With Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA announcing new CPUs and GPUs for laptops at CES 2021, we have more upgraded notebooks coming from Acer. The company has announced refreshed versions of the Predator Triton 300 SE, Predator Helios 300, and Acer Nitro 5. While the Predator Triton SE and the Nitro 5 get Intel’s new 11th-gen Core H35-series processors, the Predator Helios 300 doesn’t seem to have received a CPU upgrade which means it continues to rock the 10th-gen Intel H-series processors.

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE

The new Predator Triton 300 SE features the newly announced 11th-gen Intel Tiger Lake-H CPUs, configurable up to the Core i7-11375H. The notebook also gets the newly launched NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3000 series mobile graphics cards. It has been launched alongside the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Max-Q. The notebook is claimed to hit 5GHz speeds without working up a sweat thanks to its new Predator AeroBlade fans. Acer is said to have improved cooling by up to 10% compared to the predecessor. Acer has yet to reveal details on the memory and storage configurations. These will be revealed at a later date.

The notebook features a 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels) panel with a 144Hz refresh rate. The battery life is said to last up to 10-hours which we believe would only be possible under light workloads. In terms of ports, it features two USB Type-A, a Thunderbolt 4.0, a USB Type-C, and an HDMI 2.1 port while wireless connectivity options include WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. Other notable features of the notebook include a 3-zone RGB backlit keyboard and PredatorSense software to fine-tune your performance.

Acer Predator Helios 300

The Predator Helios 300 seems to offer better graphics performance thanks to the inclusion of the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3000 series which will be offered with the top-of-the-line RTX 3080 Max-Q. The notebook features a 15.6-inch IPS display that is offered with up to 240Hz refresh rate and 3ms response rate at FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution. Overall, the notebook looks similar to its predecessor when it comes to construction and build. Even the I/O options on the laptop remain the same as the last-gen model that includes a USB Type-C port, 3x USB Type-A port; an HDMI port, a mini-DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet, a combo 3.5mm audio jack, and a rear-facing power connector. The notebook also comes with DTS:X Ultra Audio and "simulated" 3D Surround Sound, and the same 59Whr battery from last year’s model.

Acer Nitro 5

The Nitro 5 series is getting a well-deserved upgrade. Last year, Acer launched the notebook with an AMD Ryzen 5 4600H CPU and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti GPU. Acer has now launched the notebook with the new and powerful AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor, which features 8-cores, 16-threads, and a 45W+ TDP. The gaming machine also features the latest NVIDIA RTX 3080 Max-Q for added graphics performance. It will be available with up to 32GB of RAM along with a combination of 2TB of NVMe SSD and 2TB of HDD storage. Buyers will have the option to choose between two screen options: 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch. There will also be options of a QHD resolution panel with a 165Hz refresh rate and 100% sRGB color space or an FHD resolution panel with either 144Hz or 360Hz refresh rates.

Acer has also announced the refreshed Intel variant of the Nitro 5 as well. The Nitro 5 will also be available with the new 11th-Gen Intel Core H35-series processors, NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPUs, and up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM. Acer is also offering dual storage options of M.2 PCIe and SATA SSDs and you get similar 144Hz refresh rate options with 3ms response time and 300-nits brightness. To keep a check on thermals, there is Acer CoolBoost that increases fan speeds by 10% and CPU/GPU cooling by 9% compared to auto mode. As for ports, the charging port is placed at the back for convenience, while the notebook also comes with USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 4 support and Intel WiFi 6 (Gig+) for reliable connectivity. Additionally, there is a 4-zone RGB backlit keyboard.

Model

Price

Availability

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE

Starting at $1,399.99

February 2021 (EMEA)March 2021 (North America)

Acer Predator Helios 300

Starting at 1,249.99

February 2021 (North America, EMEA, China)

Acer Nitro 5 (AMD)

Starting at $749.99 (15-inch)Starting at $849.99 (17-inch)

January 2021 (China)February 2021 (North America, EMEA)

Acer Nitro 5 (Intel)

Starting at EUR 999 (15-inch and 17-inch)

March 2021 (EMEA), June 2021 (China)