Acer Predator Helios 700: The innovative gaming laptop returns with up to an Intel Core i9-10980HK, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER GPUs and faster RAM

The Acer Predator Helios 700 has returned. Dubbed as one of the most exciting gaming laptops of 2019 when we reviewed the original model last May, Acer has upgraded the 17.3-inch behemoth to Intel Comet Lake-H processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20 SUPER series GPUs. Specifically, the Helios 700 is available with either a Core i7-10875H or a Core i9-10980HK for a CPU and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER or an RTX 2080 SUPER for a GPU. Acer has also upgraded the RAM to LPDDR4-2993 from the LPDRR4-2666 that it included in last year's model and has added a second Thunderbolt 3 port. Internet connectivity has been upgraded too, with the Helios 700 now offering a Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i modem and an E3100G Ethernet port that utilise the company's DoubleShot Pro technology.

Additionally, the Helios 700 supports RAID 0 and a 144 Hz IPS panel that operates natively at 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. The latter is compatible with NVIDIA G-SYNC technology too.

Acer has also addressed thermal management for the new Helios 700, which was one of our bigger complaints of its predecessor. According to the company, it has included a new solution that it is calling Predator PowerGem. PowerGem apparently offers 3.83x more vertical heat conductivity than copper, which should improve heat dissipation and reduce throttling. All models include three copper heat pipes, Acer CoolBoost technology, a vapour chamber and two Acer custom-engineered 4th generation AeroBlade 3D fans. However, Predator PowerGem is only available on the Core i9 models.

Acer claims to have improved the keyboard too, which it has updated with MagTek mechanical switches for the WASD keys and a set of new racing keys for increased precision. The latter feature 1.5 mm of keycap curvature and can be swapped in for the standard WASD keys. The same applies to the bundled MagForce keys. Once swapped, you can use the pre-installed PredatorSense app to adjust the keys' lighting and actuation. This can also be triggered by pressing the P3 hotkey.

The new Acer Predator Helios 700 will be available first in China from CNY 44,999 where it will launch in August. Acer will then make the gaming laptop available in EMEA in September from €2,699 and North America in October from US$2,399.99.