Acer Predator Triton 300 SE review: Ready for work or play

Price When Reviewed

$2,199.99

Best Prices Today: Acer Predator Triton 300 SE

Gaming laptops {and professional} laptops are starting to converge, and Acer’s Predator Triton 300 SE is one instance of this development. It’s a big, highly effective laptop computer with a 16-inch display screen, Intel Core i7-12700H processor, and Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics. Yet it delivers this {hardware} in a comparatively slim, elegant design that weighs 5.29 kilos and packs an enormous 99 watt-hour battery. The result’s a transportable powerhouse, although just a few errors depart it a step behind one of the best on this class. 

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE specs and options

The Acer Predator Triton 300 SE I obtained for evaluate was stacked with one of the best {hardware} at the moment listed for this mannequin. It contains Intel’s 14-core Core i7-12700H processor and Nvidia’s speedy RTX 3070 Ti cellular graphics. The graphics chip is capped at a slim 115 watts of energy, nevertheless, which has penalties in gaming assessments. 

• CPU: Intel Core i7-12700H
• Memory: 16GB DDR5
• Graphics/GPU: Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti
• Display: 2560 x 1600 IPS 240Hz non-touch
• Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen4 M.2 strong state drive
• Webcam: 1080p 
• Connectivity: 1x Thunderbolt 4/USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 65 watts Power Delivery, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Ethernet
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
• Biometrics: Fingerprint reader
• Battery capability: 99 watt-hour
• Dimensions: 14.1 x 10.3 x 0.86 inches
• Weight: 5.29 kilos
• MSRP: $2,199.99

This mode retails at an MSRP $2,199.99, however is already obtainable for much less from just a few on-line retailers. Its pricing, although not cheap, locations it beneath opponents just like the Razer Blade 15 and Alienware X15 R2. Acer sells a more modest alternative configuration, with an RTX 3060 GPU and simply 512GB of storage, for $1,749.99.

Design and construct high quality

IDG / Matthew Smith

Acer’s Predator Triton 300 SE 16-inch is a straightforward, unassuming laptop computer with a silver end and virtually zero badging. In reality, the Acer model seems nowhere on the laptop computer (not together with the mannequin and serial quantity label on the laptop computer’s backside). This modern, clear look is supposed to lure in professionals and creatives who see gaming laptops as nice all-in-one machines that may deal with any process thrown at them. 

Unfortunately, the Predator Triton 300 SE takes its pursuit of class and ease too far. It lacks the extra distinctive show lid discovered on the smaller 14-inch Predator Triton 300 SE. The result’s boring, unremarkable design that fails to face out from opponents.

Build high quality contributes to the issue. Laptops just like the Razer Blade and Apple MacBook Pro profit from simplicity with high-quality supplies that feel and appear premium. The Predator Triton 300 SE makes use of metallic panels for many exterior components, however feels skinny and flimsy when touched. Both the show lid and decrease chassis permit seen flex when dealt with. 

Some would possibly take into account these acceptable trade-offs for a lower cost, and the Predator Triton 300 SE does considerably undercut the value of the Razer Blade 15 and Blade 17. Still, anybody contemplating this laptop computer as a cheaper Blade different must be cautious: it definitely feels constructed to a price range.

Keyboard and trackpad

IDG / Matthew Smith

The 16-inch model of the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE has loads of house for a big keyboard. An absent numpad solely improves the state of affairs. However, the keyboard structure doesn’t reap the benefits of the house. Individual keys are on the small facet, leaving vital areas between every key. Some keys on the left facet, together with Tab, Caps Lock, Shift, and Control, are noticeably downsized. It’s an odd state of affairs given the wealth of house obtainable. 

A keyboard backlight is included within the mannequin I reviewed and could be personalized throughout three zones by means of Acer’s PredatorSense software program. The software program is enticing and straightforward to make use of. While the keyboard backlight helps pulsing, patterns, and different dynamic lighting, Acer correctly leaves this distracting function off by default. 

The touchpad is responsive and huge, measuring about 5 inches throughout and three inches deep. This is smaller than the touchpad on Corsair’s Voyager a1600 and Dell’s XPS 17, however nonetheless a wholesome dimension for a gaming laptop computer. There’s loads of house to make use of Windows’ multi-touch gestures, which proved simple to execute in my testing.

Display, audio

IDG / Matthew Smith

Acer opts for a 2560 x 1600 IPS non-touch show for the 16-inch Predator Triton 300 SE. It additionally packs a 240Hz refresh charge, a most brightness of 500 nits, and help for each Nvidia G-Sync and Nvidia Advanced Optimus. 

The show’s 16-inch dimension and 16:10 side ratio are wonderful for productiveness. This is a big, sensible show with added vertical house that’s useful when viewing paperwork, spreadsheets, or webpages. Many of Acer’s opponents have additionally gone this route, so the 16:10 side ratio isn’t essentially a bonus. Still, it’s a helpful enchancment over a 16:9 widescreen.

Gamers are positive to understand the show’s 240Hz refresh charge. It presents nice movement readability when taking part in video games with a framerate at or close to 240 frames per second. Fast-moving textual content stays legible and interface particulars, like well being bars, are often distinct. Details are preserved when panning the digital camera, as effectively, making it doable to see distinct objects that may be obscured on run-of-the-mill 60Hz LCD display screen. 

And there’s extra to the show than the refresh charge. It additionally helps Nvidia G-Sync for clean body pacing and Nvidia Advanced Optimums for improved battery life. These options aren’t unusual however definitely not assured, so it’s nice to see each make an look right here. 

Yet there’s a draw back to the show. 

Image high quality is merely high quality. It’s sharp, vivid, and colourful, however lacks the distinction and darkish, detailed black ranges obtainable in OLED and Mini-LED shows. There’s a giant hole in high quality between this 16-inch mannequin, with its IPS LCD show, and its 14-inch sibling, which has an OLED display screen with a most refresh charge of 90Hz. 

Upward-facing audio system are discovered above the Predator Triton 300 SE’s keyboard and supply robust, clear audio that received’t be muffled by the floor the laptop computer is positioned on. Audio is strong with crisp, clear dialogue and a touch of bass in music. Maximum quantity is excessive, as effectively, so the laptop computer can simply fill a house workplace with tunes. 

Webcam, microphone, biometrics

The 16-inch Acer Predator Triton 300 SE, just like the 14-inch mannequin, has a 1080p webcam. It supplies a noticeable enhance in high quality over a typical 720p laptop computer webcam. Video seems sharper and extra outlined, particularly in good lighting. It’s nowhere close to a “real” DSLR or mirrorless digital camera, in fact, however strong for a webcam.

I can say the identical of the microphone. It picks up good quantity and crisp vocals. The tinny, hole high quality of most laptops microphones stays however I discovered my voice simple to listen to, even once I decreased a recording’s quantity considerably. That’s an excellent signal.

A fingerprint reader is included and built-in into the touchpad floor. I’m not a fan of this implementation, because it takes up a bit of the touchpad’s usable house in change for a principally dependable, however typically inconvenient, technique of biometric login. Fingerprint studying works in excellent circumstances however can’t cope with moist, greasy, or reasonably soiled fingers. I needed to wipe the Cheeto mud off my fingers earlier than I may log in.

Connectivity

IDG / Matthew Smith

IDG / Matthew Smith

The 16-inch Acer Predator Triton 300 SE has a single Thunderbolt 4/USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 65 watts of Power Delivery. It’s good to see use of Thunderbolt 4 however disappointing that Acer solely supplies one port. Most mid-range and high-end laptops present a pair, at least.

Older units are served by a pair of USB-A ports. The laptop computer additionally supplies HDMI 2.1, a 3.5mm audio jack, and Ethernet. This is an effective vary of connectivity however merely whelming for a laptop computer priced above $2,000. I significantly dislike the shortage of an SDcard reader. This comes commonplace on the Corsair Voyager a1600 and Razer Blade 15, amongst others, and it could make sense for a laptop computer focusing on avid gamers and professionals concurrently. 

Port location is an issue. Like the Predator Triton 300 SE 14-inch, the 16-inch locations many ports close to the entrance of the laptop computer. This means wired connections are apparent and take up vital desk house. Those who like a clear desk with few extra wires will discover cable routing a chore. 

Wireless connectivity presents some excellent news, because the laptop computer helps each Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. This supplies help for contemporary units and wonderful Wi-Fi speeds when related to a Wi-Fi 6E router. Wi-Fi 6 efficiency additionally appeared nice in my testing, with Steam downloads hitting as much as 60 megabits per second. This is near the utmost efficiency I expertise over Wi-Fi 6 on my house community.

Performance

The 16-inch Acer Predator Triton 300 SE I examined was a top-end mannequin with an Intel Core i7-12700H processor and Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti cellular graphics. It had 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 strong state drive. It’s clearly a succesful system on paper, however no extra so than its opponents. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

Acer turned in a disappointing rating of 6,925 in PCMark 10. This is the bottom end result out of a bundle of comparable laptops, coming under even the Corsair Voyager a1600. On the intense facet, nevertheless, the distinction between one of the best and worst outcomes is moderately small. This provides hope that Acer may catch up in different benchmarks. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

Cinebench R15 validates that hope, because the Predator Triton 300 SE turns within the highest rating of all comparable laptops lately examined. It manages this constantly, with surprisingly modest fan noise, and regardless of a thinner profile than many opponents. It’s a powerful end result. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

The excellent news continues in Handbrake, the place the Predator Triton 300 SE comes inside one second of attaining the highest spot. It’s crushed solely by its bigger, thicker cousin, the Acer Predator Helios 300. Acer should be doing one thing proper with its cooling resolution, as its laptops clearly ship higher efficiency in sustained workloads.

Now we pivot to graphics efficiency. There’s purpose to fret the Predator Triton 300 SE received’t be as much as par, because it supplies solely 115 watts of energy to its RTX 3070 Ti. The Predator Helios 300 and Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, in contrast, ship 150 watts. Does it make a distinction?

IDG / Matthew Smith

The hyperlink between energy supply and efficiency isn’t instantly clear in 3DMark Time Spy, because the Predator Triton 300 SE achieves a good 10,289. That’s behind the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro and Alienware X15 R2, however forward of the Acer Predator Helios 300 and Razer Blade 15. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

Acer’s Predator Triton 300 SE begins to indicate weak point in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, because it averaged simply 126 frames per second at 1080p and Highest settings. That’s a particularly playable end result, in fact, however noticeably behind a number of comparable laptops. The Acer Predator Helios 300 and Lenovo Legion 5 Pro stand out most right here, as each ship nice outcomes at barely lower cost. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

It’s an identical story in Metro Exodus, the place the Predator Triton 300 SE turns in an underwhelming common of 42 frames per second. This isn’t too far off the tempo of comparable laptops, however clearly not the absolute best on this worth vary. 

I additionally put the Predator Triton 300 SE by means of just a few private favorites together with Total War: Warhammer III and Cyberpunk 2077. It maintained its relative place in these assessments, offering playable outcomes simply above 60 frames per second at 1080p decision and Ultra settings, but working just a few frames per second behind worth leaders such because the Acer Predator Helios 300 and Lenovo Legion 5 Pro.

The Predator Triton 300 SE’s efficiency outcomes are good total. It performs effectively in closely multithreaded processor assessments however lags a bit in gaming benchmarks. This could also be disappointing for avid gamers, however it is sensible if you need a laptop computer for each productiveness and leisure. The Predator Triton 300 SE can deal with each video modifying and demanding video games with out a lot problem.

I additionally should reward the laptop computer’s thermal efficiency. The followers are readily audible in heavy hundreds however by no means develop into an ear-piercing whirr. Over-the-ear headphones make the followers unnoticeable. 

Battery life

The 16-inch Acer Predator Triton 300 SE is full of an enormous 99 watt-hour battery, the utmost sometimes present in a laptop computer as a result of FAA’s limitations on the scale of lithium-ion batteries allowed in carry-on baggage. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

Going delivers an apparent benefit for the Predator Triton 300 SE, because it lasts almost eight hours in our commonplace battery check. Most gaming laptops final between 4 and 6 hours. Corsair’s comparable Voyager a1600, which additionally has a 99 watt-hour battery, endured lower than 5 hours of use, whereas the Razer Blade 15 achieved a hair greater than 5 hours. 

This is a crucial win for Acer. Gaming laptops that additionally goal professionals and creatives usually present good efficiency, however it’s too usually paired with actually terrible battery life. The Predator Triton 300 SE’s battery life isn’t superb, however it’s good, and that’s sufficient to offer an edge. 

Conclusion

Acer’s 16-inch Predator Triton 300 SE in the end delivers the identical strengths and weaknesses discovered in lots of Acer gaming laptops. It’s fairly priced for the {hardware} on supply, scores effectively in most benchmarks, and delivers good battery life (for this class). It’s a laptop computer that, if scored by benchmark outcomes alone, can be simple to suggest.

Build high quality and design is the place the Predator Triton 300 SE falters. It tries to strike knowledgeable look however lacks the fabric high quality and rigidity of some opponents. The keyboard is a miss, with an oddly cramped structure given the laptop computer’s dimension. 

Still, there’s no denying the Predator Triton 300 SE’s total efficiency and worth. Gamers, professionals, and creators who desire a beefy and succesful machine at a extra affordable worth ought to put it on their quick checklist.