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Ugreen PowerRoam GS1200 power station review
1:37 pm | September 22, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Tags: , | Comments: Off

The Ugreen PowerRoam GS1200 power station packs the latest rechargeable Lithium technology in a compact format. 

Specifications

Weight: 11.5kg

Battery Type: LiFePo4

Battery Capacity: 1024Wh

AC Inverter power: 1200W (2500W for certain appliances)

Number of AC outputs: Six

Number of USB outputs: Four; 2 Type-A, 2 Type-C

Number of DC outputs: Three 12V

Solar Input Voltage Range and power: 12V - 48V, 400W Max

Fastest Charge Time: One hour

Wireless: Bluetooth and WiFi

Other features: Flashlight, Electronic fuse, ground tab, UPS mode

AC Efficiency: 85%

The 1024Wh battery offers over 3000 charge cycles, while the built-in AC charger can top the unit in less than one hour. With a total of fourteen ports, including six 10A 120V AC outlets and eight low-voltage DC ports, the GS1200 can power appliances such as microwave ovens while simultaneously charging a gaming laptop.

The user can proudly display the sleek GS1200 on an office table, where it can also serve as a UPS. Dedicated on/off switches make using the station straightforward. The large segmented LCD offers excellent contrast, being readable from several meters. If that’s not enough, a mobile app brings all controls to the owner’s fingertips. With two cooling fans, the GS1200 is quiet enough to be used in a room at night.

Ugreen offers several options when purchasing a GS1200. A single unit costs $999, while two costs under $1900. That is cheap for a LiFePo4 battery type at $0.97 per Wh. The station is also available with one or two 200W solar panels for $1247 and $1749, respectively.

Is it one of the best portable power stations? Read on to find out.

Ugreen PowerRoam GS1200 front

(Image credit: Ugreen)

Ugreen PowerRoam GS1200: Design

UGreen’s PowerRoam GS1200 station measures 34 cm x 22 cm x 27cm for 11.5kg. The grey plastic shell feels tough and will easily withstand knocks. A non-retractable handle located at the top helps to carry the unit effortlessly. Two fans provide adequate airflow to cool internal components while charging the battery, along with air vents on both sides.

A large segmented LCD sits on the front panel, showing battery capacity and input/output power consumption. In addition, various icons show which outputs are enabled or if issues are present while operating the station. The display’s white color segments on a dark background offer excellent contrast and are readable in bright sunlight, even from a few meters away.

Push buttons control output sections with a single click. A faint white LED embedded in each button indicates whether the output is activated or not. An IoT button enables the unit's Bluetooth and WiFi capability and helps connect to the companion mobile App. The station also includes a multifunction LED flashlight that supports two intensity levels and a strobe mode.

The GS1200 integrates a 1024Whr LiFePo4 battery pack, which should provide over five years of usage when recharged daily before experiencing an 80% capacity drop. The built-in 1200W AC inverter can supply 2500W for short periods through six AC sockets located on the right. The low-voltage DC section comprises two Type-C 100W and two Type-A 22.5W sockets. The Ugreen power station also incorporates three regulated 12V output sockets, two DC5521, and one cigarette carport. Output sections can provide a maximum of 1565W combined under normal usage.

Ugreen PowerRoam GS1200 right side

(Image credit: Ugreen)

Ugreen PowerRoam GS1200: In Use

The GS1200 includes 2.4GHz WiFi and Bluetooth radios to connect to a smartphone running either Android or iOS. Setting up the app is straightforward; on-screen instructions guide the user and require only a few steps. We noted that WiFi is disabled after some time to save power.

The mobile app contains elements available on the station’s front panel. The user can remotely turn output sections on and off while displaying real-time battery capacity and power consumption or adjusting settings that include power-saving or always-on mode.

The station guards against output short-circuits by shutting them down and displaying an error code. In addition, the GS1200 supports an Uninterruptible Power Supply mode or UPS capable of instantly switching power from the grid to the inverter and battery in case of a blackout.

Charging the GS1200 can be done in several ways, the most practical being using the embedded 1200W power adapter. A full charge usually takes under one hour. Solar charging is also available, but with the station capable of a maximum of 400W, it is the slowest charging mean. The solar input offers a wide voltage range from 12V to 48V, thus allowing panels in different configurations.

The 1200W AC inverter found in the station is about 85% efficient. Power loss through heat dissipates with the help of the fan, which generates less than 50dB of noise at one meter. The WiFi module has a good range, covering a radius of 10 meters. The testing unit shows some functional hiccups, as AC outputs are turned off even with the power-saving feature disabled, making the unit unusable with a PC in sleep mode.

Ugreen PowerRoam GS1200 left side

(Image credit: Ugreen)

Ugreen PowerRoam GS1200: The competition

Ugreen’s GS1200 compact power station offers features such as long battery life, WiFi connectivity, and a UPS mode. Stations with similar characteristics sell at a price premium and are only available with higher power and battery capacity.

The EcoFlow Delta 2 portable power station is bigger and heavier than the GS1200. It possesses an 1800W AC inverter and a 1024Wh LiFePo4 battery, the same battery chemistry used in Ugreen’s station. Still, with a higher price tag, the Delta 2 lacks an emergency light, making it less practical on the road.

Ugreen PowerRoam GS1200: Final verdict

The GS1200 is a proper portable power station at a low price point. It is surprisingly compact for the LiFePo4 battery chemistry and AC inverter offered. Built-in WiFi coupled with UGreen’s mobile app makes life easier, allowing remote connection to the station. The unit supports popular DC sockets, from the ubiquitous Type-C and barrel-type DC5521 to the 12V car cigar socket. Six AC outlets capable of 1200W should be enough to power all common household appliances.

The Ugreen GS1200 is far from perfect; the station’s firmware requires some additional work to be great. The WiFi connection is lost after a while, making the unit unreachable. The unit also turns off AC outputs if it thinks no electrical loads are connected. A small load, such as a PC in sleep mode, will get powered off.

Buy If

You want a compact and affordable unit with built-in WiFi connectivity, UPS mode, and long battery life, then the GS1200 is good for you. 

Don’t Buy If

With an underwhelming charge time through the solar port, the GS1200 might not be the right station for campers. 

We've listed the best power banks.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 review: a fair price for a fine device
8:13 pm | September 19, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Two-minute review

Acer's Predator line of laptops is well-known at this point, offering everything from desktops like the Acer Orion 7000 to high-end laptops such as the Acer Helios 300. The latest gaming machine to grace my test bench is the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 - a more budget-conscious entry into the Predator line.

That's a welcome sight since many of the best gaming laptops are fearsomely expensive; sure, I love the new Razer Blade 14, but it starts above two thousand bucks, and the average person just can't afford to casually drop that amount of money on a gaming machine. 

In today's fraught economic landscape, good-value hardware is king - and I reckon the Predator Helios Neo 16 checks that box. With this redesign of Acer's existing Helios laptop line, we've still got a high-quality machine with the latest internal components, but now at a new (and more accessible) price point.

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 photographed on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Now, I'm not saying that the Helios Neo 16 is worthy of our best budget laptops list - it's still a gaming laptop and therefore not exactly cheap, as you'll see below. However, it offers plenty of bang for your buck thanks to 13th-gen Intel processors and RTX 4000 GPUs across a variety of different configurations.

It also doesn't feel cheap, thanks to its RGB keyboard, sturdy chassis, and large display. Although the more affordable versions pack an FHD display, my review unit is a slightly pricier model packing a QHD+ screen that looks fantastic. The hinge is also suitably durable, with minimal wobble if the laptop is moved or picked up.

Will this Helios spin-off earn a spot among the best laptops? How does it stack up against rival laptops in the same price range? Let's take a deeper look.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Price & availability

  • How much does it cost? Starting at $1,199.99 / £1,399 / AU$1,998 
  • When is it available? Available now
  • Where can you get it? Available in the US, the UK and Australia

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 starts at $1,199.99 / £1,399 / AU$1,998, although I noted while verifying prices for different models that the base US configuration (which features an RTX 4050 GPU) actually isn't available in the UK and Australia; those starting prices are for RTX 4060 models.

The highest-end model, which uses an RTX 4070 and i7-13700HX, will run you £1,799 / AU$3,999 (about $2,230), though I couldn't find that configuration anywhere in the States. The highest-spec model there appears to be my review unit, which features an RTX 4060 and costs $1,549.99 / £1,399 (around AU$2,400).

While these prices aren't exactly budget, the definition of an 'affordable gaming laptop' has shifted somewhat over the last few years. With this goalpost-moving in mind, I feel pretty comfortable saying that the Helios Neo 16 is actually a great-value product, despite costing more than a budget gaming laptop did five or ten years ago.

Interestingly, the aforementioned entry-level RTX 4050 model is already on sale at Best Buy at the time of writing, going for just $999.99 - a pretty stellar deal in today's gaming laptop market, so consider snapping that one up!

  • Price score: 4.5 / 5

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Specs

As I noted above, configurations of the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 vary wildly between regions. I've done my best to include the base, review, and high-end configurations here, but bear in mind that the top-spec model listed below isn't actually available in the US (not yet, anyway).

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 photographed on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Design

  • Stylish design
  • Beautiful display
  • Plenty of physical ports

The first thing I noticed upon unboxing the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 was the printed design on the exterior of the lid. My understanding is that not every Neo model has this design, but it certainly adds to the aesthetic of the laptop and makes it a bit more eye-catching than the average gaming system.

Opening the Neo up, I'm immediately treated to an excellent display. I've long been a fan of the 16:10 aspect ratio now becoming more common in laptops since it gives you that extra little bit of vertical screen real estate that makes scrolling through web pages or documents a little easier. The 1600p resolution on my review unit is excellent, with strong color density and deep blacks.

Considering that this isn't an OLED screen, it's one of the best IPS displays I've seen on a laptop. The anti-glare coating works well in all but the most brightly lit environments, and the maximum brightness of 500 nits is excellent. The 165Hz refresh rate (also found in the cheaper 1200p version of this display) is a great inclusion for anyone who plays fast-paced competitive games.

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 photographed on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Moving down to the laptop's bottom half, we've got a relatively normal membrane keyboard that is mostly comfortable to use. The WASD, PredatorSense, and arrow keys are partially translucent to give them extra highlighting when the RGB lighting is turned on.

I have very little to say here; the keys don't feel overly squishy, but it's also not the best keyboard on a laptop I've ever used. Middle-of-the-road is perfectly fine at this sort of price point though, so I can't complain.

I will complain about the touchpad, however! While the pad itself felt suitably responsive and offered a decent amount of tactile feedback when clicked, the positioning seems a little... off. It's set to the left-hand side (already a risky move since the standard gamer hand position sees your fingers sitting atop the WASD keys), but it's also not properly aligned with the spacebar.

I actually struggled to put my finger on what exactly was putting me off, but it just feels slightly wrong. The palm rejection worked fine for the most part, although there were one or two occasions when my left thumb would catch the touchpad and register unwanted input while I was gaming. The large size of the touchpad - otherwise a good feature - made this an issue, though I imagine many users wouldn't have the same problem. I ended up disabling the pad since I was using a mouse anyway.

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 photographed on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

The overall casing is plastic, not the machined aluminum you'll find on more expensive gaming laptops, but it doesn't feel flimsy. In fact, the Neo's chassis feels quite robust, and the 1080p webcam embedded in the slim display bezel is another bonus - a lesser manufacturer might've opted for a cheaper 720p camera here instead, considering the overall price.

Around the edges of the Helios Neo 16, we've got a veritable smorgasbord of physical ports - something I love to see in this era of MacBook-inspired port minimalism. We've got 3 USB-As, 2 USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, HDMI for video output, RJ-45 for wired internet, a headphone jack, and even a microSD port.

This level of port support should be considered aspirational among gaming laptop makers. Please don't starve me of my ports; I still use physical flash drives!

  • Design score: 4 / 5

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Performance

  • Decent gaming performance
  • 4060 can run anything at 1080p, most games at QHD+
  • Fans are loud but the system runs cool
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Benchmarks

Here's how the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark Night Raid: 65,825; Fire Strike: 24,487; Time Spy: 11,146
GeekBench 6: 2,490 (single-core); 14,658 (multi-core)
Total War: Warhammer III: 1080p Ultra:
83.6 1080p Low: 223.8
Dirt 5: 1080p Ultra: 97.2 1080p Low: 164.6
Cyberpunk: 1080p Ultra RT: 61.1 1080p Low: 152.0
PCMark 10 Battery Life: 1hr 41m
TechRadar Movie Battery Life: 2hr 55m 

Considering the price tag, my RTX 4060-equipped review model of the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 performed admirably. I've seen slightly better figures from other 4060-wielding laptops, but the difference is pretty marginal.

If you drop the resolution to 1080p (the standard we use for benchmarking games), there's basically nothing you can't play with a clean framerate. Even Cyberpunk 2077's Ultra preset with ray-tracing turned on just about managed to clear the 60fps barrier, and performance in synthetic tests was also strong.

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 photographed on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Dial things up to native resolution, and you might find yourself having to drop your graphical settings a tad to maintain a high framerate, though this won't be the case for every game. I was able to play Dirt 5 at 1600p Ultra without my fps dropping below 60, and plenty of games can now take advantage of Nvidia's DLSS upscaling tech to boost framerates when you're playing above 1080p.

CPU performance was also pretty strong - again, not the very best I've seen, but great when factoring in the price point here. I didn't experience any slowdown while opening numerous Chrome tabs or running two games at once. While the Neo comes with a perfectly acceptable 16GB of RAM in most configurations, it can be upgraded to 32GB if you're planning to run any memory-intensive software.

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 photographed on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

My only real gripe with the Helios Neo 16 during my testing process was the fan noise. Boy, those suckers are LOUD, even when using the balanced power preset. Knock things up to Turbo mode and it sounds like a jet engine firing in your living room.

That being said, the Neo did run pretty darn cool throughout my whole testing process, so those fans are clearly doing the job. The fans are custom-engineered all-metal 'AeroBlades' connected to five heat pipes and liquid metal thermal grease, which evidently works as advertised - props to Acer's laptop cooling team.

  • Performance score: 4 / 5

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Battery life

  • Unimpressive battery life
  • Large, heavy AC adapter

Sure, gaming laptops are hardly known for their all-day battery longevity, but it's always nice to find one that outlasts the competition.

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is sadly not that laptop, clocking in at less than two hours in the PCMark 10 mixed-use battery life test and only faring a bit better in our looped video playback test. In practical gaming tests I got similar results, with just over 90 minutes of playing Deathloop using the balanced power preset before the laptop gave up the ghost.

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 photographed on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

The Neo does at least charge pretty quickly, but the included AC adapter is huge and heavy, which severely impacts the laptop's portability. Ultimately though, most buyers will (and should) primarily use this as a desktop-replacement system, so it's not a huge issue - or at least, it's an issue shared by 95% of gaming laptops, so I can't knock the Neo too much for it.

  • Battery score: 3 / 5

Should you buy the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16?

Buy it if...

You want good value for money
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is competitively priced with a sensible starting price, meaning you get plenty of bang for your buck here - the higher-spec configurations aren't ridiculously expensive, either.

You want a multipurpose machine
The comfortable keyboard and 16:10 display make the Helios Neo 16 a perfectly good choice if you want a desktop-replacement laptop that will serve you for work just as well as play.

Don't buy it if...

You crave portability
The Neo isn't just a big laptop, it's also on the heavy side - and with its poor battery life, you'll also have to lug around the chunky AC adapter. This one's best left on your desk at home.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16: Also consider

If the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...

How I tested the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16

  • Replaced my everyday system for one week
  • Used for general gaming for around two weeks

I played a wide variety of games on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, not just our regular suite of test titles. I spent a decent amount of time in the evenings replaying Deathloop and also dipped my toe back into Apex Legends and Valorant (the latter of which I still suck at).

To test the brightness and glare resistance of the display, I used it during the daytime and at night, even sitting out in my backyard in the middle of the day. I used it in place of my desktop PC to write most of this review as well as some of my regular everyday work, including video calls to test the webcam.

I also took the Neo with me to my friend's house, playing the rather excellent Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun for a brief period on the train. Trust me, you don't want to try using a 16-inch gaming laptop on British public transport. Just don't do it.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2023

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