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At CES this year Acer unveiled new models of its Predator Triton 500 SE, Predator Helios 300 and Acer Nitro 5 series. Under the hood, all of the laptops feature the latest 12th Gen Intel Core processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptop GPUs, while the Acer Nitro 5 also includes AMD Ryzen 6000 Series processor options. They also come with one month of Xbox Game Pass, giving gamers day-one access to popular titles and the ability to play with friends, whether they’re on PC or console. “Our most popular gaming laptops have been updated with the latest silicon announced at CES,” said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, IT Products Business, Acer Inc. “Combine that with state-of-the-art cooling technology and high-refresh-rate displays and you get exciting laptops that even the most demanding of players will love.” “With a new performance hybrid architecture in addition to advanced I/O, memory and connectivity support, 12th Gen Intel Core H-series processors deliver the blazing fast performance and platform capabilities that today’s gamers demand,” said Jerry Tsao, VP of Enthusiast Laptops at Intel. “The new Acer lineup of gaming notebooks with 12th Gen Intel Core feature incredible designs that gamers of all levels will be excited to play on.“ Predator Triton 500 SE — Thin Gaming Laptop The Predator Triton 500 SE (PT516-52s) is a “special edition” laptop with up to a 12th Gen Intel Core i9 processor, a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU and 32GB of 5200MHz LPDDR5 memory. The laptop utilises a triple-fan system, including two 5th Gen AeroBlade 3D fans with 89 metal blades each. Acer’s Vortex Flow technology redirects the airflow those fans generate to critical components, while strategically placed thermal foam, liquid-metal thermal grease on the CPU, and four heat pipes further improve cooling. Performance boost aside, this means that users won’t be feeling the heat while making the most of the long battery life granted by the laptop’s large 99.98 Wh battery. The Triton 500 SE’s 16-inch display is a WQXGA (2560×1600) panel with 240Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time, topped off with support from the frame-syncing power of NVIDIA G-SYNC technology. Content creators will appreciate 500nits of brightness, 100 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, and a productivity-boosting 16:10 aspect ratio—plus an SD 7.0 card reader for offloading content. The laptop runs Windows 11 out of the box and also features a full range of USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, including two Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports with support for DisplayPort and power delivery, while an HDMI 2.1 port makes 4K 120Hz possible by allowing users to plug into an external display. Topping everything off, an Intel Killer E3100G 2.5G Ethernet Controller, Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6E 1675 and Control Center 2.0 empower users with blazing fast connectivity. The Predator Helios 300 (PH315-55) is a powerful gaming laptop equipped with a host of top-tier hardware: Up to a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU, 32 GB of DDR5-4800 MHz memory and up to 2 TB of PCIe Gen4 SSD RAID 0 storage. This hardware muscle powers up to a 15.6-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) IPS[1] display with a 165 Hz refresh rate—and with a revamped, cleaner chassis, the outside of the laptop looks great, too. A thin light bar below the palm rest (configurable via PredatorSense) lets the device retain its gamer aesthetic in a slightly more subtle fashion. A dual-fan layout that includes one 5th Gen AeroBlade 3D fan helps the keep the system running cool, further supported by liquid metal thermal grease and Acer’s CoolBoost technology. A single press of the built-in PredatorSense button offers users control over the fan speed via four preset operating modes, while a single press of the built-in Turbo key instantly maxes out these settings for improved gaming performance. Upping the cool factor, the laptop’s mini-LED backlit keyboard features per-key RGB. Running Windows 11, the laptop comes with DoubleShot Pro (E2600+1675i) and WiFi 6E connectivity in addition to an HDMI 2.1 for connecting to external monitors or consoles, a Thunderbolt Type-C port, and two USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, one of which allows users to charge a mobile device even if the laptop is turned off. A 17.3-inch model (PH317-56) with an IPS panel (QHD 165 Hz or FHD 165 Hz / 144 Hz) is also available. Acer Nitro 5 — Plentiful Configuration Options The Acer Nitro 5 features up to a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 (AN515-58) and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU. A pair of M.2 SSD slots (PCIe Gen 4) offer massive storage, while up to 32 GB of DDR4 3200 RAM offers players plenty of breathing room to handle multiple applications at once. Combined with a QHD 165 Hz panel that has a 3 ms[5] response time, the Nitro 5 delivers pleasantly fluid gameplay. For further control, Killer™ Ethernet E2600[2] and Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i lets players make their network prioritize game traffic for even faster connectivity when every second counts. The Acer Nitro 5 can also be equipped with up to an AMD Ryzen 6000™ Series processor (AN515-46) and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU, plus up to 32 GB of the latest-generation DDR5 4800 MHz RAM. This generation of the Nitro 5 comes with two options, an FHD 144 Hz panel or a 165 Hz QHD Panel, both taking advantage of AMD FreeSync™ technology[[7]] to offer smooth gameplay without screen tearing. Storage-wise, the AMD processor-powered Nitro 5 features two M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD slots (PCIe® Gen4 x1, PCIe® Gen3 x1). It also comes with Windows 11 and a redesigned chassis that features dual-fan cooling, an intake on both the chassis’ top and bottom, and four exhaust ports. Users needing more or less cooling power can control fan speeds with the NitroSense utility app, a built-in software solution that also enables users to overclock[[8]] their CPU/GPU and customize the 4-zone RGB keyboard’s lighting. Completing the gameplay experience, DTS:X® Ultra audio deepens their immersion by delivering clear sounds that can be delivered in a 3D spatial soundscape. This technology also translates into a competitive edge, enabling players to hear exactly where an opponent is coming from. Users wanting to play with headphones and other peripherals will enjoy the Nitro 5’s full range of ports, including HDMI 2.1 and support for both USB 3.2 Gen 1 and Gen 2. The Intel-powered model also includes a Thunderbolt™ 4 Type-C port. The AMD-powered model includes USB® 4. A pair of 17.3-inch models (AN517-55, AN517-42) with an IPS panel (QHD/FHD 165 Hz, FHD 144 Hz) are also available. Read the latest edition of PCR’s monthly magazine here:
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