Check out my full review of Acer's Helios 300 here for all the details: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/o9OCnKWU2OCplmw.html

Ain't nothing worse when you buy a laptop and a KZfaqr drops a video like this

I remember when predator helios was the go to for gaming laptops in that range. It's sad

Based on the glowing recommendations from many reviewers, I purchased a Helios 300 (2019) and have been very happy with it. Needless to say, processors and GPUs offer much more now. It is sad to see the 2021 version of the Helios 300 performing so poorly out of the box.

I was going to buy this laptop, but I ended up buying the legion 5 due to your recommendation. After seeing this video, I'm thankful I didn't. Your reviews are the best laptop reviews on KZfaq.

I admit, with your objectivity you're the best laptop review ever no one else better than you are

You should have reviewed RTX 3060 variant because most of us would be looking for that one in budget.

just bought this laptop 2 weeks ago, Helios 300 i7-11800H with RTX-3060 in my opinion: this laptop is the cheapest & best in its class

Wow, they've come full circle in two years: Best laptop for the $$ to worst laptop for the $$, that's impressive in a negative way.

They have capped the Max GPU Temp to 85° so when the GPU reaches 85° it bottlenecks the TGP of the GPU. Try keeping the temps below 84° and observe the TGP.

Can you review the msi gf65 thin, in case you get your hands on it? Its supposed to be one of the cheapest rtx 3060 laptop.

Yes thank jarrod have really been looking forward to this one. Your my favourite youtuber when it comes to covering gaming laptops.

ASUS is treating their TUF A15 with more care and respect than Acer is with the Helios 300 🤡

2019 Helios 300: Best in it's category 2020 Helios 300: Fall from grace 2021 Helios 300: Worst in it's category

Is there any freaking laptop worth to buy cuz all laptops are the worst to you. Also i have noticed something some youtubers say for any laptop "this laptop is good and its worth buying" others might say "its bad and not recommended". WTF I AM CONFUSED. it seems everyone assume different things.

UPDATE...New bios version 1.08 is out now can you do some tests and tell us if anything has changed? Thanks

I got the rtx 3060 model with 1tb ssd and it works perfectly, I got no problems

I’m really thankful I went for the Legion 5 instead of having regrets on this one. This was my very first choice for my first gaming laptop. I guess me liking the Legion 5 more because of the design and battery life was a blessing in disguise in almost every aspect as well.

The difference from 2 years ago when I bought a Helios 300 as the most outstanding performer in your reviews...wow, what a fall.

Pls include Acer Predator Helios 300 with i7 10870h and rtx 3060. Humble Request

I was expecting the 3060 version review but that will do, i hope we can see a 3060 model review and maybe the problems are fixed then, thanks ❤️

I have this laptop with 2k screen , Rtx 3060 and Dual channel Ram. I tested the Wattage output. For games like FIFA 22 max wattage output is 85W. For TEKKEN 7 it's 95W and for Heavy games like RDD2 it's 105W. All games tested on Turbo mode. So I don't think wattage is capped at 75-80W as 3070.

i have the exact same laptop the only issue is the gppu clock speed not exceeding 1290 mhz but other than that it works super well great cooling never exceeds 70 plus degrees max like 75 for my cpu. my gpu runs 50 constantly .Many laptops suffer with cooling issues the turbo button works well .only issue is u cant undervolt cpu and the gpu clock speed cannot go above 1290 mhz

I just wanted to take the moment to say that you are incredible, Jarrod.

I have this laptop(i7 11800H, RTX3060, 32GM RAM, 1 TB SSD -nvme). And what I need to say, i never had worse laptop in my life. Laptop freezes on 1-2s -Acer serwis say its normal, despite on the web people have the same problem. Screen has yellow stains. At the begining my laptop had low temperature but after 2 mounth temperature increase to 80-90 degrees of celsius. (176 °F). High price, expensive than MSI with the same parameters (about 500$). I never buy this shit again.

I own the 3060 variant of this laptop and it performs similarly or better than most of these tests. Mine came with 16gb dual channel for reference.

I have a 2020 Predator 300 and about a month ago updated it with an extra 2gb SSD and I will updated the ram to a double 64gb 2933 that should be supported according to my processor specs. So far no problems except that every now and then when my windows auto updates, I completely lose the sound from both speakers and headset jack so I need to remove the installation of all these sound drivers and reinstall an older one.

This video also works as kind of a guide of all the small upgrades you can do to a laptop to boost performance. Awesome video!

It aint a legion 5 thats for sure

I have the 3060 version and runs like a champ the gpu always runs 105 wats no problem in games I think this problems it's only for the 3070 version

I'm not sure this is 100% the case here, but if it's similar to the Nitro 5, the lift to the GPU power limit is a two-part firmware update. Firstly there's the nvidia VBIOS itself which will typically be v1.0x, and then there's the system bios which impacts the boosting request which is typically a v2.0x file. Both contribute to the lifted power limit.

I owe this laptop since 3 months ago. The price is affordable compared to other RTX3060 laptop. Its thermal dissipation and gaming performance are good and beyond my expectation. Although it is heavy and noisy fan, it can runs most games in ultra setting smoothly. I like it very much.

i bought the 3060 version a week ago with none of these issues; dual chnnel , gsync, 105w all day, it's awsome. played alyx (vr) on medium set. boarderlands 3 with high temps of 72C and around 80 fps on high. the cons are the 512gb drive and cl22 mem, I think the drive might be gen 4 though, which would be a pro

no issues what so ever with the 2020 model and i7-10750H and the 3060!

Dynamic boost is trash. Why not just give us the opportunity to limit tdp however we want via software? There's no reason that gpu can't run on 110w while the cpu withdraws 35w. Why do companies keep using this stupid method?

You finally did it mate! I was looking forward to buying this laptop last month, but I ended up getting a Gigabyte Aorus 15P KD which has an i7-11800, rtx 3060 100-115W, 16gb ram dual channel and 512gb ssd nvme pcie 4.0. And I have to say that I'm very very pleased with this laptop and glad I didn't end up with Acer.

This is why I am a PROUD owner of the 2019 Helios. Still going strong!

I have this laptop i would recommend this laptop to anyone who is looking for a good gaming laptop and the RTX and ram and storage can be upgraded but its all around a really good laptop and i have no problems with it

I Purchased my Helios 300 version 2021 and it's working just fine, my GPU is RTX3060 and Playing Call of Duty, God Of War, Destiny II and so like others with Ultra Settings which gives me FPS: 135 ~ 144 was an Excellent approach to test my Graphics Card, and regarding the Slot Channel for RAM I received my Laptop with 16GB RAM in both Slots Occupied, it is strange to find a Video in KZfaq giving this reputation for one of the best Laptops in the Market compared to its price beside other Laptops... !

I have the Triton 500SE. Outside of it running hot I'm pretty happy with it. I will say having the Predator Sense software running to monitor performance will raise the CPU temps substantially. After downloading MSI Afterburner and using that instead of Predator Sense my average CPU temps while gaming dropped from 95 degrees to about 80 degrees (with cooling pad)

As always an awesome review! Keep them coming :) I have this exact laptop. Bought when Harveys had a big sale on all Acer products. First thing i changed was the RAM. Unfortuantly all i had was 2 x 16gb 2666mhz sticks. But even with that i found it was faster then the stock 1 x 16gb 3200mhz stick. I only use this laptop with external monitors(triple monitors 1 x 165hz and 2 x 75hz). with the monitors i get solid 180fps in Fortnite. Its not a bad laptop and for the price was a good deal.

These problems don't apply to the 3060 variant, the slight overclock in turbo mode more than makes up for the power deficit, outperforms strix with the 5900, cpu hasn't crossed 86° in anything except new world very high 2k(not the greatest descision I've made). The battery life sucks, just upgrade to dual channel ram and you will be good to go. Edit: I've also plugged it to a external monitor so that might affect my descision. Also ps: I get 160+ fps on apex low at 2k resolution on a 3060 just to show you the difference to the given benchmarks

I own a 2019 model Predator Helios 300 - 9750h gtx1660ti 16gb of ram and I'm very happy with it. It's really sad to see how now Acer makes a not so good laptop compare with others. Hope to become again the quality manufacturer we used to know before...

This guy is splitting hairs, no ones gives a shit about most of the insignificant "problems" you mention, infact most if not all gamers have no idea what your even saying.

I still have the older GTX 1660 from 2 years ago. It still kicks ass! But how it seems to have fallen in this model 😔😔

Yeah im sorry , I've been following you for the longest time , and after receiving your reply i decided to do my own bench test 110 is the voltage , straight out of the box , either there is something wrong with your laptop or you are doing something wrong , ussually your reviews are impecable but i feel like you dropped the ball on this one , mind you im using the 3060 variant. Edit: Im not discrediting you , you are one of the best reviewers out there , im just saying that the 3060 is just much better ,weirdly enough . Keep up the good work and i hope you reach 1mil subs soon.

Yeah u r right Jarrod. Even I don't I got an single channel and I'm just not satisfied with it. I'm getting only 50 fps. After upgrading I got easily 100 fps and acer thinks their customers are shit. After upgrading it just performs better than omen. I own an rtx 3060 and I own 1440p display. It doesn't have any backlight bleed. If u planning to buy a rtx 3060 varient and going to upgrade ram. Trust me it's a beast. If u can't trust. Just check my channel

Sorry didn't watch the whole thing, but obviously somebody paid this guy to do it. Bought this laptop a few days ago to change my HP Omen, and it's a great machine for the money! The screen is wonderful, very bright, clear, sharp and colorful. All games not just run, they fly! No overheating or anything like that. Also it's very quiet when performing regular tasks like browsing, and not so loud when gaming. I was surprised to find the last generation m2 ssd inside of it which gives you around 6k reading speed and kingston ddr4 memory, 2 planks 8gb each, 3200khz! The laptop by itself looks very solid and nice, with all the modern design and rgb ligtining. Maybe there are better laptops but I cannot say anything bad about this one.

I thought buying it at first , but now im down to 2 options . MSI GP76 rtx 3070 i7 11800h or Aorus 17G rtx 3070 i7 11800h . Any thoughts on those 2??

Damn... Acer should be embarrassed for creating this laptop. Thanks for the awesome "review" as always :)

I learned exactly this about the helios 300 - the hard way. The not existing mux switch kills it all.

Hey guys, got the RTX 3060 16GB RAM dual channel version and QHD 165hz 3ms screen, for me the screen is decent, just has a little bit of backlight blead at the corner. And my GPU power reached 105Watt and gaming is good. I play witcher 3 ultra setting on 1080p average around 130 to 160fps depends on some areas. Kena game is around 90FPS on ultra setting.😂😊

Hey Jarrod! Question :a normal PC with 3070 and a laptop with 3070 with external monitor..which will perform better?

Used to own the RTX2060 helios 300..it was one of the best in that range. How it has fallen sigh

I just bought this laptop with upgraded ram to 32gb dual channel rtx3070. seems everything running very smooth and I still not found any issue during 4K gaming with max settings. I think the issue with the bios updates cz acer released bios updates 11/2021. So once you update your bios correctly no issue mate.

I’ve finally stopped buying high end gaming laptops and just bought a desktop instead. I used to travel a lot but don’t do it anymore and I want more performance for less. I still have my Helios 300 with a gtx 1660ti which is more than enough if I do have to go somewhere.

Hey jarod, I bought the rtx3060, i7-11th gen helios 300 2 months ago It has bios version 1.07 and i tested the power consumption of the gpu while playing cyberpunk 2077 and it was going upto the full 105 watts I can provide proof if you want.

I just returned my Helios 300 i7-11800H/RTX3060 due to screen bleeding and opted for Legion 5 R7 5800H/RTX3060. Best decision I have ever made. 😅

I purchased 2019 Predator 315-52, with i7 9750H, RTX 2060, dual channel 16 GB RAM based on your recommendation. It has been nearly two years, its performance is excellent, no issues with stock CPU undervolt or GPU overclocking, thermals are good and screen is decent. It is also easy to undervolt with throttlestop. It was the only RTX 2060 laptop within my budget at that time. However, if I had to buy a laptop today, I would go for Legion 5 Pro.

another problem is the keyboard's sharp corners. just put that laptop in your backpack and carry it for a trip (in a little tight space) and you will see the trace of the keys and scratches on the screen

I've got this laptop and it does what it needs to do it's practical and can play games if you want super extreme just get a desktop

I bougt the 2021 model, i7 11 gen. 3060. 16gb ram, and have no complains, the best laptop I've ever had, so powerful, great performance and design, the screen has stunning colors and brightness. Predator forever.

Another problem with this laptop is, my unit has a warranty void sticker above one screw so i cant even upgrade ram and storage

It's annoying that there are so many variants of same laptop, that u can't get full picture with one single review. I just bought yesterday predator 300 and haven't yet tested it, but it's PH315-53-720R variant.

I have the helios 300 with a 10th gen proc and besides the fact that they put a single stick of 16 gigs in I'm satisfied with it (of course after correcting their mistake). It's not bulky and has great Temps (I did add liq metal) and is quiet while doing non intensive stuff. Mux switch woulda been good but I've got a dp monitor so it's fine. I also missed out on tb support but the newer ones did come 6 months after I bought mine so it's cool ig.

I have the 3060 variant w 10500h. GPU runs up to 90W, generally in the 80-87W range during warzone.

I have Acer Predator Helios 300 i7 10870h and 3060 (105) watts. The only problem in it is single channel RAM. The gpu can boost upto 105 Watts

I'm shocked, thank you for this great work , so do you recommend the RTX 3060 you provided in the description with MUX switch ?

This was Acer's best midrange laptop. But these compromises are very worth nitpicking considering the price you have to pay for this. Even in MY the price are so steep that Asus Strix series are way more competitively priced with specs far better than the Predator Helios could match. How the mighty have fallen indeed.

Do prometheus Mech-15 please haha

Acer what happened? Who hurt you?

This honesty is the reason why i subscribed to your channel while other channels are just mumbling and hiding things up

The design looks so outdated.

I like how in my country, the Legion 5 with a 5600H and RTX 3060 combo is cheaper than the 2021 Predator with an 11400H and RTX 3060 like what was Acer thinking pricing it higher where the competition had all around better specs than theirs?

Do you think I should just wait for the 2022 model or should I just buy the 2021 version? I mainly do editing and 3d render on AutoCad. Also do you have any recommendations for a good balance laptop?

Still waiting for your 2022 helios 300 reveiw before buying

This would have been cool to compare it to the 2019 model... I know you gave the 2019 a great review..and even said it was one of the best laptops of the year...(which is why i bought it) I wonder how it would stack up in 2021...

When you watch this three days after getting the dam laptop!!

This is actually disheartening because the predator Helios 300 used to be the king of the mid range gaming laptop scene not too long ago….

Im actually really bummed now, I looked online as much as I could, I thought this was THE laptop for me. After watching this is fucking sad, I ordered it about 2 weeks back and unfortunately because of my situation i can't get a refund, or change laptops. Shipping will take maybe 1 month to 2, so I will be stuck with this 😔 3060 version

In India, you get quad hd panel 165hz with 3060. And I have just bought it, so no complaints and I have not experienced any of the bugs yet. Works like heaven. And yeah, you get dual channel ram

Very disappointed on Acer. The quality is declining and their marketing is getting very weird. I got very hyped when they announced Helios 500 in May and started saving money for it. It's November and nobody seen Helios 500 yet. It's almost like it doesn’t exist. Got an Elutroniks instead. way better.

I don't want to justify 2021's Helios 300 but just wondering. Why are still almost all the gaming laptop manufacturers insisting on putting Optimus based system to their laptops? Can't they eliminate Optimus forever?

Ah crap I already bought this laptop... But I bought it because it was the cheapest 3070 laptop that's readily available. Was going for the L5 Pro but the preorder took way too long (I'm talking like 3 months+) and I need a laptop ASAP. I upgraded the RAM to dual channel 32gb and added a second 512gb SSD. The specs are spot on with what's Jarrod's getting, but mine has QHD screen (colors are good though, just it doesn't get very bright, I think it's around 300-350 nits). I use this laptop mainly to do creative work and rendering, so the QHD display is really important. So far I've only played Metro Exodus: Enhanced Edition in this laptop, and I'm getting around 60-80 FPS on ultra settings 1440p with my external display (idk if this is a good figure, hehe). I don't do a lot of gaming and benchmarks, so overall I'm pretty pleased with this laptop (since I'm coming from an crappy ass AMD FX PC that's almost 13 years old), my biggest complaints are the abysmal battery life, the buggy ass Acer software, and the bloatware. Great review Jarrod! looking forward to the full review.

Another awesome video! It's unfortunate how one of the top picks from 2019 turned this way now. I noticed at 6:35 that the dual channel RAM makes a much smaller difference in the external screen test compared to the standard (Optimus) results; is there a specific reason for that?

Imagine comparing a 3070 to a 3080/90 or to a 1650 and saying 3070 is bad because it goes bad in statistics with better laptops. Makes no sense

Hope it’s just an error of your model, in my country all helios models are shipped with 2k monitor 100%dcip3 and dual 8gb ram. I watched other channels test the 3060 and 3070 models, they all reach 100w easily

Acres have always been shit. Ever since the 90s man. Had 1 Acer for school, and it always stuffed up. Never again, its a dead beat brand.

The Helios models were once top notch for gaming, older models of Helios were all good and performed well until this model, Acer really need to step up their game for Helios 300

I have a Helios 300 with a rtx 2060 and a i7 I brought recently at the start of the year I didn't know there were different modles at the time just wondering if it was any good spec wise?

Hey Jarrod! Thank you for a great video as always! I'm looking to upgrade my Aero 15 XA classic with RTX 2070 max q. I've been having some heating issues and got a tablet for my studies so no longer need a thin n light. Do you have any recommendations for an RTX 3070 with Ryzen under 2000 USD? Would really help to get an answer please 🙏

In India we get the 11th gen i7 rtx 3060 with 3ms reponse quad hd 165 hz screen having dcip3 100%. Also the ram is 16 gb in dual channel config(8*2). During my test the 105w rated rtx 3060 never went below 95 w. Seems these problems are either with the system shipped in the location with fhd 144 hz screen or only with rtx 3070 models. Please look if you can get a hold of a qhd rtx 3060 variant.

In my country, this helios with 3070 and legion 5i pro 3060 are being sold at exactly the same price, so which one to buy? 😅

Of course I find this after I buy one....

10 Euro Acer will blame all on Corona component shortage while just going as cheap as possible to maximize earnings.

The title should be "Acer's Helios 300 (2021 with 3070) has BIG Problems... this makes my heart jump because of knowing it. good thing all of the problem in 2021 has not been seen on 2020 3060 100w models and plus its cheap with a gaming chair that cost 1200$ and it performs very well..

Jarrod can you do a 165Hz 1440p, rtx 3060 model review for Helios 300 with 11800H?

I have this same model with the 3070 decided to test last night on the GPU power usage at got a max of around 122 watts. So maybe it got fixed?

You'd think some manufacturers learnt from the backslash last generation, and would never ship a gaming laptop with single channel memory again... But here comes Acer, saying loud and clear that they hate costumers and don't want to sell a single unit

hi Jarrod, Do youmind to test 17"(PH317-55) model of Helios? i think it's a good topic to talk about, the spec is way too different 140W(PH317-55) vs 105W(PH315-54). The screen seems nice on 17" model as well Hope you can have a look about it.