What’s the best Acer gaming laptop? Acer has most bases covered, with models across the full range of gaming machines from budget-focused to premium and powerful.
Acer’s gaming involvement began in 2008 with the introduction of the Predator line of desktop gaming PCs. The first machine looked like a bright orange Transformer but did, at least, deliver on the promise of gaming-focused componentry, whereas others were hoodwinking unsuspecting buyers with sub-par hardware.
The Predator line-up was joined by the Nitro range, offering models like the Nitro 5 that brought thoughtful component choices and clever tech to the budget end of the market. At this point in time, they have options spanning from the best budget gaming laptops, through to the best gaming laptops overall.
Whichever one of the best Acer gaming laptops you choose, you’ll need to consider whether it will spend its life on the move or plugged in on a desk. Equally, if it’s not going to be used purely for gaming, you should think about what connectivity and features you need to make your non-gaming endeavors fruitful.
Whichever route you take, you’ll find the best Acer gaming laptops give you a host of component and feature options with a fine balance between price and performance at both ends of the spectrum and everywhere in between. Which one is right for you? Well, we’ve rounded up the best of the best to give you a wide selection of machines to choose from.
These are the best Acer gaming laptops in 2023:
1. Acer Predator Helios 300
The best Acer gaming laptop for power vs. price.
Acer Predator Helios 300 specs:
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 |
| CPU | Intel Core i7 12700H |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Storage | 1TB SSD |
| Ports | 3 x USB 3.2, 1 x USB Type-C, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x Mini DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x Thunderbolt 4, 1 x 3.5 mm jack |
| Screen | 15.6” Quad HD (2560 x 1440) IPS, 165Hz |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 14.15 x 10.88 x 1.02 (359.4 x 276.4 x 25.9mm) |
| Weight | 5.73lbs (2.6Kg) |
Pros
- Strong spec for the price
- Great keyboard and display
- Plentiful connectivity
Cons
- Poor battery life
- Cooling fans can get loud
- On the heavy side
The Acer Predator Helios 300 sports a brilliantly designed chassis with stunning RGB keyboard backlighting but does come with a chunky form factor and weighs in at a little over 5 lbs. Still, it’s far from the chunkiest gaming laptop we’ve seen and makes up for it with a stonking spec for the money.
That strong spec comprises the Intel Core i7 12700H chipset and Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU, teamed with a stunning 15.6” Quad HD display. From that, two things are immediately apparent. One – this machine is potent enough to run the latest AAA titles at eye-popping frame rates, and two – there are few high-spec machines that can match the combination of power and affordable pricing the Helios 300 offers.
Without wanting to dwell on the negatives, battery life equates to a disappointing three to four hours from a full charge. Undoubtedly, that’s partly due to the high-spec components, including that Quad HD display with its super-slim bezel and 165Hz refresh rate.
Beneath that brilliant display lies a spacious per-key RGB keyboard with an integrated num lock pad and generous key travel that gives plenty of feedback. Ports are plentiful with three USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a Thunderbolt 4-equipped Type-C port, HDMI 2.1, and a 3.5mm combo jack.
Barring the poor battery life, there’s little to fault here, and with so many cracking deals out there, the Helios 300 represents serious power-to-price value.
2. Acer Predator Triton 300 SE
The best all-round Acer gaming laptop.
Acer Predator Triton 300 SE specs:
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-12700H |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Storage | 1TB SSD |
| Ports | 2 x USB 3.1, 1 x Thunderbolt 4, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x 3.5 mm jack |
| Screen | 16” Quad HD (2560 x 1600) IPS, 240Hz |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 13.72 x 10.33 x 0.86in (348.5 x 262.4 x 21.9mm) |
| Weight | 5.29lbs (2.4Kg) |
Pros
- Brilliant 240Hz display
- Great spec for the price
- Strong battery life
Cons
- Average connectivity
- Keyboard lacks feel
- GPU can struggle with top titles
The Triton 300 SE sits below its bigger brother, the 500 SE, in both spec and price terms, but there’s little to choose between them in terms of form factor. The 300 SE is actually slightly thicker than the 500 but shaves off around half an inch in width.
We’re looking at the 16-inch 240Hz IPS screen model, but there’s also a cracking 14-inch OLED version that’s worth a look, if only for that model’s stunning screen. That said, this 16-inch display is no slouch, serving up crisp, bright, vivid colors and deep, rich blacks. In most instances, Nvidia’s RTX 3060 can handle that stunning display but begins to wheeze a little when running top titles at high frame rates.
Connectivity is fine, if not a little below par. There are two USB 3.1 connections, a single Thunderbolt 4 port, HDMI 2.1, and an ethernet connector aside from the 3.5mm jack. The SD card reader is a definite plus point, but the lack of an extra USB-A connection, while not terminal, was unexpected. The single USB-C doubles as a Thunderbolt 4 port.
The well-positioned trackpad is excellent, while the keyboard has quite shallow travel. Unless you’re penning a novel, however, it’s comfortable enough for the long haul. One of the biggest plus points of this machine is the lengthy battery life. It outlasts comparable laptops by a huge margin, clocking up around 7-8 hours of average use.
Probably the most well-rounded machine here, the Triton 300 SE scores well on all fronts, lacking the all-out power of the 500, but with a spec list that makes it a very attractive proposition. That it’s only slightly more expensive than a high-end Nitro 5 model makes it arguably the best value laptop in this round-up.
3. Acer Nitro 5
The best budget Acer gaming laptop.
Acer Nitro 5 specs:
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 3050 Ti |
| CPU | Intel Core i5 11400H |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Storage | 512GB |
| Ports | 3x USB 3.0, 1 x USB-C, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x RJ45 Ethernet, 1 x 3.5mm jack |
| Screen | Screen: 15.6” FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS, 144Hz |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | Dimensions (WxDxH): 14.29 x 10.04 x 0.94in (363 mm x 255 mm x 23.9 mm) |
| Weight | 5.07lbs (2.3Kg) |
Pros
- Excellent performance for the price
- Built-in fan speed adjustment
- Solid battery life
Cons
- Poor trackpad
- Shallow viewing angle
- Average speakers
The Acer Nitro 5 is spoken of affectionately in gaming laptop circles – it’s arguably one of the finest budget machines on the market today if not one of the best Acer gaming laptops.
Sure, it has its foibles, the two main ones being a shallow viewing angle, which, to be fair, doesn’t detract from your gaming pleasure but makes multimedia viewing trickier, and the unresponsive trackpad. The trackpad is easily remedied with the addition of the Acer Nitro gaming mouse, which should be on your shopping list if you’re considering getting hold of a Nitro 5.
Despite the lackluster trackpad, the red-backlit keyboard is about as good as it gets in budget terms. Nothing exceptional, you understand, but a good, solid keyboard that’s comfortable to type on and gives excellent gaming feedback.
Under the hood, you get a GTX 3050 Ti graphics card and a relatively modest i5 processor, but these components measure up favorably to similarly-priced competition.
Build quality is suitably tank-like, with all-plastic construction keeping the weight down somewhat, but you’ll find everything has been screwed together well. There’s little creaking or play in the hulking black case, which bears more than a passing resemblance to the Helios 300.
The Full HD screen has that viewing angle issue, but in most other respects, it’s a solid display. It’s not as bright as some, but it’s sharp and clear and, despite a chunky bezel, does a fine job of in-game visuals.
The built-in speakers are so-so, and some users complain that the Nitro 5’s fans make it tricky to hear in-game audio. However, the pre-installed NitroSense software lets you configure fan speed and can alleviate most of these issues.
Overall, the Nitro 5 delivers a lot of fun for little money and is one of the best budget gaming laptops on the market. You won’t be disappointed.
4. Acer Predator Triton 500 SE
The most powerful Acer gaming laptop.
Acer Predator Triton 500 SE specs:
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti |
| CPU | Intel Core i9-12900H |
| RAM | 32GB |
| Storage | 1TB SSD |
| Ports | 2 x USB 3.1, 2 x USB Type-C, 2 x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, RJ45 Ethernet, SD card reader, 3.5 mm jack |
| Screen | 16” Quad HD (2560 x 1600) IPS, 240Hz |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) |
14.11 x 10.33 x 0.78in (358.5 x 262.4 x 19.9mm) |
| Weight | 5.29lbs (2.4Kg) |
Pros
- Gaming performance is stunning
- Understated design and faultless build
- Crisp, colorful display
Cons
- Expensive
- Audio can become shrill
- Noisy fans
The first thing you notice about the Acer Triton 500 isn’t a particularly stand-out feature at all. It’s the subtlety of the design. This all-aluminum, gunmetal gray machine is sleek, stylish, and doesn’t shout ‘gaming’ on first inspection. It wouldn’t look out of place on a commuter train or office cubicle. Open the lid, and you start to get a sense of the Triton’s gaming prowess from the hulking 16-inch display, beautifully designed RGB backlit keyboard, and sleek, tactile trackpad.
Weighing in at a touch over 5lbs, this is no shrinking violet, but you never really get the sense it’s particularly weighty, such is the sublime weight distribution. The case is relatively slim despite some impressive specs. By impressive, we’re referring to a 12th-generation Intel Core i9 CPU and Nvidia’s potent RTX 3080 Ti GPU paired with a generous 32 gigabytes of RAM. Be aware that such competent hardware produces a lot of heat, so you’ll regularly hear the cooling fans kicking off. It’s a minor annoyance but worth mentioning.
The 16-inch display is a stunning Quad HD panel with a refresh rate of 240Hz. Whether gaming or watching fast action films. The screen never misses a beat and delivers crisp, sharp, bright, and colorful visuals that make gaming on this laptop an immersive, dynamic experience.
There’s little to fault in the connectivity stakes, either, with an SD card slot, two USB Type-A ports, two USB Type C Thunderbolt 4 slots, HDMI 2.1, RJ45 ethernet, and the obligatory 3.5mm combo audio port. If there is one drawback to the Triton 500, it’s the punchy price tag, although there are deals out there if you shop around.
In performance terms, the Triton 500 SE is more than a match for Asus’s ROG Strix SCAR 16 or Alienware’s M16. This staggeringly fast, brilliantly specced, and incredibly stylish machine should be on any self-respecting gamer’s shopping list.
How we chose the best Acer gaming laptops
We picked out the best Acer gaming laptops around using the following criteria:
- Power: Generally, you’re buying a gaming laptop with an eye on one thing – performance. We’ve lined up machines that offer the latest gaming hardware with an eye on the next point…
- Price: Premium specs often equal premium prices, so we chose a variety of machines that offer a great combination of grunt and affordability.
- Style: You want your gaming laptop to look the part. Or maybe you just want something of a sleeper for a gaming-focused machine. Either way, we gathered laptops wearing their gaming hearts on their sleeves and portables hiding their true intentions beneath anonymous casings.
- Connectivity: At some point, you’ll want to connect peripherals from the basics, such as mice and external keyboards, to bigger items, such as monitors and 5.1 surround systems. We ensured our pick of the best Acer gaming laptops included plenty of ports.
Read our how we test page to find out more about how we put these lists together.
Acer Predator vs. Acer Nitro: Which should you choose?
Acer offers two lines in its gaming laptop range: Predator and Nitro.
Predator is Acer’s premium gaming line, offering the latest components packaged in sleek, stylish cases with the best display tech. If you’re looking for a high-end gaming experience, you’ll find it within the Predator range.
Nitro, on the other hand, puts value first and offers competitive hardware in less eye-catching clothing. A Nitro laptop may not look the part like the Predator range tends to, but there’ll still be plenty of power under the hood. In fact, you can spec up a Nitro laptop to mid-range gaming laptop levels where the lower-end models of the Predator line reside, so there’s still a certain amount of crossover between the two ranges.
And it’s worth pointing out that Acer’s Nitro 5 – its most budget-focused machine – is a serious contender for the pick of budget gaming machines out there.
For more gaming laptop recommendations, check out our expert guides on Alienware gaming laptops, the best Razer laptops, and the best Dell gaming laptops.
