Review: Acer Predator Helios 16S AI

Keeping up with the intricacies of Acer’s Predator Helios gaming laptop line isn’t easy. The long-running series (dating back to 2017) now commands 12 different models, distinguished by screen size, the inclusion of AI acceleration (models with an “AI” suffix), and general affordability (denoted by the “Neo” suffix)—in every possible combination.

Today, I’m reviewing the Predator Helios 16S AI, which boasts high-end specs and performance—especially in graphics-intensive tasks—but manages to keep the price at a reasonable level.

Gamer Rig

Photograph: Chris Null

The unabashed centerpiece of the 16S AI is the inclusion of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 GPU, released earlier this year as part of the family of the most state-of-the-art mobile graphics processors on the market. Backing this up is an Intel Core 9 275HX CPU, a 1-terabyte SSD, and, oddly, just 16 GB of RAM. The 16-inch OLED screen is a dazzler that packs 2,560 x 1,600 pixels, though it lacks touchscreen features.

Most of these specs are technically upgradable, though this specific system is a preconfigured Best Buy exclusive, so it can’t be upgraded to order by the buyer. A higher-end configuration is available from Best Buy for an extra $300.

There’s no point beating around the bush any further: The Helios 16S may include “AI” in the name, but this is a gamer’s rig through and through. That starts with the design, which is focused on being (relatively) thin and light but tips the scales at a hefty 4.7 pounds and measures 24 millimeters in thickness. Clad in black aluminum with a plastic interior, the design features large vents on either side of the chassis and the rear, and a screen that is set forward from the back of the laptop by roughly an inch. This leaves a shelf-like area that looks a bit awkward but probably adds some stability when the screen is open. The Predator logo on the lid shifts through the color wheel while the machine idles, a nice distraction from the significant tendency for the lid to attract fingerprints.

Photograph: Chris Null

The keyboard features four-zone color backlighting, tunable through Acer’s extensive PredatorSense system, which controls everything from battery charging details to whether you want to customize the logo displayed as the laptop boots. It’s available via a dedicated key above the slim numeric keypad. The other bespoke key on the machine is the Mode key, found above the top left of the keyboard. This shifts among four different performance/fan operation modes when plugged in; two of these modes are available when running on battery power.

Thanks to the numeric keypad, the keyboard and touchpad are shifted quite far to the left. This might be a case where you can adapt to the layout over time, but I found it tough to work comfortably when pushed this far to one side, especially when using the arrow keys, which spill over into both the keyboard and keypad areas.

Ports are exceptional and can be found on both sides and the rear of the device. These include two USB-C ports (one with Thunderbolt 4 support), three USB-A ports, a full-size HDMI port, a full-size Ethernet jack, and a microSD card slot. You’ll need to use the separate power jack and 230-watt A/C adapter to power the device. (The adapter itself is heavy but not particularly large, weighing 1.1 pounds.)

The screen is one of the brightest I’ve seen in years, and while the speakers aren’t particularly nuanced, they are at least plenty loud. Unfortunately, they need to be, because when the fan kicks in, which is often, it is extremely noisy.

Computer Crash

Photograph: Chris Null

Put together the whole package, and you’ve got performance to spare on pretty much anything you can throw at this system. The Helios set records nearly across the board on my battery of benchmarks, including (by far) the best GPU-related scores I’ve seen to date, handily beating the MacBook Pro M4 Pro by 50 percent on the Geekbench 6 GPU test while nearly doubling graphics performance over systems outfitted with the last generation of GeForce laptop GPUs.

General business app performance wasn’t quite as impressive—falling behind the MacBook by 23 percent on the Geekbench CPU test—but it blew most Intel- and AMD-equipped laptops out of the water on everything I tossed its way. The unit was even a top performer on all the AI-based workloads I put it through, despite not being certified as a Copilot+ PC (and unable to run Microsoft’s special AI apps). Ultimately, it’s a dazzling performer on all types of apps.

So far, the system sounds great on paper, and it would be so in the real world were it not for one major issue: stability. The Helios crashes. A lot. I can’t recall a laptop that crashed as many times during the testing process as this system did and for so little reason. I understand if the occasional stress test causes a computer to melt down once in a while, but the Helios died multiple times a day, and usually for seemingly no reason whatsoever.

Photograph: Chris Null

One crash occurred while it was idling, with no apps running. It crashed during the initial setup process. Even watching YouTube videos would cause the system to have a fit, to the point where it took me three tries to successfully get through a battery rundown without having a failure along the way. (And this is on a system that can barely muster three hours of battery life.)

That issue alone is such a red flag that it knocks the Helios down a few pegs—and probably out of consideration for several buyers. The $1,600 price is enticing, but if I know anything about gamers, it’s that none of them will agree that any bargain is good enough to outweigh the risk of an unwanted reboot in the middle of a match.