The Acer Predator Helios 300 has always been an excellent entry-level to mid-level gaming laptop thanks to its focus on the sweet spot between performance and price. As such, it has always been held up as one of the best gaming laptops over the past few years, and the updated 2020 model brings some minor but welcome aesthetic changes, including a 240Hz display, while keeping the cost per frame at a manageable level

Nvidia, Inc.

With the release of Nvidia's latest RTX 30 series of graphics cards, RTX 20 series laptops are in an interesting position. So if you are expecting to play Doom Eternal at ridiculously high frame rates, you may have to wait a little longer.

This year's Predator Helios 300 is powered by the latest Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB RAM (expandable to 32GB), 512GB SSD, 240Hz 1080p IPS panel display, and RTX 2070 Super with Max Q Design.1,. It boasts a $500 15-inch configuration.

There are several minor updates to the 2020 Helios 300 chassis, most notably the power adapter now plugs into the back instead of the side.

Another thing I noticed was that the Predator branding is only on the inside of the laptop. Some people may feel a bit uncomfortable using a laptop with "Predator" on it in public. Still, don't worry, the blue accents let everyone around you know that you are a gamer.

The anodized metal cover gives the Helios a sturdier feel than before.

The see-through keycaps really accentuate the 4-zone RGB lighting, and the ability to highlight the WASD keys and arrow keys using Predator Sense (Acer's software that controls lighting, overclocking, fan control, etc.) is I like it.

The stock 512GB SSD is frankly quite small considering the size of modern games; you'll be lucky if you can fit both Red Dead 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare on it with Windows installed. The Helios 300 has slots for two SSDs and one HDD, so you only need a driver and a decent-sized storage drive to upgrade.

At $1,500, it falls in the middle of mid-tier gaming laptops like the budget Dell G5 15 SE and the more expensive Asus Zephyrus G14. It is worth pointing out, however, that the Helios' gaming performance punches above its class, keeping it on par with the Asus G14 in almost every category, despite being a few hundred dollars cheaper.

CPU performance was less shocking, with the Intel Core i7-9750H CPU scoring a fairly reliable 1275 CB on Cinebench R15 and 5182 on Geekbench 5, which is roughly on par with half a dozen Intel systems we tested this year. This means that the Helios 300 is more than ready to handle the most common CPU-intensive tasks like video and photo editing.

Speaking of games, the 2070 Max-Q with ray tracing turned on recorded decent numbers: 42 fps on Metro Exodus and 54 fps on Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War Saga: Troy at over 75 fps and almost 70 fps in Division 2.

For those who want to boost their gaming performance just a little bit and enjoy the feeling, sound, and intensity of it, the Turbo button is Acer's one-touch GPU overclocking feature. The Predator laptop has this simple feature designed to get the most extra gaming performance possible.

While it is a great feature in theory, as we saw with the Predator Triton earlier this year, it actually only provides a performance boost of about 1-3%. It also makes the system very hot and loud. Honestly, I don't think its worth it unless you are really keen on maximizing frames per second. Or you have a really good noise-canceling gaming headset.

The 15-inch Predator Helios 300, however, at $1,500, offers high-end 1080p gaming performance at a mid-range price. The practicality of the Turbo button is questionable, but even without it. Design changes are small but smart (e.g., the power cord is on the back instead of the side), the space for three storage drives (2x SSD, 1x HDD) is convenient, and the price/performance ratio is excellent. These make the latest Acer Helios 300 a strong contender for one of the best gaming laptops of the year.