Hands on: the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI is a strong second step for Acer’s Neo gaming laptop line
This is a hands-on comment that gives you a chance to understand Macro Predator Helios Neo 18 AI (2025) will be as soon as possible. Stay tuned as we will provide more information soon to expand and upgrade this hands-on review.
exist Intel Extreme Master E-sports Acer released a pair of new gaming laptops at Katowice in Poland: Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI and Helios Neo 16 AI. I had to spend some time working with the larger time in these two new laptops and I have to say that I was impressed.
There is no doubt that the Predator Helios Neo 18 AI is a serious machine. The monitor is a gorgeous 18-inch QHD+ mini leadership panel that looks amazing, and the large size also means it also includes a full-size RGB keyboard and a port for measurement – ​​I always like to see on laptops. It weighs 3.3 kg (7.3 lbs) – awarded, not the heaviest gaming laptop I’ve ever seen, but has a comfortable entry into the “desktop replacement” realm.
Meanwhile, the Helios Neo 16 AI is a bit slim and optional OLED The configuration is available for its 16-inch display and the package weighs 2.7kg (6 pounds), making it more portable (although still quite large). Otherwise, it seems someone hit the 18-inch model with a shrink ray. It’s very similar, but smaller. There are also unveiled at CES before the 16th and offer a slightly smaller overall design (“S” stands for “Slim”).
These “Neo” models were introduced not long ago, serving as a middle ground between Acer’s Premium Predator Gaming laptop series and the more affordable Nitro series. Although they are not what I said Affordable (more below), they are very priced. I’m happy to say Acer hasn’t browsed the design quality to lower pricing yet. It’s purely a lid on the internal specs, as these laptops only rise to the RTX 5070 Ti, while the “non-Neo” Acer Predator Helios 18 AI can be configured as the RTX 5090 all the time.
Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI: Price and Availability
While we don’t have full pricing information for the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI, I can confirm that it starts at $2,199.99 and is scheduled to be released sometime in May. The 16-inch version starts at $1,899.99 and is expected to be launched a month ago.
Now, it’s important to mention that these are the basic configuration prices, which means you’ll only get an RTX 5070 GPU, a Core Ultra 7 255HX CPU and a relatively standard 1200p LED display. Other configuration details are still in the air; we know that both laptops can be configured as up to 64GB of RAM, but not as baseline amounts of 16GB or 32GB. Choosing a more powerful configuration is likely to speed up the price, especially the small-dominated display options.
However, these are still very reasonable starting prices, especially for 18-inch laptops. The closest competitor to the Helios Neo 18 AI is probably ASUS’s ROG Strix G18, which has already started at $2,299.99 in the U.S., which is the RTX 4070 model.
Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI: Design
The build quality shown here is a clear advance in the design of the first generation NEO laptops, and I pointed out that it is “very robust”, but this is not the best build laptop I’ve ever tested Acer Predator Helios NEO 16 Comment last year. Especially the keyboard and trackpad feels stronger, which is great.
The Helios Neo 18 AI (and its 16-inch siblings) all retain the same great port choices in previous models, but, basically everything you might need: USB-A, USB-C, USB-C, HDMI, HDMI , Ethernet, A 3.5 MM headphone jack, and even a microSD card slot. Anyone who wants to use this laptop for dual duty in gaming and professional creative work should be well served here (as well as considerable internal specifications). Some of these ports (including HDMI) are located on the rear edge of the chassis, which helps keep some of your cables out of the way.
The keyboard is a pretty simple thing. Customizable RGB backlighting is the standard for courses with gaming laptops, and the larger scale of Neo 18 AI means Acer thinks it is possible to use a full-size key layout that includes NUMPAD. The key spacing is good and there is reasonable travel, which means typing is comfortable. You also have dedicated keys for both keys Microsoft Windows and Acer Predatorsense system tuning software (preinstalled) and a separate button above the keyboard to activate the game “turbo mode” for gaming.
Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI: Performance
Sadly (but not surprisingly) didn’t sit down and download a lot of benchmarks to run on Helios Neo 18 AI, but based on the spec sheet, both NEO 18 AI and NEO 16 AI are powerful without being completely overdoing .
The GPU can be an RTX 5070 or RTX 5070 Ti, and can be selected between the second-generation Intel Core Ultra 7 or Ultra 9 HX chips. System RAM can be configured with up to 64GB of DDR5 and storage can reach 2TB of SSD (with additional M.2 slots for user upgrades).
One notable lack of feature is Wi-Fi 7 support, these NEO laptops instead of choosing Wi-Fi 6e – probably the smaller cost measure of Acer, and one person won’t bother me. Given the support of the RJ-45 port and Intel Killer Ethernet E3100G, coupled with the absolute tank this laptop is almost certainly going to need to stick with the wall exit of serious gaming, you should probably just use a wired Internet connection to do whatever it is , the best experience.
Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI: Early Verdict
I’m very happy with the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 (and Neo 16) – it feels like a smart move from Acer, especially to provide an option for the mid-range, perfect for those who don’t want to avoid it from shaver Or Asus’ ROG series, but with enough cash to afford more weight.
It’s nice to see the transition toward a thinner form in a gaming laptop (which the 16S model does reach), but this doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon. Discord NvidiaThe GPU still brings the same power and cooling requirements to the table. However, it’s a reasonable trade-off of performance – after all, any 18-inch laptop will spend most of its time acting as a desktop replacement system. In short, I’m happy to see more – we’ll have a full review of this gaming laptop once Acer starts sending test units, so be aware of this space.
First reviewed February 2025
While this is a review, it is important to remember that this is just my hands-on account for a limited time on my IEM Katowice 2025 on the device. So there is no specific performance figure to say, and there are possibilities for specific flaws (or benefits!) that I might miss. It is also possible to change the product in some way before release, which could make part of this hands-on review incorrect.
When viewing laptops and tablets, I spend as much time using the device as I do with my own: I browse the web, watch videos and create content. Ideally, we also run various benchmarking software to emphasize the hardware and track component temperature and battery life in the process. I also closely monitor the weight, profile and build quality of the device itself and strictly test any moving parts such as keys, buttons and touchpads.
