Acer brings 13th generation Intel chips to its gaming laptops

At the start of a new chip generation, manufacturers are forced to begin the slow but important process of updating their existing hardware. Today, it’s Acer’s turn to show off a quartet of gaming units, which in the near future will be allowed to run on the latest silicon from Intel and NVIDIA. For example, the range-topping Predator Triton 17X, with its rugged, Razer Book-esque design, is only available with NVIDIA’s RTX 4090 GPU and Intel’s Core i9-13900HX. You can add them to anything up to 64GB of RAM and up to 4TB of SSD storage, and if you’ve still got the cash to spare He, you can also snap up a version with a 250Hz Mini-LED display with 1,000 nits peak brightness. Those antsy to get their hands on it will only have to wait until next month for its arrival, with the base model costing $3,799.

Meanwhile, the Predator Helios Neo 16 can be specified with either a Core i5-13500HX or a Core i7-13700HX. You get three options on the GPU side, the RTX 4050 with 6GB of RAM, or a choice of the 4060 or 4070, both of which come with 8GB of dedicated RAM. Further down the list of options, you can choose from up to 32GB of RAM, up to 2TB of SSD storage, and either a 1,920 x 1,200 or 2,560 x 1,600 IPS display with a 165Hz refresh rate. There’s a new chassis design on display here, and Acer says its new heat pipe design will dissipate six to nine percent more heat than its predecessor. That machine will land on these shores in May, with the base model costing you $1,199.

Those who want an equally outrageous amount of power in a tiny body, meanwhile, can turn to the Triton 14. This model is capable of taking on a Core i7-13700H and an RTX 4050 with 6GB of RAM, or a 4070 with 8GB. to hit. Like the Neo 16, RAM tops out at 32GB, but you’ll get the option of a 2,560 x 1,600, 250Hz Mini-LED display with 600 nits of peak brightness. I’ll be honest, I’ve always had a soft spot for the throwback charm of some of Acer’s priciest gaming laptops, and the Triton 14 has it in spades. Unfortunately, the limited I/O and slightly lower-than-you’d-expect-for-this-money material quality mean I’m less enthused about this machine after seeing it up close and in person. You can already guess that it’s launching in the US in May, but you’ll need to have at least $1,499 in your pocket before you can even consider buying one.

And finally there’s the Predator Helios 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition that, while you don’t get any prizes for guessing it, comes with Acer’s glasses-free 3D display. This model can be ordered with Intel’s Core i9-13900HX, an RTX 4080 GPU and 32GB of RAM when it bows out in the US in June for a minimum spend of $3,499. It is worth saying that any potential buyer of this model is advised to see my colleague Devendra Hardavar’s review of the Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition. That said, the glasses-free display isn’t enough to compensate for the headache, or the compromised visual quality you’ll get compared to other, better, gaming machines.