration, which gets you an RTX 4070 and 32GB of RAM for $2,699.99 / £2,699.99 / AU$5,199, and honestly, this is the configuration to get. You're already spending north of two grand, so there's no reason to settle for an RTX 4060.

Still, this pricing does put it on the higher end of the 14-inch gaming laptop market, particularly when compared to alternatives like the Asus ROG Zephyrus 14 or HP Omen Transcend 14, both of which start at a lower price point. There is also the Razer Blade 14 (2023), which is still available for a lower starting price on Razer's website right now.

Given where 14-inch laptops are right now, this is easily one of the most, if not the most, expensive 14-inch laptop that isn't called the MacBook Pro. So, if you're really concerned about your budget, then the 2023 Blade 14 is likely a better bet since other than the processor and the extra RAM, there isn't much difference between the two Blade 14 models.

Value: 3.5 / 5

Razer Blade 14 (2024): Specs

Razer Blade 14 (2024): Design

Gorgeous finish and solid build
Mercury silver colorway is stunning
Mercury silver colorway costs substantially more

Razer's commitment to premium materials and build quality continues with the Blade 14.

Its chassis, crafted from a single block of aluminum, offers a sleek, durable feel with a weight that is reassuring yet portable. The design mimics the minimalist, professional aesthetic of modern ultrabooks, which might deceive some into underestimating its gaming capabilities.

The display, a speedy 240Hz QHD+ IPS panel, sports up to 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut with Calman verification for vivid, fluid-looking visuals, while the 3ms response time will make sure that the display is about as responsive as you'll find without going for mini LED or OLED panels.

The body of the Blade 14 is very reminiscent of the MacBook Pro 14-inch, though turning the laptop over, you'll find two intake fans to help keep the components cool. Of course, fans produce noise, and under load, this laptop can get rather loud. You do have some control over this though through Razer's Synapse software.

Razer's THX audio is another standout feature of the laptop, thanks to its top firing speakers, but this does cut back on what keyboard space is available for everything else, and on a 14-inch laptop, typing space is at a premium.

Typing on the Blade 14 is still a pleasure, and the keys are adequately spaced and have a great feel to them, even after typing for several hours.

Finally, there are a good number of ports, including two USB-A and two USB-C ports, the latter of which allow for power delivery and features DisplayPort output for a second screen.

Design: 5 / 5

Razer Blade 14 (2024): Performance

Best-in-class performance for a 14-inch laptop
RTX 4070 GPU is powerful enough to handle just about any game
For the price, there are more powerful gaming laptops out there

While the aesthetic appeal of the Razer Blade 14 is undeniable, at the end of the day, this is a gaming laptop, and so you're going to want it to perform at the highest level possible, especially considering the investment you're making in this device.

Fortunately, the Blade 14 delivers outstanding performance thanks to its Ryzen 9 8945HS processor and RTX 4070 GPU, leveraging both to get the most frames per second of any 14-inch laptop we've tested this year so far.

Despite its size, the laptop's cooling system manages heat relatively well, although it can get quite loud under load. The high-performance components do not throttle significantly, which is impressive given the limited space for air circulation and the fact that the GPU can be pushed to 140W, making this the most powerful RTX 4070 laptop you're going to find right now (something backed up by my testing data).

In the end, you're going to want this laptop to game at its best and possibly transition into a mobile workstation for high-end design work or content creation on a regular basis. It will certainly be able to swing that with ease, especially if you opt for the Mercury colorway, which gives the Blade 14 something of a distinguished look about it that won't be out of place in meetings.

Performance: 5 / 5

Razer Blade 14 (2024): Battery life

Decent enough battery life with light-use
The 140W GPU drains the battery quick
Relatively fast charging

Battery performance is solid, with Razer promising up to 10 hours of power life — under the right settings, of course. However, like most gaming laptops, intense gaming sessions will drain the battery very quickly, though the laptop does supports fast charging that'll get you up to 80% in an hour.

Unfortunately, it does seem to get less battery life than its predecessor, and it's battery performance is the only metric where this average falls below the 14-inch class average in our tests.

That said, the power brick is portable enough, and the Blade 14 itself is more than capable of hopping from power outlet to power outlet if needed thanks to its slender build and lightweight construction.

Finally, this is a gaming laptop, after all, so if you're hoping for all-day battery life, there isn't a gaming laptop out there that will give it to you, so it's hard to knock off too many points here.

Battery Life: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the Razer Blade 14 (2024)?

Buy the Razer Blade 14 (2024) if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

If my Razer Blade 14 (2024) review has you considering other options, here is another laptop to consider:

How I tested the Razer Blade 14 (2024)

I spent the better part of three weeks with the Razer Blade 14 (2024), using it as my everyday laptop for work, content creation, and gaming in the evenings.

In addition to its real world use, I also ran our standard battery of benchmarks on the device, including synthetic, creative, gaming, and battery benchmarks.

I've been reviewing gaming laptops for nearly half a decade, and have a Master's Degree in Computer Science. I am also a lifelong gamer, so I'm better positioned to judge the merits and value of this laptop than many in the industry.

First reviewed April 2024

BodyBilt G7 review: a luxurious and comfortable experience

2:30 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computer Gaming Accessories Computers Computing Gadgets Gaming Computers | Comments: Off

BodyBilt G7 Chair: Two-minute review

The BodyBilt G7 Chair is a gaming chair that's solely built for comfort. Every feature is devoted to delivering an incredibly high level of comfort to the buyer, and in this goal, it succeeds tremendously. Aesthetically it's simple yet pleasing, with mostly black and brown highlights on the seat that give it a classy look. It fits right at home in both an office and gaming setup.

Its parts are also high-quality, with a cushy seat that conforms to your derriere and ensures minimum discomfort during long and intense gaming sessions. The back of the chair is just as comfortable, with a mesh that's breathable (important for long sessions in which sweat becomes an issue) yet outfitted with proper lumbar support for the lower back that many other gaming chairs lack.

The armrests are height-adjustable 4D, making them much more stable and ergonomic. The back is also high and quite straight, which allows for freedom of movement when you rotate or stretch your body. The best part is the headrest, which looks unassuming but is easily the most comfortable one I've tested out. Unfortunately, the back is a bit short, so those taller than me might not fully benefit from the comfort of the headrest.

Like the other parts of the chair - including the cylinder, reinforced steel brace bars, and steel plate - the material of the seat and back are high quality and built to last for a long time. The steel parts that build up the chair are rather refreshing, as many gaming chairs tend to use plastic which creates a flimsy base that's uncomfortable and wears down quickly. As for the seat material, you can even have it outfitted with leather to give it that extra quality and longevity. This also includes the casters, which are likewise high-quality and roll well over most floor types including hardwood and carpet.

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A BodyBilt G7 gaming chair in an office — (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

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In my opinion, the best feature to grace the BodyBilt G7 is that it's delivered to you fully assembled, which not only means you don't need to struggle to put it together yourself (or pay someone else to) but that professionals put the chair together. This ensures that no parts are worn down, broken, or poorly slotted together.

The second best feature is the fact that you can have the chair customized to your specifications, not only for the aforementioned leather option for the seating but for general measurements as well, including a custom fitting from the company to help make sure your fit is as solid as possible.

Though the standard design has a more shallow seat than I'm used to, the recline is steep and feels downright luxurious, especially coupled with the integrated lumbar support. Unlike many other gaming chairs, the BodyBilt G7 is made with comfort first in mind, much closer to an office chair rather than a flashy chair with bright colors, a gamer aesthetic, and very little else to commend them. For those like myself who have significant lower back problems, it's refreshing.

My only complaint on the comfort front is that the armrests aren't padded. While they aren't uncomfortable in the least, I would have expected some cushioning on them considering that BodyBilt clearly prioritizes comfort above all else. Otherwise, it;s easily one of the best gaming chairs around, especially for those who find most gaming chairs long on flash and short on comfort.

BodyBilt G7 Chair: Price & availability

How much does it cost? $1,048.95 (around £842 / AU$1,615)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US

The BodyBilt G7, while an extremely high-quality chair, is extremely expensive as well. According to the official website, the standard model will run you by $1,048.95 (around £842 / AU$1,615), and that's not including the pricing for a customized version which you would need to request a quote for depending on your needs and add-ons.

It's around the same price as the Razer Fujin Pro, which retails for $1,049 / £999, but is far more expensive than the Boulies Master, which runs for $499.99 / £349.99. Both options, like the BodyBilt G7, are made to be more well-rounded chairs that attract both gamers and office workers. They all offer nice adjustment options and ergonomic designs that prioritize comfort over style, an issue that most other gaming chairs in the market have.

The only real downside to the BodyBilt G7 is that it's only available in the US with no UK or Australia options. It's a shame since the quality of this chair is superb and having shipping options for other regions and countries would be great for the market.

Should you buy the BodyBilt G7?

Buy the BodyBilt G7 if...

Don't buy it if...

If you're on a budget
This is an extremely expensive gaming chair, well over $1,000, so it's best to find other options if you can't fit this one in your budget.

BodyBilt G7 Chair: Also consider

How I tested the BodyBilt G7 Chair

I spent about a month testing this chair
I tested it for gaming and productivity work
I used it extensively in an office environment

I tested the BodyBilt G7 in a work office environment, seeing how well it functioned in both gaming and productivity work. I also carried it around in various bags to test its portability.

The BodyBilt G7 is a gaming chair that's meant for extensive use over the years. I made sure to quality-test it to see if it held up to those standards while maintaining maximum comfort levels.

I use and extensively test a wide range of chairs for both the office and gaming, and understand how to properly rate and test them out to ensure that they reach a certain level of quality.

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed April 2024

Sony INZONE H9 wireless gaming headset review

9:00 pm | April 5, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computer Gaming Accessories Computers Computing Gadgets Gaming Computers | Tags: Total War | Comments: Off

Sony INZONE H9: One-minute review

Sony, without a doubt, has a reputation as an exceptional manufacturer of products. It’s a company that’s seriously made a name for itself, building one of the most successful console series we’ve seen in the last two decades.

Its DualSense controllers, PlayStation handhelds, and general hardware ecosystem over the years have been nothing short of outstanding, so, going into testing the $250 plus Inzone H9 wireless noise-canceling headset, a blend of both that PS5 design and ecosystem, combined with Sony’s legendary audio and noise-canceling prowess, I had high hopes that it was going to be an absolute killer piece of kit, easily making its way onto our best PC gaming headsets list and beyond.

After all, as I’ve mentioned, this is a company that already has an impressive audio subsection of its brand. Just grab some of those engineers, give them a design IP and a bit of budget, chuck a full-fledged microphone on the beating heart of a unit like the Sony WH1000XM5 or its predecessors and they’d be off to the races.

So, is that the case? Is the Sony Inzone H9 wireless noise-cancelling gaming headset, a pair of WH1000XM5s disguised as a PS5 headset? Well, no, not quite. They're expensive, stylish, and well-designed - but the audio performance doesn't really line up with the price tag.

Sony INZONE H9: Price and availability

How much does it cost? $300 / £269 / AU$450 - but now available cheaper
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available worldwide

Sony INZONE H9: SPECS

Interface: 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, USB-C
Compatibility: Windows, Mac, PS4/5, mobile devices
Mic: Bidirectional noise-cancelling
Surround sound: Sony 360 Spatial Sound for Gaming
Weight: 330g

So let’s talk price: what are we looking at here? Well, the Inzone H9 wireless clocks in at a fairly steep $300 in the US, £269 in the UK, and AU$450 for our friends down under. However, you can pick it up cheaper from most major retailers - the best bet for stateside shoppers is Amazon or Bestbuy, for the UK, Currys or Amazon are the best picks here too. Likewise, you’ll also find these floating around in Europe at Amazon.de, and Australia as well, although stock there is far more limited.

The Inzone H9 Wireless is a costly piece of kit, and slapping that kind of price tag on a headset of this caliber makes it fair game for comparison against a whole swathe of top-tier competition from the likes of Logitech, Razer, Corsair, and more.

In fact, its retail price in the US actually did sit at $300 until fairly recently, and even at its reduced price, that puts it in spitting distance of the excellent Logitech Pro X 2 Lightspeed headset, or even the likes of the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro. In other words, the competition is fierce. Both those sets of cans do miss out on one key feature, namely the ANC, but more on that later.

Value: 2 / 5

The Sony INZONE H9 wireless gaming headset. — (Image credit: Future)

Sony INZONE H9: Design

Stylish aesthetic
Very comfortable to wear
Multiple on-headset controls

One quick look at the Inzone H9 Wireless and you’ll immediately fall under its spell. Particularly if you’re already heavily invested in the Sony PS5 ecosystem, and pick up a white version of this little beauty. It’s got an incredibly clean style to it, complete with that sandblasted white plastic we’ve come to expect, paired with a high contrast black shiny plastic mixed with matt touches, along with perhaps not-so-subtle Sony branding on the ear-cups.

The microphone in particular looks exceptionally clean, with its swivel mechanism, and the overall ergonomic inclusions Sony has integrated into the Inzone H9 are nothing to be smirked at. The earcups are big circumaural affairs that easily coffer your entire ear, and it has a similar feel to a helicopter pilot’s cans. Perhaps not something you’d want to wear around town, but it does lend itself to a classy overall look, and some top-tier comfort.

Speaking of, the headband is much improved over the more affordable Inzone H5 wireless, and the earcups equally feature a softer faux leather finish (although it does feel a little “crisp” which is weird for a headset). The padding is a lot more plush than its cheaper siblings too. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it's memory foam (and that’s not something Sony has in its marketing materials either), but it’s comfortable for long-term use, and that’s what’s important here.

Aside from the physicality of the thing, the Inzone H9 features only two connection standards, Bluetooth 5.0 and your standard Wireless 2.4 GHz dongle affair. Unlike the Inzone H5, the H9 doesn’t feature an analog connection, although it does have USB-C connectivity.

There are a number of buttons integrated into the headset as well, including power, Bluetooth, game/chat volume adjustments, a volume wheel, and a noise-canceling button, allowing you to swap between different presets on the fly.

Design: 4.5 / 5

Sony INZONE H9: Performance

Sound quality is only middling
Mic doesn't perform well
Good battery life

The one thing that will make or break a good gaming headset is the quality of its audio. It doesn’t matter what extra features it comes with, what noise-canceling it has, or what spatial audio AI sound control gimmickry is baked into its marketing language: if it can’t produce good audio, comparatively to the products in its price bracket, it’s going to get hammered.

So then. Sony’s Inzone H9 wireless noise cancelling headset. Audio? Not great. Nope, sadly, these are the exact same drivers found in the far cheaper Inzone H5 wireless gaming headset, the same 5 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response, and to cap it off the same confused EQ tuning has been applied straight out of the gate. The bass, although potent, seems muted and muffled, there’s no punch to it, the mids seem to be lacking their top-end, and overall clarity re-inforced by the treble, like its H5 cousin, is just absent, which is a really sad thing to report given the high price of this headset.

I tested the Inzone H9 wireless for a few weeks, comparing it to several cheaper and more expensive headsets, and it just fails to make an impact in contrast to the likes of offerings from Audiotechnica, Corsair, and Razer. This is sad, because Sony is a company that already has such a prestigious audio pedigree behind it. Music is just okay; it’s an okay headset. In-game it’s enjoyable enough, sure, but again: you don’t just want “okay” when you’re spending this much cash on a gaming headset.

Then we get to the microphone. Now this is different compared to the likes of the Inzone H5 - by which I mean it’s somehow more muffled and less clear, and again, when you consider products like Corsair’s HS80 or HyperX’s Cloud Alpha, and how potent they are in that department, it’s just not a good feeling.

The noise-cancelling however is somewhat of a saving grace. It’s there, it’s powerful, and it’s good at cutting out hum and vibrations, fan noise from your PC, or the drone of a washer-dryer, although it’s not capable of cutting out all noise in the vicinity. If someone’s playing loud music in the next room, or shouting your name, you're still going to hear them. Similarly, there are very few ANC gaming headsets out there at this price point (after all, it’s a lot easier to control the ambient sound of your gaming environment than it is outside your home). That said, the real killer piece of tech is (somewhat ironically) the ambient sound mode. It’s generally quite a nice touch, and performs well, giving the Inzone H9 wireless an impressive open-backed feeling to it.

Connectivity is fine. 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, and USB-C are enough in this day and age, and the USB dongle included has a switch allowing you to swap between PS5 and PC mode depending on what you’re plugging it into. I found that the battery life was solid; Sony advertises up to 32 hours of playback with ANC turned off, and while I don't think it lasts quite that long in practice, it certainly holds charge well enough to not need plugging every other day. There's quick charge via USB-C too, giving you an hour of game time after 10 minutes of charging.

Sony’s Inzone hub software suite is pretty slick too, and impressively easy to use - which is good, because you'll want to adjust the wonky factory EQ settings. You’ll still be handicapped by those audio drivers though, sadly.

The Sony Inzone H9 isn’t a bad headset, not at its heart. In isolation, it’s a decent experience. If you pick one of these up, you’ll have an alright time with it. But really, you’re going to be buying this headset if you want that “Sony” badge clout, and for your cans to match your PS5 DualSense controller, and in that regard, it’s highly difficult for me to recommend it. The audio just isn’t up to scratch compared to the competition (and Sony's own cheaper Inzone cans), and that’s a real problem.

Performance: 2.5 / 5

Should I buy the Sony INZONE H9?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

Sony INZONE H9: Report card

First reviewed April 2024

How we test

I spent four weeks testing the Inzone H9 wireless noise-canceling gaming headset, along with its H5 cousin, while comparing it to some competitor headsets at the same price point. I was testing mostly on PC but also used my PS5 to check the software and to see if there were any major changes to audio quality. I’ve used it playing Dark Souls III, Elden Ring, Total War: Warhammer III, and World of Warcraft -really taking advantage of a multitude of high-quality soundstages to get the most out of those audio drivers.

I also used the Inzone H9 wireless extensively while listening to music on Spotify Premium and while consuming endless content on YouTube Premium as well, listening and watching a vast array of different videos from multiple genres. For microphone testing, I cranked it up in Windows 11’s in-built sound recorder program for my own internal comparison tests and passively used it in Discord calls as well.

Read more about how we test

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 review: a monster gaming laptop that goes all out

6:58 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Gaming Computers Gaming Laptops | Comments: Off

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18: Two-minute review

These days, huge gaming laptops can be surprisingly thin and light, yet still offer high-end performance. The 18-inch Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 is no exception, and pushes the limits of how much high-performance hardware it can fit inside.

As it suggests in the name, the Neo 18 has a huge 18-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600) mini-LED panel with a fast 250Hz refresh rate, an excellent 3ms GTG refresh rate, but also covers 100% of the DCI-P3 gamut for vibrant, accurate colors.

While the Neo 18 does have more affordable variants with lower-performance parts, I got hands on with one of the highest-end models. Key is the mighty Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, plus the equally high-end Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU and up to 64GB of RAM.

Wireless connectivity comes in the form of the latest Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 chipset, as well as 2.5G Ethernet and Bluetooth 5.3. The laptop has a gaggle of USB-A ports, dual USB-C (with DisplayPort and 100W charging), HDMI 2.1, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The Neo 18 is equipped with a controllable LED lighting setup, swappable WASD keys and even customizable fan covers. While a proper headset is better for gaming, the inbuilt speakers are pretty good and well suited to casual use such as watching a movie.

As you might expect, the Neo 18 gives one of the best laptop gaming experiences possible, and can handle the latest games at very high frame rates. Running flat out with the turbo cooling mode turned on, the Neo 18 is hot and impressively noisy, but even the much more well-behaved performance mode only drops performance by about 10% to 15%. Drive speed is excellent, as the dual RAID 0 SSDs push beyond what a single PCIe connection can manage, and help get the most from asset-heavy games like Starfield.

In day-to-day productivity use, the Neo 18 fans are extremely quiet. The keyboard is large and easy to type on, and the trackpad gives good accuracy. And the screen is just as delightful when staring at spreadsheets as it is when gaming. With the RGB lighting scaled back, the Neo 18 also doesn’t look overly gaming focused, and can pass as just a (monstrous) workstation.

Despite the large 90Wh battery, this laptop is not set up for efficiency, and struggles to get past 3 hours of use away from the wall. Helpfully, the 100W USB-C charging is plenty for most productivity use, so you don’t need to carry the charger brick around.

Overall, the Neo 18 is an excellent machine, and offers a great mix of functionality that very few other laptops can compete with.

Acer Predator 18 inch gaming laptop — (Image credit: Future - Lindsay Handmer)

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 review: Price & availability

How much does it cost? $3,100 / £3,200 / AU$7,999
Where is it available? Available in the US, the UK and Australia

While the US pricing is quite reasonable considering the spec, UK buyers pay a bit extra, and gamers Down Under in Australia are expected to shell out 50% more for the same hardware.

Buying the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 means paying a premium to get the very best possible laptop gaming performance, and lower-spec models with RTX 4080 or 4070 GPUs generally give better bang for buck.

So is the high end Neo 18 actually good value? Considering all the cutting-edge hardware squeezed inside, as well as the supporting systems that stop it all catching on fire, the laptop costs about what we’d expect. It’s not the cheapest compared to similar high-end gaming laptops, but it’s also not the most expensive.

Even in Australia, the Acer is not more expensive than its closest competition, though we hope to see the pricing drop the longer it is available.

It is definitely worth checking out the lower-end variants if your budget does not stretch to the RTX 4090. The smaller Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is also a great option, as it can offer more than 50% of the performance of the Neo 18 for less than half the price. But for those who want absolute premium portable gaming power, then the Predator Helios Neo 18 is definitely worth the hit to the wallet.

Value score: 3 / 5

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 WASD keys — (Image credit: Future - Lindsay Handmer)

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 review: Specs

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 ports RHS — (Image credit: Future - Lindsay Handmer)

Variant availability varies depending on location, but overall the Neo 18 has a decent number of spec options that start from the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, and go all the way to the RTX 4090. As well as multiple CPU, RAM and SSD fitouts.

For this review, I tested the near-to-premium model featuring a mighty Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU and an equally high-end Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 16GB GPU. The 32GB (2x16GB) of 5,600MHz DDR5 is upgradeable and, at this level, the Neo 18 is equipped with not one, but two 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSDs running in RAID 0 for ultimate speed and 2TB total capacity. The only higher-spec model at the time of writing has an identical CPU and GPU, but 64GB of RAM and 2x 2TB SSDs in RAID 0.

The Neo 18 itself is big enough to need a backpack rather than a shoulder bag. The 330W power brick is a monster, with measurements of 185.0 x 85.0 x 36.0 mm (7.28 x 3.35 x 1.42 inches) and weighing 1.05 kg (g (2.31 lbs) all by itself.

Specs score: 4.5 / 5

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 ports LHS — (Image credit: Future - Lindsay Handmer)

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 review: Design

Customizable options
Fantastic display
Robust aluminum shell

Creating a high-end gaming laptop that can get the most out of power-hungry hardware is no easy feat. At full tilt, the Neo 18 consumes over 300W, which means a lot of heat to get rid of. The large 18-inch form factor is also challenging, and there are a lot of trade-offs to end up with a laptop that is still lightweight enough to be portable.

Overall, the Acer team has done a fairly remarkable job with the Neo 18 and created a very well-balanced laptop. It doesn’t run too hot or too loud, the battery is large, there are no obvious performance bottlenecks, and it has a gaming feel without being over the top.

There are a few minor design niggles of course. While the webcam does Windows Hello, I would have also loved to see a fingerprint scanner in the power button. I also don’t love the overall placement of many of the ports.

One advantage of the NEO 18 is the space at the rear, which means you don’t have a mess of wiring out the side of the laptop. But the RJ45 Ethernet port is side mounted, when it would be neater at the rear. And the two USB-C Thunderbolt ports are on the rear, whereas I would rather have seen at least one on the side of the laptop. While there are USB-A ports on the side, these only support speeds up to 10Gbps, while USB-C Thunderbolt does 40Gbps. Having a USB-A port or two at the rear would also be useful.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 removeable vents — (Image credit: Future - Lindsay Handmer)

On the software side, the Acer control app is well featured and easy enough to use. I wish lighting control was more directly accessible and had some more options for slower fades, but overall it is quite good. The laptop has a pretty clean install of Windows, though I personally could do without the inclusion of a limited trial of McAfee that bugged me till I either paid or uninstalled it.

The Neo 18 is very well put together overall, with little bounce in the keyboard, and smooth, flex-free action when opening the screen. The aluminum clad exterior is rather svelte but does pick up fingerprints at an alarming rate. It also tends to hang onto any marks with more than the average amount of glee, so cleaning it takes more effort than expected.

While we do test how robust laptops are, we don’t typically go to extremes that would cause damage. The Neo 18 gave a unique opportunity for testing durability, when it was inadvertently dropped from desk height onto a hard surface. The Neo 18 survived with a dented corner but no other damage. I put it through a second round of vigorous stress testing and confirmed it was fault free, aside from the surprisingly minor cosmetic damage. While not a test I hope to repeat, I can at least report the Neo 18 is built well enough to take an unexpected drop and keep on trucking.

Design score: 4 / 5

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 RGB — (Image credit: Future - Lindsay Handmer)

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 review: Performance

High-end portable gaming performance
Impressive CPU capabilities
Glorious RAID 0 SSD speeds

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18: Benchmarks

Here's how the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Speed Way: 5,534; Port Royal: 13,207; Time Spy Extreme: 10,319; Fire Strike Ultra: 13,346.
Cinebench R23 Multi-core: 28,168 points; Single-core: 2,150
PCMark 10: 8,816
CrystalDiskMark 8 NVMe: 12,793 MB/s (read); 11,788MB/s (write)
Red Dead Redemption II: (Ultra 1080p) 132
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 151 fps, (QHD+) 191 fps
F1 2022:(1080P Ultra): 148 fps
Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm: 191fps
PCMark 10 Battery Life: 2 hours and 52 minutes
1080p video playback battery life: 3 hours and 2 minutes

For a laptop trying to maximize gaming performance, balance is key. If any one component creates a bottleneck, then overall frame rates can suffer. On the flip side, you don’t want any one part of the hardware to be much more powerful than the other, as the extra performance costs more but goes to waste.

The Neo 18 does a pretty good job of getting the most from the hardware, and maximizing gaming frame rates. When running flat out, the system tends to end up limited by heat. This isn’t a huge surprise, as a GeForce RTX 4090 can use up to 175W, and the CPU not much less. This means that gaming performance is ultimately often limited by the cooling system, which itself is limited by what is physically possible in a laptop form factor. Still, how a manufacturer implements their cooling system can make a big difference.

Maximum cooling is in turbo fan mode, which makes the Neo 18 sound like an angry stick vacuum, but gives the hardware a little more scope to push harder. In my testing, the Neo 18 nudged up against thermal limits even in ideal conditions, and even just gaming in a hot environment can slow performance in demanding games. So if you are chasing every last drop of performance, make sure you don't accidentally impede the laptops airflow, and crank up the AC in summer or open up the windows in winter. Dropping back to performance fan mode means about 10% to 15% lower frame rates (depending on the game), but it is a lot cooler and quieter.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 underside — (Image credit: Future - Lindsay Handmer)

The Neo 18 has plenty of grunt to get excellent frame rates from the latest games, but in very demanding titles, you will need to drop back the detail, or the resolution, if you want to hit the 200+ fps the display can handle. Generally though, 100+ fps is easily achievable in games such as Red Dead Redemption II and F1 2022 without reducing quality or resolution settings. In testing, the demanding Cyberpunk 2077 could do 91fps (DLSS 3.5 on) at the native 2560 x 1600 resolution, but stepping back to 1080p bumped that up to 151fps.

The Neo 18 runs dual 1TB drives in RAID 0, which gives outstandingly fast access speeds that's almost double the best from a single SSD setup. This can translate into slightly better gaming performance in games that load a lot of assets, but the difference is not huge. The 5600MHz DDR5 RAM is fast enough to keep up with the rest of the hardware, and any faster would not translate into much better performance.

Overall gaming performance is excellent, and on par with the competition. The Neo 18 is a bit faster than GeForce RTX 4090-equipped rivals such as the Razer Blade 18, and on par with the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18.

As expected, non-gaming performance is also top notch, and the Intel Core i9-14900HX is capable of great things when allowed to make use of the entire cooling capacity. It still runs hot though, and Turbo cooling mode is much too loud for any shared space. Still, for productivity work, there are very few laptops that can best the Neo 18.

Performance score: 4 / 5

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 Power Brick — (Image credit: Future - Lindsay Handmer)

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 review: Battery life

Around 3 hours of productivity when unplugged
Don't expect to do much gaming on battery

Despite the large 90Wh battery, the power hungry hardware means it doesn’t last long, even in conservative modes. We found it easy enough to get 3 hours or so unplugged when doing moderate productivity tasks, and about the same when watching video. On the plus side, this means you can watch a movie without needing to plug in. If you really scale back the settings to the bare minimum, it is possible to eke out up to 4 hours.

Gaming battery life depends on the settings and game, and is lower performance than when plugged in. Don’t expect much over 2 hours at best, and I could drain the battery in under an hour when gaming hard.

On the plus side, the Neo 18 charges fast using the brick and fills up in under 2 hours. USB-C charging is at up to 100W, and I saw 90W on average. The Neo 18 warns USB-C use is a low power charger (and it is compared to the 330W brick), but on the plus side, it’s quite efficient, and I found it only took 103Wh to fully charge the 90Wh battery. This is good news for charging from a power bank, but keep in mind that even a very large capacity model won’t be able to give the Neo 18 a full charge.

Battery life score: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18?

Buy it if...

You crave high-end gaming performance in a portable package
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 has a lot to offer gamers, but it's best suited to those who are willing to pay extra to get the best frame rates possible with a laptop.

You want a big screen
The 18-inch Mini LED display on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 is fantastic, and just about the best option short of carrying a spare monitor around.

You want to create your own unique gaming style
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 has a range of gamer-specific features such as customizable LED lighting and vents that mean the laptop is ideal for anyone looking to express themselves.

Don't buy it if...

You want bang for buck gaming
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 gives great performance, but in terms of FPS per dollar, it lags behind smaller gaming laptops or desktop computers.

You want a productivity laptop with good battery life
While the Neo 18 is a powerhouse desktop replacement and a great workstation, it’s not a good option for use away from a desk.

You are worried about noise
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 is many things, but quiet while gaming is not one of them.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18: Also consider

If our Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 review has you considering other options, here are some other gaming laptops to consider...

How I tested the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18

I tested the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 for two weeks
I used it both on a desk, and put it in a backpack for travel
I used it for gaming, as well as office productivity work and video editing

I ran the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 through our usual comprehensive array of benchmarks, as well as using it for actual day to day work.

I used a range of synthetic gaming and productivity benchmarks, real-world gaming benchmarks, and battery and power testing.

I used the TechRadar movie test for assessing battery life during video playback, as well as productivity battery benchmarks. I logged power use in a variety of scenarios, including when charging from USB-C. I also tested charging the Neo 18 with a power bank.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2024

Asus ROG Flow X13 review: your flexible 13-inch gaming friend

9:00 pm | April 4, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Gaming Computers Gaming Laptops | Tags: Battery Life, Total War | Comments: Off

Asus ROG Flow X13: Two minute review

Asus has updated its natty little 13-inch 2-in-1 convertible laptop, the Asus ROG Flow X13, with the very latest available hardware. That means AMD's fabulous Phoenix APU architecture in its full Ryzen 9 7940HS spec with eight CPU cores and a pretty powerful integrated GPU.

However, you can also opt for one of three Nvidia dedicated graphics chips, the GeForce RTX 4050, 4060, or 4070 mobile GPUs. Whichever graphics solution you go for, it outputs to a 13.4-inch display, in this case with a 2,560 by 1,600-pixel resolution and 165Hz refresh, though a 1080p option is available. It's a touch-enabled display with a 360-degree hinge that supports various modes including tent and tablet.

If that's not good enough, you can also opt for an even more powerful GPU via the Asus XG Mobile external graphics box that hooks up courtesy of a dedicated I/O port. The laptop itself is packaged into a very slick 1.3kg 13-inch chassis that's beautifully built, feels very high quality, and is absolutely rigid, including virtually no keyboard bounce. The Asus ROG Flow X13 isn't exactly cheap, but you can certainly feel where the money has gone.

If there is an obvious catch, it's that the slim proportions do put a cap on absolute proportions. Our review unit runs an RTX 4060 capped at 60W and 1,470MHz, both much lower than Nvidia normally allows for the chip.

Add in USB4 connectivity and you have a versatile overall package and an intriguing alternative to perhaps the most obvious competition, the Razer Blade 14, which lacks 2-in-1 convertible functionality.

Asus ROG Flow X13: Price and availability

The Asus ROG Flow X13 2-in-1 gaming laptop on a white desk. — (Image credit: Future)

How much does it cost? $1,699 / £1,699 / AU$2,699
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? US, UK, and Australia

Available as configured here for $1,699, Asus ROG Flow X13 looks like a pretty good deal for a very high-quality 13.4-inch ultraportable with AMD's Ryzen 9 7940HS and an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, plus 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.

It doesn't look too bad in the UK, either, at £1,699. In both cases, that's less than you'll pay for a similarly specced Razer Blade 14. For the record, the Asus ROG Flow X13 as reviewed here is yours for $2,699 AUD in Australia, which again looks appealing given the quality and the spec on offer.

Value: 4 / 5

Asus ROG Flow X13: Specs

Asus ROG Flow X13: Design

Gorgeous build quality
Slim proportions
2-in-1 convertible functionality

Asus's ROG laptops tend to be nicely put together and the Asus ROG Flow X13 (2023) is no exception. It's not the thinnest 13-inch laptop on the planet, but given it can be had with up to an RTX 4070 GPU, it is pretty slim and certainly very slick.

The chassis is mostly metal and extremely rigid, with zero bounce from the keyboard. The chassis top and screen enclosure also sport appealing textured finishes that feel great in the hand. It's a seriously high-quality laptop.

That extends to the 360-degree hinge, which has just the right amount of stiction. Of course, if you want regular tablet functionality, then a dedicated tablet will always be a better option. But the ability to flip the screen right around is definitely handy.

Similarly, the screen's slim bezels keep things pretty compact while allowing for a 1080p webcam in the top bezel. It's all very nicely thought out and makes for a very versatile laptop.

The slim proportions do tend to limit connectivity and the Asus ROG Flow X13 (2023) probably has just enough ports, but no more. You get a USB4 port which doubles as the charging socket, a full-sized HDMI port, one USB-A, microSD, headphone jack and then Asus's XG Mobile IO port, which supports not only a powerful external GPU, but via the XG Mobile box also adds HDMI, DisplayPort, three USB-A ports and a Type-C socket.

Design: 4.5 / 5

Asus ROG Flow X13: Performance

Impressive specs
Strong CPU performance
Slim chassis limits frame rates

The combination of an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU with an Nvidia RTX 4060 mobile GPU is quite the combo for such a compact, versatile laptop. This isn't an out-and-out gaming laptop, but more an ultraportable 2-in-1 convertible with great build quality and some gaming chops.

With that in mind, expectations need to be kept in check. That's especially true when you consider that the RTX 4060 GPU is limited to 60W of power. That means the 4060's clock frequency is capped at 1,470MHz, which is the lowest Nvidia allows and far below the maximum 2,370MHz the 4060 can achieve in some laptops.

Asus ROG Flow X13: Benchmarks

Here's how the Asus ROG Flow X13 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Night Raid: 45,567 ; Fire Strike: 16,013 ; Time Spy: 7,430
GeekBench 6: 2,603 (single-core); 11,312 (multi-core)
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 52 fps; (1080p, Low): 148 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 51 fps; (1080p, Low): 104 fps
Dirt 5 (1080p, Ultra): 59 fps; (1080p, Low): 121 fps
TechRadar Battery Life Test: 6h 54m

The consequence is lower frame rates than some more purely gaming-focused laptops with the 4060, such as the Razer Blade 14, which offers the full 2,370Mhz spec. You'll still get playable frame rates of around 60fps at 1080p in the latest games at ultra settings, provided you don't run high levels of ray tracing. That said, the RTX 4060 does of course have the full suite of NVIDIA DLSS features - including upscaling from FHD to the QHD+ output of the Flow X13's display.

That's handy because it makes playing games at the Flow X13's 2,560 by 1,600 pixel native resolution achievable. Without DLSS, that wouldn't be very realistic with an RTX 4060, which would be a pity given that the display is a lush IPS item running at 165Hz. It's a great-looking panel, albeit one that can't compete with an OLED display for contrast and black levels.

Elsewhere, the AMD CPU provides all the performance you could reasonably ask for from this class of laptop, while the 16GB of RAM and 1TB M.2 SSD should cover most needs. There's an option to upgrade to 32GB if you need really major amounts of memory.

Performance: 3.5 / 5

Asus ROG Flow X13: Battery life

Efficient AMD APU
165Hz display compromises battery life

An efficient AMD APU plus a 75WHr battery in a compact chassis is a promising combination. In practice, however, battery life is not a strong point with the Asus ROG Flow X13 (2023) not quite clocking up seven hours in our fairly undemanding video playback test with the screen at half brightness.

Crank up the brightness or attempt to do anything remotely intensive and that figure will only fall. In other words, the Asus ROG Flow X13 (2023) certainly doesn't come close to offering all-day battery life even for light tasks, which is a little disappointing for a laptop that prides itself on portability.

Battery Life: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy a Asus ROG Flow X13?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

Asus ROG Flow X13: Report card

First reviewed April 2024

How We Test

I ran the Asus ROG Flow X13 (2023) through my usual stress test for a gaming laptop, including everything from basic web browsing to burning through my full Steam library and slobbing out with a few movies. As a 2-in-1, I also experimented with using it as a tablet along with other modes that the 360-degree hinge allows and paid close attention to the engineering of the chassis and the hinge.

For games, I tried everything from Cyberpunk 2077 with ray-tracing running on full reheat to some more strategic Total War battles and some high-octane Counter-Strike 2 fun. I was keeping a particular eye on frame rates at both 1080p and the laptop's 2,560 by 1,600 pixel native resolution.

As for battery life, I tried both watching video and light work, including web browsing and document editing to get a feel for how the Asus ROG Flow X13 (2023) stands up to working away from the mains.

Read more about how we test

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