Predator Helios 300, piece of garbage.

I have been on this forum for a couple of weeks, hoping to find a solution to make my laptop perform the bare minimum of gaming. I have tried ALL the solutions listed here. Just take a look at this, the below benchmark was taken without any background processes.

https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/13186941

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/ql/1fawzzgjhfic.png

The next one was taken right after I started a game (destiny 2 with medium settings) and it was running in the background.

https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/13187160

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/oh/nuxbg7gjwtya.png

The predator sense screenshot while the two tests were performed.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/c9/ah3o56mvowux.png

you can clearly see from the GPU usage graph when the game started running.

To say that I have had a bad experience with this laptop would be an understatement. One of the main reasons I got this laptop is for gaming and it has failed to deliver that.

The solutions suggested here that I tried,

1. Windows Optimization
2. Complete reset and re installation of OS
3. Power plan editing
4. Thermal Re-pasting ( Paste I used: followed this video)
5. Uninstalling necessary programs
6. Updating bios and drivers.
7. Proper ventilation for laptop for free airflow.

also

8. Undervolting (followed this video by hotelhero) ---- But ThrottleStop was not running when either of the tests were made because even Undervolting did not help in the least, but if it is needed I can run throttlestop and perform the test again and report back.

Am I doing something wrong or are all predator laptops just worthless garbage???

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ven98

The thermal paste you have used is one of the bad quality ones, probably in similar quality to the paste that Acer has used. 1.85W/m.K is very bad comapred to other pastes that are 8W/m.K or higher. I would suggest using something better like MX-4 or thermal grizzly kryonaut.

A comment to the Hotel Hero's video. It doesn't matter whether the paste is too much as when it is being pressed it just goes off from the edges of the die and a very tiny amount is left on the actual die. Of course you don't want the paste to go over the edges if it is electrically conductive. It is bad when too little is used or when the heatsink is not tighten good enough. I wouldn't advice using too much as it is just a waste of paste anyway.

Throttlestop will reduce the temps of the CPU only. We can rarely see the GPU on these laptops go above 85C even on the non-repasted models, which suggest that the thermal paste used is poor or poorly applied.

tobimaru

Running a game in the background while running a benchmark is going to highly skew the benchmark results. I'm not sure of any benchmark that's designed to be run on top of another intensive application? I think the results of your test are typical and as expected; the benchmark results are much lower when you run a game in the background at the same time. The first results is showing you the real potential/performance.

I can't really offer more advice than HH in regards to undervolt and repaste. I've done them both on numerous laptops (Acer and otherwise) with results each time. Sometimes, only a few degrees Celsius but still always some results.

If ThrottleStop makes no difference in temps uninstall it and try Intel XTU. I've only ever used XTU and it makes an immediate difference when applying undervolt values on my Nitro 5.
Additionally, the type of paste used is far less important than how the paste is applied. If you applied new paste and saw zero temperature difference I'm not convinced you applied enough.

I have an Acer Aspire VX15 with the same 7700HQ processor running at 50-78C, so it's not the chip's fault. Reducing voltage (undervolt) and increasing thermal transfer (higher fan speed, re-paste) should work to reduce overall temps.

Are they garbage? Nah. They're just gaming laptops that get hot like other laptops. No brand is safe from this. Often times our expectations hinder our overall understanding. Stick with it and I'm sure you'll find a solution.

kilari_helios_300

Yeah I understand that benchmarks are not supposed to be done with any background load. But that's the only way to show that the computer perforce drops as soon as I start a game.

The temperature shoot as soon as I start a game and the performance takes a total nosedive.

I think I'll try Ven98's suggestion and try a different paste. I also tried undervolting with XTU which didn't help either.

sri369

kilari_helios_300 said:

Yeah I understand that benchmarks are not supposed to be done with any background load. But that's the only way to show that the computer perforce drops as soon as I start a game.

The temperature shoot as soon as I start a game and the performance takes a total nosedive.

I think I'll try Ven98's suggestion and try a different paste. I also tried undervolting with XTU which didn't help either.

Check the links in my signature on reducing temps and improving performance.
Also check the user benchmark of my laptop - fully optimized windows and undervolted CPU and GPU --> https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/10977437

Also, from your screenshots, you windows is literally not optimized. Your background processes are over 70%, even at 90%+. These have to be less than 15% on a nicely optimized system; can go lower can 5% (see my benchmark).

xapim

kilari_helios_300 said:

I have been on this forum for a couple of weeks, hoping to find a solution to make my laptop perform the bare minimum of gaming. I have tried ALL the solutions listed here. Just take a look at this, the below benchmark was taken without any background processes.

https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/13186941

The next one was taken right after I started a game (destiny 2 with medium settings) and it was running in the background.

https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/13187160

The predator sense screenshot while the two tests were performed.

you can clearly see from the GPU usage graph when the game started running.

To say that I have had a bad experience with this laptop would be an understatement. One of the main reasons I got this laptop is for gaming and it has failed to deliver that.

The solutions suggested here that I tried,

1. Windows Optimization
2. Complete reset and re installation of OS
3. Power plan editing
4. Thermal Re-pasting ( Paste I used: followed this video)
5. Uninstalling necessary programs
6. Updating bios and drivers.
7. Proper ventilation for laptop for free airflow.

also

8. Undervolting (followed this video by hotelhero) ---- But ThrottleStop was not running when either of the tests were made because even Undervolting did not help in the least, but if it is needed I can run throttlestop and perform the test again and report back.

Am I doing something wrong or are all predator laptops just worthless garbage???

You are suffering from thermal throttling this is why you are having issues u have to get those temps down or you won't be able to do anything heavy ever on that laptop kryonaut got my temps down 20+ but has to be properly applied i also undervolted with TS and overclocked the gpu with AF just because u haven't been able to get it to that point yet doesn't mean its rubbish as u stated very happy with mine my temps are cpu 70-75 max gpu 69-72 on ultra on all games on iddle i have cpu 38 gpu 32 min

kilari_helios_300

Also, from your screenshots, you windows is literally not optimized. Your background processes are over 70%, even at 90%+. These have to be less than 15% on a nicely optimized system; can go lower can 5% (see my benchmark).

The first 3 90% peaks in both cpu and gpu was when the benchmark tests were performed with NO BACKGROUND processes whatsoever. The following continuous CPU and GPU usage was when ONLY A GAME was running in the background. Like I already said there are no background programs running. From what I understand the problem is Thermal throttling.

xapim

kilari_helios_300 said:

Also, from your screenshots, you windows is literally not optimized. Your background processes are over 70%, even at 90%+. These have to be less than 15% on a nicely optimized system; can go lower can 5% (see my benchmark).

The first 3 90% peaks in both cpu and gpu was when the benchmark tests were performed with NO BACKGROUND processes whatsoever. The following continuous CPU and GPU usage was when ONLY A GAME was running in the background. Like I already said there are no background programs running. From what I understand the problem is Thermal throttling.

Do a proper repaste with Kryonaut first and after we can talk about results again

Red-Sand

You need to repaste using quality thermal paste.

95 C is critically hot since the GPU should throttle at 80 C following the spec sheet for this model.

My GPU never surpasses 75 C even fully overclocked and that is before I even repasted.

kilari_helios_300

Update: I got the Arctic MX 4 thermal paste today and repasted both my cpu and gpu. Still no improvement whatsoever just like I expected. At this point I'm resigned to the fact that I'm stuck with a laptop that has a manufacturing defect that's the only explanation for this, heck 96-97C on BOTH CPU AND GPU is just not normal and dont even try to convince me otherwise. Hope yall are having a better new year.

ven98

Are you sure you are tightening the heatsink screws enough? You have to apply some pressure.

If it was a PC there are could be many reasons why the temperatures are higher than expected, but on a laptop there could be 3 factors that I can think of that can affect temperatures. Bad thermal paste(with MX-4 we remove that from the list) and the other 2 - user fault and heatsink unevenness(I don't know how likely is that, especially when 2 components are affected) or uneven screwholders(maybe, not sure).

When you removed the heatsink to re-apply the paste was the paste spreaded around the whole CPU and GPU dies or there were areas where no thermal paste went to?

kilari_helios_300

I have made sure to tighten the screws every time I opened the heat sink.

Also yes the paste was evenly spread when I opened to apply the MX-4, no reason to believe that the new paste I applied wouldn't have spread evenly either.

Also I did a little testing with intel XTU and found out that performing a CPU stress test pushes the CPU temps to a max of maybe 85C with no thermal throttling. But when I do GPU stress test, both the CPU and GPU easily reach 95C also causing thermal throttling.

ven98

Even with repasting the CPU will reach 95C when GPU and CPU combined stress test(almost every laptop fails when it comes to stress testing, even 21X. Only helios 500 is the only laptop that can run under 95C during stress test). What isn't normal is the GPU reaching above 90C when it shouldn't be higher than 85C. What is the GPU temperature when you run a GPU stress test only?

kilari_helios_300

Screenshot of predator sense at idle

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/v5/bznfuk288e0u.png

Screenshot of intel XTU stress test

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/1k/8q5a8n6b7qda.png

Screenshot of predator sense during stress test

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/sw/5pwmej4rgyz1.png

ven98

52C idle temperature. That is too high. I really have no clue why it is so high if you have repasted it correctly.

sri369

kilari_helios_300 said:

Screenshot of predator sense at idle

Stress test temps, when not undervolted, are okayish. Before I undervolted my 300's CPU reached about 93-94 at peak.
Idle... not sure why your CPU is at about 9% usage, considering typical idle is about 0-5%.

My CPU, undervolted, not repasted, is about 40 at idle to low usage. GPU at about 37.

You might want to have it checked by Acer for warranty.

Moeen

I'm having the same issue LITERALLY THE SAMEEEEE. I have been using this piece of [Content Removed] from more than 2 years now and have tried everything i can, still having the same issues. Did you got the fix or something?

[Edited the thread to hide sensitive information]

kilari_helios_300

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1223575#Comment_1223575

Can't belive its been almost 5 years since I made this post hahaha. I'm still using this laptop as my primary computer due financial reasons and also becuase I've come to like it (with all its imperfections).

To answer your question, I did eventually find the issue after more than a year later. I stripped down the entire laptop and took out the fans. There was a lot of dust buildup that I had to clean and remove. It did fix some of the temperature issue but overheating due to GPU usage was an is still an issue, though not as bad as it used to be.

I no longer play anymore games now, although I did lot of it till a year ago but you have to understand the limitation of the videocard and align your expectations accordingly.