Acer’s new gaming equipment within its Predator range has seen the light in the form of a new gaming laptop Predator 17X and a surprising gaming desktop computer Predator G1 , which by its characteristics and reduced dimensions has managed to surprise To everyone present. Acer Predator 17 X GTX 1080 Gaming laptop Review?
Acer has tried to create a notebook that is attractive to the public for which it is intended , and for it has used a plastic chassis with the Predator logo on the cover, which combines with various shots in red. It is a bulky computer, with a thickness of 45 mm, 424 mm wide and 322 mm deep, similar to other powerful laptops to be able to cool them properly. It is something bigger and heavier than its predecessor Predator 17, but in return is quieter, although weighs 4.55 kg. Acer Predator 17 X GTX 1080 Gaming laptop Review?
In favor
- Great graphics power.
- Quality IPS panel with G-SYNC.
- Overclocking capability .
- Effective cooling system.
- Keys for macros or action shortcuts.
Against
- The design, by price, could have been better.
- The keyboard illumination, although configurable, is basic.
- Voluminous and heavy, something common in laptops to play.
- The price does not match with the graphics card it includes.
The 17.3-inch screen is a good example of what can be included today in a notebook. In addition to having a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels – you can buy this model with a 4K screen, has a 75 Hz refresh and is compatible with the adaptive G-SYNC refresh to eliminate the annoying cropping of frames In some games. The quality in the reproduction of the colors is remarkable since it is also an IPS panel. Acer Predator 17 X GTX 1080 Gaming laptop Review?
| ACER PREDATOR 17 X | |
|---|---|
| PROCESSOR | Core i7-6820HK, 2.7 to 3.6 GHz, 4-core / 8-wire, 45-W TDP |
| GRAPH | GeForce GTX 980, 8GB GDDR5 |
| MEMORY | 32 GB, DDR4-2133 |
| SCREEN | 17.3 “1920 x 1080 px. 75Hz IPS with G-SYNC |
| STORAGE | SSD 256 GB PCIe, 1 TB hard drive, SD card reader |
| PORTS | 1x Thunderbolt 3 (USB 3.1 Gen. 2 type C), 4x USB 3.0, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort |
| CONNECTIVITY | 2×2 Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (AC 1535), Bluetooth 4.1, Gigabit Ethernet |
| BATTERY | 6000 mAh, source of 330 W |
| DIMENSIONS | 424 x 322 x 45 mm |
| WEIGHT | 4.55 kg |
| PRICE | 2600 euros |
This equipment includes a Core i7-6820HK processor , unlocked to raise frequencies. Starting with a base frequency of 2.7 GHz and 3.6 GHz turbo, which can be increased between 200 and 400 additional Mhz through the usual overclocking tools . It is accompanied by 32 GB of DDR4-2133 memory. In the storage section, it includes a 256 GB SSD and a 2.5-inch 1 TB hard drive. The graphics card is an 8GB GTX 980 , which yields more than the GTX 1060 with 6GB of mobility, which is in turn somewhat worse than its desktop equivalent. The nomenclature of the cards of the generation Pascal on the part of Nvidia can be a little confused.
On the left side you have two USB 3.0 and 3.5 mm audio connectors as well as the SD card reader. On the right has two other USB 3.0, a USB Type C compatible with Thunderbolt 3, an Ethernet, and the HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs, along with a Kensington security hitch. The WiFi connection is a 2×2 802.11 ac and has Bluetooth 4.1, with a battery of 6000 mAh, with Acer promising around 3 hours of autonomy.
The included keyboard has RGB illumination configurable by zone , but not by separate key. It is comfortable to use and the distance between keys is adequate to facilitate fluency when writing and playing, although they are a little tougher than I would like. On the left is a row of five configurable buttons for specific actions, as well as a button to change the global functionality of the buttons. Pressing it displays the function of each key in a popup window. The keys of the cursors and the WASD have a serigraphy in red and have a frame in the same color to differentiate quickly from the rest of keys.
The trackpad has its own illumination around it, which is activated and deactivated in conjunction with that of the logo area of the cover. It works well and responds quickly , although it remains one of the weaknesses of notebooks with Windows in general, although Microsoft has made great progress in this section in recent years with various driver updates. In this case, the touch panel is usually of less use in a gaming notebook since any player will use a mouse. Like the rest of the notebook, it attracts finger fat marks with a matte finish. Underneath it the right and left buttons are located, although you can configure touching the trackpad to click.
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Removing the lower cover can access memory and storage. It includes two SODIMM memory slots , both occupied, and a SSD of Samsung, model SM951, oriented mainly to assemblers of equipment, although on that one can be placed another SSD of type M.2 with a special tray. The built-in model is 256 GB and type PCIe 3.0 x4, with a theoretical speed of 2150 MB / s of sequential reading and 1260 MB / s of sequential writing. The hard drive is a 1 TB model of HGST, owned by Western Digital, 7200 RPM. It is a safe value for these laptops because it is the brand that produces the most reliable hard drives at the same time as expensive.
Finally, the equipment includes a powerful sound system of four speakers withsubwoofer , with good sound quality, and a DAC to provide a good experience when connecting a headset. Acer Predator 17 X GTX 1080 Gaming laptop Review?
Acer Predator 17 X: Performance
The Core i7-6820HK processor combines well with the GTX 980. It is a 45 W processor with frequencies from 2.7 to 3.6 GHz, the most powerful that can be found for laptop, attached to 32 GB of DDR4-2133 memory. The processor has a very good performance when compared to the more usual Core i7-6700HQ used in similar notebooks below 2000 euros. The possibility of uploading frequencies is a very interesting addition to not limit a possible rise of frequencies of the graphics card, or simply gain additional power when working.
| PCMARK 8 WORK HIGHER BEST |
CINEBENCH R15 HIGHER BEST |
OCTANE 2.0 HIGHER BEST |
KRAKEN 1.1 LOWER THE BETTER |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACER PREDATOR 17 X, I7-6820HK, GTX 980 |
5542 | 697 | 37 418 | 989.9 |
| ASUS GL502VS, I7-6700HQ, GTX 1070 |
5011 | 675 | 34 987 | 1087.5 |
The GTX 980 has the same basic features as the desktop version, and also maintains its maximum consumption of 165 W. This card has 2048 shaders that operate at 1190 MHz base, slightly raised from the 1126 MHz base that has the standard GTX 980 model, and 8 GB of GDDR5 memory at 7 Gbps. In addition you can raise the frequencies even more by using the overclocking utility preinstalled on the laptop Predator Sense .
The next comparative puts it face-to-face with two of its most current desktop rivals, such as the GTX 1060 6 GB and the RX 480 8 GB, which are between 250 and 350 euros, accompanied by an i7-6700K . It is quite good performance in comparison, although in some cases the processor may limit it a bit, as is the specific case of DiRT .
| ACER PREDATOR 17 X GTX 980, 8 GB |
GTX 1060, 6 GB | RX 480, 8GB | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASHES OF THE SINGULARITY | DX11 | 58.5 | 57.8 | 53.7 |
| DX12 | 57.4 | 58.8 | 64.3 | |
| RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER | DX11 | 85.5 | 84.1 | 74.0 |
| DX12 | 72.0 | 82.9 | 76.3 | |
| HITMAN | DX11 | 66.5 | 64.7 | 80.5 |
| DX12 | 65.0 | 67.5 | 85.0 | |
| TOTAL WAR: WARHAMMER | DX11 | 81.3 | 78.9 | 67.0 |
| DX12 | 74.5 | 73.9 | 82.5 | |
| GOD EX: MANKIND DIVIDED | DX11 | 44.1 | 37.4 | 46.4 |
| DX12 | 43.2 | 36.5 | 47.4 | |
| DIRT | DX11 | 114.9 | 122.9 | 96.9 |
| THE DIVISION | DX11 | 59.7 | 59.2 | 59.2 |
| THE WITCHER 3 | DX11 | 59 | 58 | 53 |
Display and storage
As a good high-end notebook, the Predator 17 X includes a good screen with 17.3-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Its refresh is 75 Hz and includes G-SYNC adaptive refresh technology, which is always a good addition to a computer of these characteristics, for graphics card power and notebook price. Its maximum brightness is around 300 nits and its contrast in 1000: 1, which are normal values, and the anti-reflective layer that includes this matte panel is very effective, but slightly impairs the clarity of the letters. The latter will not be noticeable unless a screen that is not matte to the side, such as a second monitor, is available.
In the storage section, the inclusion of a PCIe-type SSD such as the Samsung SM951 gives it a fluidity more than adequate, although generally does not bring a noticeable performance difference with respect to other SSDs with SATA3 interface in everyday tasks. Sequential read and write speeds are not determinant in games, but to transfer large files between disks, but they help improve mixed read and write speeds. The SM951 includes MLC type memory, with good durability and good protection against errors. On the other hand, the included 1 TB of HGST hard drive throws the usual speed results of this type of 7200 RPM disks.
Acer Predator 17 X: Temperatures, noise and autonomy
Acer has paid special attention to the cooling system of the Predator 17 X , and the result is a very good temperature and noise level for such a system. After leaving DiRT for an hour running performance test, the GPU stays at 80 ° C and 77 ° C in CPU . Both values are good and normal within the type of mobility chip they are.
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The distribution of heat in the equipment causes the keyboard to be unaffected by the high temperatures of the processor and graphics card, and the area of the cursors and the WASD keys do not exceed 30 to 31 ºC, concentrating the heat in the central zone Higher, which can reach 42 ° C. The bottom of the notebook can be heated well above these values, although they warn you on the lower lid with a warning of danger, hot air .
The noise is something that is also quite controlled and that Acer manages well playing with the temperatures of the chips. At rest it usually generates about 32 dBA in a room with 30 dBA of background noise, and in load does not usually exceed 42 to 45 dBA , being the moment of greater noise when the frequencies are raised, that reaches 46 to 48 dBA. There are much more noisy laptops without getting overclocking , surpassing 54 dBA, making it a relatively quiet computer . In most games using the laptop speakers will rather plug the noise of the fans.
In the autonomy section , there is not much to say, since this type of equipment is made to be used connected to the current. Playing does not last much longer than an hour, and with an office use can be reached around three hours of autonomy, or less if you make much use of the browser. It is just right to use it on the street in specific cases, but the combination of weight of the notebook with the weight of the power supply and the size of the computer make it little portable.
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The Predator 17 X software
Among the programs included by Acer on this laptop is Predator Sense , which is the utility that is responsible for controlling certain key features. On the one hand, when it is connected to the power grid it is possible to quickly activate the turbo mode , which increases the processor speed by 300 MHz, taking advantage of an overclocking version .
In turn, it also raises the GPU frequency , but will directly affect the noise level and temperatures, and in practice will be unnecessary when using the laptop’s 1080p screen. If you connect to an external 1440p or 4K monitor – for eSports games like League of Legends or Overwatch – it might be interesting to scratch a few more FPS, and potentially make the difference between having a smooth experience.
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Under the conditions of OC it is easy to put the CPU at 96 ° C with its fan running at 3900 RPM – in front of the usual 81 ° C in load -, and the GPU reaches 88 ° C with the fan running at 3900 RPM, with a maximum Of 4200 RPM, although it is not especially annoying, although it is necessary to play with headphones. The cooling is very good, since even after hours of games the keyboard area does not reach 31 or 32 ºC.
In this application the macros are also configured , and you can choose between predefined or custom options. The keyboard’s illumination is divided into four distinct zones, and you can set its color or turn them off. Through the macros you can have the fan start a 100% moment to lower temperatures, among other options that end up being useful.
Acer Predator 17 X: Conclusion
Acer has a range of notebooks for gamers more than interesting, although the design option and materials of the same can be criticized. The matt plastic construction attracts the grease from your fingers, and you will need a little more cleaning than usual. But the selection of the hardware is successful , since the i7-6820HK processor combines perfectly with the GTX 980 to squeeze it to the maximum.
The strength of this notebook is operating temperatures and redirection of heat to areas where they will not disturb, and away from the usual movement keys in games. It is also a great point in your favor the noise level , which within the type of equipment that is can be considered as moderate, without getting bothered during use, either for office – at which point it may even go unnoticed – or games .
Among the computers currently on the market with the GTX 980 is the Acer Predator 17 X , which also includes other features that make it ideal for games or work, such as its IPS display or a powerful processor.
Both models, in addition to integrating the latest in processors and graphics hardware with Nvidia certification and are prepared for virtual reality devices (VR) such as Oculus, HTC Vive, OSVR and StarVR.
” Virtual reality offers an unlimited number of new possibilities, not only for gaming, but also for a wide variety of industries and applications in professional environments. As we saw today in our demonstrations, Acer wants to give users the tools they need both to play and to work in this new digital world. “ Commented Jerry Kao, president of Acer IT Products during the presentation, making clear The great power, present and future, of virtual reality.
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It also has a 17.3-inch G-SYNC display, available in two resolutions: FHD IPS (1920 x 1080) and UHD IPS 4K (3840 x 2160) , both with NVIDIA G-SYNC technology that eliminates annoying effects like ‘Screen tearing’ or ‘stuttering’, thanks to a high refresh rate and the power of your GPU.
DDR4-2133 RAM, NVMe PCIe disks on a set of three SATA-SSDs, Killer DoubleShot Pro (allowing Ethernet and WiFi connections to work together) and three Thunderbolt ports with support for two 4K 60FPS displays, round off a laptop Gaming that will not go unnoticed.
The price of the gaming laptop Predator 17 X is
It was the great surprise of the presentation, the desktop computer Predator G1 (G1-710) , a team of high performance inside a compact frame that can be easily transported, something almost unheard of in the gaming sector that makes the Predator G1 On the machine for any ‘LAN Party’.
The balanced balance between compact size and great power. Acer Predator G1 features a 16-liter chassis that supports an NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics card (up to Titan X), a 6th generation Intel Core processor and up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM.
As for storage, it integrates a hard drive up to 4TB (7200 RPM) or 512GB SSD , plus two USB-C ports and two headset sliders on each side of the tower, which will allow players to place their G1 against the Wall and even have a hook available for use.
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