At CES 2024, Acer announced an updated model of its hulking Helios 18 gaming laptop, as well as a branch-off Helios Neo 18 model that aims to get you in the door at a lower starting price.
The 18-inch Helios gaming laptop was indeed sold last year, and this is a standard generational update over the previous model, just referred to as the Helios 18. Now, the new Helios Neo 18 is mostly the same laptop but positioned differently on price and performance, and it comes in a slightly different shell.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)We were able to check out both 18-inch beasts at a private meeting prior to their announcement at CES 2024, which you can watch above with more details below.
The Predator Helios Neo 18: Acer's Affordable 18-Incher
We’ll start with the technically new system, the Helios Neo 18. The starting price on this version is $1,549.99, and it will be available starting in March. That’s not a super low-cost gaming laptop in general, but it is cheaper than most 18-inch gaming systems.
(Credit: Acer)Like other gaming laptops debuting at CES 2024, this machine will take the leap to Intel’s 14th Gen “Raptor Lake Refresh” HX processors. It can scale up as high as the Core i9-14900HX, if you want to invest on the CPU front. You'll find lesser 14th Gen processor options to keep the price lower, but this machine avoids the introduction of Intel's Core Ultra processors.
On the GPU side, the main differentiator between the Helios Neo 18 and the standard Helios 18 is that the Neo 18 tops out with a 140-watt (W) Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, rather than a 4080 or 4090. Because of this, the Neo 18 is positioned as a budget-friendly take on a big-screen gaming laptop, which usually push performance boundaries as a priority.
(Credit: Acer)The 18-inch IPS display is in a 16:10 aspect ratio with a 2,560-by-1,600-pixel resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate. Nvidia G-Sync is also supported to reduce screen tearing and stuttering. Of course, a screen this big means a huge laptop, so while it feels sturdy and well made, think of it more as a desktop replacement. If you're eyeing the more budget friendly version, this may be your only PC, so at least you can take it with you—unlike a desktop.
And Acer's Most Powerful 18-Incher...
As for the updated Helios 18, it will start at a more intimidating $1,999.99 come March. It can freely be configured with as much as an RTX 4090 at 175W, which is much more graphics power than its Neo counterpart. Nvidia has no new mobile GPUs for this CES, so this remains the ceiling even for this new wave of gaming laptops.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)It, too, can run up to the same Core i9 14th Gen processor. The default display is the same, but it also comes with an advanced mini LED screen option, with a barely faster 250Hz refresh rate and 1,000 nits of brightness.
One more neat inclusion is the set of MagKey 3.0 WASD keys, with two more sets added for customization. These are swappable mechanical switches for the most-used keys by gamers, dialing in your desired feel for play.
On both versions of the laptop, Acer deploys the fifth generation of its AeroBlade fans as well as a liquid metal thermal solution on the CPU to keep it running cool.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)The visual design has some flair without going too over the top, and I like the look of the logo on the lid. You'll find a few differences between the two, even though they largely share the same style. The Helios 18 features a Predator logo badge beneath the right side of the keyboard, while the Neo bears some markings on the lid in addition to the glowing logo, which they share. The rear and vent designs are also slightly different.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Not to confuse things further, Acer will also sell 16-inch versions of each of these Helios laptops. The Helios Neo 16 and Helios 16 follow the same general ideas as the 18-inch models, scaling at different levels, and will start at $1,499.99 and $1,899.99, respectively. Acer will start selling the Helios 16 this month, while the Helios Neo 16 will arrive in March with the rest.
We'll have reviews of these laptops if and when review models are made available for testing later this year.