Deal | Beastly Acer Predator Helios 18 2024 gaming laptop with RTX 4090 and mini-LED display scores massive discount

Acer presented the Predator Helios 18 PH18-72 gaming laptop at CES 2024 with the latest 14th-gen Intel Raptor Lake-HX CPUs and RTX 40 GPUs. A top-end configuration of the 18-inch desktop replacement with a Core i9-14900HX and an RTX 4090 laptop board is up for grabs for only $2,649.99 at Best Buy, resulting in a $350 discount on the list price. (Buy it now)

Granted, the discounted Acer Predator Helios 18 price is still eye-watering but, considering the internals on offer, the rate becomes justifiable.

Taking a closer look at the hardware, the 18-inch 1600p mini-LED panel is one of the key selling points of the Acer Predator Helios 18. The panel proved almost flawless in our review with a high average brightness of 723.8 nits, an excellent contrast ratio of 18050:1, complete coverage of the sRGB/DCI-P3 gamut alongside 91% AdobeRGB, a speedy 250 Hz refresh rate. Additionally, the display packs NVIDIA Advanced Optimus and NVIDIA G-SYNC.

Acer Predator Helios 18’s high-refresh-rate display pairs nicely with the Core i9-14900HX and the RTX 4090 laptop combo. The CPU and GPU occupy the top positions in Intel and NVIDIA’s 2024 lineups and, as such, are beastly performers. For instance, we measured the notebook to deliver close to or above 60 FPS in all the tested titles at the display’s native resolution with ultra-quality settings. Naturally, dropping the resolution/settings down should ensure high refresh rate gaming, particularly in eSports titles.

In addition to the strong performance and incredible display, the Acer Predator Helios 18 also features excellent inputs with a per-key RGB keyboard and a large trackpad. Similarly, the laptop offers a generous port selection with two Thunderbolt 4 ports alongside three Type-A, one HDMI 2.1, one RJ45 ethernet jack, and a 3,5 mm combo jack.

All in all, the Acer Predator Helios 18 should satisfy enthusiasts. As we noted in our review, the laptop is an “all-round carefree package” that has now become much more palatable thanks to its reduced price.