Acer’s new Predator Helios 700 gaming laptop features world’s first mobile 9th Gen Intel Core CPU and a pullout keyboard
Acer has revealed the new Predator Helios 700 (PH717-71), its new premium monster-powered gaming laptop, featuring the world’s first mobile 9th Gen Intel Core processor – as well as a unique pullout keyboard design which gives the cooler more space to expel heat.
With a 9th Generation Intel Core processor under the hood, the Predator Helios 700 looks set to become one of the most powerful laptops around. Intel hadn’t even officially announced its latest portable processors prior to Acer’s reveal, so the new Helios truly is cutting edge.
An Nvidia RTX graphics card further emphasises the power of the Predator Helios 700. You get the option of Nvidia RTX 2080 or RTX 2070 GPU, which should be capable of super-high frame rates as well as the exciting ray tracing feature that provides more realistic light and reflection simulation. And if all of that processing power wasn’t already enough, you’re also able to add up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM.
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The keyboard boasts the biggest wow factor of this laptop though, as this unique HyperDrift keyboard can slide it forwards so it hangs off the laptop’s chassis and is easier to reach. The biggest benefit of this though, is that it gives the new 4th Gen AeroBlade 3D Fans below more room to dispel heat and improves thermal performance. This has allowed Acer to optimise overclocking performance without worrying about the laptop getting too toasty.
The keys themselves also look promising, featuring RGB lighting, anti-ghosting and MagForce WASD keys. The latter here use linear switches for immediate actuation on press. This helps to make the keyboard feel super responsive and precise.
The keyboard also features per-key RGB lighting, anti-ghosting and MagForce WASD keys. The MagForce Keys use linear switches that trigger actuation immediately when pressed. This means the keyboard should feel ultra responsive.
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Meanwhile the 17.3-inch Full HD IPS display boasts a 144Hz refresh rate for super-smooth visuals. Sadly there’s no 4K option here, but that would only crank the price up to obscene heights.
There’s no need to worry about storage for all your video games either, with SSD options up to 1TB and the hard disk drive maxed out at 2TB.
Of course, packing all of these high-spec components isn’t going to result in a lightweight laptop. The Predator Helios 700 weighs in at 4.5kg, so this is almost certainly going to be a stay-at-home laptop most of the time.
The Predator Helios 700 will be available in Europe from July, with the UK price starting at £2499. North America, meanwhile, will be treated to the Predator Helios 700 earlier with an April launch date and $2699.99 base price.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
