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Acer Predator Helios 500 gaming laptop refreshed with a 4K mini-LED screen, 11th generation Intel Tiger Lake-H processors, and more

The new Acer Predator Helios 500  variant brings forth a lot of significant upgrades
The new Acer Predator Helios 500 variant brings forth a lot of significant upgrades (image via Acer)
Acer's top-of-the-line Predator Helios 500 gaming notebook has received a significant upgrade. It now ships with an Intel Core i9-11980HK processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card with 16GB VRAM, and a 17.2-inch 4K 120Hz mini-LED screen. It will be available for purchase sometime in Q3 2021, starting at EUR 2,499 (US$3,042).

Acer has joined the long list of OEMs that have refreshed their gaming notebooks with Intel Tiger Lake-H processors. It's been a while since the Acer Predator Helios 500 got some new hardware, and the upgrades are pretty significant this time around. Given the nature of said improvements, there is a remarkable price increase, too. An entry-level Acer Predator Helios 500 gaming laptop will set you back by EUR 2,499 (US$3,042). Its maxed-out version will retail at EUR 4,500 (US$5,480). However, these prices could vary by region. The Acer Predator Helios 500 will hit shelves sometime in Q3 2021.

Acer says that the new Predator Helios 500 ships with 'up to an Intel Core i9 processor' and adds that it is overclockable. Therefore, we can reasonably assume that it is the Intel Core i9-11980HK because it is the only SKU that fits the bill. One can pair with up to 64GB of RAM and two NVMe SSDs in RAID 0. There's space for a SATA hard drive, too.

One of the most significant upgrades bought forth by the Predator Helios 500 is its display. The 17.2-inch 4K screen packs a mini LED panel, which refreshes at 120Hz. It has over 512 dimming zones and is HDR 1000 certified. There's an FHD variant, too, that refreshes at 360Hz with a response time of 3ms.

It goes without saying that one will require beefy graphics cards to hit the framerates mentioned above. One can configure the Acer Predator Helios 500 with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 (16GB VRAM). Lower-end SKUs ship with a GeForce RTX 3070. Acer has neglected to mention the TGP of either variant.

Other Acer Predator Helios 500 features include support for Wi-Fi 6 and an optional 5G modem. The gaming notebook ships with two Thunderbolt 4.0 ports, three USB Type-A Gen 3.2 port, one mini-DP 1.4 port, one HDMI port and an RJ-45 Ethernet jack. It also includes an RGB backlit mechanical keyboard, a 1080p webcam that can record content at 60 FPS and configurable LED strips. Lastly, the Acer Predator Helios 500 weighs 3.9kgs (8.5lbs) and ships with DTS:X Ultra Audio speakers.

Buy the Acer Nitro gaming headset on Amazon

Acer Predator Helios 500 gaming laptop (image via Acer)
Acer Predator Helios 500 gaming laptop (image via Acer)
Acer Predator Helios 500 gaming laptop (image via Acer)
Acer Predator Helios 500 gaming laptop (image via Acer)
Acer Predator Helios 500 gaming laptop (image via Acer)
Acer Predator Helios 500 gaming laptop (image via Acer)
Acer Predator Helios 500 gaming laptop (image via Acer)
Acer Predator Helios 500 gaming laptop (image via Acer)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2021 05 > Acer Predator Helios 500 gaming laptop refreshed with a 4K mini-LED screen, 11th generation Intel Tiger Lake-H processors, and more
Anil Ganti, 2021-05-27 (Update: 2021-05-27)