Acer
Acer has introduced two new gaming laptops outfitted with the latest chips to enable AI features. The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 AI and Helios Neo 18 AI were announced at a recent Counter-Strike gaming tournament in Poland, according to Engadget.
The laptops can run processors up to Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU, which facilitates their AI features. Acer said it intends for the Helios Neo 16 model to be a portable gaming option, and the Helios Neo 18 to be good for replacing a desktop computer.
Acer
The Predator Helios Neo 16 features a 16-inch OLED WQXGA display with a 240Hz refresh rate, 400 nits maximum brightness, DCI-P3 100%, and 1 ms response time. The Helios Neo 18 features an 18-inch Mini LED WQXGA display with a 250Hz refresh rate, DCI-P3 100%, and 3 ms response time.
The Predator Helios Neo 16 AI and Helios Neo 18 AI both have simple and minimalist designs, with the Helios RGB logo prominent on the back panel, in addition to “dynamic 4-zone” RGB keyboards.
They have similar hardware support with 64GB of RAM and up to 2TB of internal storage. Other similarities between the devices include Intel Killer Ethernet and Wi-Fi 6E, for connectivity, as well as NVIDIA G-SYNC, Advanced Optimus, and MUX Switch.
The Helios Neo 16 supports Bluetooth 5.4 or above, while the Helios Neo 18 supports Bluetooth 5.3 or above. Many of the two laptops’ I/O ports are also identical. Both devices also have 90-watt-hour batteries.
The Predator Helios Neo 16 AI will be available in North America in April with a starting price of $1,900. The Predator Helios Neo 18 AI will be available in North America in May with a starting price of 2,200. They will also be available in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in June, with a starting price of €1,700 and €1,800 respectively.
Fionna Agomuoh is a Computing Writer at Digital Trends. She covers a range of topics in the computing space, including…
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