The new Acer Predator 17X is absurdly powerful version of its predecessor with GTX 980 and Core i7-6820HK CPU

LaptopMedia.com Highlights The new Acer Predator 17X is absurdly powerful version of its predecessor with GTX 980 and Core i7-6820HK CPU

From: LaptopMedia Team 21 April 2016 / 17:03 1

A year after the first Predator notebooks came out, Acer just announced the updated version of the machine and despite the fact that the 17-incher isn’t looking any different than its predecessor, don’t get mistaken.

This year the laptop ditches the changeable fan/optical drive module to make room for a useful third irreplaceable fan but without removing the optical drive. Anyway, the Predator 17 swaps both of its chips with a desktop-grade NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 GPU and incorporates the unlocked for overclocking mobile Intel Core i7-6820HK processor. It’s impressive to see both chips into mostly the same body as before without any additional cooling solution like the ASUS ROG GX700’s liquid-cooled docking. Even Jason Chen, CEO of Acer, took the time to bash on ASUS a little.

Acer assures maximum performance without thermal throttling as the third fan, which is located at the front, sucks in cool air while the main cooling vents lead the hot air out of the system. We had the chance to try it and you can easily feel the cool air going inside the laptop while the surface around the keyboard remains ice-cold too. You can see the cooling design on the photos below.

Now let’s talk about compatibility and gaming features. The Predator 17X appears to be the first gaming laptop to support all available VR headsets and it’s actually VR-ready in any way possible. Also, NVIDIA G-Sync makes its way to the integrated display so, this time, you don’t need an external G-Sync-enabled monitor to enjoy the smooth gaming experience. This was the main drawback of the last generation so we are really happy to see it included in the specs.

Release dates and pricing hasn’t been mentioned yet but prepare your wallets as the desktop-grade NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 GPU isn’t cheap, especially integrated into this small form factor.

Specs sheet

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CPU	Intel Core i7-6820HK (4-core, up to 4.0 GHz, 8MB cache)
RAM	16 – 64GB DDR4, 2133MHz
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980
HDD/SSD	Three-SATA-SSD RAID 0 array
Display	17.3-inch Full HD / Ultra HD IPS, G-Sync
Price	$2799 (US), €2499 (EU), ¥39,999 (China)