Reddit reviews Acer Predator Helios 500 PH517-61-R0GX Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7 2700 Desktop Processor, AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 Graphics, 17.3" Full HD 144Hz Radeon FreeSync Display, 16GB DDR4, 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD

I've already got a 16 thread laptop. Thanks AMD. I guess it only turbos up to 4.3, though,but no throttling at all. In fact it is the only laptop I have ever been comfortable gaming with without a laptop cooler. Literally right on my lap. Of course weight is "much" and battery is "no", but it fits my use case well enough.

Just go with AMD. Can't go wrong with AMD. Bang for buck.

This is my daily driver: https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-PH517-61-R0GX-Processor-Graphics/dp/B07GWX5X26

Not enough people know about this little okay, big, but still a gem:

Acer Predator Helios 500 - Ryzen 2700 + Vega 56 for $1300.

The Acer Predator Helios 500 is the only one I know of that sells with a desktop 2700 on Amazon. Custom builders like Origin, Xoticpc, and others also offer them, but on their websites and as part of barebones laptops that you have to select parts for.

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-PH517-61-R0GX-Processor-Graphics/dp/B07GWX5X26/

This laptop is awesome, good price, good thermals and a real desktop 8 core ryzen 2700. It might or might not be upgradable to zen2 in the future but in case it gets a bios update the motherboard is capable of supporting up to 65watt tdp processors so in theory it could rock a 3700x, hard to imagine such power on a laptop but even with a 3600 it could destroy every single laptop on the market out there at this price point. It would even trade blows with some of the alienware and msi $4000 i9 9900k laptops.Also the desktop grade AMD vega 56 is quite capable (similar to a 1070), you can expect high performance out of this machine.
The only thing to consider is that the battery life will be bad and this laptop is quite big, thick and heavy if that is something that bothers you.

Here are a few options:

• Asus TUF FX505DY / Asus FX705DY
  
  
• Acer Predator Helios 500 PH517-61-R0GX
  
  
• Acer Nitro 5 AN515-43-R0YM
  
  
• HP OMEN 17t 17-AN012DX (Refurb) / (New)
  
  
• HP Pavilion 15-CX0040NR
  
  
• Alienware 15 R3 (Refurb)

First I'd make sure you really want a laptop. It seems like a Desktop may be able to meet your needs well unless you need the portability. But you may be better off with a home Desktop and a small portable laptop for when you're traveling or working.

But if a laptop really is what you need, maybe consider the Acer Helios 500 for $1300 from Amazon. It's easily powerful enough to handle streaming / gaming with a higher end Ryzen processor and AMD dGPU. It also has an above average display quality and could easily be used for video editing or plugging in a second monitor.

Another option to consider is an Alienware M15 or M17. They don't have the best cooling or thermals, but the display has good color reproduction for video editing and higher end models will still be great for gaming or streaming. The code Lcs10off gets you an additional 10% off certain models.

If you want more suggestions for comparison, check out my recommendation guide or feel free to ask any questions. Best of luck!

> Also motherboard vendor would have to release a bios update for the motherboard.

Yea I can't quite figure out which motherboard this laptop has. It is this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GWX5X26/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

> You would have to check the VRMs

Well I think I'd keep it at the same power draw since it is a laptop. For example, if I'm doing 100watts max CPU now, I'd do whatever to keep it at that draw, including lowering the clock speed slightly if needed.

For my scenario, cores is key, so this would def help :)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GWX5X26?pf_rd_p=183f5289-9dc0-416f-942e-e8f213ef368b&pf_rd_r=C6KWK23A2QQEDV9FN00X

​

This one looks OK. Ryzen 2700 with a Vega 56.

Not sure if this is the best place to ask (or I should start a post) but I have a list of laptops that seem to be great deals for the specs that they're carrying. Just having a tough time deciding. They range from USD 1000~1600. There's one ASUS that could get as low as 1030 for a GTX1080 but the responses to it have not been so good. Just wanted some good advice on which ones I should get and ones I should be more concerned about. At least I hope others will find this list useful.

• *Sager/Prostar Clevo w 9th gen i7 + RTX 2060 for $1299 - 500GB ssd, 16gb RAM, 144hz (no gsync but eh)Probably the most tempting laptop. It's seems super cheap for a RTX 2060; might be the best bang for the buck laptop out there. But some others seem good enough and a bit cheaper such as the Helios and ASUS w AMD. Anyone think the extra $300 over 1660ti laptops is worth for this? I feel like this one I could use for a good three years before changing set up. That it'll last a bit longer. Any drawbacks with Sager/Prostar from anyone else's experience?
  
• Acer Helios 300 for $1088 - GTX1660ti; 144hz; 16GB DDR4; 256gb PCIe NVMe SSDMost affordable and well regarded option but I'm not sure abut the 256gb ssd. The higher storage ones cost a few hundred more but they were only a bit more expensive a few days ago. I like playing FIFA, Witcher 3, Metro, TW3K and some relatively newer games. Just not sure if the 256gb ssd is enough. Might have to constantly install and uninstall. The price-tag is really hard to resist, though. But maybe it's worth spending a bit more on the Sager with better storage and graphics card.
  
• ASUS ROG Strix GL702VI for $1100 but through some discounts I can get to as low as $1039; i5-7200HQ; GTX1080; G-Sync (but 60Hz); 256gb SSD + 1TB HDDThis seems like an amazing deal. But the responses have been mixed. But a $1k laptop with gtx 1080 that will last about a year or two seem too good to be true. A bit suss but hella cheap. But again... for the lowest pricetag, a gtx 1080 that will last me a year or two.
  
• ASUS w AMD Ryzen 7 + GTX 1660 ti for $1134Seems like another cheap good deal. But are ASUS laptops just not that well regarded? A lot of mixed reviews. But I like the design, the thinness. Plus it has a good entry graphics card.
  
• ASUS ROG Zephyrus for $1311 - This one has a GTX 1070, 7th gen i7, 16gb ram, and 256gb ssd. Once again, ASUS isn't well received in amazon. This one's a bit more expensive than the Sager/Prostar. But I like the slim design and the GPU cards should be more or less equal, right?
  
• ASUS ROG Strix Hero II for $1372 - 8th gen i7, RTX 2060, 16 GB RAM, 521gb PCIe SSD
  
• Acer Helios 300 for $1384 - Only difference is bigger storage, 512 gbs this time. Same GTX 1660 ti and everything else. Considering there are cheaper laptops with seemingly better specs, maybe not worth the extra $300? Plus the others around this range seem to offer better bang for the buck.
  
• Acer Helios 500 for $1400 - AMD Ryzen 7 2700, Radeon RX Vega 56; Vega 56 seems like a really good card. But should I be considering this when there are rtx 2060 n gtx 1080 laptops available for cheaper or around the same price?
  
• Sager RTX 2070 for $1499 - Seems like a great deal for a 2070 card. But might still be pretty pricey for me. Yet considering some of the others, for value, this seems really good
  
• Acer Triton 700 for $1502.49 - GTX 1080 w G-Sync 120Hz, 512GB SSD. Again, like teh Sager, this seems like an amazing deal for the card and monitor. Only drawback I see is the trackpad
  
• ASUS ROG Zephyrus GX501 for $1549 - GTX1080 w 144Hz G-Sync, 16 GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 8th gen i7Similar price range as the previous two. I like the Zephyrus design better but that's really about it. But like the other ASUS laptops, it has mixed responses.
  
  Just for reference, I bought my previous laptop (now blue screened and unusable) four years ago. I wasn't (and still am not) very tech savvy so I wasn’t sure if it was a good gaming laptop back then. But these are the specs for my ASUS A501U: 6th gen i7; GTX 950M; 126gb ssd + 500gb hdd. I'm sure any one of these laptops will be great compared to my mingy 950M.
  
  Which one of these would you guys recommend? Thoughts on how black friday might change the price? Should I wait for BF or just get one sooner?

You could do this: https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-PH517-61-R0GX-Processor-Graphics/dp/B07GWX5X26/

Or preferably this: https://www.instructables.com/id/Briefcase-PC/ using mITX and it's the best of both worlds. Sure, if you're not gaming then that's what laptops are for. But mITX blows away laptops. Except ones like the Acer I linked

Your best bet for a AMD gaming laptop for 144hz- https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-PH517-61-R0GX-Processor-Graphics/dp/B07GWX5X26

​

The best advice I can give is to build a desktop for gaming and have a low power laptop for mobility if you need to use a computer on the move. AMD based laptops are usually a bad idea as the performance per watt is poor compared to Nvidia cards. So you get a thick, loud, and Hot laptop with poor battery life for more money than an nvidia based laptop.

For gaming with Linux support at this price range I would advise you to check this laptop

laptop name | Dell Inspiron
--- |---
CPU | Quad core 8th Gen I5-8300H
GPU | GTX 1060 Max Q
Screen "| 15.6"" FHD IPS "
Ram | 8 GB
SSD | 128 GB
HDD | 1 TB
Weight | 5.7 Lbs.
Battery life | 4.5 Hrs.
Price | 950~1050$
Pros | One of the best bang for the money in the market.
Pros | The GTX 1060 Max Q should be enough for CAD work and good gaming exprince .
Pros | TB 3 port .
Cons | The latest BOIS updata has chandged the fan speed curve making the laptop throttle under heavy load .
Cons | The screen is dim .
Cons | The screen is 60Hz. only .

For more info here is the screen color-space coverage

laptop name | Dell Inspiron
--- |---
Brightness | 224 .
sRGB | 57% .
AdobeRGB | 36% .

And to make things easier here is the fps for 3 games in 4 different settings all in 1920x1080

laptop name | Dell Inspiron
--- |---
PUBG on ultra | 63 .
PUBG on high | 85 .
PUBG on medium | 92 .
PUBG on low | 141 .
Fortnite on ultra | 72 .
Fortnite on high | 115 .
Fortnite on medium | 132 .
Fortnite on low | 178 .
The Witcher 3 on ultra | 34 .
The Witcher 3 on high | 58 .
The Witcher 3 on medium | 68 .
The Witcher 3 on low | 75 .


If you want the crazy root you could also check the Acer Helios 500 it has a desktop CPU .

I was asking to make a recommendation, but it looks like you got everything figured out, it if is worth anything I would go with this one just because I am cheap and don't want to pay the extra 1k for only the potential of needing something in the far future.

Thanks I found a laptop with a 8 core ryzen 7 but I ended up being just the normal ryzen 7 2700 put in a laptop soo that's my bad
https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-PH517-61-R0GX-Processor-Graphics/dp/B07GWX5X26/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=ryzen+7+2700+laptop&qid=1563927074&s=gateway&sprefix=ryzen+7+2700+laptop&sr=8-1
Still interesting to see

If you can go for 2000 there's one a bit insane, with a desktop 2700 lol

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-PH517-61-R0GX-Processor-Graphics/dp/B07GWX5X26?th=1&psc=1

It's quite big tho, but performance are good.

https://smile.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-PH517-61-R0GX-Processor-Graphics/dp/B07GWX5X26

You might have to go ahead and upgrade your RAM and the SSD yourself, but, you're welcome.

This could be ideal for you, it's a monster of a laptop at 9.3 pounds with good thermals, will easily play DOTA 2 on ultra: https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-PH517-61-R0GX-Processor-Graphics/dp/B07GWX5X26

Helios 500 at 1300$ currently on Amazon is an absolute bargain for the hardware and cooling you get if you don't need high portability and battery life.

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-PH517-61-R0GX-Processor-Graphics/dp/B07GWX5X26/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=helios+500&qid=1564829485&s=computers-intl-ship&sr=1-1

A socketed laptop with a 2700 with V56 and a 1080p144Hz display

with fully accessible drives and RAM

and you can overclock/undervolt it

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-PH517-61-R0GX-Processor-Graphics/dp/B07GWX5X26

The only thing slightly better would be a 3700X+5700 version of the same thing

Acer Predator Helios 500 is $650 off too. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-PH517-61-R0GX-Processor-Graphics/dp/B07GWX5X26&ved=2ahUKEwjd2JvegrfjAhWBHM0KHZVjD5cQFjACegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw3uiOlPVf-PFyrYxSXTEyHV

Holy shit! Got on the wait list and managed to get one ordered about half an hour.

Looks like a Helios 500 is available for $1299 too with a Ryzen2700 and Vega56

Right now an Acer Predator Helios 500 gaming laptop is at 1299 (with the Prime Day deal). Link.

Out of all these laptops which one would preform the best for what I'm looking for?

Acer Predator Helios 500 PH517-61-R0GX Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7 2700 Desktop Processor, AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 Graphics, 17.3" Full HD 144Hz Radeon FreeSync Display, 16GB DDR4, 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GWX5X26/ref=
cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_l4hVDb8BM9Z0M
CUK MSI GF63 Thin Gamer Notebook (Intel i7-9750H, 32GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB Max-Q, 15.6" FHD 120Hz 3ms IPS-Level, Windows 10 Home) Gaming Laptop Computer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WRSRT3T/ref=
cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_b5hVDb70RG300
CUK MSI GF75 Thin Gamer Notebook (Intel i7-9750H, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB, 17.3" FHD 120Hz IPS-Level, Windows 10 Home) Gaming Laptop Computer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BYGZNHZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_n5hVDb551JPP8
Asus ROG Strix G (2019) Gaming Laptop, 15.6" IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, Intel Core i7-9750H, 16GB DDR4, 1TB PCIe Nvme SSD, RGB KB, Windows 10 Home, GL531GT-EB76 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SDFFRJJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_x5hVDbV6XVQA7
CUK MSI GS63 Stealth Gamer Notebook (Intel i7-8750H, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB, 15.6" FHD IPS-Level, Windows 10 Home) Gaming Laptop Computer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G2S5M2H/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_J5hVDbMJ6SCJN

If you want the most CPU power in a laptop which is needed for things like the Adobe CC Suite but still can play games at high settings at 1080p then https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-PH517-61-R0GX-Processor-Graphics/dp/B07GWX5X26 maybe a good choice. The only thing is that it does have piss poor battery life and is twice the weight of a typical laptop. The weight is mostly from the cooling system that is needed to cool a desktop AMD Ryzen 7 2700 and AMD RX Vega 56. Hope this helped!

Acer Predator Helios 500 PH517-61-R0GX Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7 2700 Desktop Processor, AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 Graphics, 17.3" Full HD 144Hz Radeon FreeSync Display, 16GB DDR4, 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GWX5X26/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Tj3lDbDW7ZQ04

Depends on what you care about.

In raw power: Helios 500 sale is still going on. Lowest it's ever been.

But then you'd have to lug that 9lb monster around.

Personally I'd go with the Helios because it's cheaper, just as powerful/more powerful depending on what you want to use it on, and I like bulky laptops because I'm scared of a some small accident just denting/bending the fuck out of thin laptops.

Acer Predator Helios 500 PH517-61-R0GX Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7 2700 Desktop Processor, AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 Graphics, 17.3" Full HD 144Hz Radeon FreeSync Display, 16GB DDR4, 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GWX5X26/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_d9poDbDBW1YPY

I’ve always been interested in going the full blown AMD route, and this one seems to be really good. Everyone talks about how cool it runs, and how the AMD graphics card runs really well. I think I read it’s comparable to a 2060 or 1070 in performance. Worth checking out

Watch this on Amazon. It's price changes CONSTANTLY. If it is ever $1600 or less get it. They have Intel based models as well.

Some notes:

The second SSD M.2 is keyed for NVMe but there are not enough free PCI lanes to actually run one in that slot with the boot drive in it as well. The AMD version has a full size AM4 socket in it so you can swap it out with a 2700x if you want to or just OC it with Ryzen Master. The RAM is clocked at 2400Mhz out of the box and the factory "custom" BIOS is locked. You'll have to do some probably warranty voiding tweaks to be able to actually OC the RAM to the advertised 2666, but the increase isn't really worth it. There are two free RAM DIMMs as well if you want to add another two sticks. It will support up to 64 GB, but you'll have to do major disassembly to get to the factory installed sticks to actually replace them. You can slap in any old 2.5" HDD with the included kit very easily. Unfortunately the AMD model comes with only a 256GB NVMe boot drive installed, but despite what folks may think it will actually outpace the Intel options in most things since it isn't limited by mobile versions of the GPU/CPU.

This is really a productivity machine that is hiding as a gaming machine. It runs cold while gaming. The fans rarely even bother turning on. I have mine set to 1500 RPM on a custom setting so that they are always moving a little bit. It is THICK as fuck, but that's what happens when you want the actual performance out of a desktop GPU/CPU in a mobile package. It comes with a Vega 56, not the first choice for gaming, but since it is limited to 1080p 144hz anyway you aren't going to see an advantage going to many of the higher end GPUs. I believe the Intel model has a 1070 mobile version in it.


If that sounds like too much, you can go to the mobile processor model Intel Helios 300 with a 1060 6GB, mobile version, for $999

These are all 2018 models and the prices are all over the place with availability moving around a lot because they are being phased out.

Other than the flat out lying on the RAM speed and the ability to actually RAID 0 your NVMe SSDs, the machine itself is amazing. The Helios 500, I assume the 300 is as well. The speakers are pretty excellent for a laptop. You can turn off the silly predator noise it makes in the BIOS so it doesn't make it when you turn it on. Headphones being plugged in don't stop it. Ask me how I found that one out in public.

The biggest take away here is to remember that if you want performance gaming in a laptop you don't want a thin laptop. They will heat up rather quickly. The Acer Predator line has always been really thick, but they also run rather cool. It isn't really meant to be sat on your lap and played with. It's more of a desktop that you can take with you. Oh and the 17 Inch models won't fit in any backpack you own. I even got a brand new bag that is 17 inch laptop approved and has the dimensions wider than the laptop. Won't fit in the laptop section. It fits in the main body section though. That is kind of annoying. Oh and it weighs about 9 lbs and has a massive power brick and only lasts about an hour without being plugged in. That is the downside to running high power draw parts in a laptop though. You either get great battery life or you get great performance. There are balanced in the middle models, but at your price range you can afford some of the last generation desktop replacers. Just gotta shop around.

Price History

• Acer PH517-61-R0GX Predator Helios 500 17" R7 2700 16Gb Ram/256   ^PureLink
  CamelCamelCamel - [Info] │ Keepa - [Info]
  
  _
  Never fear, PriceKnight is here!
  ^(Info) ^| ^(Developer) ^| ^(Inquiries) ^| ^(Support Me!) ^| **[^(Report Bug)](/message/compose?to=The_White_Light&subject=Bug+Report&message=%2Fr%2Fbapcsalescanada%2Fcomments%2Fcwphnn%2Flaptop_acer_ph51761r0gx_predator_helios_500_17r7%2Feydmnu4%2F%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0APlease+explain+here+what+you+expected+to+happen%2Fwhat+went+wrong.)**

I also need help in this area... I'm personally waiting till Black Friday and hoping for a deal. This is a laptop I'm keeping an eye on that I think might be okay?


Acer Predator Helios 500 PH517-61-R0GX Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7 2700 Desktop Processor, AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 Graphics, 17.3" Full HD 144Hz Radeon FreeSync Display, 16GB DDR4, 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GWX5X26/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_cbSxDbJE2JF5B

Any ideas on how this performs compared to the Helios 500 from yesterday’s prime deals?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GWX5X26/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_t1_KG5lDbK6N94HF

The most powerful Ryzen laptop you can get at the moment (but also the heaviest and most expensive): https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Predator-PH517-61-R0GX-Processor-Graphics/dp/B07GWX5X26

Otherwise this is probably something more geared towards your needs: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G7GSM29