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expiredTenderWalrus157 posted Nov 17, 2022 08:26 AM
expiredTenderWalrus157 posted Nov 17, 2022 08:26 AM

Acer Predator Helios 300: i7-12700H, 15.6" 165Hz, RTX 3060, 16GB DDR5, 512GB SSD

+ Free Shipping

$1,000

$1,500

33% off
Best Buy
122 Comments 30,346 Views
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Deal Details
Best Buy has Acer Predator Helios 300 Laptop (2022, PH315-55-70ZV) for $999.99. Shipping is free or choose curbside pickup where stock permits.

Thanks to Community Member TenderWalrus157 for finding this deal.

Specs:
  • Intel Core i7-12700H (6P+8E)/20T 2.3 GHz (4.7 GHz Turbo, 20MB Cache)
  • 15.6" 1080p IPS 165Hz 300-nits 3ms Display, 100% sRGB
  • 16GB (8GBx2) DDR5 4800MHz RAM
  • 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive + Empty M.2 Slot
  • RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 Graphics, 115W TGP, 130W /w Dynamic Boost, MUX Switch
  • 4-Zone RGB Backlit Keyboard
  • 1080p Webcam
  • Killer AX1675i Wi-Fi 6E 2x2 + Bluetooth 5.2 + Killer E2600 Lan
  • Windows 11 Home
  • Ports:
    • 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 10 Gbps
    • 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (Power Off Charging)
    • 1x USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 4 (DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery 100W, USB Charging 15W)
    • 1x HDMI 2.1
    • 1x Mini DisplayPort 1.4
    • 1x RJ-45
    • 1x Audio Combo Jack
    • 1x Power Pin Port
    • 4 Cell Li-Ion Battery
  • 5.73 lbs

Editor's Notes

Written by johnny_miller | Staff
  • About this deal:
  • About this product:
    • 1-year warranty
  • About this store:
    • Best Buy return policy here

Original Post

Written by TenderWalrus157
Product Info
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Product Info
Community Notes
About the Poster
Best Buy has Acer Predator Helios 300 Laptop (2022, PH315-55-70ZV) for $999.99. Shipping is free or choose curbside pickup where stock permits.

Thanks to Community Member TenderWalrus157 for finding this deal.

Specs:
  • Intel Core i7-12700H (6P+8E)/20T 2.3 GHz (4.7 GHz Turbo, 20MB Cache)
  • 15.6" 1080p IPS 165Hz 300-nits 3ms Display, 100% sRGB
  • 16GB (8GBx2) DDR5 4800MHz RAM
  • 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive + Empty M.2 Slot
  • RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 Graphics, 115W TGP, 130W /w Dynamic Boost, MUX Switch
  • 4-Zone RGB Backlit Keyboard
  • 1080p Webcam
  • Killer AX1675i Wi-Fi 6E 2x2 + Bluetooth 5.2 + Killer E2600 Lan
  • Windows 11 Home
  • Ports:
    • 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 10 Gbps
    • 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (Power Off Charging)
    • 1x USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 4 (DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery 100W, USB Charging 15W)
    • 1x HDMI 2.1
    • 1x Mini DisplayPort 1.4
    • 1x RJ-45
    • 1x Audio Combo Jack
    • 1x Power Pin Port
    • 4 Cell Li-Ion Battery
  • 5.73 lbs

Editor's Notes

Written by johnny_miller | Staff
  • About this deal:
  • About this product:
    • 1-year warranty
  • About this store:
    • Best Buy return policy here

Original Post

Written by TenderWalrus157

Community Voting

Deal Score
+38
Good Deal
Visit Best Buy

Price Intelligence

Model: Acer - Predator Helios 300-15.6" FHD IPS 165Hz Gaming Laptop- Intel Core i7-12700H- NVIDIA GeForceRTX 3060-512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD

Deal History 

Sort: Most Recent
Post Date Sold By Sale Price Activity
11/04/22Best Buy$1,000 frontpage
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Top Comments

lesterhung
2892 Posts
221 Reputation
The empty m.2 slot is not really 100% usable. There's a cable beneath it that gets in the way. You can force install it, but the your ssd stick will be slightly bent
thefirebirdman
8 Posts
18 Reputation
I'm passing on this one because I want something with at least a 3070 or 3080. Currently running a Triton 300 with a 2070.

If you're interested in feedback on Acer Predator in general I own 4 of them. 1 each for myself, wife and 2 high school age kids. I use an Acer Predator Triton 300 that is about 2 years old now and the other 3 are all Predator Helios 300s all bought at different times and all bought at around the same price point (~$1100 - ~1200).

Addressing some of the comments here. My biggest complaint is definitely the battery life. The 7-8 hours you see in most reviews is laughable. Right after buying my Triton 300 I compared it with my wife's Helios 300 which was about a year old at the time and the battery life was the same. Just sitting on my desk with no applications open and running (certainly no gaming) just Windows and whatever apps are in Startup I could only get about 1.75 hours to 2 hours before it dipped below 10% and it started to issue warnings. So yeah the battery life is garbage, even when you're not gaming.

Also, the Turbo mode button is cool but after a few months I found it would only work when the PredatorSense (included by default) application was open and running in an active window. Pretty minor annoyance.

One final complaint. All of the older laptops have the port for the power cord on the side whereas for my Triton 300 they FINALLY moved it to the back. It's really just an annoyance but for me it was a major annoyance till they changed the design.

As for support we've really had no problems with any of these Predators. 1 year after buying my Triton 300 I noticed battery life had dropped down to 30-45 minutes. I contacted support and they sent me a new battery. Was pretty much no hassle. With 4 of these Predators in the house for the last 4-5 years or so that is the only time I have contacted support and it was easy and hassle free. I know that will not be everyone's experience so Interpret that how you will.

As for other problems my son's Helios 300 developed a noisy fan somewhere in the 2-3 years old mark (beyond support) but it's just the one fan, the PC has continued to function properly, even cooling properly, and none of the fans in any of the other 3 have had any issues. I plan to replace it myself.

As for the noise, you cannot hear the fans when the laptop is NOT over-clocked. However, they are noisy when over-clocked or when put into "Turbo" mode but for me it's just a minor annoyance. Once I start gaming and focusing on the game, I forget all about it but that's me. For others it may be something you can't not hear so YMMV.

As for bad quality, very surprised by the negative comments. Most Youtube reviews I have watched over the years gave positive marks for the build quality given the price point which I completely agree with across the board. I genuinely feel I got a quality laptop for the $$$ spent. I have zero issues with build quality. And where upgrades are concerned, I have increased the RAM and added additional SSDs in every one of these laptops and have had zero issues.

Hope that helps!!

121 Comments

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Nov 17, 2022 04:23 PM
127 Posts
Joined Aug 2011
Nov 17, 2022 04:23 PM
starrbuckNov 17, 2022 04:23 PM
127 Posts
Quote from Dicka24 :
Nice, it's back in stock and at the discounted price. I was going to order that Legion 5 Pro with the 3060, but now I'm not sure which is best. Does anyone in here have any experience with returning laptops to Bestbuy and/or Walmart? Is it as simple as packing it back up and bringing it in to the store for a full refund? Niether of the two units I'm contemplating are on display anywhere so I'm considering buying both to test out, and returning the one I prefer least.
Just make sure you reset it before you return it and it should be no problem. Tell them you changed your mind. That's all there is to it.
Nov 17, 2022 04:36 PM
61 Posts
Joined Apr 2018
Nov 17, 2022 04:36 PM
DethBladeNov 17, 2022 04:36 PM
61 Posts
i bought this the first time it went down to 999 and have had it since. i've been waiting to see if something else pops up at the same price point but better performance. nothing yet and i actually really like my helios. Mostly new hardware you can find in a laptop. Love that the display ports are on the back, really good cooling, good powered GPU. Only con i see is the weight. im use to laptops like the g14 but since i've had it, it doesnt leave my desk so that i guess is irrelevant. i dont take it anywhere lol.

My suggestion. if you're at the 1k price point, this is a really good deal for what it gives you.
Nov 17, 2022 05:32 PM
1,874 Posts
Joined Jun 2007
Nov 17, 2022 05:32 PM
BobMightyNov 17, 2022 05:32 PM
1,874 Posts
This or the $730 Gigabyte from NewEgg? https://slickdeals.net/share/android_app/fp/769759
Nov 17, 2022 05:47 PM
682 Posts
Joined Dec 2010
Nov 17, 2022 05:47 PM
jmunjrNov 17, 2022 05:47 PM
682 Posts
I keep debating among various options. I'm going with the Legion Pro with the 3070. CPU isn't as good but the GPU is better. I think is is worth the extra $270. I can afford it. Can anyone think of a better option right now with that level of performance? I do like the option of DLSS so avoiding AMD GPUs for now.
Nov 17, 2022 05:51 PM
389 Posts
Joined Dec 2010
Nov 17, 2022 05:51 PM
PotOddsNov 17, 2022 05:51 PM
389 Posts
Saw reviews on how loud it gets at highest power levels. Compare it to a jet. Has anyone else experienced the same? Reviewer (Hardware Canucks) said he had to move it to another room if he was using full power.
Nov 17, 2022 07:38 PM
26 Posts
Joined Oct 2022
Nov 17, 2022 07:38 PM
qwertoNov 17, 2022 07:38 PM
26 Posts
Quote from PotOdds :
Saw reviews on how loud it gets at highest power levels. Compare it to a jet. Has anyone else experienced the same? Reviewer (Hardware Canucks) said he had to move it to another room if he was using full power.
Saw similar. Staying away from this
Nov 17, 2022 07:54 PM
228 Posts
Joined Nov 2017
Nov 17, 2022 07:54 PM
eytxNov 17, 2022 07:54 PM
228 Posts
I was almost tempted to buy this until.... this thing gets only 2-2.5 hrs on battery. Ew.

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Pro
Deal Hunter
Nov 17, 2022 08:11 PM
15,558 Posts
Joined Sep 2011
Nov 17, 2022 08:11 PM
Eragorn
Pro
Deal Hunter
Nov 17, 2022 08:11 PM
15,558 Posts
Right now Best Buy TotalTech Members can purchase the Acer Predator Helios 300 Laptop (2022, PH315-55-70ZV) for $999.99. Shipping is free or choose curbside pickup where stock permits.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer...Id=6504563

This should be going on sale for "My Best Buy Members" (free to join) on Friday, November 18th. (At least I hope it is... apologies if not). Best Buy's site says that the sale begins tomorrow but is accessible now for TotalTech members so from my understanding the price should be the same.
Nov 17, 2022 08:15 PM
3,952 Posts
Joined Sep 2007
Nov 17, 2022 08:15 PM
InterfaceNov 17, 2022 08:15 PM
3,952 Posts
Quote from PotOdds :
Saw reviews on how loud it gets at highest power levels. Compare it to a jet. Has anyone else experienced the same? Reviewer (Hardware Canucks) said he had to move it to another room if he was using full power.
So what are you going to get instead? Just curious.
Nov 17, 2022 08:30 PM
67 Posts
Joined Nov 2009
Nov 17, 2022 08:30 PM
NoodleSamuraiNov 17, 2022 08:30 PM
67 Posts
Quote from Interface :
Have this Acer laptop with the 11th gen core i7 / 16 Gb DDR4 instead of the 12th gen / DDR5 version at Best Buy. As far as adding a 2nd M2 drive, I did not have that problem nor do i have a bent M2 drive. Maybe its a design flaw in the 2022 model, not sure. The laptop is fantastic from picture quality to sound to design..

As far as build quality goes, would rank them in this order from best to worst.
Lenovo
Acer
MSI
Asus
Gigabyte
HP
Dell

Keep in mind, Walmart does have the Legion 5 for $1100 if you want to get a Lenovo.
.... how is Acer 2nd over MSI Asus and Gigabyte? I can't recall a single review in 2021 or 2022 so far where this was true and floor model comparisons at retailers in person make it really obvious how poor Acer quality is.

Dell/Alienware laptops are also kind of tanks, they run hotter but that doesn't equate to poor build quality.
Nov 17, 2022 08:57 PM
389 Posts
Joined Dec 2010
Nov 17, 2022 08:57 PM
PotOddsNov 17, 2022 08:57 PM
389 Posts
Quote from Interface :
So what are you going to get instead? Just curious.
Actually I'm partial to Lenovo Legion. Waiting for a true FP deal to come out. I particularly like the keyboard layout with the arrow keys. I'm a spreadsheet user.
Nov 17, 2022 09:05 PM
8 Posts
Joined Oct 2021
Nov 17, 2022 09:05 PM
thefirebirdmanNov 17, 2022 09:05 PM
8 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank thefirebirdman

I'm passing on this one because I want something with at least a 3070 or 3080. Currently running a Triton 300 with a 2070.

If you're interested in feedback on Acer Predator in general I own 4 of them. 1 each for myself, wife and 2 high school age kids. I use an Acer Predator Triton 300 that is about 2 years old now and the other 3 are all Predator Helios 300s all bought at different times and all bought at around the same price point (~$1100 - ~1200).

Addressing some of the comments here. My biggest complaint is definitely the battery life. The 7-8 hours you see in most reviews is laughable. Right after buying my Triton 300 I compared it with my wife's Helios 300 which was about a year old at the time and the battery life was the same. Just sitting on my desk with no applications open and running (certainly no gaming) just Windows and whatever apps are in Startup I could only get about 1.75 hours to 2 hours before it dipped below 10% and it started to issue warnings. So yeah the battery life is garbage, even when you're not gaming.

Also, the Turbo mode button is cool but after a few months I found it would only work when the PredatorSense (included by default) application was open and running in an active window. Pretty minor annoyance.

One final complaint. All of the older laptops have the port for the power cord on the side whereas for my Triton 300 they FINALLY moved it to the back. It's really just an annoyance but for me it was a major annoyance till they changed the design.

As for support we've really had no problems with any of these Predators. 1 year after buying my Triton 300 I noticed battery life had dropped down to 30-45 minutes. I contacted support and they sent me a new battery. Was pretty much no hassle. With 4 of these Predators in the house for the last 4-5 years or so that is the only time I have contacted support and it was easy and hassle free. I know that will not be everyone's experience so Interpret that how you will.

As for other problems my son's Helios 300 developed a noisy fan somewhere in the 2-3 years old mark (beyond support) but it's just the one fan, the PC has continued to function properly, even cooling properly, and none of the fans in any of the other 3 have had any issues. I plan to replace it myself.

As for the noise, you cannot hear the fans when the laptop is NOT over-clocked. However, they are noisy when over-clocked or when put into "Turbo" mode but for me it's just a minor annoyance. Once I start gaming and focusing on the game, I forget all about it but that's me. For others it may be something you can't not hear so YMMV.

As for bad quality, very surprised by the negative comments. Most Youtube reviews I have watched over the years gave positive marks for the build quality given the price point which I completely agree with across the board. I genuinely feel I got a quality laptop for the $$$ spent. I have zero issues with build quality. And where upgrades are concerned, I have increased the RAM and added additional SSDs in every one of these laptops and have had zero issues.

Hope that helps!!
Last edited by thefirebirdman November 17, 2022 at 01:08 PM.
1
Nov 17, 2022 09:18 PM
212 Posts
Joined Mar 2015
Nov 17, 2022 09:18 PM
alanborkNov 17, 2022 09:18 PM
212 Posts
Has anybody seen the 1080p 165hz screen advertised here? Best buy stamped it with "100% srgb" which implies a premium display with great color, but I've been burnt by best buy just making up specs that were laughingly wrong in the past. Acer's website for this model doesn't mention this spec, for instance.
Nov 17, 2022 10:34 PM
383 Posts
Joined Jun 2017
Nov 17, 2022 10:34 PM
juicemane_Nov 17, 2022 10:34 PM
383 Posts
It's a good price for the specs.
Last edited by juicemane_ November 17, 2022 at 02:38 PM.

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Nov 17, 2022 11:42 PM
1,148 Posts
Joined Dec 2017
Nov 17, 2022 11:42 PM
gldooriiNov 17, 2022 11:42 PM
1,148 Posts
Quote from PotOdds :
Saw reviews on how loud it gets at highest power levels. Compare it to a jet. Has anyone else experienced the same? Reviewer (Hardware Canucks) said he had to move it to another room if he was using full power.
Yea it gets laughably LOUD so it's definitely not the laptop to get if you're worried about annoying people in the room, however, damn does it help the thing stay cool compared to other laptops.

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