What you need to know
- Acer's upgraded 14th Gen Intel line of gaming laptops features improvements to AI integration.
- Two Predator Helios Laptops and two Predator Helios Neo gaming laptops have been announced, with something for top-end power and more mid-range gamers.
- A push for built-in AI capabilities comes via NVIDIA RTX tensor cores and a dedicated Copilot button.
The CES 2024 (Consumer Electronics Show) just keeps on giving. Acer has announced four new laptops that bring more power and are the first generation of what can be considered an AI hardware expansion. Previous to 2024, most AI computing was done in the cloud and in huge data centers, but OEM manufacturers have progressed, likely at the request of huge cloud providers like Microsoft, to start offering local AI computing capabilities in the new hardware.
Running data centers isn't cheap or environmentally friendly as some studies show running Copilot and ChatGPT queries can cost 1 bottle of fresh water in cooling. While shifting the workloads away from data centers to individual devices isn't likely to reduce the actual global impact of these queries, it could, over time and through technological improvement, lead to a lessening of impact.
What exactly are these new gaming laptops?
The new Acer Predator Helios laptops come in 18-inch and 16-inch options. The mid-range Acer Predator Helios Neo laptops also come in 18-inch and 16-inch options. All of these new laptops are "upgraded to Intel Core 14th Gen processors, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs with DLSS 3.5. NVIDIA RTX Laptop GPUs are packed with specialized AI Tensor Cores enabling unmatched AI performance and accelerations increative apps, ultra-efficient productivity, blistering fast gaming, and more."
As Acer pointed out, and we covered as well, NVIDIA RTX features are now supported in 500 games and applications, so getting an NVIDIA GPU shouldn't be a downside. These new laptops also come with a dedicated Copilot button on the keyboard, making AI integration easier for end-users. So, let's take a look at some of the features.
- The Predator Helios 18 (PH18-72) will be available in North America in March, starting at USD $1,999.99.
- The Predator Helios 16 (PH16-72) will be available in North America in January, starting at USD $1,899.99.
- The Predator Helios Neo 18 (PHN18-71) will be available in North America in March, starting at USD $1,549.99.
- The Predator Helios Neo 16 (PHN16-72) will be available in North America in March, starting at USD $1,499.99.
What does hardware-based AI look like in the future?
There is a lot of talk right now about laptop manufacturers using NPU (Neural Processing) chips, which are supposed to assist with AI chips. Intel's new Core Ultra mobile chips should all have NPUs built-in, but it looks like gaming laptops will need to opt for ancillary options like NVIDIA's AI solution. It is likely, if Intel's Meteor Lake CPUs offer a significant improvement to the overall AI landscape in 2024, that 15th Gen Intel CPUs will have NPUs built in as well. But for now, the two categories seem to be distinct.
It looks like Acer has done everything we should expect for the new line of gaming laptops. No major surprises here, but everything seems to be top of the line, and Acer is integrating AI as much as they can until Intel has better gaming spec CPUs with more AI features.
Should I buy a new Acer Predator Helios laptop?
Honestly, it will be hard to find better options on the market, depending on design preference and budget. We aren't sure yet what the fully kitted-out builds will cost, but I don't see any major red flags with these new devices, and offering a mid-range option through the Helios Neo is a great idea.
If you're looking to upgrade your laptop, the new Acer Predator Helios laptops with 14th Gen Intel CPUs are one of the best options out there. But there will be a ton of other laptop brands releasing similar devices. Keep your eyes on Windows Central, and we'll keep bringing you the newest technological innovations and other exciting news from CES.
