The juggernaut of a laptop that is the Acer Predator Helios 700 is getting a hardware refresh for 2020, revealed at this year’s next@Acer livestream.
It comes with the expected CPU and GPU refresh- 10th-gen Intel Core CPUs (i9-10980HK or i7-10875H) and Nvidia RTX Super GPUs (RTX 2080 Super or RTX 2070 Super).
With more power comes more responsibility… in dissipating heat. The Helios 700 with Core i9 comes with the Predator PowerGem. It’s a new proprietary thermal solution Acer is using for its higher-end gaming laptops. It also has three copper pipes, a vapour chamber and two Aeroblade 3D cooling fans- also proprietary Acer tech.
Other upgrades include a faster 2933 Hz RAM, two Thunderbolt 3 ports instead of one and the latest Killer DoubleShot Pro for wireless.
The sliding Hyperdrift keyboard is not new. What’s new is that the WASD keys are now using MagForce mechanical switches. Unlike regular keyboard switches that operate digitally (on or off), these switches are analog, as in it can detect the pressure of the key press.
The logical use of this new feature? Play racing games.
Racing games, especially proper sim racers, require the granular inputs of the throttle, brake and steering to drive cars faster. So the analog MagForce switches do prove useful here. In fact, it also comes with special WASD keycaps specifically designed for racing games, with a longer 1.5mm curvature just so you have more depth in controlling the inputs.
We made multiple eurobeat jokes when we first got our hands on the Helios 700, but we didn’t expect it to go this far.
If you want a beefy laptop with the power of an ultimate desktop, and for some reason want to play racing games with a keyboard instead of a controller, the 2020 Predator Helios 700 got you covered.
It’s retailing at $2,399.99 USD (roughly RM 10,268.36) in North America and will launch there in October. We should hear from Acer Malaysia soon about the availability and price for it here, but judging from the 2019 model, expect in the RM15,000-RM18,000 range.