Performance Issues with Acer Predator Helios 300 During Gaming

emmanuelkatto

Hello Acer Community,

I recently purchased an Acer Predator Helios 300, and while I was initially thrilled with its performance, I’ve started to notice some issues during gaming sessions that I hope to resolve.

I've noticed that when playing graphics-intensive games, the laptop tends to heat up quickly, and I suspect it may be thermal throttling. Has anyone else experienced this with their Predator Helios 300? Are there any recommended methods for improving cooling, such as using cooling pads or optimizing fan settings through the Predator Sense software?

Also, I've encountered significant FPS drops during gameplay, particularly in competitive games like Apex Legends and Call of Duty: Warzone. My settings are at medium to high, but I'm unsure if my current drivers are optimized. What steps do you recommend for optimizing performance? Do you suggest rolling back or updating drivers frequently?

Thank you for your insights! I look forward to your suggestions.

Alesajames

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/713153/performance-issues-with-acer-predator-helios-300-during-gaming-emmanuel-katto

It's great to hear you're enjoying your Acer Predator Helios 300, but I understand the frustration with the heating and FPS drops. Here are some suggestions that might help improve your gaming experience:

Cooling Solutions:

1. Cooling Pads: Using a cooling pad can significantly help with airflow and lower temperatures. Many gamers find them effective in reducing heat buildup.
2. PredatorSense: Make sure to adjust the fan settings in PredatorSense. You can set the fans to a higher performance mode during gaming sessions to enhance cooling.

I can only tell about it.

getsmod0

Hello Emmanuel,

It sounds like you're experiencing two common issues with gaming laptops: overheating and FPS drops. Here are some recommendations that might help:

1. Thermal Throttling and Cooling:

• Cooling Pads: Using a cooling pad can indeed help manage temperatures, especially during extended gaming sessions. A high-quality cooling pad can reduce internal temperatures by a few degrees, which might mitigate thermal throttling.
• PredatorSense: Make sure you’re using PredatorSense to manually adjust your fan settings. Set the fans to max during gaming sessions to keep the temperature as low as possible. Also, check for any available BIOS or software updates via PredatorSense that could include thermal management improvements.
• Undervolting: Consider undervolting your CPU using tools like ThrottleStop or Intel XTU. This can help reduce heat generation without sacrificing performance.
• Thermal Paste: If you're comfortable, repasting the CPU and GPU with high-quality thermal paste could also improve cooling performance.

2. FPS Drops and Performance Optimization:

• Driver Updates: Always ensure your GPU drivers are up-to-date, but be cautious with newer drivers, as they sometimes cause issues with specific games. You can use software like NVIDIA GeForce Experience to auto-update your drivers or manually download from the NVIDIA website. In some cases, rolling back to an older stable driver can solve performance issues.
• Game Settings: Try lowering certain settings like shadows, textures, and anti-aliasing in graphics-intensive games. Even on high-end laptops, these settings can cause performance dips.
• Background Processes: Make sure no unnecessary apps or background processes are consuming resources during gameplay. Tools like MSI Afterburner can monitor resource usage to ensure smooth performance.
• NVIDIA Control Panel: Go into the NVIDIA Control Panel and make sure that the laptop is using the dedicated GPU for gaming rather than the integrated graphics. Also, tweak performance settings to prioritize maximum performance over energy saving.

These steps should help with both temperature management and FPS drops. Let us know how it goes!

AndrewPhoenix77

Hi Emmanuel,

Welcome to the Acer Community! I'm sorry to hear you're experiencing issues with your new Predator Helios 300. Let's address your concerns:

1. Heating and thermal throttling:
   • This is a common issue with gaming laptops due to their compact design.
   • Try elevating your laptop for better airflow or using a cooling pad.
   • Clean the fans and vents regularly to prevent dust buildup.
   • Use PredatorSense to adjust fan speeds. Set a more aggressive cooling profile for gaming.
2. Optimizing performance and dealing with FPS drops:
   • Ensure your graphics drivers are up to date. For NVIDIA GPUs, use GeForce Experience for easy updates.
   • In Windows, set your power plan to "High Performance" when gaming.
   • Close unnecessary background programs to free up system resources.
   • In games, try lowering some graphical settings, particularly shadows and anti-aliasing, which can be resource-intensive.
   • Monitor your temperatures and CPU/GPU usage with software like MSI Afterburner to identify potential bottlenecks.
3. Driver management:
   • Generally, it's best to keep your drivers updated, especially for GPUs.
   • If a new driver causes issues, you can roll back, but this should be a last resort.
   • For stability, some users prefer to stay one or two versions behind the latest driver.

Additional tips:

• Regularly update Windows and your games to ensure compatibility and performance improvements.
• Consider a repaste of your CPU and GPU if temperatures remain high after trying the above methods.

If problems persist after trying these suggestions, don't hesitate to contact Acer Support, especially if your laptop is still under warranty. Also, your laptop should be normal while accessing websites like SASSA etc.

Hope this helps! Let us know if you have any more questions.