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Acer Predator 17 X (7820HK, FHD, GTX 1080) Laptop Review

It's getting hot! The Acer Predator X is the extremely powerful "luxury edition" of the regular Predator 17. Are the components well-balanced and is the performance sufficient for a spot in our Top 10 ranking?

For the original German review, see here.

Manufacturers started to update their Skylake models right after Intel launched the new Kaby Lake generation. The performance increase is not huge in this generation, but a couple of MHz can make a difference when it is about the performance crown for powerful gaming laptops. The Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL is equipped with a very powerful Intel Core i7-7820HK. 16 GB RAM is still sufficient for a gaming laptop right now. The most important component for gaming is the graphics card, and our test sample is equipped with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (Laptop), which ensures good gaming performance. The display features the Full HD resolution and supports Nvidia's G-Sync technology. The storage solution consists of an SSD and HDD.

Acer offers multiple SKUs that can differ in terms of memory or storage devices, and the Acer Predator 17 X is also available with a UHD panel. All of this comes at a price though. Our test sample retails for almost 3,000 Euros (~$3225) at the time of writing. The comparison devices are mostly listed in our Gaming Top 10 ranking, but we excluded SLI notebooks and also focused on 17-inch systems.

The competitors are listed in the table below.

MSI GT73VR 7RF-296 Asus G701VIK-BA049T Asus G752VS-XB78K MSI GT72VR 7RE-433 Aorus X7 v6 Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
CPU Core i7-7820HK Core i7-7820HK Core i7-6820HK Core i7-7700HQ Core i7-6820HK Core i7-6700HQ
GPU GeForce GTX 1080 GeForce GTX 1080 GeForce GTX 1070 GeForce GTX 1070 GeForce GTX 1070 GeForce GTX 1070
RAM 32 GB DDR4-2400 32 GB DDR4-2400 64 GB DDR4-2400 16 GB DDR4-2400 16 GB DDR4-2400 32 GB DDR4-2400
Price 3,500 Euros 3,130 Euros $3,000 2,300 Euros 3,000 Euros 3,000 Euros
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL (Predator 17X Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-7820HK 4 x 2.9 - 3.9 GHz @ 4.3 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 1732 MHz, Memory: 2700 MHz, GDDR5X, ForceWare 378.66
Memory
16 GB 
, 2x 8 GB DDR4-2400, Dual-Channel, 2/4 Slots in use, up to 64 GB
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, LP173WF4-SPF5 (LGD056D), IPS, Full HD, G-Sync, 75 Hz, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM175
Storage
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7, 512 GB 
, SSD + HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630, 1TB HDD @ 7200 rpm. Söots: 2x M.2 Type 2280 (PCIe/NVMe) & 1x 2.5 inch
Soundcard
Realtek ALC255 @ High Definition Audio-Controller
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Headphones, Microphone, Card Reader: SD,SDHC,SDXC
Networking
Killer E2400 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 45 x 423 x 322 ( = 1.77 x 16.65 x 12.68 in)
Battery
88.8 Wh, 6000 mAh Lithium-Ion, 8 cells
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD (1280x720)
Additional features
Speakers: 4.2 (Dolby Audio), Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, PSU: 330 Watts, Acer Care Center, Predator Sense, Killer Network Manager, MS Office 365 Trial, XSplit Gamecaster Trial, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
4.346 kg ( = 153.3 oz / 9.58 pounds), Power Supply: 1.306 kg ( = 46.07 oz / 2.88 pounds)
Price
3000 EUR
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The Acer Predator 17 X mainly uses the familiar colors black and red, which work well together. The bulky plastic chassis features a decent build quality and the soft-touch surfaces are convenient to touch, but they attract fingerprints very quickly. The latter can easily be removed with a wet cloth. The lid has two red stripes as well as a silver Acer logo, which have a subtle red illumination when the system is running. Pressure is no problem for the base and there is only minor warping. The lid on the other hand is not quite as sturdy; we can easily twist it, which will also result in slight color distortions on the panel. However, we cannot provoke ripples on the screen with concentrated pressure. The display is kept in position by two hinges. They do their job well and there is only minor bouncing. It is no problem to open the lid with one hand thanks to the heavy base unit.

All in all, the chassis leaves a good and sophisticated impression. The visual highlights support the affiliation to the Predator series.

Size Comparison

The Acer Predator 17 X is pretty average in the size comparison. It tips the scale at 4.35 kg and is therefore on par with the Asus G752VS-XB78K (4.5 kg). The power adapter is also quite heavy at 1.3 kg, but the weight is not the most important aspect for a gaming laptop in this performance class.

428 mm / 16.9 inch 333 mm / 13.1 inch 51 mm / 2.01 inch 4.5 kg9.94 lbs428 mm / 16.9 inch 287 mm / 11.3 inch 49 mm / 1.929 inch 4.1 kg9.06 lbs428 mm / 16.9 inch 294 mm / 11.6 inch 48 mm / 1.89 inch 3.8 kg8.44 lbs423 mm / 16.7 inch 322 mm / 12.7 inch 45 mm / 1.772 inch 4.3 kg9.58 lbs429 mm / 16.9 inch 309 mm / 12.2 inch 38 mm / 1.496 inch 4 kg8.8 lbs423 mm / 16.7 inch 322 mm / 12.7 inch 40 mm / 1.575 inch 4.2 kg9.33 lbs428 mm / 16.9 inch 305 mm / 12 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 3.2 kg7.12 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Ports

The port selection is sufficient and they are located on the left and right sides. The rear is covered by the fan exhausts for a total of three fans. You get a total of 4x USB 3.0 equally distributed across the two sides. Acer also includes one Type-C USB port with Thunderbolt support. External monitors can either be attached via HDMI or DisplayPort. The spacing is sufficient on the right side but a bit crowded on the left. We like that most of the ports are located towards the rear, so there is enough space for an external mouse.

Left side: power, 2x USB 3.0, microphone, headphones, SD-card reader
Left side: power, 2x USB 3.0, microphone, headphones, SD-card reader
Right side: 2x USB-C 3.1, 2x USB 3.0, HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet, Kensington lock
Right side: 2x USB-C 3.1, 2x USB 3.0, HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet, Kensington lock
Front: no ports
Front: no ports
Rear: fan exhausts
Rear: fan exhausts

SD-Card Reader

The card reader of the Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL is located on the left side and supports the usual standards SD, SDHC, and SDXC. The memory card does not stick out, which reduces the danger of damage when you transport it. We check the performance with our reference card Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II. JPG files are copied at 79 MB/s on average, and the sequential transfer rate is 89 MB/s (AS SSD). These are average results; the two MSI laptops (GT73VR and GT72VR) manage higher transfer rates and clearly beat the test model.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
 
168 MB/s +113%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
 
166 MB/s +110%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
 
125 MB/s +58%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
 
79 MB/s
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
 
78 MB/s -1%
Aorus X7 v6
 
78 MB/s -1%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
 
76 MB/s -4%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
 
246 MB/s +176%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
 
224 MB/s +152%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
 
205 MB/s +130%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
 
89 MB/s
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
 
88 MB/s -1%
Aorus X7 v6
 
87 MB/s -2%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
 
86 MB/s -3%

Communication

Killer Wireless 1535 Wi-Fi module
Killer Wireless 1535 Wi-Fi module

External communications are either handled by the Killer e2400 Gigabit Ethernet controller or the Killer Wireless 1535 network adapter, which also supports Bluetooth 4.1. Our WLAN test represents an ideal scenario and the Acer Predator 17 X manages very good results on par with the MSI GT73VR. It is no problem to transfer large amounts of data at 681 Mbps (receive) and 628 Mbps (send), respectively. The Aorus X7 v6 with the same adapter falls behind our test model.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
628 MBit/s
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
624 MBit/s -1%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1435 Wireless Network Adapter
618 MBit/s -2%
Aorus X7 v6
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
554 MBit/s -12%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
354 MBit/s -44%
iperf3 receive AX12
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
682 MBit/s 0%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
681 MBit/s
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
675 MBit/s -1%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1435 Wireless Network Adapter
672 MBit/s -1%
Aorus X7 v6
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
496 MBit/s -27%

Security

The Acer Predator 17 X is equipped with a Trusted Platform Module 2.0 (TPM). There is also a slot for a Kensington lock to secure the notebook against theft. We liked the fact that the slot is internally reinforced by a metal bar. This means you cannot just rip the lock out of the chassis. Our test sample was not equipped with any biometrical security features.

Software

"PredatorSense" is the software component that can be used to configure the system. The tool is not particularly comprehensive but offers everything you need. PredatorSense handles macro keys or the keyboard illumination (4 zones), which can be customized. The overclocking feature was much more important for the review, because it allows overclocking the CPU and GPU in two stages. However, this requires the operation on mains, otherwise, it is not available. PredatorSense also has a monitoring feature. Another tool is Acer's Care Center, which shows information about the product and gives recommendations for optimizations. The sound can be adjusted via Dolby Audio software.

Accessories and OS

The box only includes the laptop itself as well as the power adapter. We would have liked to see an external optical drive. The Acer Predator 17 X is shipped with Windows 10 Home 64-bit. The manufacturer currently does not offer any other drivers for the laptop.

Maintenance

Internals Acer Predator 17 X
Internals Acer Predator 17 X

The base of the Acer Predator 17 X has a maintenance hatch on the bottom, which can be used for system upgrades. Access to the fans will require the disassembly of the whole bottom panel though. This is no problem once you remove numerous screws. It is easy to clean all three fans with a brush. We did not like the location of the two memory modules that are already in use. They are on the other side of the motherboard opposite to the free modules. You will have to remove the whole motherboard if you plan to upgrade the memory to 64 GB.

The maintenance hatch reveals the memory and storage device.
The maintenance hatch reveals...
The maintenance hatch reveals the memory and storage device.
...the memory and storage device.

Warranty

The warranty period of the Acer Predator 17 X is 24 months (pick-up & return) including a one-year international warranty (International Traveler's Warranty). Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices

Keyboard

Keyboard
Keyboard
Keyboard illumination
Keyboard illumination

Both the keyboard design and the mechanics of the Acer Predator 17 X are similar to the Predator 17. The chiclet keyboard sits in a slight depression. There is no clatter and everything is firmly integrated. The keys themselves are sufficiently sized at 15 x 15 millimeters with spacing of 3 millimeters. The dedicated numpad has the same size, just like the slightly shifted arrow keys. The macro keys are still on the left side and can be configured via the PredatorSense tool; the individual modes are represented by different colors. It is possible to customize the 4-zone background illumination.

Both the arrow and the WASD keys are highlighted in red and therefore easy to find. Actuation force as well as key travel are well-tuned and do not cause any criticism.

Touchpad

Touchpad
Touchpad
Button for deactivation
Button for deactivation

The touchpad surface without the dedicated buttons is 10.5 x 6.5 centimeters. It is smooth, so the gliding capabilities are very good. It is sensitive up into the peripheral areas and gestures are supported with up to 4 fingers. Acer does not offer a dedicated driver for the touchpad, so you can only use the Windows settings. There is a red surrounding, which suits the rest of the Predator design. The dedicated mouse buttons are pretty smooth and provide a quiet clicking sound; there is no acoustic feedback like a special clicking sound. There is one additional button next to the touchpad, which deactivates the touchpad including the Windows keys. The red surrounding is also deactivated and the illumination of the small button changes from green to red.

Display

Subpixel array
Subpixel array
Some backlight bleeding in the lower left corner.
Some backlight bleeding in the lower left corner.

Our Acer Predator 17 X is equipped with a Full HD IPS display. It has a matte surface and supports Nvidia's G-Sync technology. The panel has a refresh rate of 75 Hz. There are also SKUs with 4K screens. We determine a very good luminance of 362 nits on our top model – the best result in the comparison group. A contrast ratio of 1027:1 is rather average for an IPS screen, and the black value is slightly raised at 0.37. The brightness distribution is 91% – also a good result.

We cannot detect PWM regulation of the luminance, but we can notice some backlight bleeding. Our test sample suffered from it in the lower left corner. The response times are also much higher compared to the comparison devices.

360
cd/m²
350
cd/m²
366
cd/m²
362
cd/m²
380
cd/m²
366
cd/m²
350
cd/m²
379
cd/m²
345
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LP173WF4-SPF5 (LGD056D) tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 380 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 362 cd/m² Minimum: 23 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 380 cd/m²
Contrast: 1027:1 (Black: 0.37 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.12 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.95 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
84% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
55% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
61.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
83.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.47
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
LP173WF4-SPF5 (LGD056D), 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
N173HHE-G32 (CMN1747), 1920x1080, 17.30
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
B173HAN01.1 (AUO119D), 1920x1080, 17.30
Asus G752VS-XB78K
LG Philips LP173WF4-SPF3 (LGD04E8), 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Chi Mei N173HHE-G32 (CMN1747), 1920x1080, 17.30
Aorus X7 v6
B173QTN01.0 (AUO1096), 2560x1440, 17.30
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
AU Optronics B173ZAN01.0 (AUO109B), 3840x2160, 17.30
Display
31%
5%
2%
4%
-2%
38%
Display P3 Coverage
66
90.6
37%
68.8
4%
66.9
1%
68.3
3%
60.9
-8%
86.9
32%
sRGB Coverage
83.7
99.9
19%
87.7
5%
85.2
2%
86.7
4%
84.2
1%
100
19%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
61.2
84.7
38%
64.1
5%
62.3
2%
63.4
4%
61.2
0%
99.4
62%
Response Times
59%
23%
19%
56%
48%
16%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
45 ?(18, 27)
26 ?(12, 14)
42%
38 ?(13, 25)
16%
38 ?(14, 24)
16%
29 ?(13, 16)
36%
31 ?(11, 20)
31%
37 ?(13, 24)
18%
Response Time Black / White *
28 ?(6, 22)
7 ?(4, 3)
75%
20 ?(4, 16)
29%
22 ?(4, 18)
21%
7 ?(4, 3)
75%
10 ?(3, 7)
64%
24 ?(5, 19)
14%
PWM Frequency
Screen
-33%
2%
3%
-33%
-31%
13%
Brightness middle
380
307
-19%
306
-19%
328
-14%
299
-21%
343
-10%
336
-12%
Brightness
362
284
-22%
299
-17%
317
-12%
277
-23%
312
-14%
320
-12%
Brightness Distribution
91
85
-7%
91
0%
88
-3%
87
-4%
80
-12%
88
-3%
Black Level *
0.37
0.25
32%
0.27
27%
0.3
19%
0.27
27%
0.5
-35%
0.25
32%
Contrast
1027
1228
20%
1133
10%
1093
6%
1107
8%
686
-33%
1344
31%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.12
9.65
-134%
3.98
3%
3.74
9%
9.65
-134%
7.33
-78%
3.61
12%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
8.19
16.36
-100%
7.29
11%
8.97
-10%
15.43
-88%
10.79
-32%
6.02
26%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.95
10.07
-155%
4.15
-5%
2.67
32%
9.68
-145%
7.6
-92%
4.78
-21%
Gamma
2.47 89%
2.12 104%
2.45 90%
2.41 91%
1.89 116%
2.19 100%
2.32 95%
CCT
6539 99%
12145 54%
7386 88%
6861 95%
11652 56%
9024 72%
6185 105%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
55
75
36%
58
5%
56
2%
75
36%
55
0%
88
60%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
84
100
19%
89
6%
85
1%
100
19%
84
0%
100
19%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
19% / -8%
10% / 5%
8% / 5%
9% / -14%
5% / -15%
22% / 18%

* ... smaller is better

The picture quality itself is decent. However, you can notice the comparatively high black value on the Acer Predator 17 X, which results in a slight gray hue and black does not look particularly rich. The color accuracy is okay and the DeltaE values are not far away from the target area smaller than 3 ex-works (ColorChecker 4.12, Grayscale 3.95). We can clearly improve these values with a calibration (ColorChecker 3.2, Grayscale 0.81); you can download the icc profile from the link in the box above.

The FHD panel covers 84% sRGB and 55% AdobeRGB, so the screen of the Acer Predator 17 X is only suited for some light picture editing. Professional graphics artists should use an external monitor.


CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: Grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN: Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN: Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
CalMAN: Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
Acer Predator 17 X vs. sRGB (84%)
Acer Predator 17 X vs. sRGB (84%)
Acer Predator 17 X vs. AdobeRGB (55%)
Acer Predator 17 X vs. AdobeRGB (55%)

The combination of high luminance (362 nits) and the matte display surface ensures good outdoor capabilities. Our pictures show that you can see the content even under direct sunlight. We still recommend a place in the shade, so you can use lower brightness settings, which will improve the battery runtime.

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6 ms rise
↘ 22 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 67 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
45 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18 ms rise
↘ 27 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 73 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

As per usual for IPS panels, there are no problems with the viewing angles. The reference picture is visible from all directions and you can only notice a slight gray hue from very extreme angles, like in the four corner pictures below. However, there will be no limitations in practice.

Viewing angles Acer Predator 17X
Viewing angles Acer Predator 17X

Performance

Maximum Turbo Boost of 4.3 GHz
Maximum Turbo Boost of 4.3 GHz

The performance of the Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL is great. The Intel Core i7-7820HK is a very powerful processor and more than sufficient, especially since you can overclock the CPU up to 4.3 GHz via PredatorSense software. This will result in a significant performance jump. The powerful CPU is supported by 16 GB DDR4-RAM, which should be the minimum amount for a modern gaming laptop. The system supports a total of up to 64 GB (4x 16 GB). The operating system is stored on a fast M.2-SSD with 512 GB storage capacity, and it also performs well. There is an additional 2.5-inch 1 TB HDD. The most important component of a gaming notebook is the graphics card. Acer equips the Predator 17 X with Nvidia's high-end GPU, the GeForce GTX 1080.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWiNFO
LatencyMon
 

Processor

The Intel Core i7-7820HK is soldered.
The Intel Core i7-7820HK is soldered.

The processor is obviously important as well for a gaming device. It is provided by Intel and has the designation Core i7-7820HK. This model from the current Kaby Lake lineup has four physical cores clocked at 2.9 GHz. Intel specifies the TDP at 45 Watts and the Turbo Boost allows a maximum clock of 3.9 GHz, but Acer implements two overclocking stages (stage 1: 4.1 GHz, stage 2: 4.3 GHz). This will quickly increase the power consumption and results in thermal throttling, but we will have a closer look at this behavior in the Temperature section. We can see the enormous performance of the Intel Core i7-7820HK in the Cinebench tests. The results in the comparison table were determined with the Turbo Mode (overclocking stage 2). The CPU hits the thermal throttling limit, but the scores are still better compared to the MSI GT73VR, but the Multi result is still behind the Asus G701VIK-BA049T.


Single-core rendering
Single-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
CPU & GPU load
CPU & GPU load
Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (normal operation)
Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (normal operation)
Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (Overclocking stage 1)
Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (Overclocking stage 1)
Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (Overclocking stage 2)
Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (Overclocking stage 2)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK
184 Points
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK
184 Points 0%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Intel Core i7-7820HK
172 Points -7%
Aorus X7 v6
Intel Core i7-6820HK
170 Points -8%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
160 Points -13%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
159 Points -14%
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
141 Points -23%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK
899 Points +3%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK
874 Points
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Intel Core i7-7820HK
864 Points -1%
Aorus X7 v6
Intel Core i7-6820HK
807 Points -8%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
789 Points -10%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
736 Points -16%
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
656 Points -25%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK
2.08 Points
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK
2.08 Points 0%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Intel Core i7-7820HK
1.95 Points -6%
Aorus X7 v6
Intel Core i7-6820HK
1.93 Points -7%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.81 Points -13%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
1.77 Points -15%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK
9.91 Points +4%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Intel Core i7-7820HK
9.6 Points +1%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK
9.55 Points
Aorus X7 v6
Intel Core i7-6820HK
8.88 Points -7%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
8.63 Points -10%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.17 Points -14%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Single 32Bit
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK
7023 Points
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
6038 Points -14%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5733 Points -18%
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK
27705 Points
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
23393 Points -16%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
22270 Points -20%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK
300.8 Points
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
255.5 Points -15%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
247.6 Points -18%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK
49518 Points
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
38782 Points -22%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
37923 Points -23%
Cinebench R10 (normal operation)
Cinebench R10 (normal operation)
Cinebench R11.5 (normal operation)
Cinebench R11.5 (normal operation)
Cinebench R15 (normal operation)
Cinebench R15 (normal operation)
Cinebench R10 (Overclocking stage 2)
Cinebench R10 (Overclocking stage 2)
Cinebench R11.5 (Overclocking stage 2)
Cinebench R11.5 (Overclocking stage 2)
Cinebench R15 (Overclocking stage 2)
Cinebench R15 (Overclocking stage 2)
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
8465
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
27705
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
7023
Cinebench R10 Shading 64Bit
9160 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit
35490 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit
8465 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
9.55 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
85.4 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
2.08 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
874 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
184 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
120.8 fps
Help

System Performance

The excellent CPU performance also ensures high scores in the system benchmarks. The Acer Predator 17 X dominates this section and beats all the competitors. The fast Solid State Drive is an important factor for the responsive operation, and there are no delays. This overall package should not have any performance problems over the next couple of years.

PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Creative
PCMark 8 Creative
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 7
PCMark 7
PCMark Vantage
PCMark Vantage
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK, 2900 MHz, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
5975 Points
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK, 2900 MHz, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
5662 Points -5%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK, 2700 MHz, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
5575 Points -7%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Intel Core i7-7700HQ, 2800 MHz, Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3256GG5
5009 Points -16%
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
Intel Core i7-6700HQ, 2600 MHz, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
4060 Points -32%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK, 2900 MHz, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
6123 Points
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK, 2900 MHz, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
5846 Points -5%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK, 2700 MHz, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
5778 Points -6%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Intel Core i7-7700HQ, 2800 MHz, Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3256GG5
5404 Points -12%
PCMark 7 - Score
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK, 2900 MHz, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
7903 Points +3%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK, 2900 MHz, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
7667 Points
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Intel Core i7-7820HK, 2900 MHz, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV256HDGL (RAID 0)
7635 Points 0%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Intel Core i7-6820HK, 2700 MHz, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
6803 Points -11%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Intel Core i7-7700HQ, 2800 MHz, Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3256GG5
6618 Points -14%
Aorus X7 v6
Intel Core i7-6820HK, 2700 MHz, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
5946 Points -22%
PCMark Vantage Result
31085 points
PCMark 7 Score
7667 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
5975 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
9309 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
6123 points
Help

Storage Devices

Hard drive with isolating frame
Hard drive with isolating frame

Acer equips our test model with a combination of M.2-2280 SSD as well as a conventional 2.5-inch hard drive. The 512 GB SSD is attached via PCIe and almost manages the advertised transfer rates (2400 & 1500 MB/s) at 2261 MB/s (seq. read) and 1338 MB/s (seq. write). The 4K read result of the SSD is also very good at 39 MB/s; some other models only manage ~20 MB/s.

The additional 1 TB hard drive is provided by HGST. It is a 7200 rpm drive and manages an average transfer rate of 109 MB/s according to HD Tune.

M.2-SSD from Toshiba
M.2-SSD from Toshiba
SSD inside the system
SSD inside the system
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV256HDGL (RAID 0)
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
Asus G752VS-XB78K
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3256GG5
Aorus X7 v6
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
49%
55%
9%
-52%
-1%
Read Seq
1494
3219
115%
3487
133%
1718
15%
521
-65%
1499
0%
Write Seq
1371
2572
88%
2690
96%
1305
-5%
311.8
-77%
1411
3%
Read 512
898
1776
98%
1499
67%
1250
39%
403.1
-55%
966
8%
Write 512
1273
2445
92%
2493
96%
1438
13%
332.3
-74%
1103
-13%
Read 4k
43.82
51.1
17%
53.7
23%
44.42
1%
33.35
-24%
44.33
1%
Write 4k
161.6
141.3
-13%
133.2
-18%
154.4
-4%
111.1
-31%
155.5
-4%
Read 4k QD32
669
658
-2%
795
19%
744
11%
331.1
-51%
696
4%
Write 4k QD32
552
554
0%
699
27%
578
5%
318.3
-42%
531
-4%
CrystalDiskMark SSD
CrystalDiskMark SSD
CrystalDiskInfo SSD
CrystalDiskInfo SSD
CrystalDiskMark HDD
CrystalDiskMark HDD
HD Tune HDD
HD Tune HDD
CrystalDiskInfo HDD
CrystalDiskInfo HDD
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
Sequential Read: 1494 MB/s
Sequential Write: 1371 MB/s
512K Read: 898 MB/s
512K Write: 1273 MB/s
4K Read: 43.82 MB/s
4K Write: 161.6 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 669 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 552 MB/s

GPU Performance

The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (Laptop) is located underneath a large cooling unit.
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 (Laptop) is located underneath a large cooling unit.

The Acer Predator 17 X accommodates the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 with 8 GB GDDR5X VRAM, so it is clear where the journey is headed. The hunt for more and more frames has begun and the fastest mobile graphics card you can currently find in a notebook produces excellent results in the synthetic benchmarks. The overclocking feature of the PredatorSense software works here as well, because it also overclocks the GPU besides the CPU.

The integrated GPU is unfortunately not available, which would have improved the battery runtimes in 2D scenarios.

 

 

3DMark Ice Storm
3DMark Ice Storm
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark Sky Diver
3DMark Sky Diver
3DMark Sky Diver Stress test
3DMark Sky Diver Stress test
3DMark Fire Strike
3DMark Fire Strike
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra
3DMark Time Spy
3DMark Time Spy
3DMark 11
3DMark 11
3DMark Vantage
3DMark Vantage
3DMark06
3DMark06
3DMark05
3DMark05
3DMark03
3DMark03
3DMark - 1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
23091 Points +2%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
22566 Points
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
21026 Points -7%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
17625 Points -22%
Aorus X7 v6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
17068 Points -24%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
16757 Points -26%
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
15718 Points -30%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
31412 Points +10%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
28675 Points 0%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
28595 Points
Aorus X7 v6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
23591 Points -17%
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
23170 Points -19%
Asus G752VS-XB78K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
22282 Points -22%
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
21228 Points -26%
3DMark 03 Standard
181125 points
3DMark 05 Standard
37669 points
3DMark 06 Standard Score
39711 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
50346 points
3DMark 11 Performance
20303 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
192504 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
33540 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
17463 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
9502 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
6606 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Ready for VR
Ready for VR

The gaming performance is very good. The system is powerful enough to play every modern game smoothly, even in 4K. However, our test model is only equipped with an FHD panel, so the performance of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 is almost too good. Owners of such a system can at least relax about upcoming titles over the next two years. You might have to reduce the settings from Ultra to High though. VR is no problem according to Steam; the Acer Predator 17 X is powerful enough.

low med. high ultra4K
BioShock Infinite (2013) 324.3 284.5 273.7 176.8
GTA V (2015) 170.8 162.5 130.3 106.8 75.7
The Witcher 3 (2015) 270.8 197.5 125.8 68.5 46.8
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 260.9 218.3 153.8 126.1 61.2
Far Cry Primal (2016) 157 138 125 107 49
The Division (2016) 258.8 201.6 122.4 97.2 48.4
Doom (2016) 179.9 170.2 149.1 147.8 70.3
Deus Ex Mankind Divided (2016) 145.9 136.9 98.9 54.9 34.4
Resident Evil 7 (2017) 462.9 353.4 269.3 234.1 78.5
For Honor (2017) 265.6 190.1 177.5 134.9 59.4

Emissions

System Noise

You should not be too sensitive about the noise development when you get such a powerful gaming laptop. The enormous performance obviously comes at a price and results in a lot of heat. Acer equips the Predator 17 X with a total of three fans, which dissipate the resulting heat at the back of the machine. They run all the time and create 35 dB(A) on average while idling. It is a steady and quiet murmur, which is not annoying. The fan speed will slowly rise when you start to stress the laptop and we can measure up to 50 dB(A) under load. This means the 17-inch laptop is clearly audible, but this is the case for pretty much every gaming laptop in this performance class. The differences to the competitors are small, so there is no definitive winner here.

Noise development idle
Noise development idle
Noise development load
Noise development load
Speaker measurements
Speaker measurements
The cooling system consists of a total of three fans.
The cooling system...
The cooling system consists of a total of three fans.
...consists of...
The cooling system consists of a total of three fans.
...a total of...
The cooling system consists of a total of three fans.
...three fans.

Noise Level

Idle
33 / 35 / 37 dB(A)
HDD
33 dB(A)
Load
40 / 50 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30 dB(A)
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
Asus G752VS-XB78K
6820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
Aorus X7 v6
6820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
6700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
Noise
-2%
-1%
5%
2%
-4%
-3%
off / environment *
30
30
-0%
30
-0%
30
-0%
31
-3%
30
-0%
31
-3%
Idle Minimum *
33
34
-3%
30
9%
31
6%
34
-3%
33
-0%
33
-0%
Idle Average *
35
35
-0%
31
11%
32
9%
35
-0%
35
-0%
34
3%
Idle Maximum *
37
37
-0%
36
3%
33
11%
37
-0%
40
-8%
40
-8%
Load Average *
40
39
2%
47
-18%
40
-0%
37
7%
43
-8%
44
-10%
Load Maximum *
50
56
-12%
56
-12%
47
6%
44
12%
54
-8%
50
-0%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

3DMark 11 after the stress test
3DMark 11 after the stress test

The chassis of the Acer Predator 17 X does not get really warm while idling and we can only measure up to 33 °C. The temperatures rise under load and the hotspot of 44.2 °C is located at the center above the keyboard. All test models are pretty much on par here. Our stress test with the tools Prime95 and FurMark quickly results in the temperature limit of the CPU, so the frequency has to be reduced. We saw up to 98 °C for the CPU. The clocks leveled off at around 3.3 GHz during our two-hour test and the GPU hovered around 80 °C. We repeated 3DMark 11 immediately after the stress test and the score was about 3000 points lower compared to a cold run, so there is a slight performance drop under sustained workloads, but you will not notice it in practice due to the enormous system performance.

Stress test: FurMark + Prime95 (normal operation)
Stress test: FurMark + Prime95 (normal operation)
Stress test: only Prime95 (normal operation)
Stress test: only Prime95 (normal operation)
Stress test: only FurMark (normal operation)
Stress test: only FurMark (normal operation)
Stress test: FurMark + Prime95 (Overclocking stage 2)
Stress test: FurMark + Prime95 (Overclocking stage 2)
Stress test: only Prime95 (Overclocking stage 2)
Stress test: only Prime95 (Overclocking stage 2)
Stress test: only FurMark (Overclocking stage 2)
Stress test: only FurMark (Overclocking stage 2)
Maximum load top (Optris PI 640)
Maximum load top (Optris PI 640)
Maximum load bottom (Optris PI 640)
Maximum load bottom (Optris PI 640)
Max. Load
 37.1 °C
99 F
44.2 °C
112 F
42.8 °C
109 F
 
 36.9 °C
98 F
39.8 °C
104 F
38.7 °C
102 F
 
 31.1 °C
88 F
31.9 °C
89 F
31.4 °C
89 F
 
Maximum: 44.2 °C = 112 F
Average: 37.1 °C = 99 F
43 °C
109 F
41.2 °C
106 F
41.1 °C
106 F
34.9 °C
95 F
34.5 °C
94 F
28.5 °C
83 F
30.7 °C
87 F
27.7 °C
82 F
26.9 °C
80 F
Maximum: 43 °C = 109 F
Average: 34.3 °C = 94 F
Power Supply (max.)  38 °C = 100 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 37.1 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44.2 °C / 112 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.9 °C / 86 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 31.9 °C / 89.4 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-3 °C / -5.4 F).
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
Asus G752VS-XB78K
6820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
Aorus X7 v6
6820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
6700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
Heat
8%
0%
5%
8%
-3%
3%
Maximum Upper Side *
44.2
39.8
10%
50.9
-15%
42.9
3%
41.5
6%
47.5
-7%
42.6
4%
Maximum Bottom *
43
47.8
-11%
44.6
-4%
41.5
3%
50.6
-18%
54.5
-27%
44.9
-4%
Idle Upper Side *
32.4
27.1
16%
29.9
8%
31.6
2%
26.4
19%
28.6
12%
33.1
-2%
Idle Bottom *
32.8
27.4
16%
28.8
12%
29.5
10%
25.4
23%
28.8
12%
28.9
12%

* ... smaller is better

Speakers

The subwoofer takes care of bass.
The subwoofer takes care of bass.

The sound system of the Acer Predator 17 X consists of four speakers and two subwoofers. The maximum volume is 86 dB(A), which is completely sufficient. You can use the preloaded Dolby Audio software with multiple presets to adjust the sound, and there is also an equalizer for fine tuning. It looks promising on paper, but the result is not really convincing. You can hardly notice the two subwoofers, so there is too much emphasis on the mids and high tones. The signal at the 3.5 mm stereo jack is noise-free and a good way to attach an external sound system.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2041.346.62539.2423130.133.34037.639.85031.735.8633138.98031.446.110029.849.712523.753.916022.262.520020.773.225021.174.331520.876.140019.577.350019.276.163018.77380018.972.1100019.277.8125018.975.8160019.472.8200018.168.9250017.474.1315017.578.5400017.572500017.571.7630017.571.3800017.666.21000017.662.81250017.661.11600017.552.7SPL30.586.1N1.473median 18.9median 72.8Delta1.55.832.236.529.236.429.638.427.337.22640.525.544.225.347.824.55724.66425.267.222.169.821.865.82171.520.474.719.57418.874.118.677.61981.119.481.118.979.117.88317.784.517.684.917.582.617.47917.478.517.478.517.572.217.363.617.253.630.593.11.4102median 18.8median 77.61.66.2hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DLMSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 9.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (11.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 7% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 90% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 94% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

MSI GT73VR 7RF-296 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (93 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (13.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 18% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 75% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 11% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 85% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency comparison (checkboxes select/deselectable!)

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The power consumption of the Acer Predator 17 X is actually pretty good when you consider the performance. We determine between 27 and 41 Watts while idling and 102 Watts on average under load. We were a bit surprised by the maximum value of "just" 248 Watts. The similarly equipped MSI GT73VR consumes much more power at 315 Watts, and the Asus G701VIK-BA049T even consumes up to 320 Watts. Unfortunate: The huge power adapter provides 330 Watts, but the battery was still drained during the stress test.

The 330-Watt power adapter is quite heavy.
The 330-Watt power...
The 330-Watt power adapter is quite heavy.
...adapter is quite heavy.
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.4 / 0.6 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 27 / 32 / 41 Watt
Load midlight 102 / 248 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
Asus G752VS-XB78K
6820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
Aorus X7 v6
6820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
6700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile
Power Consumption
-7%
-1%
10%
22%
-2%
-1%
Idle Minimum *
27
29
-7%
24
11%
24
11%
20
26%
29
-7%
25
7%
Idle Average *
32
35
-9%
31
3%
31
3%
27
16%
31
3%
35
-9%
Idle Maximum *
41
40
2%
38
7%
36
12%
31
24%
38
7%
46
-12%
Load Average *
102
94
8%
98
4%
94
8%
86
16%
111
-9%
103
-1%
Load Maximum *
248
315
-27%
320
-29%
204
18%
184
26%
253
-2%
223
10%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

3DMark 11 on battery
3DMark 11 on battery

The biggest drawback of gaming laptops is usually the battery runtime, which is also the case here. However, the Acer Predator 17 X still manages second place in our comparison group. The 88.8 Wh lithium-ion battery only last 90 minutes under load before it has to be recharged again. The Wi-Fi test determines a decent runtime of 4:11 hours; HD video playback is possible for 3:24 hours.

We also checked the gaming performance on battery power. The test model managed 14269 points in 3DMark 11, so the performance drop on battery is not as bad as expected. However, the overclocking is not available without the PSU. It has to be attached and the battery capacity has to be at more than 30%.

The 88.8 Wh lithium-ion battery is secured by screws.
The 88.8 Wh lithium-ion battery is secured by screws.
Maximum battery runtime
Maximum battery runtime
Minimum battery runtime
Minimum battery runtime
Wi-Fi runtime
Wi-Fi runtime
H.264 runtime
H.264 runtime
Charging
Charging
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
5h 13min
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 38.14393.0.0)
4h 11min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
3h 24min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 30min
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 88.8 Wh
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 75.2 Wh
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
i7-7820HK, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 93 Wh
Asus G752VS-XB78K
6820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 90 Wh
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 83 Wh
Aorus X7 v6
6820HK, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 94 Wh
Acer Predator 17 G9-793-77LG
6700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 88 Wh
Battery Runtime
-33%
-1%
-8%
2%
-27%
-11%
Reader / Idle
313
342
9%
311
-1%
316
1%
278
-11%
H.264
204
145
-29%
186
-9%
228
12%
WiFi v1.3
251
160
-36%
241
-4%
210
-16%
230
-8%
182
-27%
200
-20%
Load
90
83
-8%
84
-7%
91
1%
89
-1%

Pros

+ illuminated keyboard (4 zones)
+ good port layout
+ IPS display with G-Sync
+ USB 3.1 Gen. 2 incl. Thunderbolt
+ very high system performance
+ convincing gaming performance
+ good build quality
+ good input devices
+ macro keys
+ PCIe-SSD

Cons

- battery is drained under heavy load (mains)
- CPU & GPU throttling under maximum load
- no optical drive
- heavy power adapter

Verdict

In review: Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL. Test model courtesy of Acer Germany.
In review: Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL. Test model courtesy of Acer Germany.

The Predator 17 X is a good alternative to the "regular" Predator 17, even though Acer did not fix all the drawbacks. There is definitely no criticism for the performance: The Intel Core i7-7820HK is a good fit for the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080. We can see records in some benchmarks, so this is certainly a powerful gaming machine. The design is similar to other Predator models.

Acer has a new contender for the high-end gaming segment. The Predator 17 X is a powerful gaming machine and a serious rival for the familiar systems.

We liked the good input devices as well as the build quality of the chassis, but the display leaves mixed impressions. The luminance is good, but the response times are high. Another positive aspect is the overclocking feature, which improves the performance significantly. The processor reaches its thermal limit a bit soon, but the performance is still higher compared to the default settings.

Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL - 03/01/2017 v6(old)
Sebastian Bade

Chassis
79 / 98 → 81%
Keyboard
81%
Pointing Device
83%
Connectivity
70 / 81 → 86%
Weight
46 / 10-66 → 64%
Battery
73%
Display
87%
Games Performance
99%
Application Performance
100%
Temperature
89 / 95 → 94%
Noise
70 / 90 → 78%
Audio
78%
Average
80%
87%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Acer Predator 17 X (7820HK, FHD, GTX 1080) Laptop Review
Sebastian Bade, 2017-03-17 (Update: 2019-04-13)