Which has better thermals/cooling?

Guess I have miracle GT 72's then. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Nevertheless the state of the GT72vr, nobody recommended it and you shouldn't buy it regardless of what people say, paying 2k USD for a 6700HQ in 2018 is absolutely no go. I don't even know why we are still talking about that outdated model?

Despite the 8750H in the GT 63 not being able to hold stable turbo speeds, it's still lightsyears away from the 6700HQ in terms of performance, it will uitterly crush the 6700HQ in any application. So don't even bother taking the GT 72 into consideration.

 

Can I go for Acer Predator Helios 500 (GTX 1070, i7-8750H)????
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Acer-Predator-Helios-500-GTX-1070-i7-8750H-Laptop-Review.308084.0.html
This article describes literally everything I need.. Temps are perfect!

 

Can I go for Acer Predator Helios 500 (GTX 1070, i7-8750H)????
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Acer-Predator-Helios-500-GTX-1070-i7-8750H-Laptop-Review.308084.0.html
This article describes literally everything I need.. Temps are perfect!

 

Those temps are not perfect at all... if you look at the cpu it throttles below 3GHz in torture test and yet the temps go well over 80 degrees in a very short time. I generally stay away from acers but maybe others have different opinion. I'd try to look around the acer part of the forums if you are really interested?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/acer-predator-helios-500-intel-nvidia.818249/#post-10767212

 

It's the same as the GT 63, the temps are good, but the 8750H is TDP limited, hence unstable clockspeed.

Again, if you want stable clockspeed on a 8750H your only option is the GT 75.

 

Didn't know there was a difference between the gt63 and gt75 in this... Anyway I can recommend the gt75, at the very least in my config (though it does need some undervolting especially on the gpu with the 1080 - that beast draws more power than what nvidia reference card does, has higher clocks, voltage etc, it's a monster. With the 1070 this should be no problem though as the 1070 is a 120W card vs 220W of the 1080).

 

Well you can confirm it, your 8750H doesn't throttle, so far only 2 machines with the 8750H doesn't get throttled sooo ya...

Idk why the 8750H is TDP limited either on the GT 63. But so is life.

 

I have the feeling I could hold stable 3.9GHz in prime95 as well if I changed the vr current limit in bios (hwinfo says that's why it throttles at least) but I don't wanna mess with it beyond fixing the voltage boost (ia ac dc loadline set to 1). That is literally the only thing I did to my laptop cpu-wise, it isn't even repasted yet and it's over 30 degrees celsius (probably close to 40) inside today. I would say 84 degrees max in this scenario is the best any laptop with a 8750H can do It just runs well for what I need, so why bother.
I mean, the bf's desktop gtx 1060 (2-fan msi card) runs over 80 degrees with these temps and his case is pretty well ventilated (4 huge fans)... I would not want to know what his air cooled cpu would do under a stress test as he actually never tried or did anything cpu-intensive on it. I think it might reach 90 or turn into a 4 fan pc-jet and fly away.
PS. while the gt75 is amazing, you do need to build lots of muscle if you want to carry it around and battery life is probably crap even on eco mode etc.

 

Is the i9 Helios 500 any different than the i7 Helios 500 in size, thernal? As Dave2D suggests, it has excellent cooling for the i9 model. If the i7 model should cool better I think..

 

We don't know. Most reviewers are not really good at testing. We have no idea what the TDP is locked at, what clcokspeeds it runs at, what the temps are in worst case scenarios etc.

@ heliada
Upping the current limit would indeed fix your issue, as you noted tho, if you don't need P95 loadlike programs, you'll be fine.

 

As minor as it seems, undervolting a mere -100mV (-150mv to -180mV for 8th gen CPU's) will drop load temps by 10c, which is the difference between 93c thermal throttling and 83c happy dayz.

Reviewers tend to skip tuning for best performance and just want to "unbox" and zippity do dah - test under 100% load without doing anything themselves to get realistic results.

Dave Lee is one of the few that does, and fortunately more and more reviewers are doing undervolting and fan tuning and getting involved in making the device work as intended to the best of it's out of the box hardware - with software tuning.

So, that's the difference you are seeing.

IDK if the i9 has more heatpipes or better upgraded fan / cooling, but you are right, if that model with the 8950HK unlocked CPU can be tamed, then so can the locked 8th gen CPU's.

 

https://beebom.com/acer-predator-helios-500-review/
This is from a quite reputable source. Also keep in mind the fact that it got reviewed in India, where ambient temps are usually 30 - 35 degrees nowadays.
"
Thermals
The thermal performance of the Predator Helios 500 was satisfactory, to say the least. On idle, the CPU ran at a comfortable 39 degrees and the GPU rested at around 42 degrees. While performing everyday tasks like watching videos or working on the system, neither the CPU or GPU crossed the 45 degree mark and the fans ran quietly on the auto setting. To my surprise, while I was running the benchmarks the fans didn’t pick up any pace and the temperatures remained quite respectable, with the CPU running at around 68 degrees and the GPU at around 59 degrees. Even under an intense gaming load, neither the CPU or the GPU crossed 70 degrees, which is pretty great compared to systems that go as high as 90 degrees during intensive tasks."
These look promising!

 

There is a science to thermal management, cooling, and involves simple principles + advanced materials and stringent design.

Most of it comes down to allocating more than adequate space, volume, mass, and over building by significant margins to account for extreme conditions.

You can't do all that with the tiny thin spaces available in thin laptops, at least not with what we know now.

I really don't understand the logical disconnect between wanting high performance and expecting it in a thin package. It boggles my mind how it's gone this far, and I hope Apple takes this opportunity to turn their wayward ways around, and start making sense in their high performance builds, rather than simply giving up - Apple does that a lot, so I am crossing my fingers.

Acer's finally gotten it.

 

Well... I am sceptical about these articles. Firstly, how hot it is outside doesn't mean anything as the reviewer might have a nice AC system in the house. Also, what "benchmarks"? All the good benchmarks I know will reliably heat the thing up MORE than games and this person claims the temps were lower than when gaming... I think his temps are very realistic if he played sth on lower settings and used v-sync OR if he had liquid metal on it. All temps I give are torture test max possible temps/full load benchmark temps unless stated otherwise. I don't think many reviewers will do that. So just go ask some real owners and DON'T look at the reviews. I know notebookcheck has quite realistic numbers from what you will actually get, many others don't. At all.
If we are looking at gaming temps, my laptop hangs around 70 degrees in AC:Origins both on cpu and gpu, with cpu fan being inaudible and gpu fan spinning gently. Also I don't ever ever use max fans and I have them set so they would not be disturbing. I should try with max fans and report back...

 

I am going to cry if Acer Helios 500 doesn't do the job for me. Can you please assure me that it will work the way the both Dev and this article have suggested? Feeling dizzy after searching for the perfect one for days.

 

Sorry, you are on your own, just like the rest of us.

Take a long look before you leap, and deal with the results objectively and unemotionally, and you'll be aok.

Remember to use the entire return period to get to know the laptop, try all the software tuning options, you should be able to tell the first day whether it's a keeper or not.

And, don't start making excuses if it's not working right, as expected, but also avoid being too sensitive to small flaws - nothing is perfect. Make sure you can live with the good and the bad, and that you can live with the imperfections long term.

If you can, find a local sales depot - someplace you can walk into and pick it up - unbox and test on site - then walk out knowing you want to keep it, or swap for another unit.

It's all a life learning experience. Enjoy it all.

Have fun!

 

Prime95 with gt75 8750H, on stock paste, with ac dc loadline set to 1 in bios and about 34 degrees celsius room temp: max 76 degrees on hottest core leveled off at 3.6-3.7GHz and steady power draw of 90W. I would say it's pretty good but not worth the noise. If it were 20 degrees inside like most reviewers seem to have... it would totally stay below 70 I think or maybe even around 60. Just wait for the winter then I'll test it
PS. many reviewers also tend to test thermals with max fans. Trust me, you don't want that during a game.

 

Can you tell me why the Acer laptop with much better specs cost much less than MSI? Does MSI charge some extra premium like Apple (Joking. No one beats apple in this)? Does the lower price tag of Acer Helios 500 signify any sort of.....?? Also Acer doesn't show off all its features like MSI does on its site. (Never mind. MSI's website is pathetic overall)

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MSI-8RF-04...r&reviewerType=all_reviews#reviews-filter-bar

 

MSI has been steadily raising prices, probably due to Razer, Apple, and Alienware getting away with overcharging for so many years.

MSI has an established gaming presence, and Acer is building up from cost efficient lower performance models, so best guess is Acer is building to a lower price point - still making money, but not overcharging or overbuilding to get there.

Acer uses all plastic to get there, which builds lighter and cheaper for the case, but that's only one area of cost.

You probably won't notice with the Acer Helios 500, but Acer laptops usually feel "light" for their size. Opening them up they have top build quality and solid construction, but it's not overbuilt either.

Acer has been building up to this Helios gaming series for several years, slowly adding solid support for gaming loads - rather than building to a price point for lower performance - it's new to them, but they are getting better at it.

If you want an impressive solid laptop, get the new AW, if you want a solid gaming light show, get the MSI, if you want the best cost / performance, get the Acer.

 

FOund someone who already owns it and has run Overwatch on it. (Not OP, see replies)
https://www.reddit.com/r/SuggestALa...ne_had_any_experience_with_the_acer_predator/

 

You can get a msi GE series with the same config even a bit cheaper here. Not sure where you live or what configurations are available but I was looking at 1070+8750H, msi ge63 or ge73 cost from about 2099 euro and the acer is 2199 here. The gt series from msi are more premium, with better cooling design, some have hifi audio dac (like mine does), the gt75 even has a mechanical keyboard... it's obvious why those are a little more expensive.

 

I've helped many back from that ledge, and going on to enjoy their gaming laptops.

There are enough variables involved, some not clearly logical, that frighten people - they frighten themselves mostly.

Giving them perspective and tools to tune their laptop performance, helping them dispel illusions put forth that push them away from logical thought.

It's amazing how close the tolerence is between success and failure in grasping the fine line of controlling high end laptops.

Mostly it's about patience needed to spend the time to methodically solve problems, and not get so emotional as to lose sight of the line of steps to get things under control.

Starting small isn't a bad thing. Learn the ropes on a less high performance - lower cost = lower perception of risk, entry level gaming laptop. Then progress as time allows to higher performance and more expensive hardware.

Getting the top laptops to start ruins it for many. Take it slow, or as fast as you are comfortable with.

Life is long, there's no need to rush through it.

 

" all of our servers are busy right now
please try again in a minute
(error code: 503)"

I'll try later

Remember, everyone is human, and not all reviewers have the experience needed to give usable opinions. You need to view many such reviews and average out - read between the lines - gauge the experience of the reviewer - before commuting or giving up on a particular laptop.

 

Here is the SS.

 

I had the same on my firefox, but can open it normally in windows edge... weird stuff. ^^ Anyway you are right there are some stuff needed to make a gaming laptop run according to expectations. I am a girl who weighs 55kg, I can barely lift 1 kg comfortably above my head (totally out of shape, haven't done any sports etc for 4 years now) and yet I can "lug this thing" around as long as it's safely in the bag. With a backpack it would have been more comfy though. But I never expected to game on my lap on a 15 minute break sitting on the stairs to begin with - others do.

 

That's a nice solid initial review from someone that just got it. But it could have gone a lot worse.

What are you waiting for??

Oh, yeah, Acer laptops have a habit of selling out, as do many top spec gaming laptops. There is a window when new shipments from the maker arrive, to the time the lesser spec models are the only ones available. Then you have to wait for the next shipment.

I've hovered over the cart a number of times waiting for laptops I can't get locally to get sourced by a range of online sites.

I've also pre-ordered from retailers to make sure I get one - pre-paid cash on the barrel head - and waited for weeks - it's fun.

If you find what you want in stock, and you are ready with the cash, don't wait - or you will lose that particular opportunity.

Good luck

 

The only laptop i'd say is unusable on your lap is the old Alienware M17X R2 (and the R1): it weighs just under 6kg, and the entire bottom of the chassis is metal. Whilst gaming the GPUs heat up that chassis to around 50 degrees. I'd still rather haul that thing around than some throttling Apple/Razer crap though.

 

Yo! I am going with Acer finally. The notebookcheck review has further convinced me. Especially this screenshot.

 

That's great, congratulations!!

Please come back and post your initial impressions, and as you get to know and tame your new laptop post benchmarks and tuning results, there's owners threads here:

Acer Predator Helios 500 (Intel + nVidia)
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/acer-predator-helios-500-intel-nvidia.818249/

Acer Preditor (Vega 56+Ryzen 2) Helios 500
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/acer-preditor-vega-56-ryzen-2-helios-500.817796/

 

75c on ~2.85ghz average isn't exacly that cool tho. Again, the CPU is nerfed quite drasticly due to the TDP limit, with a repaste the cooling is VERY capable, sadly the TDP limit on the 8750H are really scary sometimes, especially when you need the CPU power.

The notebook can handle Ryzen 2 and I9 pretty well, all the more reasons why it's confusing the living hell out of me when they TDP limit the 8750H so hard.

 

Not that cool but it's at the safe zone. Not at 89-90°. GPU temp was satisfying. Again, I will undervolt which is definitely gonna decrease that temp even further.. Maybe I might consider repasting later..

 

I don't think any laptop will overheat at that speed :x anyway if you were happy with some throttling/performance compromises you could have also went with the gt72vr... I hope you are happy with whatever you choose as that is the most important thing.

 

Consdiering what he had before he would even be happy with some half assed haswell BGA at this point. Honestly I'd still stick with the GT 63 or find a GT 73VR with a 7820HK for a solid price.

 

You are high buddy.

 

Further evidence that I was right. Point to note that he had fans set to auto in the process of achieving those temps.

 

This just showcases absolute lack of understanding.

The temps are terrible, the notebook does way better, especially due to the very low TDP of 45W, the guy from the video didn't undervolt neither did he repaste. The notebook runs way cooler, yet the CPU runs slower than the 8750H on the GT 75 for instannce due to the bottleneck.


~3.2ghz. (depending on game and situation sometimes even around 2.8 - 3.0ghz.

Meanwhile GT 75:


3.9ghz, stable, no nerf, perfect performance.

 

You mentioned somewhere in this thread you needed 3+ hours battery life? You might as well look at the GS65 or Razer 15. I assume you meant for work (software development/office work). You're not getting that out of the GT63 or GT75. Doubly you're not getting that with any laptop with a GPU worth talking about while gaming unless it's a super low intensity game.

 

False, you get around ~3.5hours even without optimus on normal usage (youtube, facebook etc.)

 

Ahh yes I see the GT63 can squeak out 3 hours.. still a far cry from the other two, but it can do it.

 

The CPU is extremely inefficient, after some throttlestop optimization you can easily get around 4 - 4.5hours.

But yeah, thina nd lights last much longer, performance is much crappier tho.

Even a GTX 1070 maxq will get shoved away by the desktop level GTX 1080 @ 200Watts.

 

GT63 uses the 180W card, not 200W. Same card as GT83 and Tornado F5/16L13 (150W vBIOS power limit):

Spoiler

200W card used in the GT73/75:

Spoiler

GT63 180W max GPU Power in FurMark:

Spoiler

And showing position of the GPU core higher on the card (further from MXM slot) than 200W card:

Spoiler

 

When it comes to MSI,

(a). Install the graphics drivers (Intel and NVIDIA) from their respective download sites, and not the ones issued by MSI.

(b). Peripheral drivers, such as these issued for Thunderbolt, can be downloaded directly from Intel. You may also use Intel's driver assistant for this, and it will also update and install drivers for Intel HD Graphics *if* applicable to your case.

(c). On Nahimic: If you use this software, get a copy from Nahimic directly. Note that with Nahimic, you should use the Realtek HD Audio driver bundled from MSI. However, if you do not use Nahimic, skip it and fetch the latest audio driver from Realtek's website.

(d). On BIOS updates: Keep your system up to date with what MSI offers. Their updates often roll out in the first six to nine months of the device's lifetime.

(e). Steelseries drivers can also be downloaded directly from Steelseries.