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expired Posted by Dr.W • Aug 14, 2023
expired Posted by Dr.W • Aug 14, 2023

Acer Predator Helios 18 Gaming Laptop: i9 13900HX, 18" QHD+, 32GB DDR5, RTX 4080

+ Free S/H

$2,200

$2,500

12% off
Best Buy
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Deal Details
Best Buy has Acer Predator Helios 18 Gaming Laptop w/ Protective Sleeve (PH18-71-94F1) on sale for $2199.99. Shipping is free, otherwise, select free curbside pickup as an alternative option.

Thanks to community member Dr.Wajahat for finding this deal

Note, curbside pickup may vary depending on location/availability.

Specs/Key Features
  • Intel i9 13900HX 24-Core/32-Threads 5.4GHz Processor (13th Gen)
  • 18" 2560x1600 QHD+ 250Hz 3ms 1000-Nits Mini LED Display w/ 1080p FHD Webcam
  • 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe Solid State Drive SSD
  • 32GB (2x16GB) SO-DIMM DDR5 Memory
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 12GB GDDR6 GPU
  • Intel Killer WiFi 6E AX1675 + Bluetooth
  • Lithium Ion Battery (90W)
  • RGB Backlit Keyboard w/ Precision Corning Gorilla Glass Touchpad
  • Windows 11 Home OS
    • Inputs
      • 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
      • 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
      • 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
      • 1x HDMI 2.1 with HDCP Support
      • 1x RJ-45
Warranty
  • Includes 1-year manufacturers warranty w/ purchase (parts + labor)

Editor's Notes

Written by Discombobulated | Staff
  • This Acer Predator Helios 18 gaming laptop is a 2023 model and offers a choice for serious gamers/power users w/ high to very high end components (high performance) + an extra PCIe M.2 slot for future upgradeability
  • This product offers a $300 Off or 12% Overall Discount/savings
  • Offer valid while supplies last
Additional Notes

Original Post

Written by Dr.W
Product Info
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Product Info
Community Notes
About the Poster
Best Buy has Acer Predator Helios 18 Gaming Laptop w/ Protective Sleeve (PH18-71-94F1) on sale for $2199.99. Shipping is free, otherwise, select free curbside pickup as an alternative option.

Thanks to community member Dr.Wajahat for finding this deal

Note, curbside pickup may vary depending on location/availability.

Specs/Key Features
  • Intel i9 13900HX 24-Core/32-Threads 5.4GHz Processor (13th Gen)
  • 18" 2560x1600 QHD+ 250Hz 3ms 1000-Nits Mini LED Display w/ 1080p FHD Webcam
  • 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe Solid State Drive SSD
  • 32GB (2x16GB) SO-DIMM DDR5 Memory
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 12GB GDDR6 GPU
  • Intel Killer WiFi 6E AX1675 + Bluetooth
  • Lithium Ion Battery (90W)
  • RGB Backlit Keyboard w/ Precision Corning Gorilla Glass Touchpad
  • Windows 11 Home OS
    • Inputs
      • 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
      • 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
      • 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
      • 1x HDMI 2.1 with HDCP Support
      • 1x RJ-45
Warranty
  • Includes 1-year manufacturers warranty w/ purchase (parts + labor)

Editor's Notes

Written by Discombobulated | Staff
  • This Acer Predator Helios 18 gaming laptop is a 2023 model and offers a choice for serious gamers/power users w/ high to very high end components (high performance) + an extra PCIe M.2 slot for future upgradeability
  • This product offers a $300 Off or 12% Overall Discount/savings
  • Offer valid while supplies last
Additional Notes

Original Post

Written by Dr.W

Community Voting

Deal Score
+18
Good Deal
Visit Best Buy

Price Intelligence

Model: Acer - Predator Helios 18-18" 250Hz Gaming Laptop HDR– Intel i9-13900HX with 32GB Memory–GeForce RTX 4080–1TB SSD - Abyssal Black

Deal History 

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Top Comments

Specs look amazing. 1000 nit mini-led 18" 250hz qhd screen. Solid. Anyone have this and care to comment on their experience?
Sorry, I got carried away but there is so little info on this laptop I figured someone will appreciate this.

tl;dr, at least from my brief impression, great performance, good thermals and amazing feature set for the price. It feels like a budget, premium laptop. They've cut corners in some areas but I think they've nailed it where it matters the most.

Here are some initial impressions.

13900HX, 4080 12 GB, 32 GB DDR5-5600 (16x2 Quad Channel, SK Hynix), 1 TB SSD (Micron 3400) and of course that beautiful HDR 1000 Mini-LED display.

Advanced Optimus, MUX switch, Thunderbolt 4, USB-C charging are all here

Build Quality 8/10
Build quality is good, not top-tier but good. It feels rigid, a bit heavy but not too bad. It's a massive laptop of course at 18 inches. Top and keyboard deck are metal, bottom panel feels plastic. It's not Razer level of build quality but it's about ROG Strix level of quality.

Keyboard 7.5/10
Keys are nicely spaced and don't feel crowded. Keys are a little smaller than I prefer but not close to a deal breaker. Key strokes are fairly punchy, it doesn't feel mushy. Overall I like it, 7.5/10 for a laptop keyboard. This may change overtime as I do a lot of typing.

RGB 8/10
RGB lighting is an 8/10. I dig the back light bar, even though you can't see it while using the laptop. The keys look good, not as good as a Razer laptop which I'd say is the best in class in terms of laptop keyboard RGB. A bit better than Asus though.

Trackpad 6/10
It feels good gliding my finger over it, I do believe it is a glass trackpad however it rattles a bit and feels hollow toward the bottom. Clicking the trackpad feels decent but taps don't feel great. Fine, micro movements feel somewhat unresponsive. If you have used Asus laptops, say a Zephyrus 14 or 16, this is probably 1-2 points lower than those but 1-2 points higher than something like an HP Omen.

Speakers 6/10
If a Macbook Pro 16 has 10/10 laptop speakers then this is probably a 6/10. I'm not an audiophile by any means but these have 0 bass. Clarity is decent. They are serviceable, if I'm trying to be immersed in music, movie or games then I'm grabbing my headphones.

Software 6/10
I've seen worse for sure. Most of the software is complete junk. PredatorSense is the control center software for the Helios 18. It's not as feature rich as something like Armoury Crate but there is less bloat. It's also responsive which is nice considering a lot of the time that has not been my experience using other laptops control center software. You can switch between 4 modes on AC power (Eco, Balanced, Performance and Turbo). You can control the fan speed but there is no fan curve editor which just plain sucks. Also I do appreciate when simple overclock controls are included but that is NOT the case here. You can customize the RGB from PredatorSense, it's decently extensive but I usually just go with the presets. Overall PredatorSense is a bit barebones.

Battery Life 5/10
I haven't had a lot of time to test battery life but at 70% brightness, Eco mode set, 250hz refresh, keyboard backlighting on, dgpu disabled, turbo boost disabled… I've run through 52% battery in 2 hours with mostly light use. So it's not great. I suspect most people don't buy an 18 inch laptop for its battery life though. I feel like 5 maybe 5.5 hours is possible if you optimize for battery life. Performance remains snappy in Eco/Silent mode which in my experience is not always the case so it's nice to see here.

Display 9/10
Trust me, I'm completely spoiled by beautiful displays in all of my devices at this point. This one holds up. I love OLED but HDR highlights are pure eye candy on this display. Black levels are good too. Great display, make sure to get the HDR Calibration tool from the Windows Store. Colors were a bit oversaturated at first. As far as I can tell you cannot set the display to single-zone mode like Asus laptops.

Thermals 8/10, Performance 9/10 (stock, no overclock, no undervolt, no custom fan curves)

Again, I haven't done extensive testing.

Timespy - Turbo Mode

18,838 / 18,863 Graphics / 18,704 CPU

During the graphics portion of the test the CPU averaged 80c, with a max of 85c. However the CPU quickly hit 100c during the CPU test, average around 98c.

The GPU averaged 81c, going as high as 85c at max.

This thing runs hot in Turbo and the fans get loud. I think in most games the temps will be fine. The other modes are far more intriguing to me however.

Timespy - Performance Mode

17,446 / 17,241 Graphics / 18,709 CPU

CPU never broke 71c during the graphics portion of the test, though it was roughly the same temps as Turbo mode during the CPU test.

The GPU hit a max of 76c during the test, averaged 74c or so.

The temps were good in this mode, the fan noise wasn't too bad either, much quieter than turbo. I can game without headphones in this mode.

Timespy - Balanced Mode

15,246 / 14,871 Graphics / 17,795 CPU

The CPU temps hit a max of 73c in the graphics test and stayed cooler averaging 92c in the CPU test.

The GPU hit a max of 75c, average around 72c.

Again temps were good in this mode. Fan noise was not distracting at all, you won't bother people next to you at all in this mode.

Timespy - Eco Mode

13,402 / 12,868 Graphics / 17,525 CPU

Temps were roughly the same in this mode as Balanced mode but now the fans were barely noticeable. I had to put my ear closer to the laptop to hear them which is actually really cool to consider that you are getting about the same performance as a 4070 laptop would get in Turbo mode.



From my initial impressions, I feel like this is a keeper. I will be using it heavily over the next week or 2 and make a final decision. I've never used an 18 inch laptop before and I can see how in some ways it's great (on my desk and the screen size) and how in some ways it's a bit too bulky (portability and using it on my lap). I guess that's not something I didn't already suspect but first hand experience is important to truly know. I'm thinking 16 inches is the sweet spot for me but I don't think an 18 inch laptop is a deal breaker, especially at this price point with these specs and features.

50 Comments

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Aug 14, 2023
150 Posts
Joined Nov 2016
Aug 14, 2023
Bearclawjohnson
Aug 14, 2023
150 Posts
Specs look amazing. 1000 nit mini-led 18" 250hz qhd screen. Solid. Anyone have this and care to comment on their experience?
1
Aug 14, 2023
1,445 Posts
Joined Sep 2018
Aug 14, 2023
AmusedPlastic6071
Aug 14, 2023
1,445 Posts
Good to see larger screen laptop making a comeback. Most people won't be carrying these around anyway, great desktop replacements. I'm waiting for one to go below $1700 with a decent dGPU. Kid needs a gaming computer and the full desktop setup is too much clutter.
Aug 14, 2023
2,016 Posts
Joined Nov 2010
Aug 14, 2023
ROKET
Aug 14, 2023
2,016 Posts
How do these laptops perform compared to their desktop counterparts these days? Im gearing up for a new build after several years and trying to decide if its worth it beyond the sheer enjoyment of the build. GPUs are so mf expensive still and deciding on all the different parts will take time. I assume they still underperform but doesnt hurt to have the portability I suppose.
Aug 14, 2023
19 Posts
Joined Jun 2023
Aug 14, 2023
TealPollution797
Aug 14, 2023
19 Posts
Quote from ROKET :
How do these laptops perform compared to their desktop counterparts these days? Im gearing up for a new build after several years and trying to decide if its worth it beyond the sheer enjoyment of the build. GPUs are so mf expensive still and deciding on all the different parts will take time. I assume they still underperform but doesnt hurt to have the portability I suppose.
the 4080m has a timespy score of around 19000 so its around a desktop 3090 i think
1
Aug 14, 2023
1,445 Posts
Joined Sep 2018
Aug 14, 2023
AmusedPlastic6071
Aug 14, 2023
1,445 Posts
Quote from ROKET :
How do these laptops perform compared to their desktop counterparts these days? Im gearing up for a new build after several years and trying to decide if its worth it beyond the sheer enjoyment of the build. GPUs are so mf expensive still and deciding on all the different parts will take time. I assume they still underperform but doesnt hurt to have the portability I suppose.
Apple to apple, desktop variants will always be better.
3
Aug 14, 2023
1,138 Posts
Joined Aug 2019
Aug 14, 2023
SlickCrayon1512
Aug 14, 2023
1,138 Posts
Quote from TealPollution797 :
the 4080m has a timespy score of around 19000 so its around a desktop 3090 i think
Probably 40 series vs 40 series is better since nobody really choose from 4080 laptop and 3090. The 4080 laptop looks like a 4070?
Aug 14, 2023
103 Posts
Joined May 2013
Aug 14, 2023
iamfeneq
Aug 14, 2023
103 Posts
Anyone have this exact model? I'm wondering if the description is wrong and it doesn't actually have a mini-led screen or some other feature. In the questions section there are users questioning the difference between similar models and even though Acer support has stated that it does indeed have Mini-LED I still wonder what the difference would be between the 2 models as they seem identical(wouldn't be the first time a companies support rep has been wrong on Best Buy).

PH18-71-94F1 is the model in this post with an MSRP that is $499 less than model PH18-71-940Q. If you go to Acer's website model 94F1 doesn't specifically mention Mini-LED backlighting but the more expensive model 940Q does have Mini-LED in the spec sheet. Curiously though, model 94F1 is listed as having a 250hz refresh rate display in the official spec sheet which is the same as the more expensive model and if you go to the promotional page for the Helios 18 there are 3 display types listed: 250HZ MINI LED1 WQXGA, 165/240HZ IPS WQXGA, 165HZ IPS WUXGA, which implies the cheaper model does actually have a mini led display. So then what is the difference between the 2 models, other than the price?

I guess I'll find out for sure on Thursday when it arrives Stick Out Tongue


(I'm thinking there is no mini-led display on this model)
Last edited by iamfeneq August 14, 2023 at 03:10 PM.

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Aug 14, 2023
1,415 Posts
Joined Dec 2013
Aug 14, 2023
vertical2394
Aug 14, 2023
1,415 Posts
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Last edited by vertical2394 August 14, 2023 at 09:51 PM.
5
Pro
Aug 15, 2023
3,241 Posts
Joined Jun 2015
Aug 15, 2023
TheNarratorr
Pro
Aug 15, 2023
3,241 Posts
I wish they'd make desktops with these specs for much cheaper, I'd pick one up.
3
Aug 15, 2023
575 Posts
Joined Dec 2021
Aug 15, 2023
CyanWriter8569
Aug 15, 2023
575 Posts
Wow. Amazing deal
1
Aug 15, 2023
125 Posts
Joined Mar 2019
Aug 15, 2023
jadephan
Aug 15, 2023
125 Posts
Why not 175W?
Aug 15, 2023
1,660 Posts
Joined Dec 2011
Aug 15, 2023
MyBallsItch
Aug 15, 2023
1,660 Posts
Quote from AmusedPlastic6071 :
Good to see larger screen laptop making a comeback. Most people won't be carrying these around anyway, great desktop replacements. I'm waiting for one to go below $1700 with a decent dGPU. Kid needs a gaming computer and the full desktop setup is too much clutter.
I'm waiting for this spec laptop to enter budget laptop territory. $6-700.

Good thing I'm not holding my breath.
1
Aug 15, 2023
25 Posts
Joined Apr 2014
Aug 15, 2023
mattwall45
Aug 15, 2023
25 Posts
Everything I want…..do I wait for Black Friday though. Tough to call
Aug 15, 2023
744 Posts
Joined Apr 2014
Aug 15, 2023
insaneXproval
Aug 15, 2023
744 Posts
I wouldn't spend that much on a gaming laptop unless the GPU has 12-16GB VRAM. 8GB even in lower resolutions is getting close to not enough. Remnant 2 and Deathloop are good examples.

EDIT: The post initially said 8GB GPU. Now it appears updated and says 12GB.
Last edited by insaneXproval August 15, 2023 at 07:46 AM.
8

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Aug 15, 2023
25 Posts
Joined Apr 2014
Aug 15, 2023
mattwall45
Aug 15, 2023
25 Posts
Quote from insaneXproval :
I wouldn't spend that much on a gaming laptop unless the GPU has 12-16GB VRAM. 8GB even in lower resolutions is getting close to not enough. Remnant 2 and Deathloop are good examples.
Best Buy link says 12gb. I don't think they make an 8gb 4080

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