This here is the 2020 Acer Predator Triton 300, a mid-tier 15-inch gaming ultraportable that slots in between Acer’s Helios and Triton 500 lineups, as a more affordable portable performance laptop.
The Triton 300 series was initially unveiled at IFA in the fall of 2019, but that first-gen was not widely available, and that will change with this 2nd generation.
We’ve spent time with an early sample of the updated 2020 Acer Predator Triton 300, and gathered all our thoughts and impressions down below, with the strong aspects and the quirks.
This borrows features and design elements from the mid-range Helios 300 , but with updated hardware, a 240 Hz screen and RGB keyboard, as well as a few design elements from the premium Triton 500 . We’ll compare these three in a future article, and focus on the Triton 300 in this one.
Video review
VIDEO Specs as reviewed – 2020 Acer Predator Triton 300
Acer Predator Triton 300 PT315-52
Screen 1920 x 1080 px IPS 240 Hz 3ms, 16:9, non-touch, matte, Sharp LQ156M1JW09 panel
Processor Intel Comet Lake-H Core i7-10750H CPU, 6C/12T
Video Intel UHD + Nvidia RTX 2070 8 GB (80-90 W Max-Q, Overclocked, GeForce 446.14) – Optimus mode
Memory 32 GB DDR4 3200 MHz (2x DIMMs)
Storage 1x 1 TB SSD (WDC PC SN730) – 3x M.2 NVMe 80 mm slots
Connectivity Wireless 6 (Killer AC 1650i), Bluetooth 5.0, Gigabit LAN (Killer E2600)
Ports 3x USB-A 3.2 gen2, 1x USB-C, HDMI 2.0, miniDP 1.3, LAN, mic/earphone, Lock
Battery 58 Wh, 230 W power brick
Size 359 mm or 14.14” (w) x 255 mm or 10.03 (d) x 19.9 mm or .78” (h)
Weight 4.78 lbs (2.17 kg) + 1.92 lbs (875 g) power brick and cables, EU model
Extras 4-zone RGB backlit keyboard, HD webcam, stereo speakers
Design and build The Triton 300 shares a handful of design elements with the top-tier Triton 500 ultraportable, such as the lid with the panel-lit blue Predator Logo, and part of the interior, especially the front-lip with the rounded corners and edges.
The two are also almost the same size, but the Triton 300 is a bit thicker at 19.9 mm (compared to 17.9 mm for the Triton 500) and millimetrically wider. You can only tell that when having the two side by side and notice the slightly thinner bezels on the Triton 500, but keep in mind that Acer also placed the screen a bit higher into its chassis on the Triton 500, which is the main reason for that slimmer forehead. Both models get a camera up there, flanked by microphones.
The build quality is pretty good on the Triton 300, with a strong interior chassis and only some flex in the screen. Much like the entire Predator lineup, this is not a unibody design, but a plastic inner-chassis sandwiched by exterior sheets of aluminum, in a professional-looking dark-blue color that’s going to show smudges and finger-oil fairly easily. A quick rub will get rid of them, but it’s something you’ll have to do often.
The panel-lit Predator logo still resides on the lid, and there’s no way to switch it off. Acer are among the very few to stick with this sort of logo, in an era when most OEMs choose cleaner designs without any flashy elements. Compared to the Triton 500, this model also gets the status LEDs placed just beneath the screen, and they’re fairly bright an annoying when watching a movie in a dark room. These aside, though, the interior is clean and neat, especially once you peel off the various stickers plastered around.
Acer implemented a full-size keyboard on this series, with a NumPad section, and positioned it higher onto the frame than on the Triton 500 model, which allows for a more spacious arm-rest and larger clickpad. There are still some intake vents at the top of the screen, but smaller in size, as the entire thermal module is different than the one implemented on the higher tier ultraportable.
The IO resides on the edges, towards the middle and front, as the rear is reserved for the cooling system. The video ports are awkwardly placed on the right edge though, which is going to clutter your mouse area when hooking up peripherals. The USB-C port is also placed here, and it’s a data-only implementation, without support for Thunderbolt 3, video, or charging, which are available on the Triton 500. This Predator model also doesn’t get any card-reader or biometrics.
On the other hand, the PSU is placed on the back, out of the way, making for a clean setup if you don’t plan to connect an external monitor.
As far as practicality goes, the laptop sits well on the desk, but the rubber feet on the desk are not as grippy as on other laptops. The blunted front lip and corners also make it comfortable to use every day, without pressing on your wrists, and the palm-rest is fairly spacious, as mentioned earlier. Finally, the screen can be easily opened and adjusted with a single hand, yet the hinges only allow it to lean back flat to about 160 degrees, and not all the way back flat as on the higher tier Triton.
Keyboard and trackpad The Triton 300 gets a full-size keyboard layout, with an included NumPad, inherited from the Helios 300 model, and unlike the one on the Triton 500.
This aside, the design and overall feedback is mostly consistent between these implementations, and should appeal to most users. The keys on the Triton 300 felt a little firmer than on the Triton 500 and required a bit more force to actuate properly, which took a toll on my typing speed, but positively impacted my accuracy. Overall, I feel that the Triton 300 is a slightly friendlier and less unforgiving typer, based on my experience with these two samples.
The higher-tier Triton wins at the RGB implementation, though, with individual per-key control and brighter LEDs. The Triton 300 gets a 4-zone backlit keyboard and a slightly different array of LEDs, so it is not as evenly lit and some light creeps from underneath some of the keycaps.
There’s still no CapsLock LED indicator, much like with all the Acer keyboards, and the illumination still requires to press a key to activate, and doesn’t turn on with a gentle clickpad swipe, the way it should!
The click pad is also inherited from the Helios 300, at least in design. It’s larger than the one on the Triton 500 and feels just as smooth and accurate, so I can assume it’s also made out of glass. The implementation is fairly clunky here, and the surface rattles with light taps, and not just when tapped firmer like on the Triton 500.
As for biometrics, there aren’t any here.
Screen For the screen, Acer went with a FHD IPS matte 240 Hz 3ms panel made by Sharp on this 2020 Triton 300, leaving the AU Optronics 300 Hz option an exclusive for the 500 series, alongside the GSync mode, which is also not available here.
There’s hardly any real difference between these two, with only some slight contrast, black-level and color advantages for the 300 Hz panel, but the kind you’ll hardly notice even when having the two side by side. On top of that, the AU Optronics 300 Hz panel is known for light-bleeding, while the Sharp 240 Hz panel is not as sensitive to this issue.
Overall, the Predator Triton 300 gets an excellent screen both for gaming, with fast refresh and response times (with Overdrive activated), and for daily use, with good contrast and viewing angles, and fair brightest, at a little above 300-nits. This might not suffice for very bright environments, but will do just fine indoors.
Here’s what we got in our tests, with a X-Rite i1 Display Pro sensor :
Panel HardwareID: Sharp SHP14D3 (LQ156M1JW09);
Coverage: 98.6% sRGB, 72.7% AdobeRGB, 75.3% DCI P3;
Measured gamma: 2.31;
Max brightness in the middle of the screen: 316.69 cd/m2 on power;
Min brightness in the middle of the screen: 21.5 cd/m2 on power;
Contrast at max brightness: 1181:1;
White point: 7400 K;
Black on max brightness: 0.27 cd/m2;
PWM: No.
Response: ~17ms GtG (source ).
Further calibrating the panel in order to address the skewed White Point lowers the brightness by about 5%. We also haven’t experienced noticeable light-bleeding or color uniformity issues on our sample, but panel-quality variation is, unfortunately, a random issue with modern laptops, so there’s no guarantee you won’t on yours.
Hardware and performance Our test model is a top-specced configuration of the Acer Predator Triton 300 in the 2020 PT315-52 model, with an Intel Core i7-10750H processor, 32 GB of DDR4 3200 MHz RAM, 1 TB of storage and dual graphics: the Nvidia RTX 2070 dGPU and the Intel UHD within the Intel platforms, with Optimus.
Before we proceed, keep in mind that our review unit is an early-production model with the software available as of late-June 2020 (BIOS v0.14, Predator Sense 3.00.3138, GeForce Game Ready 446.14 drivers). While certain aspects might change with future software updates, our results should be mostly what you’ll get with the retail models as well.
Spec-wise, the 2020 Triton 300 tops at a 6Core Intel Comet Lake i7-10750H processor, the one we have on this sample, with i5 models available on the lower-end specs. 8Core processors are only an option on the Triton 500 series.
The updated Intel platform also supports 3200 MHz DDR4 memory. Our configuration gets 32 GB of RAM in dual-channel, and there are two DIMMs available inside.
As for the storage, our unit gets a single WDC PC SN730 drive with Optane support. There are two M.2 slots on this laptop, and that’s because Acer decided to ditch the 2.5″ bay. Not sure if that’s the right call on a mid-tier laptop.
As for the GPU, what we have here is the Nvidia 2070 non-Super graphics chip from 2019, in a Max-Q implementation with variable GPU TDP and settings between the several performance modes available in Predator Sense:
Normal – is a balanced everyday profile, with the GPU running at stock frequencies, roughly 80W of power and a balanced fan profile;
Fast – bumps the GPU to 90W and +50 MHz Core, +100 MHz Memory overclock;
Extreme – further overclocks the GPU at +100 MHz, +200 MHz Memory, and allows the fans to spin faster.
The Fast/Extreme profiles are only allowed while the laptop is plugged in. There’s also a Turbo mode (activated by pressing the Turbo physical button), which sets the Extreme GPU profile and pushes the fans to their max. That helps reduce temperatures, but at insane noise levels of 55-56 dB, and it’s not something I can see myself using on a regular basis.
As a side note, these profiles do not directly impact the CPU’s TDP, but thanks to the faster spinning fans on the Extreme profile, the processor is able to run at slightly higher clocks in sustained loads in this case.
Getting to the components is fairly simple, you just need to remove the back panel held in place by a few Philips screws, all visible around the sides. Inside you’ll get access to the two RAM slots, the WiFi chip, two SSD slots, as well as the thermal module, battery and speakers. A fair bit of space is led unused in the lower-left corner, where the 2.5″ storage bay used to reside on the Helios 300 chassis. We’re looking for further clarification on whether a larger battery option might be an option as well, to fill up that space.
The Predator Triton 300 is not just a performance laptop, it can also handle everyday multitasking, browsing, and video, while running quietly and coolly. Here’s what to expect:
Nonetheless, you’re not going to buy this for Netflix alone, so let’s see how it performs in demanding loads.
We start by testing the CPU’s performance in taxing chores by running Cinebench R15 benchmark for 15+ times in a loop, with 2-3 seconds delay between each run.
On Extreme (with fans on Auto), the i7-10750H processor settles for clock speeds of 3.5+ GHz, temperatures of around 90-94 degrees Celsius, and scores of around 1100 points, with a TDP of 60+W in all runs. Thermals are the limiting factor here.
Switching over to Normal quiets the fans, with initially a slight drop in sustained CPU power and scores. The performance degraded over the multiple runs, and eventually Power Limit throttling kicks in, setting the TDP at 45W. That’s especially noticeable in our Cinebench R20 loop test, logged further down.
Switching over to Turbo slightly alleviates the thermal restrictions, and in this case, the CPU stabilizes at 65W, which is the set TDP limit, and temperatures of 85-87 degrees C.
Undervolting is what normally makes a difference on Intel processors, although that’s more limited with 10th gen platforms. Our unit supports both XTU and Throttlestop , and we were able to stably undervolt it at -100 mV (-125mV was also possible, but we dialed back to prevent any stability issues and crashes). In this case, the CPU stabilizes at around 4.0 – 4.1 GHz and 65W+ TDP on Extreme, as well as temperatures of 90-94 C. Power is the limiting factor in this case, and not thermals.
In theory, the i7-10750H should constantly run at up to 4.2 GHz Turbo frequency in this sort of test, but that would require 70-75W of sustained power. Our unit stabilizes at around 65W once undervolted, so it ends up within 7-10% of the CPU’s maximum potential.
Finally, the performance drops on battery, with the CPU being limited to only 25W. All these details are available in the following charts and logs.
And here’s how the i7-10750H in this Triton fares against a couple of competing products in the Cinebench loop test.
Next, we’ve further verified our findings with the longer Cinebench R20 loop test and the gruesome Prime 95. With Prime, the i7 CPU kicks in hard at around 65-70W, and then drops to 45W, and later alternates between 45W and ~65W intervals.
We also ran our combined CPU+GPU stress tests on this notebook, on the default Extreme profile.
3DMark stress runs the same test for 20 times in a loop and looks for performance variation and degradation over time, and this unit passed it without a problem. Luxmark 3.1 fully loads both the CPU and GPU at the same time. The GPU constantly runs at around 80-90W in this test, and the CPU kicks in hard at first, but then stabilizes at around 35W. On battery, both the CPU and the GPU drop to lower power settings (12W – CPU, 30W – GPU).
Next, we ran the entire suite of tests and benchmarks, on the stock Extreme profile in Predator Sense.
3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 17295 (Graphics – 19842, Physics – 17746, Combined – 8645);3DMark 13 – Port Royal: 4276;3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 7010 (Graphics – 7221, CPU – 6018);AIDA64 Memory test: Write: Read: 36478 MB/s, Read: 40241 MB/s, Latency: 66.8 ns;Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 4442;Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Medium: 14016;Handbrake 1.3.1 (4K to 1080p encode): 31.34 average fps;PassMark: Rating: 6407 (CPU mark: 15530, 3D Graphics Mark: 11967, Disk Mark: 25271);PCMark 10: 5115 (Essentials – 9456 , Productivity – 7832 , Digital Content Creation – 4904);GeekBench 4.4.2 64-bit: Single-Core: 5505, Multi-core: 25187;GeekBench 5.0.1 64-bit: Single-Core: 1221, Multi-core: 6336;CineBench R15 (best run): CPU 1295 cb, CPU Single Core 190 cb;CineBench R20 (best run): CPU 2909 cb, CPU Single Core 464 cb;x264 HD Benchmark 4.0 32-bit: Pass 1 – 217.43 fps, Pass 2 – 80.66 fps;x265 HD Benchmark 64-bit: 51.25 s.
We then reran these tests on what we’ll further call the Extreme UV profile (CPU – undervolted -100 mV, GPU on Extreme in Predator Sense, fans on Auto).
3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 17200 (Graphics – 19477, Physics – 18040, Combined – 8836);3DMark 13 – Port Royal: 4245;3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 7104 (Graphics – 7255, CPU – 6356);Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 4440;Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Medium: 13870;Handbrake 1.3.1 (4K to 1080p encode): 35.11 average fps;PCMark 10: 5184 (Essentials – 9631 , Productivity – 7867 , Digital Content Creation – 4992);GeekBench 5.0.1 64-bit: Single-Core: 1212, Multi-core: 6261;CineBench R15 (best run): CPU 1321 cb, CPU Single Core 192 cb;CineBench R20 (best run): CPU 3091 cb, CPU Single Core 466 cb;x265 HD Benchmark 64-bit: 47.29 s.
Undervolting translates in only a minor 2-5% increase in CPU scores, with no effect on the GPU side. It does have a bigger impact on longer-duration loads, though.
Speaking of, the GPU is already overclocked on the Extreme profile, so we didn’t push it any further with MSI Afterburner in this case.
We also ran some Workstation related loads, on the Extreme profile:
Blender 2.83 – BMW Car scene- CPU Compute: 4m 47s (Extreme), 4m 39s (Extreme UV);Blender 2.83 – BMW Car scene- GPU Compute: 1m 14s (CUDA), 35s (Optix);Blender 2.83 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 15m 40s (Extreme), 14m 19s (Extreme UV);Blender 2.83 – Classroom scene – GPU Compute: 5m 31s (CUDA), 3m 3s (Optix);Luxmark 3.1 – Luxball HDR – OpenCL CPUs + GPUs score: 31121 (Extreme);SPECviewerf 13 – 3DSMax: 167.2 (Extreme);SPECviewerf 13 – Catia: 111.4 (Extreme);SPECviewerf 13 – Creo: 160.58 (Extreme);SPECviewerf 13 – Energy: 20.66 (Extreme);SPECviewerf 13 – Maya: 205.85 (Extreme);SPECviewerf 13 – Medical: 51.17 (Extreme);SPECviewerf 13 – Showcase: 97.11 (Extreme);SPECviewerf 13 – SNX: 15.3 (Extreme);SPECviewerf 13 – SW: 81.13 (Extreme).
Finally, here’s how this Triton 300 configuration compares to some of the other 15-inch portable laptops in its class.
With these out of the way, let’s look at some games. We ran a couple of DX11, DX12, and Vulkan titles on stock Normal/Extreme and Extreme UV profiles, with fans on Auto. Here’s what we got:
i7-10750H + RTX 2070 Max-Q FHD Extreme UV FHD Extreme stock FHD Normal stock QHD Extreme stock
Battlefield V (DX 12, Ultra Preset, Ray-Tracing OFF) 106 fps (77 fps – 1% low)
105 fps (80 fps – 1% low)
96 fps (75 fps – 1% low)
–
Battlefield V (DX 12, Ultra Preset, Ray-Tracing ON, DLSS OFF) 54 fps (45 fps – 1% low)
54 fps (44 fps – 1% low)
51 fps (43 fps – 1% low)
–
Far Cry 5 (DX 11, Ultra Preset, SMAA) 97 fps (72 fps – 1% low)
93 fps (70 fps – 1% low)
89 fps (67 fps – 1% low)
76 fps (58 fps – 1% low)
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor (DX 11, Ultra Preset) 146 fps (90 fps – 1% low)
143 fps (89 fps – 1% low)
133 fps (80 fps – 1% low)
101 fps (74 fps – 1% low)
Red Dead Redemption 2 (DX 12, Ultra Optimized, TAA) 62 fps (50 fps – 1% low)
62 fps (49 fps – 1% low)
57 fps (46 fps – 1% low)
36 fps (26 fps – 1% low)
Rise of Tomb Raider (DX 12, Very High Preset, FXAA) 92 fps (48 fps – 1% low)
94 fps (48 fps – 1% low)
88 fps (47 – 1% low)
81 fps (42 fps – 1% low)
Shadow of Tomb Raider (DX 12, Highest Preset, TAA) 87 fps (54 fps – 1% low)
86 fps (52 fps – 1% low)
79 fps (50 fps – 1% low)
61 fps (49 fps – 1% low)
Strange Brigade (Vulkan, Ultra Preset) 131 fps (99 fps – 1% low)
129 fps (100 fps – 1% low)
119 fps (92 fps – 1% low)
99 fps (79 fps – 1% low)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (DX 11, Ultra Preset, Hairworks On 4 86 fps (52 fps – 1% low)
80 fps (52 fps – 1% low)
75 fps (49 fps – 1% low)
65 fps (52 fps – 1% low)
Battlefield V, The Witcher 3 – recorded with Fraps/in-game FPS counter in campaign mode;
Far Cry 5, Middle Earth, Strange Brigade, Red Dead Redemption 2, Tomb Raider games – recorded with the included Benchmark utilities;
Red Dead Redemption 2 Optimized profile based on these settings .
The HWinfo logs below show the CPU and GPU speeds and temperatures in Farcry 5, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Witcher 3 on the stock Extreme profile.
Both the CPU and GPU reach fairly high temperatures. The CPU varies between titles, averaging temperatures in the high-70s in Witcher 3 and Red Dead Redemption 2, but low-90s in Far Cry 5. The GPU runs more stably, at around high-70s to low 80s, while the fans ramp up to 47-48 dB at head level on Auto.
Undervolting has a minor impact over the CPU/GPU temperatures and performance.
However, slightly raising the laptop from the desk impacts the temperatures in most titles by 2-7 degrees, both on the Extreme and the Normal profiles, which suggests Acer could have implemented taller rubber feet in order to improve the airflow underneath and better cool the aluminum D-panel.
Switching over to Turbo also helps lower the temperatures. In Witcher 3 and Red Dead 2, the CPU drops to 70-74 degrees and the GPU to 70-73 degrees C, while in Far Cry 5, the CPU averages mid-80s and the GPU high-70s. These are excellent temperatures, but come with a significant noise increase of 52-54 dB at head-level, and the laptop is nearly impossible to use in this case, even with headphones.
Dropping the settings to Normal/Auto lowers the fans’ noise to about 44-45 dB, which is still fairly noisy for the quietest option available on this laptop, and with a small 10% hit on fps. However, the laptop’s chassis heats up badly in this case, and while the CPU and GPU hit temperatures in the low to mid-80s in Witcher 3 and Red Dead 2, they also average mid-90s on the CPU and mid-80s on the GPU in FarCry 5, as well as thermally throttled frequencies. Raising the laptop from the desk helps in this case as well, and is probably one of the better-balanced profiles on this Triton 300, as long as you can cope with the scorching metallic chassis. We’ll further touch on this aspect in the next section.
Overall, the Predator Triton 300 performs well, but the metallic chassis and thinner profile show their limitations in longer gaming sessions, and this runs hotter and noisier than both the Predator Triton 500 and last year’s Predator Helios 300. That’s why I recommend finding a way to raise this up from the desk, or placing it on a proper cooling pad.
Noise, Heat, Connectivity, speakers, and others The thermal module is similar in most ways to what Acer implements on the 2019 Predator Helios 300, with two Aeroblade fans and several heatpipes spread on top of the CPU, GPU, and VRMs. The fans have been redesigned in order to cope with the thinner chassis, and they’re still different implementations for the CPU and GPU side.
As explained above, this implementation does a fair job of keeping the components at bay on the Auto fan profile, with excellent temperatures once you switch them on Turbo, but at insane noise. Here’s what to expect in terms of noise, at head-level.
Extreme, fans on Turbo – 52-54 dB with games;
Extreme, fans on Auto – 47-48 dB with games, 43-44 dB with Cinebench loop test;
Normal, fans on Auto – 42-44 dB with games, 39-40 dB with Cinebench loop test, 32-35 dB with Daily use.
Heat spreads out easily onto the exterior metallic chassis, with the interior hitting temperatures in the low and mid-50s in the upper part above the keyboard, and the bottom hitting high-50s to low-60s in the hottest spots. The WASD and arrow regions that you’ll mostly come in contact with when playing games stay withing low to mid-40s in most cases, with the palm-rest averaging temperatures int he 30s, so the laptop is going to feel alright on a desk, even if it heats up more than other devices in its class. Those of you living in hot areas might want to look into something else.
Switching over to Turbo lowers the chassis temperatures by a fair amount, but like I mentioned already, 52+ dB fans are not something I’d be willing to cope with.
Otherwise, the laptop runs cooly and quietly with daily use. The fans are always active, even with the lightest of loads, but they’re barely audible at head-level even in a quiet environment, and I haven’t noticed any coil winning or other sorts of electronic noises.
I no longer have the thermal reader around for this review, so we’ll have to update with those images in a bit. In the meantime, we’ve added our standard IR readings.
*Daily Use – streaming Netflix in EDGE for 30 minutes, Normal Profile, fans at 32-35 dB *Gaming – Normal – playing Far Cry 5 for 30 minutes, Normal Profile, fans at 42-44 dB *Gaming – Extreme UV– playing Far Cry 5 for 30 minutes, Extreme UV Profile, fans at 47-48 dB
For connectivity, there’s a Killer 1650i 2×2 Wireless 6 implementation inside this laptop, with Bluetooth 5.0, as well as Gigabit Lan through a Killer E2600 module. We’ve mostly used our sample on wireless, and it performed flawlessly both near the router and at 30+ feet away, with obstacles in between.
For audio, there’s a set of speakers firing through cuts on the lateral sides of the underbelly, and they’re not much. We measured maximum volumes of about 78-80 dB at head-level, without any distortions, and the sound comes out fine, but lacking in the lows. Opening up the laptop we noticed that Acer stuck with the same minuscule speakers from the Helios 300 and the Nitro lineups, which actually sound better than I’d expect on a first glimpse. The headphone jack is fine as well, but not special in any way.
Finally, there’s also a 720p webcam on this laptop, placed at the top of the screen, and flanked by microphones. It’s not much, but overall slightly better quality than the standard gaming laptop camera.
Battery life There’s only a 58 Wh battery inside this Triton 300, which is small for a 2020 15-inch notebook. Paired with the powerful hardware, the 240 Hz screen, and Optimus, this notebook only offers average to short battery life by today’s standards.
I’m looking for clarification on whether a larger battery option is also available for this laptop, as suggested by the unused space left inside with the removal of the 2.5″ storage bay.
Here’s what we got on our unit, with the screen set at 60% brightness (~120 nits):
15 W (~3h 45 min h of use) – text editing in Google Drive, Better Battery Mode, screen at 60%, Wi-Fi ON;12 W (~5+ h of use) – 1080p fullscreen video on Youtube in Edge, Better Battery Mode, screen at 60%, Wi-Fi ON;11.5 W (~5+ h of use) – Netflix fullscreen in Edge, Better Battery Mode, screen at 60%, Wi-Fi ON;21 W (~3- h of use) – browsing in Edge, Better Performance Mode, screen at 60%, Wi-Fi ON;55 W (~1 h of use) – Gaming – Witcher 3, Max Performance Mode, screen at 60%, Wi-Fi ON, no fps limit.
Moreover, I’ll also add that Acer bundles this laptop with a compact 230 W power-brick, and lower-tier configurations should get a smaller and lighter 180W brick. The battery fills up in about 2 hours and there’s no support to SUB-C charging.
Price and availability The Acer Predator Triton 300 is not yet available in stores at the time of this post.
Early listings suggest an MSRP of $1699 for the i7/2070 configuration tested here, and a starting price of $1299 for base configuration with a 1660Ti GPU. We’ll update once we know more.
In the meantime, you can follow this link for more details .
Final thoughts The Predator Triton 300 slots somewhere in between the popular Helios 300 and the higher-tier Triton 500 in Acer’s 2020 lineup.
It does borrow a lot of aspects from the Helios 300, such as the overall design lines, the full-size RGB keyboard, the IO and a fair-bit of the internal layout, but also gets a few traits from the Triton 500 model, such as the cleaner exterior looks and the friendlier inner lips and corners.
Specs-wise, the Triton 300 also slots in between these two, with a 240 Hz 3 ms screen and up to RTX 2070 graphics, but only a 58Wh battery. In comparison, the Helios 300 also tops at a 240 Hz screen and RTX 2070 graphics chip in the 2020 version, while the updated Triton 500 offers 8Core processors, up to RTX 2080 Super graphics, a 300 Hz screen, and GSync support, making it the better gaming ultraportable. It also offers a superior thermal module, able to keep the hardware and the aluminum exterior cooler.
Thermals are in fact my major nit with this Triton 300 lineup. With a thinner profile and a higher-power implemented GPU, both the components and especially the metal casings run hot on this laptop, hotter than on both the Helios 300 and the Triton 500. Switching over to Turbo alleviates this aspect, but with extremely noisy fans spinning at 52-54 dB.
This aside, the small implemented battery and the lack of biometrics, card-reader, or Thunderbolt 3 might also steer some of you away. But I’d expect Acer to compensate for these quirks with some aggressive pricing, especially on the lower-tier configurations, knowing their past pricing policies. We’ll keep an eye on this and we’ll update once it becomes available in stores.
That pretty much wraps up our review of the 2020 Predator Triton 300 PT315-52, but I’d like to hear what you think about it, so get in touch in the comments section down below.
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Review by: Andrei Girbea
Andrei Girbea is a Writer and Editor-in-Chief here at Ultrabookreview.com . I write about mobile technology, laptops and computers in general. I've been doing it for more than 15 years now. I'm a techie with a Bachelor's in Computer Engineering. I mostly write reviews and thorough guides here on the site, with some occasional columns and first-impression articles.
Ubaid
January 30, 2023 at 10:39 pm
Hey Andrei Girbea
Quick question, is there a slight chance if you have access to the same laptop, I need to know what nvidia driver version you are running on as I am unable to find its compatible drivers and nothing seems to work.
Andrei Girbea
January 30, 2023 at 10:45 pm
I no longer have access to this laptop. The driver used at the time of the article is mentioned in the Performance section.
But what's the problem? I'd reckon latest drivers from Acer's website should work just fine
Guggi
January 25, 2022 at 9:37 am
Thank you for your great and detailed review. Looking now into buying a power Laptop (not for gaming but for part time video rendering). – Keep up the good work – very much appreciated.