Acer Predator Helios 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition (PH3D15-71) review – it’s a powerhouse but the stereoscopic 3D effect isn’t perfect

Name: Acer Predator Helios 3D 15 SpartialLabs Edition
Brand: Acer

LaptopMedia.com Reviews and Analysis Acer Predator Helios 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition (PH3D15-71) review - it's a powerhouse but the stereoscopic 3D effect isn't perfect Page 10

From: Nikolay Palaozov 10 November 2023 / 14:32 | 0

10. Verdict

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Verdict

The Acer Predator Helios 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition (PH3D15-71) is a powerhouse meant for gaming. The Intel Core i9-13900HX and the 175W GeForce RTX 4080 are a great choice even for 4K gaming. The cooling is potent, the CPU can maintain high P and E core frequencies under heavy stress and the GPU can sustain 174W in gaming. This only applies while the “Turbo” mode is active and it comes with a bonus – a very high and intrusive fan noise. The fans are clearly audible even in idle.

In “Performance” mode, the CPU and the GPU power limits are a bit lower in the long run, but the noise is absolutely acceptable. Of course, you can try to undervolt and overclock the GPU and set a custom fan curve in order to extract more performance and even less noise. On the flip side, when it comes to pure power, this is a 15.6″ laptop that can compete with the top dogs with 17.3″ and 18″ displays – not bad at all. This reminds us that the price of this machine is as high as some other gaming devices with heftier screens.

One of the main reasons for that is the 4K 3D display (AUO B156ZAN03.R (AUO39A4)). It reaches a maximum brightness of 451 nits and a 1470:1 contrast ratio which is good. We were also impressed by the 100% sRGB and the 90% DCI-P3 coverage. Thanks to our “Design and Gaming” profile, the color accuracy is enhanced from a 3.4 score to an average dE value of 2.1 which is better. Now, let’s talk about the stereoscopic 3D. You can see the compatible games with this effect on the SpatialLabs site. You have to use their “True Game” software if you want to see games in 3D.

We tried God Of War and Shadow of the Tomb Raider and yeah, these titles look cool in this mode but we started to feel a bit of eye strain after an hours of gaming. We also spot some crosstalk here and there and some scenes were too dark while the FPS of the game was hindered. The big problem here is that you have to sit perfectly straight in front of the eye-tracking sensors. If you move your head a bit on the left or on the right, the image becomes a blurry.

This isn’t very comfortable for long hours of gaming or watching movies. Yep, the sweet spot position for enjoying 3D content without distortion isn’t the perfect comfortable sitting position, at least in most cases. This also means that other people around you can’t see the stereoscopic “magic” in its full glory. Also, standard 2D content in fullscreen can be converted to 3D (by pressing “Alt” + “G”) but the end result is kind of meh. Note that the resolution in 3D mode drops to 1920x2160p.

The Acer Predator Helios 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition (PH3D15-71) is an interesting gadget for wealthy gamers or enthusiasts. Its display can show crisp and sharp images in 2D while the overall quality of the 3D effect is questionable. Actually, it was very interesting to play games without wearing glasses but the technology definitely needs improvement. If money isn’t a problem and you want to experience something fresh and new, buying this laptop can give you a bit more fun than usual. On the other hand, for that kind of price tag, you can find gaming devices with bigger 2D displays and GeForce RTX 4090 under the hood.

The short battery life and the noise levels in “Turbo” mode can be a real no-go for some people. Still, the build quality is very good, the cooling can successfully tame the powerful internals, and the port selection includes five USB ports and even an SD Card reader.

You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/acer-predator-helios-3d-15-spartiallabs-edition-ph3d15-71/

Pros

Excellent CPU and GPU performance
The RTX 4080 can sustain 174W and ~2200 MHz during long gaming sessions
The 32-thread Core i9-13900HX can maintain very high clocks and power limits under maximum stress
2x M.2 Gen 4 slots, 2x DDR5 RAM SODIMMs in dual-channel
Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.1
Covers 100% of thesRGB and 90% of the DCI-P3 color gamut (AUO B156ZAN03.R (AUO39A4))
No PWM (AUO B156ZAN03.R (AUO39A4))
Stereoscopic 3D display (AUO B156ZAN03.R (AUO39A4))
Has a MUX switch
Wide port selection
Great input devices
The keyboard remains cool after long gaming sessions
Good build quality
High-end parts inside of a metal 15.6″ chassis