Opinion
The Copilot key is coming (unfortunately)
by Martin Jud
Acer gaming laptops in small format: Predator Helios Neo 14 and Nitro 14 presented
11/4/2024
Translation: machine translated
If you don't want to do without lightweight luggage or mobile laptop gaming, the Predator Helios Neo 14 and the Acer Nitro 14 are two interesting new options.
Acer is entering a market with two 14.5-inch gaming laptops, where the competition, such as its Razer Blade 14 or Asus ROG Zephyrus G14. The new Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 with Intel Core Ultra CPU can hold a candle to these two not only in terms of hardware specifications, but also in terms of price.
The new Nitro 14 with an AMD CPU from the current Ryzen 8040 series is a little cheaper. It is the little sibling of the Nitro 16, which has also been upgraded. However, this is another Intel laptop that does not yet come with the new Ultra CPU - which, thanks to Intel AI Boost, also leads to the term "AI laptop" in marketing.
This AI laptop designation can be applied not only to Intel Ultra notebooks, but also to the Nitro 14 with AMD CPU, which also contains an AI chip. The new notebooks from Acer also all have a Copilot button, which calls up the Windows AI at the touch of a button.
All major manufacturers are making the switch and will always be supplying their new CPUs or system-on-a-chip with an integrated neural processing unit (NPU) in future. This dedicated computing unit for AI tasks can perform local calculations more efficiently than the CPU. However, AI applications that are executed locally are still few and far between compared to cloud-based solutions. It is therefore not worth spending more just because of the AI chips.
Acer Predator Helios Neo 14: up to Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070
The new Predator Helios Neo 14, described by Acer as an "AI gaming notebook", is available in its best configuration with a Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 laptop GPU and up to 32 gigabytes of DDR5 SDRAM. This means you've already reached the front-runner of Intel's new AI processors and get a graphics card from the high-end segment on top of that.
Source: Acer
The best Ultra is not the most powerful mobile processor from Intel. However, compared to the single-core leader Core i9-14900HX it has a better integrated graphics unit and a more modern manufacturing process. Likewise in comparison to the multi-core leader Core i9-13980HX.
Compared to the aforementioned competition from Razer and Asus, whose notebooks are both available with an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H performs slightly worse on paper in terms of single-core performance - and slightly better in terms of multi-core performance. Ultimately, with such small differences, it is a question of the cooling system installed, which is why we can only speculate about the actual performance at the moment. Cooling can make a real difference, especially in the compact laptop design. For this reason, Acer, Asus and others use liquid metal instead of conductive paste for the CPU cooler assembly.
Source: Acer
Other features include a 14.5-inch display with WQXGA+ resolution (3072 × 1920 pixels), the panel technology of which Acer does not mention in the press release. It has a refresh rate of 165 hertz, compatibility with Nvidia G-Sync and is said to cover 100 per cent of the sRGB colour space. Wi-Fi 6E, one Thunderbolt 4 port, one USB-C port, two USB-A ports and one HDMI 2.1 port are available for connectivity. If you want to connect headphones, there is also a 3.5-millimetre jack connection. A microSD card reader is also available.
Source: Acer
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 is expected to be available from June 2024. The recommended retail price in Germany is 1799 euros for the cheapest configuration.
Acer Nitro 14: up to AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060
The Acer Nitro 14 is intended for budget-oriented gamers and therefore offers slightly less performance than the Predator Helios Neo 14 in its best configuration. You get a maximum of AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU and 32 gigabytes of DDR5 SDRAM.
Source: Acer
The display is a 14.5-inch IPS panel with a WQXGA resolution (2560 × 1600 pixels). It has a refresh rate of 120 hertz and should cover 100 per cent of the sRGB colour space. The connections include two USB-C ports (version 4 and 3.2), two USB-A ports, HDMI 2.1, a 3.5-millimetre jack and a microSD card reader.
Source: Acer
The Acer Nitro 14 is expected to be available from June 2024. The recommended retail price in Germany is 1399 euros for the cheapest configuration.
Acer Nitro 16: up to Intel Core i7-14700HX and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060
The Acer Nitro 16 is getting an upgrade and in its latest version has the best possible configuration with a Intel Core i7-14700HX CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 laptop GPU and 32 gigabytes of DDR5 SDRAM.
The 16-inch display of the Nitro 16, which has not yet been specified in more detail by the panel technology, has a WQXGA resolution (2560 × 1600 pixels) with a refresh rate of 165 hertz and is said to cover the sRGB colour space 100 per cent. It can be assumed that the connections are numerous. In the press release, Acer only mentions Thunderbolt 4 twice and a microSD card reader.
The Acer Nitro 16 is expected to be available from June 2024 at recommended retail prices from 1399 euros.
Header image: Acer
Martin Jud
Senior Editor
martin.jud@digitecgalaxus.chI find my muse in everything. When I don’t, I draw inspiration from daydreaming. After all, if you dream, you don’t sleep through life.