My new Acer Predator Helios 18 PH18-71 is absolute trash!unit lags and keyboard settings not working

Dale_Blackburn98 · September 2023

Zero help from Acer support. Zero help from anyone related to this company.

My laptop lags even when i try to open an empty file on win11. Sometimes it runs smooth, most of the time it does not. When i update the predator sense, it wrecks havoc on my keyboard and i can't change my keyboard settings.

I got forced to download the older version of Predatorsense just to use my keyboard. On top of that, my PC feels like a 20 year old rusty laptop from the 2000's… There is clearly an issue going on because i don't wanna believe Acer marketed these terrible laptops without testing them properly.

Every driver of mine, INTEL, Nvidia, Win11, Acer Care, whatever else is UP TO DATE.

My pc lags heavily on battery mode but also lags on cable power. It feels like my screen HZ is 30 on battery mode and even simple tasks like using google causes stutters and lags.

Should i just return this or do a clean restart with formatting?? What should i do? Can someone please help me!!

[Edited the thread to add issue detail]

Puraw · September 2023

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/691663/my-new-acer-predator-helios-18-ph18-71-is-absolute-trash-nothing-works-properly

Return it immediately to the Acer retailer as you are clearly disappointed with your purchase: Acer will accept returns within 15 days of delivery for most hardware products. Shipping will not be refunded.
https://store.acer.com/en-us/returns-and-cancellations

Dale_Blackburn98 · September 2023

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1228794#Comment_1228794

Sadly it was an overseas purchase and it exceeded the 15 day mark. I don't know what to do, as i type this while the cable is plugged in, my sentences are lagging as if im using a compute with 1gb ram instead of 32.

I can't even watch youtube videos, they LAG! What the hell is wrong with my laptop? If this is fixable i will try to fix it, otherwise i am gonna sell it, this is terrible. Nobody from Acer gives a [Content Removed] to my problem.

[Edited the thread to hide sensitive information]

Puraw · September 2023

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1229469#Comment_1229469

Consider auctioning it off at eBay and buy a new all purpose type laptop with the proceeds?

Commodore_1995# · September 2023

There are several updates for the embedded controller (super io), see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embedded_controller

PCDJ64 · November 2023

My Helios 18 is very buggy, lags on startup, freezes on some programs like watching a video with VLC, most installed programs only show errors instead of loading.

It is not a hardware issue, the laptop itself is fine, it is an Acer botching the Windows issue. The only fix is to get a fresh windows 11 install USB with the up to date Intel VMD drivers and start from scratch. Make sure to have all of the needed drivers and software from the Acer site for the exact model first. The touchpad will not work if you boot to a Windows USB so have a USB mouse handy.

Muhil · November 2023

@PCDJ64 did u use the intel vmd drivers from the support page or from intel website?

Dale_Blackburn98 · November 2023

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1239155#Comment_1239155

Did this work out for you? My problem is more weird. Programs run fine but my PC's performance is terrible! It is like a laptop from the 1995's with 500mb ram. I literally can't do empty blue boxes with my mouse on desktop when it is on battery power. The boxes load with a delay of 3 seconds. If i right click on empty desktop, it shows up after 4 seconds. If i try to open a simple folder, it opens up 3 seconds later… It is like on slow motion.

Even typing feels like 15fps right now, sometimes it works fast, like it suppose to, sometimes it is not. Especially on battery power. It feels like a trash laptop. I literally worked my *ss to get this expensive PC and i absolutely hate Acer for this!

Can someone please tell me what to do? Is this a windows 11 related problem? ALL OF MY UPDATES ARE UP TO DATE. What a lame forum is this? What is the reason of this terrible performence? I don't wanna believe Acer produced and marketed this laptop, this has to be fixable\ reversible.

Morfevs · June 12

Hi all.

I hope to bring some useful info here to everybody that is concerned about this issue.

I have a Predator 18, 4090. The machine has Windows 11.

Using Steam VR, Pico4 Headset and Breacher VR game as a test (its a hyper optimized game).

Machine 1 - Predator 18: random stutters. Tried everything, update everything, clean W11 install. Unacceptable stutters here and there. Some CPU Throttling, corrected with more aggressive fan. Stutter comes anyway.

Machine 2 - HP Omen 17 with a 4060. Runs with no issues. Windows 11.

Machine 3 - Predator 17 with a 1070. Runs with no issues. Windows 10.

Machine 4 - Razer Blade 17 with a 3080. Runs with no issues. Windows 10.

Or the Predator 18 is defective or its some program from Acer / bloatware that creates the stuttering.

Very disappointed, especially because I do have an older predator that was fantastic.