ONE OF THE FIRST things we did upon
unboxing Acer’s newest gaming laptop
was fire up the included software,
PredatorSense (which, for some reason,
has its own dedicated button on the
keyboard). Like many programs of its
type, PredatorSense collates a suite of
tools useful to gamers: fan controls,
automatic overclocking functions,
temperature and voltage monitors, and
so on. The first feature to catch our eye
was the fan boost function, so of course
we merrily clicked the “Max Speed”
button. Oh, there it goes—the Triton 500
has launched itself out of the window,
propelled by its almighty GPU fans.
So yes, it can be a bit loud. But
that’s only if you’re really stressing the
hardware. For day-to-day operation, we
found that this laptop is actually fairly
quiet—impressive, given that our review
unit comes packing a GeForce RTX
2060 Max-Q and 16GB of dual-channel
RAM. An RTX 2080 Max-Q version with
twice the memory is also available,
but at an appropriately steeper price.
The model we’ve got is still a capable
gaming machine, Nvidia’s Max-Q
design only clocking in slightly below
the desktop variant of the RTX 2060,
while implementing superior thermal
design and improved efficiency. For
storage, it’s fitted with a 512GB M.2
drive, guaranteeing speedy load times in
games. The eighth-gen Core i7 processor
in this machine is nothing out of the
ordinary, but it gets the job done.
In terms of physical design, the Triton
500 is easy on the eye. Acer’s Predator
brand logo illuminates on the rear of the
Ready to go on the hunt...
Acer Predator Triton 500
8
VERDICT Acer Predator Triton 500
PT515-51-71VV
STALKING PREY Solid
performance; pleasingly thin design;
multi-monitor support.
NOT TODAY Automatic overclocking lacks
luster; noisy fans; a little pricey.
$1,800, http://www.acer.comSPECIFICATIONSCPU Intel Core i7-8750H
Graphics Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q
RAM 16GB DDR4-2666
Screen 15.6-inch 1080p @ 144Hz
Storage 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Ports Thunderbolt 3, 3x USB 3.1,
HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, audio
Connectivity Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac,
Bluetooth 5.0
Weight 4.4lb
Our laptop zero-point is the Asus GL502VS-DS71, with an Intel Core i7-7700HQ CPU, 8GB GTX 1070, and 16GB of Size 14.1 x 10 x 0.7 inches
DDR4. All game tests are performed at 1080p at the highest graphical profile.BENCHMARKS
ZERO-
POINT
Cinebench R15 Multi (Index) 74 3 1,030 (39%)
CrystalDisk QD32
Sequential Read (MB/s)^563 3,374 (499%)
CrystalDisk QD32
Sequential Write (MB/s)^133 2,530 (1,802%)
3DMark: Fire Strike (Index) 13,202 13,610 (3%)
Rise of the Tomb Raider (fps)^9992 (-7%)
Total War: Warhammer II (fps) 62 62 (0%)
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon:
Wildlands (fps)^48 49 (2%)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%screen, while the backlit keyboard can
be customized with an assortment of
multicolored effects. In case you were in
any doubt that this was a gaming laptop,
the WASD and arrow keys are constructed
from translucent blue plastic, as opposed
to the clean white of the other keys.
There’s a huge amount of ventilation—on
the sides, base, rear, and just above the
keyboard—so while it might run loud,
those fans are working hard to dissipate
heat. On the whole, this laptop is well put
together; it feels sturdy, but it’s lighter
and thinner than many of its ilk.SCREEN TEST
The screen is undeniably a delight. It’s a
1080p, 15.6-inch display, not the biggest
we’ve seen, but comfortable enough for
gaming on the go. Acer is quite proud
to tout the 81.3 percent screen-to-body
ratio, although the more impressive
feature is the 144Hz refresh rate with
3ms Overdrive response time—perfect
for fast-paced gaming. In practice, the
screen is clear and sharp, showing
both shadows and vibrant colors well.
If the display isn’t to your liking, though,
there’s support for up to three additional
monitors via HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, and
Thunderbolt 3 connections.
The included automatic overclocking
functions in the PredatorSense menu do
make a difference to performance, but
it’s fairly minimal. Running 3DMark’s
Fire Strike benchmarking software at the
“Extreme” overclocking preset resulted
in a score only 5 percent higher than the
non-overclocked mode. The difference
in noise was extremely noticeable,however. The overclocking presets are
also only available while the laptop is
plugged in to an external power source,
but this isn’t really a deal-breaker.
There are a few annoying quirks of
the Triton 500’s design. For instance, the
power button is located on the keyboard,
just to the right of the delete key, making
it all too easy to potentially hit in the heat
of an intense competitive match [stop
flaying so much—Ed]. There’s a “Turbo”
button located just above the keyboard for
instant overclocking, but it’s a bit finicky;
our tests demonstrated that while the
function improved performance in some
games, it had little to no effect in others.
The integrated webcam also doesn’t have
any physical security features, which is
frustrating in a world of potential digital
security risks.
It might be starting to sound like we
don’t like the Triton 500; that couldn’t be
further from the truth. These criticisms
are minor imperfections, like scuff marks
on the armrests of a comfortable couch.
The Triton 500 feels good to use, plain and
simple. It’s not cheap, but if you’re looking
for a reliable gaming laptop, this could be
the way to go. –CHRISTIAN GUYTONmaximumpc.com SEP 2019 MAXIMUMPC 83