How to open Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 (PHN18-71) – disassembly and upgrade options

Power off the laptop and place it on a soft surface to avoid scratches.
Remove the 13 Torx-head screws from the bottom panel.
Carefully lift the rear side by holding the two plastic exhaust vents. Ensure not to apply excessive force to avoid damage.
Use a plastic pry tool to gently separate the rest of the panel, starting from the Ethernet connector area and moving towards the front.

Step 2: Battery Removal

Disconnect the battery by unplugging its connector from the motherboard.
Remove the 2 Phillips-head screws and lift the 90.61Wh battery out of its chassis.

More info: The battery provides up to 4 hours and 30 minutes of web browsing or 3 hours and 30 minutes of video playback.

Memory Upgrade

Access the RAM zone by removing the metal plate, which is secured by two central screws from the bottom panel. Use a lever tool if necessary.
While officially supporting up to 32GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM, the CPU’s capability to handle up to 192GB suggests the potential for greater memory configurations.

You can buy DDR5 RAM modules here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Storage Upgrade

Identify the two M.2 slots that support 2280 Gen 4 SSDs. Note that RAID 0 configuration is also supported for improved performance.

You can buy Gen 4 M.2 SSD modules here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Hint: Don’t forget to check out our Top M.2 SSDs Performance Rankings to select the best storage solution for your needs.

Cooling System Overview

The laptop features an extensive cooling solution with two different types of fans: a plastic one for the CPU and a metal Aeroblade 3D fan for the GPU.
Liquid metal is applied to the CPU, and rectangular vector heat pipes enhance heat transfer efficiency between the processor, graphics card, and the cooling system’s components.
Additional cooling components include multiple heat pipes, four heat sinks, and two large metal plates for effective heat dissipation.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 (PHN18-71) in-depth review

With the Predator Helios Neo 18 (PHN18-71), Acer wants to offer a not-so-expensive 18-incher that is still a capable gaming device with a huge display. The design and even the internals are very similar to the Acer Predator Helios 18 (PH18-72). This is great because the PH18-72 sibling is one of the best high-end devices that we have tested up to date. The latter is configured with just top-of-the-line hardware. This also applies to the PHN18-71 if you pick a machine with the most powerful CPU and GPU options. Here, you can choose between five Intel Raptor Lake-HX processors and three NVIDIA [...]

Read the full review

Pros

2x SODIMMs + 2x M.2 Gen 4 slots
100% sRGB and 99% DCI-P3 coverage + accurate color representation with our "Design and Gaming" profile (AUO B180QAN01.1 (AUOEB95))
165Hz 1600p IPS display with snappy pixel response times (AUO B180QAN01.1 (AUOEB95))
G-Sync support + MUX switch + NVIDIA Advanced Optimus
Great port selection with two Thunderbolt 4 connectors
Comfortable input devices
Good chassis rigidity
Very high GPU clocks during gaming + around 134W GPU TGP
The optional Core i9-14900HX can maintain high frequencies under long full loads
The fans aren't extremely noisy in "Turbo" mode
The bottom plate can be easily opened
Great overall performance
A lot of RGB options
The PredatorSense app offers many useful extras