Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 (2024)

About the Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 (2024)

The 2024 Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 is a 14-inch gaming laptop that comes in three configurations. The cheapest configuration retails for $1,499 and includes an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card, 16GB of DDR5 memory, and a 120Hz, 2,560 x 1,600 display.

All models come with a 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe SSD. The $1,799 version includes an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, 16GB of DDR5 memory, and a 165Hz, 3,072 x 1,920 display. For $50, you can upgrade the $1,799 version to have 32GB of memory.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 specs

• Price as configured: $1,800
• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 16 cores (6 performance, 8 efficient, and 2 low power-efficient cores), 22 threads, 4.8 GHz max boost
• Graphics: Nvidia RTX 4070 mobile (discrete, 110W), Intel Arc integrated graphics
• Memory: 16GB DDR5 at 6400MHz (dual channel, non-replaceable)
• Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
• Display: 14-inch, 2560 x 1600, 120Hz OLED panel, 350 nits (rated), 350 nits (measured), 100% sRGB, Nvidia G-Sync compatible
• Webcam: 1080p at 30fps
• Ports: 1x Type C Thunderbolt 4 with power delivery, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 1x HDMI 2.1, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x card reader (microSD) (UHS-II), 1x 3.5mm combo audio jack, 1x Kensington lock
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
• Battery: 76Whr battery
• Weight: 4.25 pounds (1.49 kilograms)
• Dimensions: 12.78 x 10.11 x 0.93 inches
• Special Features: Included GPU overclocking software, dedicated performance mode key, DTS:X Ultra Audio presets
• Warranty: 1-year limited warranty

What we like

Fantastic gaming performance

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 pushes the limits of what a 14-inch laptop can accomplish. It’s thicker than most laptops its size, but the extra space gives it the room for an excellent cooling system and a GPU and CPU that hardly break a sweat when running games.

The mobile Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card inside guzzles up to 180 watts when overclocked, but normally its power consumption peaks at 110 watts. That extra power is evident in the performance.

Compared to other laptops with the same graphics card, the Predator Helios Neo 14 excels—in our testing, it outperformed all other laptops with an RTX 4070. With no upscaling, Cyberpunk 2077 runs at 60 frames per second (fps) with ray tracing enabled and the 1080p ultra graphics settings preset, and the Blender Barbershop scene renders in under 3 minutes. The graphics card didn’t get any hotter than 65 degrees Celsius.

Games and applications that rely more heavily on the CPU perform more modestly. The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor is fantastic at providing snappy performance without much power consumption, but it’s not quite as powerful as last generation’s Intel Core i7-13700HX. Most of the Core Ultra 7’s threads are dedicated to medium- and low-powered tasks to maximize battery life.

In Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p with all settings maxed out, the Helios Neo 14 topped out at 140 fps, a respectable speed that puts it in the top 10 fastest laptops we’ve tested. It does about as well as the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i in terms of processor performance across our benchmarks (it placed around 10th in most benchmarks).

The Core Ultra 7 155H performs well but runs a bit hot. It maxed out at 93 degrees Celsius during testing, which isn’t enough to throttle it (its max operating temperature is 110 degrees Celsius) but is hotter than last generation’s Intel processors. We’ll have to wait and see what effects the higher running temps have on the system as a whole.

Ultimately, if you want top performance without jumping up to a mobile Nvidia RTX 4080 or 4090, or you just can’t stand 15-inch and 16-inch laptops, you won’t find a better performer than the Predator Helios Neo 14.

Easy overclocking and configuration options

Overclocking the Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 is almost too easy. A dedicated media key launches Acer Predator Sense, the software that acts as a hub to control the processors’ power consumption, fan speed, lighting, and other hardware features. Turbo mode already comes preconfigured to overclock the laptop past its regular specs. Performance mode caps the power consumption to keep the thermals under control (the overclocked parts heat up fast without maxed-out fan speed).

If you need more granular control over your clock speeds or fan speeds, you can make custom presets by adjusting the fan curves and clock speeds manually.

As for lighting, Predator Sense has a lot of options for the keyboard. There are classic RGB lighting patterns, like a breathing effect or cycling through the rainbow, and there are sound-sensitive ones that react to your game’s cues. For a custom look, you can adjust the keyboard’s 3 zones with any color you want.

All-day battery life

Recent laptops have gotten huge battery life boosts, and the Predator Helios Neo 14 is no exception. With a battery life of just over nine hours, it lives up to the promise of a portable laptop. For our battery test, we simulate a day of light productivity work by setting the display to 200 nits of brightness (bright enough to comfortably use in an office setting) and cycling through a few dozen webpages in Google Chrome with video and scripting elements. But, as with any gaming laptop, keep in mind that to get this battery life you need to turn off the discrete graphics card and depend on the integrated Intel Arc graphics instead.

The Predator Helios Neo 14 is among the longest-lived gaming laptops. It pales in comparison to the 2024 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14’s 12-hour battery life, but 9 hours is still incredible compared to the 3 and 4-hour battery life averages we see on laptops like the Asus ROG Strix SCAR 17 or Razer Blade 16.

What we don’t like

Chassis defeats the point of its form factor

This year, 14-inch gaming laptop manufacturers opted to design their chassis to blend in with the likes of the Dell XPS line or MacBook Pro. The Predator Helios Neo 14 bucks the trend and instead feels like a miniature Helios Neo 16 or Lenovo Legion Pro 5i. It’s chunky with a tilted bottom that helps the laptop get more airflow, and its logo is unmistakably “gamer.”

It’s a thoughtfully designed body that puts performance at the forefront, but it begs one question: why? Why would someone want a chunky 14-inch laptop when they could opt for a 15- or 16-inch laptop without much more of a size increase? The Predator Helios Neo 14 weighs 4.25 pounds—by comparison, the ROG Zephyrus G14 weighs under 3 pounds. This is about the same weight as the 16-inch Asus ROG Zephyrus G16.

Disappointing display specs

Don’t get me wrong, the Predator Helios Neo 14 has a good screen, but for almost $2,000, it should be a great screen. It’s not an OLED display, it doesn’t support HDR content, and the maximum refresh rate is only 120Hz. This laptop has the power to run games at over 200 fps, but it doesn’t matter because the display can’t keep up.

The good news is that it’s reasonably bright and color-accurate. With a rated brightness of 350 nights and an outstanding measured brightness of 496 nits, the Predator Helios Neo 14’s glare-free screen is easy to read in the sunlight.

The display’s 100% standard RGB color range will suffice for most applications. However, professional content creators like illustrators would benefit from a screen with P3 color gamut coverage and competitive gamers need more than the 120Hz this display offers. This is a good display for a budget gaming laptop, but this is far from a budget laptop—the Lenovo Legion Pro, Razer Blade 14, and Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 all have better displays at comparable, or sometimes better, prices.

Only 16GB of RAM

For a laptop that’s all about performance, it doesn’t have much available memory. It’s not uncommon to see higher-end gaming laptops include 32GB of memory in their configurations these days, and 16GB of memory can feel tight if you’re running unoptimized game builds or intricate 3D models in Blender.

You can’t just swap out the memory, either—it’s soldered in place, so you’re stuck with what you buy.

Should you Buy the Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 (2024)?

Yes, it’s a great laptop for on-the-go content developers who can’t compromise on graphics performance.

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 is a tad chunky for a 14-inch laptop, but it’s still easier to tote around than a 16-inch laptop with similar performance. It doesn’t just push out frames—it runs its Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card at a higher power than most other gaming laptops, and it does so while still keeping cool enough to avoid throttling.

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 isn’t quite as powerful (its RTX 4070 is power-capped at 90 watts unlike the Helios Neo 14’s), but in return, you get a laptop with one of the best OLED displays on the market, fantastic audio, a 12-hour battery life, and aesthetics that rival Apple’s MacBooks.

If you’re OK giving up a bit of portability, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 is the best-performing gaming laptop we’ve tested. It’s considerably bigger than the Helios Neo 14, but its battery life is good and the display is HDR-capable. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i is also worth a mention here, with performance that rivals the Helios Neo 14 and a slightly larger display.

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 14 is not for everyone—it’s unequivocally a gamer’s laptop. If processor performance is your top priority and you refuse to move up to a 15- or 16-inch laptop, the Helios Neo 14 is hands-down the best laptop. However, most people will be better served by a laptop that’s better balances specs and ergonomics.