Acer Predator Helios 300: Helios 2018 vs Helios 2019 Model

November 27, 2019158

Acer Helios 300 (2019) is becoming the popular budget pick with amazing specifications for this year. No other laptop offers as much value per money spent. Before we compare it to any other laptops, we should compare how it stacks up against the previous 8th gen model Acer Helios 300(2018). In this series of reviews, we will be comparing, Helios 2018 vs Helios 2019.

Check out our comparison on the Helios 300: 2020 vs 2019 model!

Table Of Contents hide

5. Which should you buy Helios 2018 or Helios 2019?

6. Should you upgrade to Helios 300 (2019)?

7. Conclusion

8. Read Related Articles

Specifications

	Helios 2018	Helios 2019
Model	Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-51-78NP	Acer Predator Helios 300 PH315-52-78VL
Processor	Intel Core i7 8750H 6 Core (up to 4.1GHz)	Intel Core i7 9750H 6 Core (up to 4.5GHz), (Undervolt -0.125 V)
Graphics Card	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB GDDR5)	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (6GB GDDR6)
RAM	16GB DDR4 2666MHz	16GB DDR4 2666MHz
Display	Full HD (1920 x 1080), 144Hz, 3ms	Full HD (1920 x 1080), 144Hz, 3ms
Weight	5.51 lbs.	5.07 lbs.
Default Backlight Accent	Red	Blue

Processor

A new year means a new set of specifications which are upgraded to the latest and greatest. The previous model had an 8th Gen Coffee Lake H i7-8750H CPU whereas the newer model has the 9th Gen Coffee Lake Refresh i7-9750H.

The cores and threads remain the same with each having 6 cores and 12 threads. The 9th Gen comes with an increase in base and boost clock speed of 2.6 GHz and 4.5 GHz whereas the 8th Gen comes with 2.2 GHz and 4.1 GHz. The Cache size has also increased by 3MB which translates to 12MB and 9MB respectively. These increases in specifications mean that the newer generation will handle tasks better with the right cooling systems.

Graphics Card

The graphics card has also gone through significant changes with the introduction of Turing Architecture in the newer versions of Nvidia’s graphics card. GTX 1660 Ti is basically ray tracing disabled RTX GPU. Since it has the Turing architecture compared to the Pascal architecture of GTX 1060, performance is better. We conducted frame rate tests to check how well GTX 1060 stands up against GTX 1660 Ti in games. In all the games test, GTX 1660 Ti had a significant increase of 20 fps compared to GTX 1060.

Check our in-depth review of GTX 1660 Ti vs GTX 1060 vs RTX 2060 here!

Cooling System

The cooling system in the new Helios 300 is impeccable even compared to other brands. Helios 300 (2019) comes with two more exhausts than the Helios 300 (2018). The extra exhausts are places at the back and side of the laptop, unlike the previous model which only had one exhaust in the back. The air flow area is identical.

Due to these changes, the CPU and GPU temperature has decreased significantly compared to the older version with a 10% decrease. The previous model used to throttle a lot under heavy load around an average of 2.7 GHz whereas the newer model does not throttle at all and constantly maintains a 3.9 GHz clock speed. The under-volt of -0.125 V also plays a significant role to boost performance. No other laptops match this kind of thermal performance in the same price range this year. The thermals are amazingly managed that the results in performance compare to other laptops with RTX 2060.

Which should you buy Helios 2018 or Helios 2019?

So, you are looking to buy one of the Helios 2018 vs Helios 2019. The price difference is roughly around $100. The specifications are obviously better on the newer version but does this mean you should spend those extra bucks?

Yes! Helios 2019 is one of the best laptops with amazing thermal performance which will let you breeze through most of the tasks Helios 2018 has difficult time performing. The CPU and GPU are both better than the previous versions which are significant increases. The choice is a no-brainer unless you lack the funds.

Buy at the best prices for Helios 300 (2019) here!

Purchase the Helios 300 (2018) here!

Should you upgrade to Helios 300 (2019)?

You already have the Helios 300, 2018 model and are considering whether you should upgrade or not? Well, we can’t deny the specifications and cooling systems are amazing on the 2019 model but that does not mean you should upgrade immediately. The 2018 model is more than capable of handling tasks that you throw at it. It is better to consider upgrading the next year with the new model which will hopefully be even better than this years model.

Conclusion

Helios 300 (2018) vs Helios 300 (2019), both are amazing laptops in their price points. The 2019 model has surprised us far more than what we were hoping for, due to excellent management of thermals. We hope to have cleared your questions and have led you to the better decision. If you have any queries comment below!