Acer’s Predator Helios 16 AI gets the OLED upgrade I’ve been waiting for | Stuff

Acer’s Predator gaming laptops aren’t known for making compromises on performance or powerful hardware – so I’m surprised it’s taken until 2025 for the flagship range to make the jump to OLED displays. The new Predator Helios 16 AI is also among the first in line for Nvidia’s new RTX 5000 series mobile graphics chips, and doubles down on thermal management to keep it cool under load.

The Predator Helios 16 AI doesn’t look radically different from last year’s model, but the screen options now (finally) include a 2560×1600 OLED panel complete with 240Hz refresh rate. That’ll give it an edge for colour, contrast and black levels over the mini-LED seen on the outgoing machine.

The desktop replacement Predator Helios 18 AI, meanwhile, sticks with mini-LED tech – but now offers a dual-mode panel that can switch between 4K/120Hz and Full HD/240Hz depending on whether you want more fidelity or faster motion.

Behind the scenes power comes from an Intel Core Ultra 9 275 HX processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 laptop GPU. If that’s too rich for your blood, the 16in model can be outfitted with an RTX 5070 Ti, and the 18in version with an RTX 5080. The bigger machine can also be equipped with an outlandish 192GB of RAM and 6TB of storage, while the 16in model gets up to 64GB and 4TB respectively.

Swappable mechanical keys make it clear we’re talking about dedicated gaming laptops, and there’s no shortage of RGB illumination. Connectivity is a mixed bag; the dual Thunderbolt 5 ports are undeniably rapid, but with no other inputs you’ll be relying on a dock for hooking up most monitors and peripherals.

The Predator Helios 18 actually lands first, reaching Europe in April and North America in May. It’ll set you back €3699/$3000. The Predator Helios 16 AI will follow in June, with prices starting from €2799/$2300.

If portability comes ahead of power, you’ll want to check out the Predator Helios Neo 16S AI instead. This lighter, lower-profile machine is just 19.9mm thick, but uses Acer’s 5th Gen AeroBlade fans and liquid metal thermal grease to stay frosty.

Graphics specs step down slightly to an Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti. Connectivity also tops out with Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 6E, and the battery drops to a 76Whr cell. It’ll still come with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, up to 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage, so should be impressively potent for desktop duties and gaming – especially once you lock eyes on the stunning 16in, 2560×1600 OLED screen. It’s a 240Hz panel with Nvidia G-Sync adaptive refresh rate.

It’ll head to North America first, in April, for $1700. Europe will see it from May onwards, with prices starting from €2399.