One of the only laptops ever with Radeon RX Vega 56 graphics is on sale right now for $1300

One of the only laptops ever with Radeon RX Vega 56 graphics is on sale right now for $1300 (Image source: Amazon)

Performance will be just shy of a $2000 laptop with Intel Core i9 and RTX 2070 Max-Q graphics but for significantly less money. This 17.3-inch Acer Predator desktop replacement throws efficiency out the window for raw power.

Allen Ngo, Published 07/21/2019

It's uncommon enough to find a gaming laptop powered by an AMD processor, but to find one powered by both an AMD processor and a Radeon RX Vega 56 GPU is like finding a needle in the haystack. Amazon is currently retailing the 17.3-inch Acer Predator Helios 500 DTR with a desktop Ryzen 7 2700 processor and Radeon RX Vega 56 GPU for $1300 USD. Note that this is the same GPU as found on certain SKUs of the Apple iMac Pro.

Since this is a desktop CPU in a laptop chassis, expect performance to be very high at about 15 percent slower than the Intel Core i9-9880H according to our own benchmarks. Meanwhile, the RX Vega 56 GPU will offer a graphics performance between the mobile GeForce RTX 2060 and mobile RTX 2070. When considering that a gaming laptop with Core i9 and RTX 2070 graphics can retail for $2000 USD or more, the $1300 asking price for the aforementioned AMD-powered Acer suddenly becomes that much more intriguing.

We can already predict a few major drawbacks even though we've never tested this exact Acer configuration. Since it utilizes desktop components, it's guaranteed to have very short battery life and loud fans. If the poor power efficiency doesn't bother you, however, then the AMD Predator Helios 500 will be one of the fastest gaming laptops you can find in this particular price range.

See our review on the Intel and Nvidia version of the Predator Helios 500 to learn more about the chassis and its features.

Source(s)

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-PH517-61-R0GX-Processor-Graphics/dp/B07GWX5X26/

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Allen Ngo - Lead Editor U.S. - 5318 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2011

After graduating with a B.S. in environmental hydrodynamics from the University of California, I studied reactor physics to become licensed by the U.S. NRC to operate nuclear reactors. There's a striking level of appreciation you gain for everyday consumer electronics after working with modern nuclear reactivity systems astonishingly powered by computers from the 80s. When I'm not managing day-to-day activities and US review articles on Notebookcheck, you can catch me following the eSports scene and the latest gaming news.

contact me via: @AllenNgoNBC

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