There has been a ton of hardware launches in the past few weeks, and something that may have flown under your radar is the next generation of gaming laptops. After being able to get some hands-on experience with Acer’s new Predator Helios Neo 16 & 18 laptops fitted with RTX 50 series graphics, we’ve been speaking to the brand about what to expect from the latest generation.

Speaking with Acer representatives Manuel Linnig and Ivano Cimaglia, we learnt a lot about the design of these new laptops, and we were keen to talk about a couple of improvements ideal for gamers and creators on the go: battery life and airflow.

The new Helios 18 and Helios 16 laptops have improved airflow

One of the first things we wanted to discuss was battery life. Unfortunately, Acer was unable to provide “definite numbers” while affirming that “battery life really matter[s]”. This swiftly moves us on to our next point of discussion: fans, cooling, and airflow. As you may know, a gaming laptop running at full capacity can get pretty loud, so has anything been done to address this?

While we can’t speak for volumes exactly, Acer has confirmed that the Helios 18 and Helios 16 offer “about a 20% air flow improvement” on the new 6th gen cooling solution, says Linnig. It is also confirmed that the cut-down 16S model sticks to the older 5th-generation tech. When questioned on why this is, Linnig says that it “boils down to what was available when we designed the products”.

“The real improvement in terms of performance is not on the, let’s say, the type of CPU or GPU that you can get. But if you buy the exact same product with the exact same spaces, on the Helios, because of the cooling, you can sustain longer.”

Ivano Cimaglia, Business Manager Gaming Notebook, Creator Notebook and VR at Acer

Speaking on gaming performance, Cimaglia notes that these new gaming laptops will be able to “sustain longer” thanks to the improved cooling and airflow. The cooling is “better optimized,” Cimaglia adds. Again, we don’t have any exact values to share with you, but we hope to see a noticeable difference compared to the last generation offerings, which weren’t the best in the battery life department.

Delving a little deeper into the design of these new gaming laptops, Acer wants to strike the perfect balance between a notebook and a gaming laptop. In other words, it’s nice to have a portable and thin laptop, but not if it hinders performance. Cimaglia says that having a very thin device restricts airflow – yes, they could “lower down the wattage [to an] embarrassing level” but then it’s “not a gaming device anymore because the power is not there”. This is highlighted as one of the design challenges. “I’m not scared of calling it compromises” he adds, as it is a necessary design choice to ensure airflow is sufficient.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 AI is slated for launch in April (North America) and May (Europe, Middle East, Africa). The higher-end Helios 18 AI will be coming just a month afterward – May and June for the respective regions.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.