Notebookcheck Logo

Acer Predator Helios 300 (i5-8300H, GTX 1050 Ti, Full-HD) Laptop Review

Budget laptop for gamers. Powerful notebooks often come with a hefty price tag. This is not the case with the Acer Predator Helios 300. The gaming-capable version of this laptop costs only 1100 Euros ($1296). You can learn in this review how the 17-incher stacks up against the competition.
Acer Predator Helios 300

While the 2017 version of the attractively priced Predator Helios 300 came with Intel’s Kaby Lake CPUs, the 2018 generation comes with brand-new Coffee Lake processors. Depending on the model, you can get either a Core i5-8300H (four cores/eight threads) or Core i7-8750H (six cores/twelve threads).

The operating system (Windows 10 Home 64-Bit) is installed on a 128 GB or 256 GB SSD. There is also a 1-TB HDD on board. The amount of RAM ranges between 8 and 16 GB. The laptop comes with either the mid-range GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (4 GB) or the high-end GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB). The notebook features a 1080p IPS display. It does not support G-Sync, but it supports Nvidia's Optimus Technology.

Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6 (Predator Helios 300 PH317 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-8300H 4 x 2.3 - 4 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile - 4 GB VRAM, Core: 1493 MHz, Memory: 3500 MHz, GDDR5, ForceWare 388.73, Optimus
Memory
8 GB 
, 2x 4 GB SO-DIMM DDR4-2666, all slot occupied, 32 GB max
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, LG Philips LP173WF4-SPF5 (LGD056D), IPS, Full-HD, 60 Hz, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM370
Storage
Hynix HFS128G39TND, 128 GB 
, SATA-III-SSD + Western Digital WD10SPZX, 1 TB HDD, 5400 rpm. slots: 1x M.2-2280 & 1x 2.5-inxh
Soundcard
Realtek ALC255 @ Intel Cannon Lake PCH
Connections
2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: headphone/microphone combo 3.5-mm jack, Card Reader: SD,SDHC,SDXC
Networking
Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 29 x 432 x 290 ( = 1.14 x 17.01 x 11.42 in)
Battery
48 Wh, 3220 mAh Lithium-Ion, 4 cells
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: 2.0 (Dolby Audio), Keyboard: chiclet-style, Keyboard Light: yes, 135-watt AC adapter, Quick Start Guide, warranty brochure, various manufacturer's tools, XSplit Gamecaster Trial, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.91 kg ( = 102.65 oz / 6.42 pounds), Power Supply: 458 g ( = 16.16 oz / 1.01 pounds)
Price
1100 EUR
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Because Acer has not made any changes to the case, we shall skip the sections in this review that deal with the case, connectivity and the input devices. You can find all the missing information in the review of the predecessor model.  

Acer Predator Helios 300
Acer Predator Helios 300

The competing devices include other low-priced 17-inch gaming notebooks such as the Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC (AMD Power), the Asus ROG Strix GL753VE and Acer’s own Aspire V17 Nitro BE. Can the Acer Predator Helios 300 get a spot in our “top 10 budget gaming notebooks” list?

Size Comparison

432 mm / 17 inch 290 mm / 11.4 inch 29 mm / 1.142 inch 2.9 kg6.42 lbs432 mm / 17 inch 290 mm / 11.4 inch 29 mm / 1.142 inch 2.9 kg6.34 lbs423 mm / 16.7 inch 296 mm / 11.7 inch 27.62 mm / 1.087 inch 3.1 kg6.83 lbs415 mm / 16.3 inch 280 mm / 11 inch 34 mm / 1.339 inch 3.2 kg7.05 lbs414 mm / 16.3 inch 272 mm / 10.7 inch 33 mm / 1.299 inch 3 kg6.55 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Average of class Gaming
  (19 - 202, n=104, last 2 years)
98.2 MB/s +29%
Acer Predator Helios 300
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
79 MB/s +4%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
76 MB/s
Asus GL753VE-DS74
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
66.1 MB/s -13%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
58 MB/s -24%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
23.7 MB/s -69%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Gaming
  (26 - 269, n=95, last 2 years)
122.3 MB/s +42%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
92.3 MB/s +7%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
91 MB/s +6%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
86 MB/s
Acer Predator Helios 300
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
84 MB/s -2%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
25 MB/s -71%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (450 - 1412, n=14, last 2 years)
1006 MBit/s +57%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
Realtek 8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
670 MBit/s +5%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
640 MBit/s
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
Qualcomm/Atheros QCA6174
638 MBit/s 0%
Acer Predator Helios 300
Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4
545 MBit/s -15%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
497 MBit/s -22%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (423 - 1700, n=14, last 2 years)
1203 MBit/s +74%
Acer Predator Helios 300
Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4
696 MBit/s +1%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
692 MBit/s
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
Realtek 8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
632 MBit/s -9%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
618 MBit/s -11%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
Qualcomm/Atheros QCA6174
594 MBit/s -14%

Display - Mixed feelings

Even though the Acer Predator Helios 300 uses the same panel as the predecessor (LG Philips LP173WF4-SPF5), the contrast ratio and the brightness are slightly different. Such deviations are quite natural. However, the panel inherits the same strengths and weaknesses.

324
cd/m²
332
cd/m²
344
cd/m²
339
cd/m²
365
cd/m²
360
cd/m²
335
cd/m²
332
cd/m²
342
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG Philips LP173WF4-SPF5 (LGD056D) tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 365 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 341.4 cd/m² Minimum: 21 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 365 cd/m²
Contrast: 1141:1 (Black: 0.32 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.51 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 2.9
ΔE Greyscale 7.65 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
86% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
56% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
63% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
86.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
67.1% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.64
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
LG Philips LP173WF4-SPF5 (LGD056D), IPS, 1920x1080
Acer Predator Helios 300
LG LP173WF4-SPF5 (LGD056D), AH-IPS, WLED, 1920x1080
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
AU Optronics, IPS, 1920x1080
Asus GL753VE-DS74
LG Philips LP173WF4-SPF3, IPS, 1920x1080
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
LG Philips LP173WF4-SPF5, IPS, 1920x1080
Display
0%
-2%
-4%
Display P3 Coverage
67.1
66.8
0%
63.1
-6%
65.4
-3%
sRGB Coverage
86.1
85.8
0%
86.5
0%
82.6
-4%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
63
62.8
0%
63.3
0%
60.4
-4%
Response Times
2%
-15%
0%
-3%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
36 ?(18.8, 17.2)
36 ?(18, 18)
-0%
38 ?(20, 18)
-6%
36 ?(18.4, 17.6)
-0%
36 ?(18, 18)
-0%
Response Time Black / White *
22 ?(10.4, 11.6)
20 ?(8.4, 11.6)
9%
27 ?(16, 11)
-23%
22 ?(12.4, 9.6)
-0%
23 ?(14, 9)
-5%
PWM Frequency
122000 ?(95)
119000 ?(85)
-2%
Screen
9%
6%
10%
5%
Brightness middle
365
384
5%
301
-18%
366
0%
415
14%
Brightness
341
373
9%
270
-21%
348
2%
365
7%
Brightness Distribution
89
93
4%
79
-11%
90
1%
82
-8%
Black Level *
0.32
0.35
-9%
0.38
-19%
0.35
-9%
0.42
-31%
Contrast
1141
1097
-4%
792
-31%
1046
-8%
988
-13%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
6.51
4.81
26%
3.49
46%
4.4
32%
4.95
24%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
12.32
8.69
29%
7.49
39%
9.7
21%
9.34
24%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
2.9
Greyscale dE 2000 *
7.65
5.33
30%
1.88
75%
3
61%
4.69
39%
Gamma
2.64 83%
2.45 90%
2.35 94%
2.1 105%
2.33 94%
CCT
8066 81%
7137 91%
6587 99%
6362 102%
6485 100%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
56
56
0%
56
0%
56
0%
54
-4%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
86
86
0%
86
0%
86
0%
82
-5%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
4% / 6%
-4% / 2%
5% / 8%
-1% / 2%

* ... smaller is better

The display offers an excellent contrast ratio. Thanks to the relatively high average brightness of 341 cd/m² and the usable black value of 0.32 cd/m², the 17-incher easily cracks the 1000:1 mark. The color space coverage is sufficient for gaming and multimedia purposes. 86% of sRGB and 56% of AdobeRGB are good values.

CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: Colors
CalMAN: Colors
CalMAN: Grayscale (after calibration)
CalMAN: Grayscale (after calibration)
CalMAN: Saturation (after calibration)
CalMAN: Saturation (after calibration)
CalMAN: Colors (after calibration)
CalMAN: Colors (after calibration)

The color accuracy is less impressive. Right out of the box, the panel suffers from a bluish cast, which can be removed by means of calibration (those who do not have appropriate tools can try our ICC profile). Just like the predecessor, our current device has to contend with screen bleeding at the edges, which has a negative impact on the picture quality and can prove annoying in some situations (such as watching movies through a letterboxe).

Acer Predator Helios 300 vs. sRGB (86%)
Acer Predator Helios 300 vs. sRGB (86%)
Pixel arrangement
Pixel arrangement
Acer Predator Helios 300 vs. AdobeRGB (56%)
Acer Predator Helios 300 vs. AdobeRGB (56%)

The response times are quite ordinary. It takes the display 22 ms to switch from black to white and 36 ms to switch from gray to gray. This is typical for IPS panels.

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
22 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 10.4 ms rise
↘ 11.6 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 42 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
36 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18.8 ms rise
↘ 17.2 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. » 44 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to 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 detected 122000 Hz ≤ 95 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 122000 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 95 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 122000 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

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.

Performance - For casual gamers

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
HWiNFO
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
Latenzen
 

Processor

Most of the notebooks with Coffee Lake CPUs that we have reviewed thus far were powered by a hexa-core processor from the Core i7 series. However, the Helios 300 is powered by a quad-core CPU. Unlike the older Core i5 processors, the new Core i5 chip, the Core i5-8300H, supports Hyper-Threading, which means that it can process up to eight threads at the same time.

Singlecore
Singlecore
Multicore
Multicore
GPU utilization
GPU utilization

Thanks to a high boost clock of 4.0 GHz (single core), the Core i5-8300H is able to beat top-end processors from the Kaby Lake generation. In the multicore section of the Cinebench R15 benchmark, it actually manages to beat the Core i7-7700HQ by 10%. It beats its predecessor, the Core i5-7300HQ, by almost 60%.

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 318, n=247, last 2 years)
265 Points +53%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
Intel Core i5-8300H
173 Points
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
159 Points -8%
Acer Predator Helios 300
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
159 Points -8%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
141 Points -18%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
AMD Ryzen 5 1600
140 Points -19%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=248, last 2 years)
2986 Points +270%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
AMD Ryzen 5 1600
1129 Points +40%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
Intel Core i5-8300H
807 Points
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
738 Points -9%
Acer Predator Helios 300
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
735 Points -9%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
515 Points -36%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (2.62 - 3.73, n=23, last 2 years)
3.21 Points +64%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
Intel Core i5-8300H
1.96 Points
Acer Predator Helios 300
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.81 Points -8%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.61 Points -18%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
AMD Ryzen 5 1600
1.55 Points -21%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (19.7 - 64.3, n=24, last 2 years)
35.7 Points +306%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
AMD Ryzen 5 1600
12.5 Points +42%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
Intel Core i5-8300H
8.79 Points
Acer Predator Helios 300
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.14 Points -7%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.06 Points -8%

As often happens, the Core i5-8300H cannot maintain its full performance over an extended period of time. In our Cinebench R15 benchmark loop, the CPU runs at 3.9 GHz during the first benchmark run. In the subsequent benchmark runs, the clock rate fluctuates between 3.2 and 3.9 GHz. All in all, under continuous load, the CPU loses almost 5% of its performance. This kind of drop in performance will be noticed.

0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410420430440450460470480490500510520530540550560570580590600610620630640650660670680690700710720730740750760770780790800810Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.96 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
8.79 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
173 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
807 Points
Help

System Performance

Even though the base configuration comes with only 8 GB of RAM (two sticks of DDR4 2666 MHz RAM), the Predator Helios 300 performs surprisingly well in the system benchmarks. The 17-incher takes first place in the “Work” section of the PCMark 8 benchmark and second place in the “Home” section. 

PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (3570 - 6657, n=37, last 2 years)
5218 Points +23%
Acer Predator Helios 300
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
4874 Points +15%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Hynix HFS128G39TND
4253 Points
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
Radeon RX 580 (Laptop), R5 1600, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172
4186 Points -2%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-7300HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
3596 Points -15%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
3570 Points -16%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (4622 - 7085, n=36, last 2 years)
6071 Points +14%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H, Hynix HFS128G39TND
5347 Points
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
5171 Points -3%
Acer Predator Helios 300
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
5116 Points -4%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
Radeon RX 580 (Laptop), R5 1600, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172
4988 Points -7%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-7300HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
4486 Points -16%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4253 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5347 points
Help

Storage Devices

Subjectively, the Predator Helios 300 does not feel very responsive. The Helios 300 actually features a 128 GB SATA-III SSD from Hynix, but, because it has a very low write speed, it feels more like an HDD (a fast one at that) than an SSD. In our opinion, Acer has made too many cuts here. A PCIe SSD in the Asus GL753VE is significantly faster.

SSD
SSD
SSD
SSD
HDD
HDD

Because the SSD has such a small capacity, you will have to rely on the secondary drive most of the time. The 1 TB 5400 RPM HDD from Western Digital offers more than enough space for video games and movies.

Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
Hynix HFS128G39TND
Acer Predator Helios 300
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172
AS SSD
141%
142%
Seq Read
513
1558
204%
1500
192%
Seq Write
128.2
552
331%
558
335%
4K Read
26.5
29.02
10%
32.5
23%
4K Write
62.7
111.3
78%
119.7
91%
Score Read
414
690
67%
681
64%
Score Write
196
588
200%
575
193%
Score Total
811
1588
96%
1566
93%
Hynix HFS128G39TND
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 553 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 136 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 208.4 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 136.2 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 490.1 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 136.1 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 22.78 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 61.9 MB/s

Graphics Card

Those who identify as casual gamers should be more than happy with the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. The DirectX 12 model belongs to Nvidia’s Pascal family of GPUs and has 4 GB of GDDR5 VRAM and a 128-bit wide bus.

3DMark - 1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=250, last 2 years)
28955 Points +280%
Acer Predator Helios 300
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
12009 Points +58%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
AMD Radeon RX 580 (Laptop)
11512 Points +51%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
7883 Points +4%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
7610 Points
Asus GL753VE-DS74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
7531 Points -1%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=246, last 2 years)
39499 Points +332%
Acer Predator Helios 300
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
15607 Points +71%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
AMD Radeon RX 580 (Laptop)
15182 Points +66%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
10270 Points +12%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
9147 Points

The Predator Helios 300 performs as well as the competition in the GPU benchmarks. In the “Fire Strike” section of the 3DMark 13 benchmark, the 17-incher slots in between the V17 Nitro BE and the Asus GL753VE, both of which feature a  GTX 1050 Ti. Notebooks with a GTX 1060 are almost 60 % faster. The Radeon RX 580 in the Asus GL702ZC is about 50% faster than the GTX 1050 Ti.

3DMark 11 Performance
9101 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
85238 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
22710 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
6685 points
Help

Having observed the CPU behavior under load, we move on to examine the GPU behavior. To be more exact, here we look at how the clock speeds behave under continuous load. For this, we run “The Witcher 3” for one hour on the highest settings. The Helios 300 performs very well in this test with the average core clock coming in at 1658 MHz (base clock: 1493 MHz, boost clock: 1709 MHz).

01234567891011121314151617181920212223242526Tooltip
The Witcher 3 ultra

Gaming Performance

The GeForce GTX 1050 Ti should be able to run most modern titles on high to maximum settings at 1080p. Having said that, the graphics settings will have to be reduced in extremely demanding or poorly optimized games such as “The Evil Within 2”.

The Witcher 3
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Gaming
  (8.61 - 216, n=245, last 2 years)
114 fps +338%
Acer Predator Helios 300
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
38.9 (31min - 45max) fps +50%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
Radeon RX 580 (Laptop), R5 1600
36 fps +38%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
32 fps +23%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
26 fps
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-7300HQ
25 fps -4%
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Average of class Gaming
  (17.5 - 449, n=177, last 2 years)
213 fps +356%
Acer Predator Helios 300
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
71.7 (62min - 81max) fps +54%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
Radeon RX 580 (Laptop), R5 1600
68.9 fps +48%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-7300HQ
46.7 fps 0%
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
46.7 fps

If you want to be able to run games at higher resolutions or if you want some future-proofing, then you should get a notebook with a high-end GPU such as the GeForce GTX 1060 or the Radeon RX 580. These graphics cards will last much longer.

low med. high ultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 46.7 26
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) (2017) 62.4 41.4
The Evil Within 2 (2017) 31.5 30.7
ELEX (2017) 43.4 32.7
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (2017) 56.9 52.5
Call of Duty WWII (2017) 63.4 47.9
Fortnite (2018) 76.7 54.6
Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018) 38.9 28.8

Emissions - Unremarkable

System Noise

The Helios 300 is not particularly loud for a gaming notebook. Under full load, we measured a sound pressure level of 51 dB(A). When gaming, the system noise peaked at 45 dB(A), which is not an unreasonable value.

System Noise at idle
System Noise at idle
System Noise under load
System Noise under load
Speakers
Speakers

When idle, the 17-incher is relatively quiet. However, the fans spin up from time to time. Here, we measured an average sound pressure level of 31 dB(A). This is a pretty good result. At times, both the fans and the hard drive become inactive. When this happens, the notebook is absolutely silent (expect for the coil whine that we assume is coming from the SSD). 

Noise Level

Idle
29 / 31 / 33 dB(A)
HDD
31 dB(A)
Load
45 / 51 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: 29 dB(A)
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Acer Predator Helios 300
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
i5-7300HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Asus GL753VE-DS74
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
R5 1600, Radeon RX 580 (Laptop)
Average of class Gaming
 
Noise
-2%
8%
-2%
-3%
8%
off / environment *
29
31
-7%
29.7
-2%
29.1
-0%
30.2
-4%
24.1 ?(19.5 - 29.9, n=194, last 2 years)
17%
Idle Minimum *
29
31
-7%
30.2
-4%
33.3
-15%
30.6
-6%
25.6 ?(21.9 - 41.6, n=195, last 2 years)
12%
Idle Average *
31
32
-3%
30.2
3%
33.3
-7%
32.7
-5%
27.4 ?(21.9 - 42.1, n=195, last 2 years)
12%
Idle Maximum *
33
33
-0%
30.6
7%
33.4
-1%
32.7
1%
30.7 ?(21.9 - 47, n=195, last 2 years)
7%
Load Average *
45
44
2%
33.8
25%
42.6
5%
38.9
14%
43.2 ?(25.2 - 62.9, n=195, last 2 years)
4%
Witcher 3 ultra *
45
46
-2%
39.5
12%
46.8
-4%
53.4
-19%
Load Maximum *
51
50
2%
42.6
16%
46.8
8%
50.6
1%
53.2 ?(42.1 - 68.2, n=195, last 2 years)
-4%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

The temperatures are within normal range. While the case temperatures remain mostly below 30 °C (86 °F) when idle, under load the temperatures can rise up to 50 °C (122 °F). Because the wrist rest area remains cool under load, long gaming sessions should not be a problem. However, you should not be putting the notebook in your lap while gaming.

Stress test
Stress test
Topside under full load (Optris PI 640)
Topside under full load (Optris PI 640)
Bottom side  under full load (Optris PI 640)
Bottom side under full load (Optris PI 640)

Now let us take a quick look inside the case: After our 60-minute stress test with FurMark and Prime95, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is moderately hot at 77 °C (170.6 °F), whereby the clock speed is slightly reduced (1392 MHz). The Core i5-8300H cannot maintain its full performance under continuous load. The CPU reaches almost 100 °C (212 °F) when it runs at full speed and 80 °C (176 °F) when it operates at 2.3 GHz (the base clock of the CPU).

Max. Load
 50 °C
122 F
50 °C
122 F
42 °C
108 F
 
 47 °C
117 F
49 °C
120 F
33 °C
91 F
 
 31 °C
88 F
30 °C
86 F
28 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 50 °C = 122 F
Average: 40 °C = 104 F
51 °C
124 F
52 °C
126 F
43 °C
109 F
31 °C
88 F
43 °C
109 F
42 °C
108 F
29 °C
84 F
26 °C
79 F
26 °C
79 F
Maximum: 52 °C = 126 F
Average: 38.1 °C = 101 F
Power Supply (max.)  49 °C = 120 F | Room Temperature 24 °C = 75 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 40 °C / 104 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 50 °C / 122 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 52 °C / 126 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.2 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 39.3 °C / 103 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 °C / 87.8 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-2.1 °C / -3.8 F).
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Acer Predator Helios 300
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
i5-7300HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Asus GL753VE-DS74
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
R5 1600, Radeon RX 580 (Laptop)
Average of class Gaming
 
Heat
-10%
9%
29%
-8%
2%
Maximum Upper Side *
50
57
-14%
48
4%
35.8
28%
54.3
-9%
46.3 ?(28.2 - 61, n=194, last 2 years)
7%
Maximum Bottom *
52
59
-13%
40.8
22%
36.4
30%
51
2%
49.7 ?(30 - 66.3, n=194, last 2 years)
4%
Idle Upper Side *
33
36
-9%
29.9
9%
22.2
33%
36
-9%
31.5 ?(21.2 - 43, n=194, last 2 years)
5%
Idle Bottom *
30
31
-3%
29.8
1%
22.2
26%
34.3
-14%
32.7 ?(22.6 - 45, n=194, last 2 years)
-9%

* ... smaller is better

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2041.6432537.239.7312830.34035.335.75028.128.96326.129.98026.83510025.547.412522.346.816022.143.920022.353.325022.164.131519.768.74001970.250018.472.263017.37780017.878.110001775.2125016.968.1160017.166.320001763.725001761.731501755.9400017.257.850001760.263001757.4800017.156.91000017.159.11250016.966.81600016.860.2SPL29.581.9N1.348.5median 17.1median 61.7Delta16.139.936.239.939.832.239.842.131.742.145.12945.145.528.845.546.730.846.749.728.349.752.228.952.253.724.553.755.62455.658.624.658.660.522.160.564.92264.962.820.862.864.420.364.470.319.370.371.918.671.969.417.969.469.517.769.572.61772.665.917.165.965.116.965.164.11764.165.116.965.166.616.966.662.71762.764.217.264.262.317.162.357.517.257.553.517.453.579.83079.848.51.448.5median 64.2median 17.7median 64.24.424.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 10.8% lower than median
(-) | bass is not linear (15.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 9.7% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 55% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 36% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 35% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 57% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (72 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 6.9% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (11.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 11% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 86% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 5% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management - The Helios 300 lasts for a while

Energy Consumption

Thanks to Nvidia’s Optimus Technology (which enables automatic switching between a dedicated and an integrated graphics adapter), the Helios 300 is very energy efficient at idle. It draws only 6 to 13 watts when idle, which is a very good result. However, things are different under load: An average power draw of 95 watts in the first scene of the 3DMark 06 benchmark is quite high for a GTX 1050 Ti-based notebook. Here, the Asus GL753VE draws only 82 watts. In “The Witcher 3”, the Helios 300 draws almost as much power as the competition (102 watts). During the stress test, the power consumption peaked at 134 watts. The included 135-watt AC adapter should have no trouble supplying the laptop with enough energy.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.3 / 0.5 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 6 / 9 / 13 Watt
Load midlight 95 / 134 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 Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Acer Predator Helios 300
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
i5-7300HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Asus GL753VE-DS74
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
R5 1600, Radeon RX 580 (Laptop)
Average of class Gaming
 
Power Consumption
-24%
-12%
-2%
-329%
-89%
Idle Minimum *
6
7
-17%
8.7
-45%
7.5
-25%
49
-717%
13.7 ?(2 - 64, n=191, last 2 years)
-128%
Idle Average *
9
13
-44%
12.4
-38%
11.3
-26%
60
-567%
18.9 ?(6.5 - 67, n=191, last 2 years)
-110%
Idle Maximum *
13
20
-54%
15.4
-18%
11.8
9%
68
-423%
26.5 ?(9 - 101.1, n=191, last 2 years)
-104%
Load Average *
95
81
15%
73
23%
82.1
14%
150
-58%
111.7 ?(32.1 - 202, n=191, last 2 years)
-18%
Witcher 3 ultra *
102
127
-25%
98
4%
96.3
6%
214
-110%
Load Maximum *
134
162
-21%
130
3%
116.6
13%
262
-96%
249 ?(64.5 - 418, n=190, last 2 years)
-86%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Besides an outstanding price, the Helios 300 also offers an outstanding battery life. The Predator Helios 300 can last for 100 minutes under full load (maximum rightness) and up to 12 hours when idle (minimum brightness). In our Wi-FI test, in which the brightness is set to medium, the laptop lasts for about 6 hours. The 48 Wh battery in the Helios 300 is not especially large.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
11h 50min
WiFi Websurfing
5h 54min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 40min
Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6
i5-8300H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 48 Wh
Acer Predator Helios 300
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 48 Wh
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
i5-7300HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 52.5 Wh
Asus GL753VE-DS74
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 48 Wh
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
R5 1600, Radeon RX 580 (Laptop), 74 Wh
Average of class Gaming
 
Battery Runtime
-27%
-21%
-38%
-77%
-11%
Reader / Idle
710
611
-14%
520
-27%
548 ?(57 - 1290, n=90, last 2 years)
-23%
WiFi v1.3
354
279
-21%
278
-21%
235
-34%
80
-77%
366 ?(57 - 745, n=191, last 2 years)
3%
Load
100
54
-46%
47
-53%
86 ?(36 - 173, n=155, last 2 years)
-14%
H.264
281
392 ?(56 - 747, n=99, last 2 years)

Verdict - The price is right

Pros

+ great price-to-performance ratio
+ fast Wi-Fi
+ Nvidia Optimus
+ great battery life
+ IPS panel

Cons

- not a lot of ports
- poor sound quality
- limited maintenance options
- slow SSD with coil whine
- screen bleeding
Predator Helios 300, review device provided courtesy of: Acer Germany
Predator Helios 300, review device provided courtesy of: Acer Germany

Even though Acer has cut a lot of corners to get the price down (slow SSD, few ports, poor sound quality), the Predator Helios 300 is still a great device.

The input devices and the build quality are definitely not top-notch. Having said that, a few flaws are to be expected from a 1000-Euro ($1178) device.

Buyers will not be disappointed when it comes to performance. Even the base configuration with the Core i5-8300H and the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti can run most modern titles at 1080p. However, the IPS display, which has a high brightness and a good contrast ratio, suffers from screen bleeding and poor color reproduction. The thermals and the system noise are quite unremarkable.

All in all, the 17-incher is an exciting offer for price-conscious gamers. The battery life also speaks in favor of the device.

Acer Predator Helios 300 PH317-52-51M6 - 06/02/2018 v6(old)
Florian Glaser

Chassis
78 / 98 → 79%
Keyboard
77%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
55 / 81 → 68%
Weight
57 / 10-66 → 84%
Battery
87%
Display
84%
Games Performance
90%
Application Performance
95%
Temperature
85 / 95 → 89%
Noise
77 / 90 → 86%
Audio
60%
Average
77%
82%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

Read all 5 comments / answer
static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Acer Predator Helios 300 (i5-8300H, GTX 1050 Ti, Full-HD) Laptop Review
Florian Glaser, 2018-06-13 (Update: 2018-06-14)