We’re discussing the Acer Predator Helios 16 AI in this laptop, Acer’s most powerful 16-inch gaming laptop of this generation (2025, PH16-73 model), with specs that include an Intel Core Ultra 9 and up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090.
Just to be clear, this is not the Predator Helios Neo 16 or the Helios Neo 16S, those are mid-specced and somewhat more portable designs with arguably more limited cooling capacity. This is the full-size Predator Helios, the option for those interested in the most powerful Predator option available today.
It’s hardly available in stores, though, even these days, months after launch. And as you’ll find out in this article, while it performs very well in mixed loads and games, it also runs noisily and hot.
I’ve gathered all my thoughts and impressions on this series down below, so let’s get going.
Specs sheet as reviewed – Acer Predator Helios 16 gaming laptop
Acer Predator Helios 16, PH16-73 2025 model
Display 16-inch, 16:10, non-touch, glossy,
Processor Intel Arrow Lake HX,
Video Intel Graphics + Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop 24GB graphics (up to 165W with Dynamic Boost)
Memory 64 GB DDR5-5600 RAM (2x DIMMs)
Storage 4 TB SSD (2x Micron 3500 drives) – 1x M.2 PCIe 5.0 and 1x PCIe 4.0 slots
Connectivity WiFi 7 (Killer 1750x) 2×2 with Bluetooth 5.4, 2.5Gigabit LAN (Killer E5000B)
Ports Left: Lan, 1x USB-A 3.2 gen1, audio jack, micro SD card reader
Battery 90Wh, 330 W power adapter, USB-C charging up to 100W
Size 357 mm or 14.05” (w) x 280 mm or 11.01″ (d) x 27 – 28 mm or .64″ – 1.1” (h)
Weight 2.66 kg (5.9 lbs),
Extras clamshell 16-inch format with 160-degree screen angle,
Design, build, ergonomics On first glance, with all the RGB on, this Helios looks like a Christmas tree. It’s as much a gaming-oriented design as it gets these days. But then, if you switch off the lights, it’s actually quite a clean-looking design, with subtle branding elements on the lid and armrest.
Here are two side-by-side images of the exterior and interior with the RGB on and off.
And a few more general images of this Helios 16 chassis.
Metal parts are used for the lid and main deck, while the sides and underbelly are plastic. So what you’re touching is metal. What’s a bit weird to me is that the lid is a dark blue shade, while the interior is black; inconsistent, but not really an issue. Just weird. Both surfaces show smudges and finger oil easily, as expected.
This laptop also feels rather large, though, and that’s due to the hump on the back. A similar design is implemented by most other options in this space of full-performance full-size notebooks, but at least here you get ports on the back edge, helping to hide away cables. That’s a major plus, especially since most other 16-inch laptops in this segment line all the ports on the sides these days.
At the same time, this Helios is lighter than most of its competition. The more basic cooling without a vapor chamber plays a role in that, with consequences that we’ll discuss further down.
Since the screen doesn’t go all the way to the back of the chassis, the laptop actually feels more compact than it is in real use. Here’s a side-by-side image next to the Asus ROG Strix G16, which is a different design, more compact overall, but with the hinges in the corners. The Helios feels smaller.
In fact, the practicality of this laptop is pretty good, arguably among the best in the segment. My only complaints are of the sharp front lip and the always-on light in the toggle button in the top-left corner, but at least that is much dimmer than on past Helios iterations.
Otherwise, this offers good grip on a desk, sturdy hinges that go back to about 160 degrees, and a solid-built chassis that doesn’t flex or bend or squeak in any way. There’s also a full keyboard with a NumPad and a well-sized touchpad.
The IO includes everything you’d want, with extras such as a micro SD card reader or a Lock that most competitors do not include. Plus, the benefit of having important connectors behind the display, out of the way. They could have put a proper full-size SD card reader, though.
Keyboard and touchpad The keyboard on this Predator Helios 16 AI is full-size, with full-sized arrow keys and a slightly smaller NumPad section.
By default, this is a standard rubber dome keyboard. However, a particularity of this Helios, but not unique to it in the class, is the option to change the standard WASD and ARROWS keys with mechanical switches. They’re taller and noisier and click differently than the other keys, so they might work for you in games, but for general use and typing, having two types of keys can get confusing.
For the most part, though, this keyboard is a good typer. For my tests, I had the mechanical switches on, and that impacted my typing accuracy.
The keys are RGB, with per-key control and some of the brightest LEDs I’ve seen around. Even their lowest setting is brighter than what you get with other brands, and that is something that you must be aware of if you plan to use this laptop at night in dim rooms – this keyboard is probably too bright for that sort of use. Otherwise, though, this is a solid lighting implementation, with plenty of effects and good control in the software (albeit quite hidden away if you’re not familiar with the Acer Predator Sense app).
The touchpad is matte glass and centered on the space key, thus slightly positioned to the left of the chassis.
I appreciate how this is just the right size, not too small and especially not too big, so it’s functional in every way and doesn’t cause ghost touches and clicks when used on the lap.
It worked smoothly with taps and gestures and swipes, and even the physical clicks are smooth and silent.
As for biometrics, there’s IR functionality in the webcam.
Screen – highly glossy OLED panel Acer implemented an OLED panel on this Helios 16 generation, ditching the matte IPS panels offered in the past. That means it’s a glossy finish, and even one of the glossiest OLEDs I’ve encountered over the years. I don’t have the Legion Pro 7i around for a direct comparison, though.
Anyway, this aspect apart, the 2.5K 240Hz OLED panel is awesome to look at, excellent for color-accurate work, and an amazing option for gaming (fast response, high refresh, GSync). For most people, this OLED is probably a nicer option than the IPS and mini LED panels offered by other 16-inch high-tier notebooks.
But potential buyers must accept the glossiness and the potential quirks of OLED panels in laptop implementations . At least it’s not a touch OLED, and that means whites and light content look clean and not grainy. On top of that, based on reviews of other Acer OLED implementations , it might not suffer from flickering in the same way as other OLED laptops do. But we don’t have the tool to test that, and you’d have to look into more details on this aspect.
Hardware and performance – Ultra 9 HX, RTX 5090 165W Our test model is the top-specced configuration of the 2025 Acer Predator Helios 16 AI series, code name PH16-73, built on an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, an Nvidia RTX 5090 24 GB dGPU, 64 GB of DDR5-5600 memory, and 4 TB of SSD storage.
I’ve tested this unit with the software available as of mid-September 2025 (BIOS 1.08, GeForce 580.97 drivers). This is a mature software package; thus, nothing significant can change with future updates at this point.
Spec-wise, this Predator Helios 16 series is built on the latest Intel and Nvidia hardware available to date.
The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is one of the top mobile processors in Intel’s Arrow Lake HX (15th-gen) platform , with 24 Cores and 24 Threads.
This is a hybrid design with 8 High-Performance Cores (Lion Cove), 16 Efficiency Cores (Skymont), and a total of 24 Threads. However, this implementation only allows for around 100-120W of sustained TDP in demanding loads, due to high CPU thermals. Take our findings with a lump of salt, though, as this unit might have an issue with CPU cooling.
For the GPU, this series is available with several Nvidia Blackwell Geforce RTX 5000 chips, either 5090 16 GB (165W), 5080 16 GB (165W), or 5070Ti 12GB (140W)
There’s a MUX on this chassis, GSync support on the main display, as well as either regular Optimus or Advanced Optimus.
For memory and storage, the laptop comes with two accessible memory DIMMs and two M.2 2280 SSD slots; one of these slots supports PCIe gen5 drives.
The SSD, RAM, and WiFI module are all upgradable in this notebook. You need to take out the bottom panel, held in place by a handful of Torx screws. These screws are all the same size, but there’s no pop-up screw in the corner, so you’ll need a prying tool of some sort to take the panel apart from the main chassis. The RAM is further encased in a thermal shield that needs to be removed to get to the memory sticks.
Specs aside, Acer offer their standard power profiles in the Predator Sense control app: Quiet, Balanced, Performance, Turbo, with various power settings and fan profiles between them, summarized in the following table.
Quiet Balanced Performance Turbo
CPU only, PL1/PL2 TDP
55/100W
85/157W
95/169W
115/169W
GPU only, max TGP
90W
110W
140W
165W
Crossload
110W, 20 + 90 W
130W, 20 + 110 W
170W, 30 + 140 W
220W, 55 + 165 W
Noise at head-level, tested
<35 dBA
~38 dBA
~46 dBA
~54 dBA (auto)
The power settings are a little conservative compared to other high-performance laptops available today. Even Turbo doesn’t allow for full 175W TGP on the GPU, despite running loudly and despite the high CPU/GPU temperatures. That’s mostly a results of the more basic cooling module implemented in this Helios chassis, not quite on par with the modules included with competing notebooks.
Before we jump to the performance section, here’s how this laptop handles everyday use and multitasking on the Quiet profile, unplugged from the wall. The fans keep very quiet in this mode, but they never idle.
Performance and benchmarks – Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 On to more demanding loads, we start by testing the CPU’s performance in the Cinebench R15 loop test. We keep the laptop on a stand, for consistency between reviews.
I warn you to take these findings with a lump of salt, as the CPU runs hot on this unit, and I’m not sure that’s what you should expect from the retail units available in stores. There’s a good possibility those units run at better thermals in sustained CPU loads. Unfortunately, there are no other reviews of this series available online to compare my findings with.
On Turbo mode, the Core Ultra 9 275HX processor starts strongly at 169W of power, but very quickly jumps to 105 °C, and then the system needs to thermally throttle it to around 100-120W. This limitation is especially noticeable in longer sustained loads, as you’ll see further down.
Even in this test, though, the scores only end up around 5100-5200 points, 5-15% lower than on competing platforms on their highest power profiles. And that’s with high temperatures and high fan noise at 54 dBA.
Performance mode leads to similar behavior, but with quieter fans at 46 dBA and scores around 4900 points, since the CPU heats up a little quicker and is power-limited earlier.
Balanced mode performs more consistently, limiting the TDP at around 85-90W, with temperatures in the low 90s °C, fan noise of sub 40 dBA, and overall scores of around 4500 points.
On battery power, the same Balanced mode allows for a 55W TDP, with better thermals and scores of around 3800 points.
Finally, Quiet mode plugged in limits the CPU at 50W, with similar scores of 3800 points, quiet fans at sub 35 dBA, and temperatures in the mid 80s °C.
However, these CPU temperatures are high on all profiles for this test, suggesting my review unit has some sort of issue with CPU cooling. A repaste might change these results significantly, but I didn’t get to do it. Regardless, make sure to test your unit in Cinebench and compare your performance and thermals with what I got – your results should be better.
To put these findings in perspective, here’s how this Core Ultra 9 275HX implementation fares against other performance laptops in this test.
Due to the thermal situation discussed earlier, this notebook trails other Ultra 9 275HX models by 5-15%. It’s still faster than previous-gen Core i9 hardware implemented in older Predator Helios notebooks we’ve tested.
We then went ahead and further verified our findings with the more taxing Cinebench R23 loop test and Blender – Classroom. These further showcase the thermal limitation in Turbo and Performance mode, while Balanced and Quiet modes work fine.
We also ran the 3DMark CPU test on the Turbo and Quiet profiles.
Finally, we ran our combined CPU+GPU stress tests on this notebook. 3DMark stress runs the same test for 20 times in a loop and looks for performance variation and degradation over time. This unit fails the test when raised up on a stand, but by a very small margin of 0.3%.
Next, we ran the entire suite of tests and benchmarks on the Turbo profile with the GPU set on Advanced Optimus and with the screen set at the native 2560 x 1600 px resolution.
Here’s what we got:
3DMark 13 – CPU profile: max – 15397, 16 – 13027, 8 – 8503, 4 – 4702, 2 – 2500, 1 – 1258;3DMark 13 – Fire Strike (DX11): 39527 (Graphics – 52335, Physics – 45934, Combined – 12983);3DMark 13 – Port Royal (RTX): 16383;3DMark 13 – Time Spy (DX12): 23394 (Graphics – 25339, CPU – 16306);3DMark 13 – Speed Way (DX12 Ultimate): 6470;3DMark 13 – Steel Nomad (DX12 Ultimate): 6412;3DMark 13 – DLSS: 37.08 fps DLSS Off, 145.57 fps DLSS On;
Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 15599;Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Medium: 37251;
Aida64 Extreme, memory test – ;PCMark 10: -;GeekBench 6.2.2 64-bit: Multi-core: 18792, Single-Core: 2960;CineBench R15 (best run): CPU 5737 cb, CPU Single Core 324 cb;CineBench R23: CPU 36175 cb (best single run), CPU 33759 cb (10 min run), CPU Single Core 2188 cb;CineBench 2024: GPU – pts, CPU 2050 pts (loop run), CPU Single Core 133 pts.
And here are some workstation benchmarks, on the same Turbo profile:
Blender 4.3.2 – BMW scene – CPU Compute: 1m 17s;Blender 4.3.2 – BMW scene – GPU Compute: 9.60s (CUDA), 5.25 (Optix);Blender 4.3.2 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 3m 04s;Blender 4.3.2 – Classroom scene – GPU Compute: 18.39s (CUDA), 11.01s (Optix).
SPECviewperf 2020 – 3DSMax 07: 223.43;SPECviewperf 2020 – Catia 06: 113.14;SPECviewperf 2020 – Creo 03: 123.24;SPECviewperf 2020 – Energy: 77.75;SPECviewperf 2020 – Maya 06: 621.08;SPECviewperf 2020 – Medical 03: 65.59;SPECviewperf 2020 – SNX 04: 52.48;SPECviewperf 2020 – SW 07: 485.95
SPECviewperf 15 – 3DSMax 08: 91.30;SPECviewperf 15 – Blender 01: 81.01;SPECviewperf 15 – Catia 07: 83.83;SPECviewperf 15 – Creo 04: 118.46;SPECviewperf 15 – Energy 04: 76.72;SPECviewperf 15 – Enscape 01: 84.99;SPECviewperf 15 – Maya 07: 226.91;SPECviewperf 15 – Medical 04: 64.91;SPECviewperf 15 – Solidworks 08: 42.06;SPECviewperf 15 – Unreal Engine 01: 92.62;
V-Ray Benchmark: 22602 – CPU, 3153 – CUDA, 4191 – RTX.
On the CPU side, the benchmarks follow up on what we reported in the stress tests, with scores about 5-15% lower in multi-threaded multi-core loads compared to other implementations of the same Core Ultra HX hardware. Single-core performance is fine, though, close and even on par with the fastest options out there.
On the GPU side, however, this Predator Helios performs flawlessly, slightly besting our findings on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (tested earlier in the year, though) and almost matching the results on the MSI Titan 18 , both of them being larger 18-inch laptops with way more advanced cooling modules. For what is worth, Acer offers an 18-inch Helios 18 AI as well.
Now, considering CPU cooling isn’t quite on par with expectations on this particular sample, I’d expect retail units to score better on the CPU side as well. This review mentions CPU scores within 5-8% higher than what I got on this unit.
So overall, expect the Predator Helios 16 AI to be a competitive performer in its tier. It’s still going to run loud, though, and mostly warmer than some alternatives.
Quiet Mode – still solid performance at sub 35 dBA noise This profile limits the CPU at ~50W sustained TDP and the GPU at around 90-100W TGP. Still plenty for this configuration, and with alright internal temperatures and quiet fan noise at sub 35 dBA.
Here’s what we got.
3DMark 13 –CPU profile: max – 13259, 16 – 11359, 8 – 6774, 4 – 4087, 2 – 2178, 1 – 1180;3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 28308 (Graphics – 39640, Physics – 29054, Combined – 8895);3DMark 13 – Port Royal (RTX): 12709;3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 17890 (Graphics – 18682, CPU – 14427);Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 11474;CineBench R23 (10 min loop): CPU 22474 cb, CPU Single Core 2032 cb;Blender 3.6.5 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 4m 53s.SPECviewperf 2020 – 3DSMax: 190.85;SPECviewperf 2020 – Catia: 91.68;SPECviewperf 2020 – Maya: 367.31;SPECviewperf 2020 – SNX: 46.77;SPECviewperf 2020 – SW: 280.03.
These are about 70-80% of what the laptop scores on Turbo, and on par with the similar Silent/Quiet profiles on much larger laptops such as the Titan 18. Surely a competitive profile for general use, workloads, and games.
Gaming performance – Ultra 9 HX + GeForce RTX 5090 With benchmarks out of the way, let’s see how this Acer Predator Helios 16 handles modern games.
We tested a couple of different games on the various available profiles at QHD+ resolution, with the GPU set on dGPU mode.
For consistency with other reviews, the laptop is placed on a stand for all tests, to ensure the best possible airflow into the cooling module. Flat on the desk, internals heat up a little more, and that can impact framerates to some extent, especially on Turbo mode.
I’ve also disabled any automatic settings and optimizations in the Nvidia app. Turbo mode includes a GPU overclock, and the fans set to Auto.
Here are the results:
Acer Predator Helios 16, RTX 5090 Laptop 150-175W QHD+ Turbo, QHD+ Performance, QHD+ Balanced, QHD+ Quiet,
Black Myth: Wukong 68 fps (45 fps – 1% low)
–
–
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Black Myth: WukongMFG On 2x 98 fps (37 fps – 1% low)
88 fps (34 fps – 1% low)
78 fps (32 fps – 1% low)
72 fps (28 fps – 1% low)
Black Myth: WukongMFG On 4x 174 fps (34 fps – 1% low)
164 fps (32 fps – 1% low)
138 fps (26 fps – 1% low)
128 fps (22 fps – 1% low)
Cyberpunk 2077 103 fps (56 fps – 1% low)
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–
–
Cyberpunk 2077 32 fps (20 fps – 1% low)
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Cyberpunk 2077MFG On 2x , Ray Reconstruction On, 120 fps (54 fps – 1% low)
112 fps (43 fps – 1% low)
98 fps (35 fps – 1% low)
88 fps (28 fps – 1% low)
Cyberpunk 2077MFG On 4x , Ray Reconstruction On, 214 fps (46 fps – 1% low)
198 fps (44 fps – 1% low)
172 fps (36 fps – 1% low)
158 fps (36 fps – 1% low)
Far Cry 6 132 fps (89 fps – 1% low)
120 fps (82 fps – 1% low)
110 fps (80 fps – 1% low)
90 fps (52 fps – 1% low)
Horizon Forbidden West 92 fps (68 fps – 1% low)
88 fps (64 fps – 1% low)
70 fps (52 fps – 1% low)
66 fps (50 fps – 1% low)
Horizon Forbidden West 172 fps (114 fps – 1% low)
160 fps (102 fps – 1% low)
136 fps (86 fps – 1% low)
126 fps (82 fps – 1% low)
Red Dead Redemption 2 137 fps (72 fps – 1% low)
126 fps (68 fps – 1% low)
114 fps (62 fps – 1% low)
102 fps (52 fps – 1% low)
Shadow of Tomb Raider 174 fps (106 fps – 1% low)
152 fps (100 fps – 1% low)
138 fps (90 fps – 1% low)
122 fps (78 fps – 1% low)
Cyberpunk, Horizon FW, Witcher 3, Resident Evil – recorded with MSI Afterburner fps counter in campaign mode;
Black Myth, Far Cry 6, Red Dead Redemption 2, Tomb Raider – recorded with the included Benchmark utilities;
Red Dead Redemption 2 Optimized profile based on these settings .
These are excellent results, among the best recorded on any RTX 5090 laptop tested so far, and once again on par with the MSI Titan 18 XH AI 18-inch notebook.
Quiet mode is especially interesting, providing 70% of the framerates possible on Turbo, but with barely audible fans and lower internal temperatures.
Let’s go over some performance and temperature logs.
First of all, Turbo mode with the laptop flat on the desk. Both the CPU and GPU end up at their thermal limits in this scenario, causing a slight power throttling with a modest impact on framerates, within 5%. But 100+ °C on the CPU, 85+ °C on the GPU and 54 dBA fan noise are hard to accept for sustained gaming sessions.
With the laptop raised on a stand, the CPU and GPU still run at similar temperatures, but at slightly higher power. Once more, I do expect the retail models to do a better job at cooling the CPU, and that would hopefully impact the GPU temperatures as well. I’d still expect 90s °C on the CPU and 80s+ °C on the GPU.
Given the previous findings, I’ve only logged the other profiles with the laptop on a stand.
Performance mode aggressively cuts on fan noise and CPU/GPU power, with a TGP of up to 130-140W in the tested titles and a TDP around 30W. The components still run hot, though, in the low 90s °C for the CPU and low 80s °C for the GPU. But the general; gaming performance is within 10% or less of Turbo mode, with much quieter fan noise at 46 dBA.
Balanced mode is even quieter at sub 40 dBA, but limits the GPU at around 105-110W and the CPU at 20-25W. This way, temperatures drop to acceptable levels: 80s °C on the CPU and mid to high 70s °C on the GPU.
Finally, Quiet mode keeps the fans under 35 dBA, providing about 70% of the gaming framerates possible on Turbo. That’s with acceptable temperatures in the low 80s on the CPU and mid-70s on the GPU.
In the end, this Helios 16 AI is a solid performer in games, and you should take our findings on CPU sustained performance and CPU/GPU temperatures with a lump of salt, as this review unit did not cool quite as well as it should.
Heat, Noise, Connectivity, Speakers, Camera Speaking of the cooling module, though, this is quite minimalist compared to what other OEMs put on their competing products today, and I’m referring to the set of rather slim heatpipes that connect into the fans and radiators.
Now, as shown earlier, this cooling module struggles on our sample, and even if there’s something wrong with the cooling on this unit, I’d still expect the CPU/GPU to run warm and hot even on retail models.
Overall, this Predator is a lower-power design than something like an Asus ROG Scar 16 or a Lenovo Legion Pro 7i or an MSI Raider 16, and while that doesn’t seem to impact mixed-use performance, it shows up in thermal and noise.
As far as the fan noise levels go with demanding loads, we’re looking at ~54 dB at head-level on the Turbo mode with Auto fans, 46 dBA on Performance mode, 38-40 dBA on Balanced mode, and sub-35 dBA on Quiet mode.
With daily use, you’ll hardly hear the fans at all, but they’re never idle and still spin quietly in the background. You’ll hear their slight hum in a completely quiet room, but not with general use in a regular environment. I haven’t noticed any coil whining or electronic noises on this unit.
Chassis temperatures stay low with casual use, in the mid-30s °C in the hottest spots.
*Daily Use – streaming Netflix in EDGE for 30 minutes, Silent profile, fans idle or <30 dB
With games, Turbo mode ramps the fans to 54 dBA, and despite that, the metal chassis still heats up, even when keeping the laptop on a stand to improve airflow into the fans.
We measured temperatures in the 50s °C in the middle of the keyboard, and 35-45 °C on the sides around the arrow keys and WASD keys.
*Gaming – Turbo – playing Cyberpunk for 30 minutes, fans at ~54 dB
The chassis feels even warmer on Quiet mode, particularly around the arrow keys, as shown below. At close to 50s around that area, the metal frame can get uncomfortable to the touch with longer gaming sessions.
*Gaming – Quiet – playing Cyberpunk for 30 minutes, fans at <35 dB
For connectivity, there’s latest-gen WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 through a Killer module on this device, which performed fine during all these weeks. High-speed wired 5GB Internet is also available. The LAN port is on the left edge, and not on the back.
The audio system on this Predator Helios 16 isn’t great. There are suposedly 4x speakers inside the laptop, and they offer average volumes with quite little on the lower end.
The webcam on this laptop is 2MPx, and supports IR with Windows Hello. The image quality isn’t much. It’s perhaps usable in good light, and plain awful in bad light.
Battery life There’s a 90Wh battery inside this Predator Helios 16, about on par with most competitors.
Here’s what we got in terms of battery life on our unit, with the screen set at 120-nits brightness (50%) and default refresh.
12-15 W (~6-7 h of use) – text editing in Google Drive, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;13-15 W (~6-7 h of use) – 1080p fullscreen video on Youtube in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;18 W (~5-6 h of use) – Netflix 4K HDR fullscreen in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;16-20 W (~4-6 h of use) – browsing in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON, RGB elements switched off;80 W (~1 h of use) – Gaming – Witcher 3, Performance Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON, no fps limit.
Good runtimes, on par and even a little more efficient than other Core Ultra 9 HX models tested so far.
This laptop comes with a 330W charger, a dual-piece design with long cables. It’s a little bit lighter than the 380/400 W chargers bundled with other notebooks in this generation, but at the same time, a bulkier older-style design.
PD charging is supported as well, and I’m not sure whether up to 100W or up to 140W via the TB5 port. Haven’t tested it.
Price and availability- Acer Predator Helios 16 AI PH16-73 The Acer Predator Helios 16 AI PH16-73 series isn’t widely available in stores, despite being launched many months ago.
I’m seeing the RTX 5090 configuration listed at £3499 in some UK stores, and around 3800-4000 EUR in some European countries. I can’t find it in the US, though.
RTX 5080 models are sporadically listed as well, for around 500-700 GBP/EUR less.
Where available, the Helios 16 seems quite competitively priced compared to alternatives, significantly cheaper than a similarly specced ROG Scar 16 or even a Legion Pro 7i.
Follow this link for updated configurations and prices in your region at the time you’re reading this article.
Final thoughts- 2025 Acer Predator Helios 16 AI review The Predator Helios 16 AI is an interesting high-performance gaming laptop.
It comes with a dual-personality design, depending on whether you activate all the RGB elements or not, a sturdy chassis, and good ergonomics, alongside an OLED screen. It’s highly glossy, so a potential deal breaker for some, but at the same time a beautiful and versatile display.
On the inside, this is specced to the fastest platforms available today, as Acer only seems to offer it in RTX 5090 and 5080 variants. And it performs very well in mixed loads and GPU-heavy activities. It does run noisy and hot, though, if you want to squeeze out all that potential performance. That’s mostly due to its more basic thermal design compared to other notebooks available in this segment today, yet that aspect has a potential positive consequence as well, making this Helios one of the most affordable options in its tier, especially at the 5090 level.
So there’s surely a market for this laptop, if available in your region. It’s listed here in Europe, but isn’t as widespread in other markets, where Acer mostly offer their mid-tier designs, the Predator Helios Neo 16 and their thinner and lighter Predator Neo 16S. I haven’t tested those yet.
Anyway, that wraps up my time with this Acer Predator Helios 16 AI lineup. Looking forward to your thoughts and impressions down below in the comments section.
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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.
