Technology & IT | Wednesday 17 April, 2019 12:30 am |

Acer has announced new additions across its growing Predator line of gaming products at the annual next@acer global press conference in New York. These included two new notebooks and one desktop offering new technologies and innovative designs to keep gamers ahead of the competition.

The all-new Predator Helios 700 includes a unique HyperDrift keyboard that slides forward, allowing increased airflow directly through the top of the notebook, enabling gamers to push the powerful components to their highest potential.

The redesigned Predator Helios 300 includes a sleek modern look and is powered by either up to an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2070 with Max-Q Design, or the latest GeForce® GTX GPUs, yet still retains its budget-friendly price tag. It’s well-suited for task-heavy computing, as its high-end hardware provides the performance needed for gaming, streaming, and video and photo editing.

“Continuing to deliver best-in-class performance, gamers can look to Acer’s Predator Helios line for powerful and affordable gaming notebooks,” said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, IT Product Business, Acer Inc. “They are innovative, future-proof and reliable thanks to advanced thermal technologies that keep them cool during intense gaming sessions.”

Predator Helios 700

Powering the uniquely designed Predator Helios 700 notebook is an army of the latest and greatest technologies ready to battle, including up to an all new 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9 processor for top of the line overclockable performance, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 or 2070 GPU, up to 64GB of DDR4 memory, and Killer DoubleShot™ Pro with Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX 1650 and E3000 — delivering up to four times more network capacity in dense environments than previous generation wireless AC networks — while plenty of high speed storage keeps load times short. All that power makes games roar to life on the notebook’s 17-inch 144Hz FHD IPS display with 3ms response time and NVIDIA G-SYNC™ technology. Five speakers and a subwoofer keep the games immersive and engaging with full and realistic audio.

Introducing HyperDrift for Enhanced Cooling and Ergonomics

One of the Helios 700’s most interesting features is it’s HyperDrift keyboard, which is part of the notebook’s thermal architecture, which consists of two of Acer’s custom-engineered 4th Gen AeroBlade™ 3D Fans, five copper heat pipes, a vapor chamber and Acer CoolBoost™ Technology. By simply sliding the keyboard forward, two additional air intakes are uncovered above the keyboard and below the display, giving the powerful heat-generating components extra air flow for maximum cooling and unleashed overclocking. The glass panel also provides a view of the notebook’s heat pipes.

The HyperDrift keyboard improves ergonomics; with the keyboard closer now, gamers can keep a good distance to the 17-inch screen without over extending hands. It provides desktop comfort in a notebook form factor. The keyboard also features per-key RGB lighting, anti-ghosting and MagForce WASD keys. The MagForce Keys use analog-like linear switches that trigger actuation immediately upon the initial press, and increase up to 100 percent to give players more control over precise movements in the game. A Precision Touchpad is outlined with blue lighting and features two discrete mouse buttons below the pad for easy clicking.

A Turbo hotkey quickly engages overclocking while the new PredatorSense hotkey provides immediate access to CPU and GPU temperatures, fan control, RGB lighting, and more. Per-key RGB lighting also enhances online gaming with Predator RGB Assault-League of Legends (LoL) , by tying in the keyboard’s lighting to the action on the screen while battling in LoL.

Predator Helios 300

The best-selling Predator Helios 300 gaming notebook just got better with the addition of powerful technologies and features, along with a new sophisticated design. Gamers will be most excited about the combination of up to the newest 9th Gen Intel Core i7 processors for premium performance of with the addition of the latest of a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 GPU with Max-Q Design supported by a Turbo key for one-punch overclocking and Killer DoubleShot™ Pro for fast and lag-free networking. With up to 32GB of DDR4 2666MHz memory and up to two PCIe NVMe SSDs in RAID 0 plus a hard drive, it’s the powerhouse gamers crave for playing today’s AAA games.

But most noticeable is the notebook’s new look. Its metal chassis now rocks the stylish teal blue accents and keyboard backlighting found on other Predator notebooks. A narrow bezel around the display and a redesigned keyboard with contemporary looking Predator fonts give it a hip and edgy look.

Praised for being one of the first notebooks in its class to feature a 144Hz display, the new Helios 300’s bright 15.6-inch or 17.3-inch Full HD IPS1 display is now framed by a narrow border and includes 3ms overdrive response times for a tear-free, seamless gaming experience.

Cooling Technology Inspired by Nature

Keeping the notebook running cool and at peak performance is an advanced and efficient thermal design that unlocks the true potential of the Helios’s powerful hardware. Most critical to keeping temperature low is a dual-fan cooling system that includes one of Acer’s 4th Gen AeroBlade™ 3D Fans. This latest generation fan design was inspired by bionic silent owl flight mechanics that maximize airflow and minimize noise. The new 0.1mm-thin fan blades include a serrated edge, winglets along the top and bottom, as well as a curved fin along the inner portion of each blade. This results in up to a 45 percent improvement in airflow. Coupled with strategically placed intake and exhaust vents and Acer CoolBoost™ technology, the Helios 300 stays calm under pressure and handles intense overclocked gaming sessions with ease.

Last but not least is a completely new keyboard featuring distinctive Predator fonts and 4-zone RGB lighting. Usability and functionality are improved with new PredatorSense and Turbo hotkeys, an enlarged spacebar, and concave-shaped, highlighted WASD keys, arrow keys, and hotkeys.

Acer’s New Predator Orion 5000

The new Predator Orion 5000 (PO5-605S) adopts the overclockable octa-core 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-9900K (with Z390 chipset) with support for dual-channel DDR4 configurations (up to 64GB) to deliver premium gaming experiences. For superior graphics performance, the revolutionary NVIDIA Turing™ architecture on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 GPU combines real-time ray tracing, artificial intelligence, and programmable shading to immerse players in a visually-stunning gaming experience. With the extreme processor the Orion 5000 has under the hood, a Cooler Master® CPU Liquid Cooler1 regulates temperature to maximize peak performance. Strategically-placed intake and exhaust fans as well as a shrouded power supply unit outfitted with its very own removable dust filter ensure each internal component of the Orion tower stays cool during extended gaming sessions.

“With the new 9th Gen Intel Core processors we have taken another big step forward in delivering premium performance and platform features powering the world’s best gaming laptops,” said Steven Long, Vice President, Sales and Marketing Group and General Manager, Client Computing Group sales, Intel. “The new Predator Helios laptops and Orion desktops are a great example of the years of close collaboration between Acer and Intel to help raise the bar on the capabilities gamers and creators should expect in a laptop.”

The tower’s chassis has been trimmed down to just 30 liters so users can choose a powerful machine with a reduced footprint, while the see-through side panel includes a layer of metal mesh which, along with the rest of the case, gives EMI shielding to inner components. Users can maintain superiority over the competition with 2.5Gbps Ethernet, and when victory is assured, they can hang the headset on either of the chassis’ two headset cradles.

The Easy-Swap expansion bay supports 2.5 inch form factor SATA I/II/III SSD and HDD drives, providing file transfer speeds of up to 6Gbps, for quick and easy moving or switching of data without tools or rebooting. It’s ideal for gamers who want to swap data, move systems, or travel with their 2.5 inch SSD quickly.

 

removable dust filter ensure each internal component of the Orion tower stays cool during extended gaming sessions.

The tower’s chassis has been trimmed down to just 30 liters so users can choose a powerful machine with a reduced footprint, while the see-through side panel includes a layer of metal mesh which, along with the rest of the case, gives EMI shielding to inner components. Users can maintain superiority over the competition with 2.5Gbps Ethernet, and when victory is assured, they can hang the headset on either of the chassis’ two headset cradles.

The Easy-Swap expansion bay supports 2.5 inch form factor SATA I/II/III SSD and HDD drives, providing file transfer speeds of up to 6Gbps, for quick and easy moving or switching of data without tools or rebooting. It’s ideal for gamers who want to swap data, move systems, or travel with their 2.5 inch SSD quickly.

The Orion 5000 has a revved up RGB, where users can choose a lighting pattern that fits their style, or one that suits the game of choice. Light bars and case fans tucked away within the hardened shell support 16.7 million colors. With Lighting Maker, customers can fine tune lighting and let it dance with the music being played.

Acer’s Predator 43-inch LFGD Gaming Monitor: The Ultimate Orion 5000 Companion

Acer revealed its Predator LFGD (Large format gaming display) monitor (CG437K P) measuring an astounding 43-inches. Designed for hardcore PC and console gaming enthusiasts looking for ultra-high definition (3840 x 2160), the 4K monitor features a fast 144Hz refresh rate for incredibly smooth and tear-free imagery, essential for tracking objects as they zip across the screen. The monitor’s AdaptiveSync feature adapts to the frame rate of the outputting device, resulting in uninterrupted gameplay so users can concentrate on the task at hand. The VA display panel features a wide color gamut of 90 percent of the DCI-P3 color space for vibrant colors that pop out and deeper blacks. For enhanced color vibrancy, VESA-Certified DisplayHDR™ 1000 certification ensures better contrast and color accuracy, allowing customers to experience AAA games as they are meant to be. It’s not just for hardcore PC gamers. Console gamers will appreciate its three HDMI ports, plus a Type-C, and a DisplayPort.

New Predator Gadgets and Accessories

A new range of Predator gaming gadgets was also unveiled, including: 

Predator M-Utility Backpack: designed for gamers, streamers and photographers, its water-repellant and offers easy access to its 17-inch laptop compartment through a 180-degree fold-flat opening, making it easy for passing through airport security; plus it has a plethora of pockets including a tripod holder, built-in luggage strap for traveling, adjustable straps, and air mesh back padding.

Predator Cestus 330 gaming mouse: Featuring the newly released solid Pixart 3335 sensor that provides responsive tracking and ultimate accuracy for competitive gaming, 16,000 DPI with seven programmable buttons, on-the-fly DPI switching (5 levels) and 16.8 M RGB backlighting. Users can customize settings with the Predator Quartermaster for improved accuracy and precision.

Predator Aethon 300 gaming keyboard: With Cherry switches (MX Blue), teal blue backlighting, and anti-ghosting on all keys.

Predator Galea 311 foldable gaming headset: precision-tuned 50 mm drivers featuring Acer’s TrueHarmony, hard key mutable mic, comfortable foam ear cushions and a 3.5 mm headphone jack connector.

Price and Availability

The Predator Helios 700 gaming notebooks will be available in North America in April starting at USD 2,699.99; in EMEA in July starting at EUR 2,699.00; and in China in June, starting at RMB 19,999.

The Predator Helios 300 gaming notebooks will be available in North America in April starting at USD 1,199.99; in EMEA in June starting at EUR 1,499.00; and in China in May, starting at RMB 11,999.

The Predator Orion 5000 gaming desktop will be available in the US in April starting at USD 1,199.99 and in EMEA in June, starting at EUR 1,999.00.

The Predator CG437K P gaming monitor will be available in the US in September, starting at USD 1,299.00 and in EMEA in September, starting at EUR 1,499.00.

Predator M-Utility Backpack will be available in the US in June for USD 179.99 and in EMEA in June, for EUR 179.00.

Predator Cestus 330 gaming mouse will be available in the US in June for USD 69.99 and in EMEA in June, for EUR 79.00.

Predator Aethon 300 gaming keyboard will be available in the US in June for USD 119.99 and in EMEA in June, for EUR 149.00.

Predator Galea 311 noise-isolating gaming headset will be available in the US in June for USD 99.99 and in EMEA in June, for EUR 69.00.

Exact specifications, prices and availability will vary by region. To learn more about availability, product specifications and price in specific markets, please contact your nearest Acer office via the website.