*UPDATE 4/23/19*
I managed to get #1 on 3dMark for the 2060+i7-8750H combo for Firestrike and Timespy. (See photos)
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Original Review:
I bought this direct from Acer for 1800$ (Same price as here but direct always has better shipping)
2060 model.
First impressions:
Acer has come a long way and this is testament to the progress they are making. This thing is super slim like Razer Blade thin. The chasis that holds all the components (Mobo etc) is just a 1/2" and it sits at 3/4" with the lid closed.. then about 14" by 10" in dimensions.
That said I cannot believe the power this thing has packed into it. On Firestrike I'm averaging 15,400 after a few OC adjustments which puts it above the average Firestrike benchmark for the 2070 Max Q (on notebook check).
The ram comes capped at 2400mhz but a quick conversation with Acer had me a customized BIOs in one days time and now I'm clocking 2667mhz and it's beautiful (+1 to Acer support).
FYI: You will need to update the BIOs to utilize the 2666mhz clocks, by default it appears all models are capped at 2400mhz out of the box.
Despite being so small and thin this laptop doesn't thermal throttle and maxed at 85 C for a full 30 minute FPU stress test on Aida64Extreme (*applause here*).
The power brick is also super small at 1" x 6" x 3" which fits the small form factor.
Build quality is premium and I can't stress that enough. All sides are metal (even the vent grills) and when you first lift it you instantly know it's built like a tank. The only part that's plastic is the bezel around the front of the screen which is fine as you don't want that kind of rigidity it can cause "backlight bleed" (FYI mine had none).
The 2060 model has a dark blueish color (I've seen a review on YouTube that said the 2080 was black?) But the keyboard deck and screen bezel is black and looks slick.
The white on the sides of the keys I thought I wouldn't like but they excentuate the colors when the keyboard lights up and looks great. They also have lighting effects (wave etc) despite it being a zoned keyboard.
The overclocking feature built into Predator Sense also has built in XTU profiles that increase the power limits of the CPU.. I did find the profiles and found I could modify them and Predator Sense's overclock to my liking 😁.
I got mine on March 1st and despite having other PCs I find myself using it everyday just because I'm so impressed with the power this unit has.
I will update as time progresses with any changes or updates but as of right now.. THIS THING IS A BEAST. ZERO REGRETS.
Update: 3/12/2019
Found out my model (2060 Optimus) is G Sync compatible when using the Mini Display Port.
Update: 3/14/2019
The 2070 and 2080 models can switch between G Sync and Optimus via BIOs option.
Update: 4/6/2019: Just compared side by side with my friends new Razer Blade and smoked it. 😁
#FeelinGood
Update: 9/19/19
Still very pleased. Just upgraded to dual 1tb NVME drives and loaded it with every goodie I could muster.
Tip: I hear people saying that RAID is useless but I've found the RAID 0 config out of box to significantly manage NVME temps (Even on my Intel upgrade) since the load is shared between the drives.
Bench update: I beat my old 3dMark score and am now sitting at 162XX still the #1 spot on 3dMark.
Recommended actions after long time usage:
1. Reinstall the latest windows direct ISO from Microsoft. Everything just works buttery.
2. Update BIOs to latest from Acer's site
3. Update Predator Sense to latest from Acer's site
There's also an app for iPhone/Android to control Predator Sense with your phone and see temps, set fans and KB lighting and also to OC remotely.
I can honestly say I have not had a single issue so far and don't regret my purchase one bit. (Although that 999$ lightning deal hurt my heart a little lol)
Hope my ranting helps. 👍
| Standing screen display size | 15.6 Inches |
|---|---|
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Processor | 4.1 GHz core_i7 |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR4 |
| Memory Speed | 2666 MHz |
| Hard Drive | 512 GB Flash Memory Solid State |
| Graphics Coprocessor | NVIDIA GeForce |
| Chipset Brand | NVIDIA |
| Card Description | Dedicated |
| Graphics Card Ram Size | 6 GB |
| Wireless Type | 802.11ac |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 4 |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 8 Hours |
