The new Acer Predator Triton 500 SE is built with improved hardware and a larger display, perfect not just for casual and/or hardcore gaming but also for doing creative and productivity tasks.
Design: 4/5
Our test unit was the gray variant, which I prefer over the gray-blue variant shown in the promotional materials. The case and chassis have a hard metallic cover and are smooth to touch, adding to its luxurious feel. There’s a shiny Predator Logo at the corner of the laptop case — a completely different placement from the gray-blue variant. Futuristic-looking vents on the case blow out hot air.
The Predator Triton 500 SE showcases a 16-inch 16:10 large display, surrounded by thin bezels. There’s another shiny Predator logo at the center of the bottom bezel. The backlit keyboard looks visually amazing; it is also very smooth to use. The power button is located in the upper right corner of the keyboard. There’s a Turbo button above the keyboard along with mini-vents for the three cooling fans. Located at the sides are the charging port, ethernet cable port, HDMI 2.1 port, SD 7.0 card reader, 2 USB ports, and 2 Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports.
Hardware: 5/5
Our test unit comes with 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11900H and NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX™ 3080. The GPU can boost up to 1345MHz and the standard refresh rate is at 240Hz. It has an impressive 32GB DDR4 SDRAM with a 2TB SSD storage, which is great for gaming, multi-tasking, and working with intensive software and programs like video editing, photo-editing, graphic design, etc. It runs with Windows 10 Home OS and has a maximum power supply wattage of 230W. The new “5th-Gen Aeroblade 3D fan” is a 3-fan system that delivers overall better cooling and airflow than other Predator models.
User Experience: 5/5
I used the Predator Triton 500 SE mainly playing Genshin Impact for PC — at the highest settings possible. Throughout gameplay, I never had issues concerning its performance and graphics display. In fact, the performance was the smoothest experience I’ve ever had in the game. The intricate and beautifully made maps, the cutscenes in the main storyline quest, and the different attacks and skills of the characters in the game — all these were more visually enticing on the Predator Triton 500 SE. This same holds true on other games like League of Legends and NBA2K20, which I’ve only played casually.
Probably one of the best things about the Predator Triton 500 SE is its triple-fan cooling system, without which the laptop chassis would likely be too hot to touch. The laptop’s cooling system uses 5th-Gen Aeroblade 3D technology to optimize cooling and reduce the device’s temperature. Although some people may be put off by the loud Turbo fan setting, it does a very good job at cooling.
In addition to gaming, the Predator Triton 500 SE is a perfect laptop for doing productive tasks. I used it for my daily tasks like sending and reading emails, creating important documents, answering modules, etc. I was able to run resource-intensive programs and apps like Photoshop and Lightroom with nary a hitch. The large display also made it easy to work with multiple windows open.
Running some 4K YouTube videos, my slow internet connection made loading slow. Otherwise, the videos ran smoothly with great color accuracy.
The Predator Triton 500 SE is incredibly slim and surprisingly lightweight, for a 16-incher.
Although I have no issues with the overall gameplay and execution of tasks, I find the battery life of the Predator Triton 500 SE a bit lacking as it only gives me 6-7 hours of work time. To meet my regular daily work routine, I wish it would give me more hours without the need to charge.
Value: 4/5
Acer’s Predator Triton 500 SE is a great laptop, positioned between the usual 15-inch and 17-inch gaming laptops. It’s the perfect laptop for those who want to upgrade from a 15-incher but can’t go for a 17-inch. While it is aimed at gamers, its impressive storage capacity and large display make it suitable for work, productivity, multimedia editing, and even attending online classes/virtual meetings.
Specifications:
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
- Processor: 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11900H
- Processor Speed: 2.50GHz
- Processor Core: Octa-core
- GPU: NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX™ 3080
- Graphics Memory Capacity: up to 8GB
- GPU Boost Clock: up to 1345MHz
- Maximum Graphics Power: up to 110W
- Display Screen Size: 16”
- Screen Resolution: 2560×1600
- Standard Refresh Rate: 240Hz
- Memory: 32GB (RAM)
- Storage: 2TB (SSD)
- Maximum Power Supply Wattage: 230W
- WLAN Standard: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
- Ethernet Technology: Gigabit Ethernet
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.1
- Port: HDMI 2.1, SD™ 7.0 Card Reader, 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A Ports, 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C Ports
- Physical Characteristics 0.78/14.1/10.3 (L/W/D)
- Weight: 5.48 lbs.
- Miscellaneous: Lithium-Ion Battery and AC Adapter
- Includes built-in apps PredatorSense and Planet9
What’s Hot:
- Large display
- Light and slim chassis
- Impressive hardware performance
- Smooth and easily customizable backlit keyboard
- Many essential ports
What’s Not:
- Battery life
- Very loud turbo fan setting
- Easily heats up
Reviewed by Archangel Nudalo
Also published in Gadgets Magazine October 2021 Issue