2025 is apparently the year for all gaming laptop companies to lean into the RGB lightbar gamer aesthetic even harder than usual. But no company went as deep into the RGB zone as Acer.
The new Acer Predator Helios 18 features per-key RGB lighting in the keyboard, an RGB light strip that runs along the edge of the chassis from the left side port array to the middle of the keyboard deck, more RGB lights in the keyboard deck itself, and lighting on the Predator logo on the top cover.
But this gaming laptop offers more than just RGB everywhere you look. The Predator Helios 18 offers swappable MagKey 4.0 mechanical switches, a 6th Gen AeroBlade 3D fan for the thinnest cooling fan blades, powerful new Intel and Nvidia chips, a dual-mode Mini LED display panel, and truly absurd specs for storage and memory.
The Helios 18 is beyond extra; this is a gaming laptop for the person who doesn't understand the concept of moderation.
Acer Predator Helios 18 AI: Specs
| Price: | Starting $2,999 |
| CPU: | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX |
| GPU: | Up to Nvidia RTX 5090 with 24GB VRAM |
| RAM: | Up to 192GB |
| Storage: | Up to 6TB PCIe Gen 5 SSD |
| Display: | Up to 18-inch, 120Hz (3840 x 2400) dual-mode Mini LED |
| Battery: | 99Whr (watt-hour) |
| Size: | 15.78 x 12.12 x 0.68~1.16 inches |
| Weight: | 7.05 pounds |
Acer Predator Helios 18 AI: Pricing and availability
While the Nvidia RTX 50-series will launch on laptops in March, RGB fanatics will have to wait a bit longer to get their hands on the Predator Helios 18 AI.
The Helios 18 AI (PH18-73) will be available in North America starting in May 2025. Prices will vary depending on configuration, but the 18 will start at $2,999 for the configuration with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU. While this is a bit pricey, Nvidia's expectations for laptops with the RTX 5080 start at $2,199, so this isn't far from what we expect, considering the Helios 18 AI features an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor.
Of course, upgrading the GPU to the RTX 5090 will add a decent bit to the cost of the Helios 18 AI. Pricing for RTX 5090 laptops starts at around $2,899, which is a price hike of $700 between the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090. Not that Acer needs to adhere to the Nvidia pricing, but it does mean you're looking at a substantial bill increase when opting for the Nvidia flagship GPU.
Other configuration options for display, memory, and storage options will also add to the final price. So a fully kitted out Helios 18 AI with the Intel Core Ultra 9, RTX 5090, 192GB of memory, 6TB of storage, and 18-inch Mini LED panel will probably cost about as much as a custom desktop PC. Given that the Helios 18 AI is a desktop replacement laptop, the cost isn't exactly out of the realm of expectation.
Whether you need all that memory and storage, on the other hand, is an entirely separate discussion.
Acer Predator Helios 18 AI: Design
The biggest change to the Acer Predator Helios 18 AI from the previous model is the sheer volume of RGB lighting. There's the Milkyway RGB dynamic lighting on the rear fan hub behind the display hinge, a wraparound RGB lightbar running from the left-side down along the bottom of the keyboard deck, RGB lights set into the palm rest, and RGB underneath the Predator logo on the top cover. There's even per-key RGB on the keyboard. And all of that lighting is customizable.
But, the overall design of the Predator Helios 18 AI doesn't just add more RGB from the 2024 model; it's also lighter, smaller, and a bit thinner depending on your configuration options.
The 2024 Predator Helios 18 measured 15.9 x 12.3 x 1.1 inches and weighed 7.2 pounds. The 2025 Predator Helios 18 measures 15.78 x 12.12 x 0.68~1.16 inches and weighs 7.05 pounds.
While you aren't likely to be lugging the Helios 18 AI around on your work commute, it is a bit more portable than the previous iteration, which is good if you do need to take it with you on the go.
Acer Predator Helios 18 AI: Ports
Acer has not released the full port array specs for the Helios 18 AI, but based on the unit we saw at CES and the published photos of the laptop, we think we've figured out what the port options are:
- 1x DC-in
- 1x HDMI 2.1
- 2x Thunderbolt 5
- 3x USB Type-A
- 1x RJ45 ethernet
- 1x Audio combo jack
- 1x Micro SD card reader
That should be more than enough ports for most gamers and streamers. The Helios 18 is a desktop replacement style laptop, and Acer clearly didn't skimp on the ports at all so you're unlikely to need any kind of docking station or USB-hub.
Acer Predator Helios 18 AI: Display
The Acer Predator Helios 18 AI's top display option is a dual-mode Mini-LED panel, which is a 120Hz (3840 x 2400) panel that can be dropped down to 240Hz (1920 x 1200) for high-intensity gaming. The base option is a 250Hz (2560 x 1600) Mini-LED panel that doesn't appear to have dual-mode functionality.
Both display options are rated at 600 nits of brightness when viewing SDR content and up to 1000 nits of brightness in HDR. They both also achieve a 100% rating for the DCI-P3 color gamut for a high degree of vibrancy.
While we did get to see the Predator Helios 18 AI with its display panel on, it was stuck to a spec screen with gameplay demo footage thanks to the Nvidia GPU announcement. But the Mini-LED display did look gorgeous running through the Black State game trailer, even if we didn't get to test it out with any video or gaming content ourselves.
Acer Predator Helios 18 AI: Performance and heat
Acer had the Helios 18 AI locked down to show just game trailers and specs, which meant we couldn't get a hands-on feel for performance. But we can make a few guesses based on its configurable specs.
Intel rates the Core Ultra 200HX as "up to 20%" better for multithreaded performance over the 14th generation. The 200HX will also over more than 5% increases to single-thread performance. Intel has made some serious claims about how good the "Arrow Lake" 200HX chips are, and while Acer is not putting the flagship Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, the 275HX should offer a solid compromise of performance and thermal control to offset the high power demands of the Nvidia RTX 50-series GPUs.
You can also augment your laptop's performance with upgrades to the system memory. I'm not sure who could use 192GB of RAM, but my tendency to future-proof all of my technology has me wanting to test that spec just for the challenge of finding the limit of how many Chrome tabs and Photoshop windows you'd need to open to even put a dent into that memory capacity.
The 6TB storage option is also brow-raising but to a lower extent. Game files are absolutely massive these days, with many exceeding 100GB file sizes. So, having multiple terabytes of storage just makes sense. 6TB may be a little excessive, but not to the same extent as the 192GB RAM spec.
As for heat management, Acer has revamped the AeroBlade technology with the 6th gen iteration, which offers 0.05mm fan blades, much like the fans in the Razer Blade 16 (2025). The new fan design increases airflow efficiency by up to 20%, which combined with a thicker chassis, should allow for a relatively cool experience even after gaming for hours.
Acer Predator Helios 18 AI: Gaming and graphics
Much as we couldn't test the general performance of the Helios 18 AI, we also couldn't get any game time in on the laptop at CES. However, based on what we know of the RTX 50-series GPUs, thanks to Nvidia, we can expect some solid frame rate increases with the RTX 5080 and RTX 5090.
While the Helios 18 AI does have a 4K panel option, 2025 is not the year you can game in 4K at ultra settings, as even the desktop RTX 5090 doesn't clear 60FPS under those conditions. You need DLSS 4 to get high framerates for 4K gaming.
As for the pure-silicon performance, games without DLSS 4 optimization saw a 10-30% increase from generation to generation. That's not nothing, and does make the RTX 50-series a worthwhile investment if you're finally looking to upgrade from your Windows 10 GTX 1060 laptop.
Acer Predator Helios 18 AI: Outlook
The Acer Predator Helios 18 is a pricey gaming laptop. It's also the flagship Predator laptop, offering the best of power and performance for the desktop-replacement class. So it will command a higher price.
But if you want a laptop with more memory and storage than you'll ever possibly need, alongside RGB lighting everywhere but the bottom panel, then you can't do any better than the Helios 18 AI. While we can't make any promises about performance or gaming outside of what we've heard from the chipmakers themselves, the frankly ridiculous specs of the Helios 18 make it hard to believe you won't be getting desktop-class performance out of a laptop.
We'll have to wait until we can put the Predator Helios 18 AI through its paces in rigorous testing suite, but so far, it seems like a choice for a gaming rig. Assuming the price doesn't scare you off, that is.
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