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日本Acer Predator Helios 18 (PH18-72) review – Desktop Performance in a Mini LED Laptop
Not so long ago, the 17.3-inchers were the biggest laptops for gaming (with a few exceptions like the Acer Predator 21X). Now, wealthy gamers and power users can buy big 18″ devices with top-tier hardware. The Acer Predator Helios 18 (PH18-72) is a notebook that is offered with high-end hardware. This includes the Intel Core i9-14900HX (which is the only CPU option) and the 175W GeForce RTX 4080 (Laptop) or RTX 4090 (Laptop). All that is complemented by a 1600p IPS screen that could be a Mini LED variant with 250Hz refresh rate and HDR support or a standard 240Hz panel.
Acer mentions that this machine is meant for enthusiasts, performance seekers, and competitive gamers. That is possible thanks to the great hardware and the big cooling solution. The huge thermal system has two AeroBlade 3D fans and vector heat pipes with wider contact surfaces for better heat transfer.
You can control most functions of the laptop through the PredatorSense app. There, you can switch between the power presets, and you can choose an operation mode for the graphics card like Optimus or dGPU-only. Yep, expectedly, the laptop has all the needed goodies for a top-of-the-line gaming machine such as a MUX switch, Nvidia Advanced Optimus, and G-Sync.
You can also rely on a full-sized keyboard, a huge touchpad, and a very good port selection. The upgradability is also spot-on and you get Wi-Fi 7 for connectivity.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/acer-predator-helios-18-ph18-72/
Contents
- Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box
- Design and construction
- Display quality, Health impact (PWM), Sound
- Buy our profiles
- Performance: CPU, GPU, Gaming Tests
- [eBook Guide + Tools] How to MAX OUT your Laptop
- Temperatures and comfort, Battery Life, Performance presets comparison
- Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance
- Storage performance
- Verdict
Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box
Acer Predator Helios 18 (PH18-72) - Specs
- HDD/SSD
- up to 2000GB SSD
- M.2 Slot
- 2x 2280 PCIe NVMe 4.0 x4 See photo
- RAM
- up to 32GB
- OS
- Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 Home
- Battery
- 90Wh, 4-cell
- Body material
- Plastic / Polycarbonate, Aluminum
- Dimensions
- 404 x 311.6 x 26.9 - 28.9 mm (15.91" x 12.27" x 1.06")
- Weight
- 3.25 kg (7.2 lbs)
- Ports and connectivity
- 1x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
- 1x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)
- 1x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Sleep and Charge
- 2x USB Type-C
- 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Thunderbolt 4, Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
- HDMI
- 2.1
- Card reader
- microSD (microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC)
- Ethernet LAN
- 10, 100, 1000, 2500 Mbit/s
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11be
- Bluetooth
- 5.4
- Audio jack
- 3.5mm Combo Jack
- Features
- Fingerprint reader
- Web camera
- FHD with Temporal Noise Reduction
- Backlit keyboard
- Microphone
- Dual Microphone with Acer Purified Voice
- Speakers
- Speaker System optimized by DTS X:Ultra Audio
- Optical drive
- Security Lock slot
- Kensington Lock
All Acer Predator Helios 18 (PH18-72) configurations
Drivers
All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://www.acer.com/us-en/support/product-support/Predator_PH18-72/downloads?suggest=PH18-72;0
What’s in the box?
Inside the package, you’ll find a huge 330W barrel plug adapter and the laptop itself hidden in a smaller box for extra protection. Some devices are also bundled with two sets of Predator MagKey 3.0 WASD keycaps (that’s a region-dependent extra).
Is this any better than the 4080 i13? Is the cooling system better? Can you undervolt this version?