Review of the Helios 500

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Comments

  • ven98
    ven98 ACE Posts: 4,073 Pathfinder
    The price on the RTX is unjustified in my opinion, because there are no games that support RTX and that is why I wouldn't recommend it. Not to mention that laptops with RTX 2060 are more expensive than laptops with GTX 1070. Also the RTX 2060 for laptops performs less than the desktop 2060, while the GTX 1070 for laptops is the same as desktops.

    I don't think it is dump going for RTX, it is just unreasonable for the regular consumer. If someone has enough budget and doesn't care about performance to cost ratio, then I don't see why he shouldn't go for it.

    The helios 500 can't outperform the 17X in terms of graphics performance only. The faster CPU and RAM will improve the physics score. Helios 500 will be better in high fps gaming because of the better CPU(only if games are able to take advantage of the 4 extra threads, because the CPU of the 17x is overclockable), but in higher resolutions 60fps the 17X will beat it. On firestrike I remember getting a bit over 22K graphics score(turbo profile) when I still had the 17X.


    Always post the following characterisitcs of the device:
    -Model number
    -Part number(not required, but helpful)
    -CPU
    -GPU
    -Operating system

    Helios 300 and Nitro 5 users DO NOT update the BIOS to version 1.22 if you don't want the keyboard's backlight to turn off after 30 seconds even when the device is plugged in.


    Hit 'Like' if you find the answer helpful!   
    Click on 'Yes' if the comment answers your question!

  • xapim
    xapim ACE Posts: 7,257 Pathfinder
    ven98 said:
    The price on the RTX is unjustified in my opinion, because there are no games that support RTX and that is why I wouldn't recommend it. Not to mention that laptops with RTX 2060 are more expensive than laptops with GTX 1070. Also the RTX 2060 for laptops performs less than the desktop 2060, while the GTX 1070 for laptops is the same as desktops.

    I don't think it is dump going for RTX, it is just unreasonable for the regular consumer. If someone has enough budget and doesn't care about performance to cost ratio, then I don't see why he shouldn't go for it.

    The helios 500 can't outperform the 17X in terms of graphics performance only. The faster CPU and RAM will improve the physics score. Helios 500 will be better in high fps gaming because of the better CPU(only if games are able to take advantage of the 4 extra threads, because the CPU of the 17x is overclockable), but in higher resolutions 60fps the 17X will beat it. On firestrike I remember getting a bit over 22K graphics score(turbo profile) when I still had the 17X.


    Exactly :)


    https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/11532543

    UserBenchmarks: Game 43%, Desk 61%, Work 40%
    CPU: Intel Core i5-7300HQ - 63.5%
    GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050-Ti (Mobile) - 41.9%
    SSD: WDC WDS200T2B0B-00YS70 2TB - 71.4%
    HDD: WD WD10SPZX-00HKTT0 1TB - 93.7%
    RAM: Kingston HyperX DDR4 2666 C15 2x16GB - 76.8%
    MBD: Acer Predator G3-572

    I'm not an Acer employee. (just here to help in the best way i can)
    If my answer fixed you issue please accept it for any other users who search for it would find it quickly thanks :)
    If you want to learn more about undervolting/optimizing windows join the Predator fb group and youtube channel:

    Owner/Admin (HOTEL HERO/Red-Sand/Opoka Opoka)
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/PredatorHelios300
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNJwGUHxSJ8FKqAhnOqQuAw
    Acer support:
    https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/service-contact
    http://www.acer.com/worldwide/support/  


  • Red-Sand
    Red-Sand ACE Posts: 1,892 Pathfinder
    ven98 said:
    The price on the RTX is unjustified in my opinion, because there are no games that support RTX and that is why I wouldn't recommend it. Not to mention that laptops with RTX 2060 are more expensive than laptops with GTX 1070. Also the RTX 2060 for laptops performs less than the desktop 2060, while the GTX 1070 for laptops is the same as desktops.

    I don't think it is dump going for RTX, it is just unreasonable for the regular consumer. If someone has enough budget and doesn't care about performance to cost ratio, then I don't see why he shouldn't go for it.

    The helios 500 can't outperform the 17X in terms of graphics performance only. The faster CPU and RAM will improve the physics score. Helios 500 will be better in high fps gaming because of the better CPU(only if games are able to take advantage of the 4 extra threads, because the CPU of the 17x is overclockable), but in higher resolutions 60fps the 17X will beat it. On firestrike I remember getting a bit over 22K graphics score(turbo profile) when I still had the 17X.



    Yeah I didn't mean it beats them all simply that the guy I went against it did better.
    Still impressive without tweaks to win against something with a higher CPU\GPU.
    - Hotel Hero
  • RoadBiker
    RoadBiker Member Posts: 1 New User
    I'll be receiving the Helios 500 in a few days and I'm pretty excited to start playing around with this beast – my first leap into this type of laptop.  I've seen that over the past few months there have been different recommendations for things like which version of Windows to use, disabling PSAdmin Agent, driver updates, etc.  Is there a consensus or does anyone have recommendations on what settings to use/changes to make straight out of the box?  I’ll be running the Costco version, with stock specs listed below.

    Thanks for the help!


    • Microsoft® Windows 10 Home (64 bit)
    • Intel Core i7-8750H Processor at 2.2GHz
    • 16GB DDR4 (2-DIMM) 2666MHz RAM
    • 1TB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive + 256GB PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive
    • 17.3" FHD IPS WLED Backlit 144Hz NVIDIA G-SYNC (1920 x 1080) Display
    • 8GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1070 Graphics
    • Killer DoubleShot Pro Wireless-AC 1550 featuring 2x2 MU-MIMO technology + Bluetooth 5.0
    • Killer E2500 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 Connector)
    • Integrated HD webcam (1280 x 720)
    • Integrated Digital Microphone





  • Red-Sand
    Red-Sand ACE Posts: 1,892 Pathfinder
    RoadBiker said:
    I'll be receiving the Helios 500 in a few days and I'm pretty excited to start playing around with this beast – my first leap into this type of laptop.  I've seen that over the past few months there have been different recommendations for things like which version of Windows to use, disabling PSAdmin Agent, driver updates, etc.  Is there a consensus or does anyone have recommendations on what settings to use/changes to make straight out of the box?  I’ll be running the Costco version, with stock specs listed below.

    Thanks for the help!


    • Microsoft® Windows 10 Home (64 bit)
    • Intel Core i7-8750H Processor at 2.2GHz
    • 16GB DDR4 (2-DIMM) 2666MHz RAM
    • 1TB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive + 256GB PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive
    • 17.3" FHD IPS WLED Backlit 144Hz NVIDIA G-SYNC (1920 x 1080) Display
    • 8GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1070 Graphics
    • Killer DoubleShot Pro Wireless-AC 1550 featuring 2x2 MU-MIMO technology + Bluetooth 5.0
    • Killer E2500 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 Connector)
    • Integrated HD webcam (1280 x 720)
    • Integrated Digital Microphone





    To be honest man when I mentioned the previous version of Windows it was strictly in the sense of absolute max benchmark scores etc.
    Gaming you'll find even the latest Windows is generally similar between Windows versions.

    There is a temp difference but that can be remedied by turning off background usage and setting privacy settings etc in Windows.

    I'm personally on Windows 1809 and have had no issues.

    First thing you should do is let Windows update itself 100% or if you want to stay on the previous (1703 or 1709) Windows then allow for the system to auto update to 1809 then go to Windows settings > updates & security > recovery > roll back.
    I say roll back instead of blocking the updates so that you can maintain receiving security updates and still be on the version you want.

    Second you'll want to update your BIOs, just head to Acer's driver download page for your model and snag the latest one, that will unlock the power limits for your CPU and give the power limit options on Predator Sense.

    After that I think you'll be quite satisfied going straight to gaming. 👌
    - Hotel Hero
  • mankvl
    mankvl Member Posts: 51 Devotee WiFi Icon
    I'am out of ideas. Removed all killer network *****, even used their uninstaller. There is no Killer network service running on my PH500 but I still get the PSadminAgent bug:



    Anyone still have such problem? If no the only option for me is to do a fresh win 10 install. Do you guys recommend installing all stuff from Acer support page after a clean win installation? 
  • xapim
    xapim ACE Posts: 7,257 Pathfinder
    mankvl said:
    I'am out of ideas. Removed all killer network *****, even used their uninstaller. There is no Killer network service running on my PH500 but I still get the PSadminAgent bug:



    Anyone still have such problem? If no the only option for me is to do a fresh win 10 install. Do you guys recommend installing all stuff from Acer support page after a clean win installation? 
    Yes install all acer stock drivers/software


    https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/11532543

    UserBenchmarks: Game 43%, Desk 61%, Work 40%
    CPU: Intel Core i5-7300HQ - 63.5%
    GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050-Ti (Mobile) - 41.9%
    SSD: WDC WDS200T2B0B-00YS70 2TB - 71.4%
    HDD: WD WD10SPZX-00HKTT0 1TB - 93.7%
    RAM: Kingston HyperX DDR4 2666 C15 2x16GB - 76.8%
    MBD: Acer Predator G3-572

    I'm not an Acer employee. (just here to help in the best way i can)
    If my answer fixed you issue please accept it for any other users who search for it would find it quickly thanks :)
    If you want to learn more about undervolting/optimizing windows join the Predator fb group and youtube channel:

    Owner/Admin (HOTEL HERO/Red-Sand/Opoka Opoka)
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/PredatorHelios300
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNJwGUHxSJ8FKqAhnOqQuAw
    Acer support:
    https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/service-contact
    http://www.acer.com/worldwide/support/  


  • Red-Sand
    Red-Sand ACE Posts: 1,892 Pathfinder
    That's crazy and your the first person I've seen with this issue continuing after disabling that service.

    Fresh install is the route I would go. 
    - Hotel Hero
  • RhysGuys
    RhysGuys Member Posts: 1 New User
    I've been looking alot into the helios 500 and triton 500.. helios being espcially larger than the triton 500.

    I definately want a laptop for the couch and I'd buy a lapdesk in order to fit a wireless mouse next to it, question is does anyone else do this and are lapdesks to small for the size of the helios 500?
  • Red-Sand
    Red-Sand ACE Posts: 1,892 Pathfinder
    RhysGuys said:
    I've been looking alot into the helios 500 and triton 500.. helios being espcially larger than the triton 500.

    I definately want a laptop for the couch and I'd buy a lapdesk in order to fit a wireless mouse next to it, question is does anyone else do this and are lapdesks to small for the size of the helios 500?
    It really depends on the real estate of the lap desk.
    I have both the Triton 500 and the Helios 500 so Ill give you some measurements.

    Helios 500: 16 3/4" long - 12" wide - 1 1/2" thick closed
    Triton 500: 14 1/8" long - 10" wide - 3/4" thick closed
    - Hotel Hero
  • marjantalevski
    marjantalevski Member Posts: 3 New User
    edited March 2019
    Which one should I get? I am mostly doing CAD work and realistic rendering (SolidWorks, KeyShot) and some casual gaming.
    Where I live (Macedonia) they both cost around $2000 and retail the two versions as follows:

    1. i7 8750H / GTX 1070 / 32 GB RAM / 256 GB SSD / 1 TB HDD (16 GB more RAM than the AMD version)
    2. Ryzen 2700 / RX Vega 56 / 16 GB RAM / 256 GB SSD / 1 TB HDD (Ryzen 2700 and Vega 56 better suited for a workstation?)

    The Intel version seems more attractive with the 32 GB of RAM, but I can always upgrade that on the AMD one sometime in the future if the AMD version is actually that much better in the work I am doing. I already have a desktop workstation, but I need something portable for travelling that I can work on for hours or let it render for a day without overheating or getting too loud, to basically replace my workstation when travelling. 

    So, my question is:
    Which one of the two above is better intended for workstation use and which one keeps its cool at doing that - being less loud and doing those tasks for extended periods of time?

     Any advice is appreciated, thank you!

  • marjantalevski
    marjantalevski Member Posts: 3 New User
    .. continuing from previous post:
    Also, I don't want to undervolt anything or spend a month playing with temps, I just want a machine that does its thing out of the box.
  • xapim
    xapim ACE Posts: 7,257 Pathfinder
    edited March 2019
    Which one should I get? I am mostly doing CAD work and realistic rendering (SolidWorks, KeyShot) and some casual gaming.
    Where I live (Macedonia) they both cost around $2000 and retail the two versions as follows:

    1. i7 8750H / GTX 1070 / 32 GB RAM / 256 GB SSD / 1 TB HDD (16 GB more RAM than the AMD version)
    2. Ryzen 2700 / RX Vega 56 / 16 GB RAM / 256 GB SSD / 1 TB HDD (Ryzen 2700 and Vega 56 better suited for a workstation?)

    The Intel version seems more attractive with the 32 GB of RAM, but I can always upgrade that on the AMD one sometime in the future if the AMD version is actually that much better in the work I am doing. I already have a desktop workstation, but I need something portable for travelling that I can work on for hours or let it render for a day without overheating or getting too loud, to basically replace my workstation when travelling. 

    So, my question is:
    Which one of the two above is better intended for workstation use and which one keeps its cool at doing that - being less loud and doing those tasks for extended periods of time?

     Any advice is appreciated, thank you!

     @marjantalevski for rendering works the Ryzen its the best one the downside its that u only have one nvme slot but you can upgrade cpu hope this helps :)


    https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/11532543

    UserBenchmarks: Game 43%, Desk 61%, Work 40%
    CPU: Intel Core i5-7300HQ - 63.5%
    GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050-Ti (Mobile) - 41.9%
    SSD: WDC WDS200T2B0B-00YS70 2TB - 71.4%
    HDD: WD WD10SPZX-00HKTT0 1TB - 93.7%
    RAM: Kingston HyperX DDR4 2666 C15 2x16GB - 76.8%
    MBD: Acer Predator G3-572

    I'm not an Acer employee. (just here to help in the best way i can)
    If my answer fixed you issue please accept it for any other users who search for it would find it quickly thanks :)
    If you want to learn more about undervolting/optimizing windows join the Predator fb group and youtube channel:

    Owner/Admin (HOTEL HERO/Red-Sand/Opoka Opoka)
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/PredatorHelios300
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNJwGUHxSJ8FKqAhnOqQuAw
    Acer support:
    https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/service-contact
    http://www.acer.com/worldwide/support/  


  • marjantalevski
    marjantalevski Member Posts: 3 New User
    xapim said:
    Which one should I get? I am mostly doing CAD work and realistic rendering (SolidWorks, KeyShot) and some casual gaming.
    Where I live (Macedonia) they both cost around $2000 and retail the two versions as follows:

    1. i7 8750H / GTX 1070 / 32 GB RAM / 256 GB SSD / 1 TB HDD (16 GB more RAM than the AMD version)
    2. Ryzen 2700 / RX Vega 56 / 16 GB RAM / 256 GB SSD / 1 TB HDD (Ryzen 2700 and Vega 56 better suited for a workstation?)

    The Intel version seems more attractive with the 32 GB of RAM, but I can always upgrade that on the AMD one sometime in the future if the AMD version is actually that much better in the work I am doing. I already have a desktop workstation, but I need something portable for travelling that I can work on for hours or let it render for a day without overheating or getting too loud, to basically replace my workstation when travelling. 

    So, my question is:
    Which one of the two above is better intended for workstation use and which one keeps its cool at doing that - being less loud and doing those tasks for extended periods of time?

     Any advice is appreciated, thank you!
     @marjantalevski for rendering works the Ryzen its the best one the downside its that u only have one nvme slot but you can upgrade cpu hope this helps :)
    Well, if the AMD one is really better and keeps cooler, NVME and RAM are no problem, I can always throw out the current SSD and get one that is 1 TB in the future for example.. Thanks for your advice.
  • xapim
    xapim ACE Posts: 7,257 Pathfinder
    edited March 2019
    xapim said:
    Which one should I get? I am mostly doing CAD work and realistic rendering (SolidWorks, KeyShot) and some casual gaming.
    Where I live (Macedonia) they both cost around $2000 and retail the two versions as follows:

    1. i7 8750H / GTX 1070 / 32 GB RAM / 256 GB SSD / 1 TB HDD (16 GB more RAM than the AMD version)
    2. Ryzen 2700 / RX Vega 56 / 16 GB RAM / 256 GB SSD / 1 TB HDD (Ryzen 2700 and Vega 56 better suited for a workstation?)

    The Intel version seems more attractive with the 32 GB of RAM, but I can always upgrade that on the AMD one sometime in the future if the AMD version is actually that much better in the work I am doing. I already have a desktop workstation, but I need something portable for travelling that I can work on for hours or let it render for a day without overheating or getting too loud, to basically replace my workstation when travelling. 

    So, my question is:
    Which one of the two above is better intended for workstation use and which one keeps its cool at doing that - being less loud and doing those tasks for extended periods of time?

     Any advice is appreciated, thank you!
     @marjantalevski for rendering works the Ryzen its the best one the downside its that u only have one nvme slot but you can upgrade cpu hope this helps :)
    Well, if the AMD one is really better and keeps cooler, NVME and RAM are no problem, I can always throw out the current SSD and get one that is 1 TB in the future for example.. Thanks for your advice.
    They both use the same cooling system (the best around regarding gaming laptops) but as i said the intel its more gaming intended and the Ryzen more rendering etc because it has more cores and the vega its also pretty good for gaming so no loss there the only downsides are the ones i mentioned but you can always upgrade the cpu in future to a newer ryzen variant which u cant on the intel to me (and im a gamer) if i had the option to choose between both i would go for the ryzen  :)


    https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/11532543

    UserBenchmarks: Game 43%, Desk 61%, Work 40%
    CPU: Intel Core i5-7300HQ - 63.5%
    GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050-Ti (Mobile) - 41.9%
    SSD: WDC WDS200T2B0B-00YS70 2TB - 71.4%
    HDD: WD WD10SPZX-00HKTT0 1TB - 93.7%
    RAM: Kingston HyperX DDR4 2666 C15 2x16GB - 76.8%
    MBD: Acer Predator G3-572

    I'm not an Acer employee. (just here to help in the best way i can)
    If my answer fixed you issue please accept it for any other users who search for it would find it quickly thanks :)
    If you want to learn more about undervolting/optimizing windows join the Predator fb group and youtube channel:

    Owner/Admin (HOTEL HERO/Red-Sand/Opoka Opoka)
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/PredatorHelios300
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNJwGUHxSJ8FKqAhnOqQuAw
    Acer support:
    https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/service-contact
    http://www.acer.com/worldwide/support/  


  • Mvchiato
    Mvchiato Member Posts: 6

    Tinkerer

    edited March 2019
    I just had a quick question. I’m on the verge of buying this laptop and saw the ssd sizes someone posted on here. (I’ll try to insert a pic.) My question is, are these overall or per lane?  http://imgur.com/7KzeBEn



  • Red-Sand
    Red-Sand ACE Posts: 1,892 Pathfinder
    Mvchiato said:
    I just had a quick question. I’m on the verge of buying this laptop and saw the ssd sizes someone posted on here. (I’ll try to insert a pic.) My question is, are these overall or per lane?  http://imgur.com/7KzeBEn




    The spec guide from the manufacturer specifies that 512gb per lane is the max but I do not believe that to be true.

    The spec guide also lists the incorrect model number for the screen panel and also states the display port is capped at 60hz (which is not true).

    I have heard if people using up to 1tb but no more than that.
    - Hotel Hero
  • mankvl
    mankvl Member Posts: 51 Devotee WiFi Icon
    Does anyone have a problem where on boot ph500 just hangs... keyboard is on but don't see the bios predator logo, only black screen. I need to press the power button again to turn it off and then after turning in on again all works and ph500 boots to win 10 pro. Not a big problem but kinda annoying. 
  • TenTen1
    TenTen1 Member Posts: 5

    Tinkerer

    oh wow, that's really cool. How did you make the background and everything?
  • Red-Sand
    Red-Sand ACE Posts: 1,892 Pathfinder
    mankvl said:
    Does anyone have a problem where on boot ph500 just hangs... keyboard is on but don't see the bios predator logo, only black screen. I need to press the power button again to turn it off and then after turning in on again all works and ph500 boots to win 10 pro. Not a big problem but kinda annoying. 
    Try defaulting your BIOs.
    On bootup hit F2 to enter BIOs - F9 to default it - F10 to Save & Exit
    - Hotel Hero
This discussion has been closed.