Review: Acer Predator 17

By James Archer

Introduction and design

Of all the big, red monsters that are the Acer Predator series of gaming laptops, this might be the biggest and reddest yet. The Predator 17 is a gargantuan top-of-the-line machine that, while sharing a broad design with the Predator 15, makes it look like a whelp.

That said, it also shares the Predator 15’s cleverest feature: its expandable, reversible cooling system. This, on top of a speedy sixth-generation Intel Skylake processor, heaps of RAM and a star-bright display, makes the Predator 17 a worthy device – even if it sometimes feels too hefty to handle.

Then again, such an imposing stature is part of the Predator 17’s audacious charm. See also the enormous exhaust vents along the back, the frequent flashes of red highlighting, and the multicoloured backlit keyboard complete with a number pad and five customisable macro keys.

Even with its mostly-plastic construction, the Predator 17 feels much more durable and tightly-built than the majority of Acer’s mainstream laptops; the screen hardly bends at all, and there are no big gaps around the keyboard base.

Throw in a solid build and pleasant soft-touch finish, and this definitely feels as expensive as …read more

Source:: techradar.com – PC and Mac