ACER PREDATOR TRITON 500
Acer is stepping up its game with its Predator Triton series of gaming laptops. But while the Predator Triton 700 eschewed caution for a bold design that featured a see-through glass trackpad above the keyboard, the Predator Triton 500 follows a more conventional design. However, it also feels more premium than Acer’s other Predator Helios and
Nitro laptops. For starters, the all-metal design is reassuringly solid, and it’s remarkably slim as well, measuring just 17.9mm thick.
Overall, the Triton 500 has a pretty understated look, with a smooth lid and subtle angles that don’t really scream for too much attention. One thing that’s not low-key though – the really jarring and awful boot-up sound sequence that sounds like something out of a cheesy sci- movie. There doesn’t seem to be a way to turn it o , which makes powering on the laptop a really awkward a air if there’s anyone in the vicinity.
One of the better things about the laptop is the display. It’s nice and bright, and I couldn’t discern any obvious bias toward the cooler or warmer end of the spectrum. The IPS panel means that viewing angles are excellent as well, with barely any colour shift looking at it from the side. More importantly, the 144Hz refresh rate ensures that everything from games to moving windows around on your desktop feels smooth and uid.
The keyboard itself has a 1.6mm travel distance, which is okay but not great. I do miss the mechanical keyboard on the Triton 700, but Acer probably wouldn’t have been able to make the laptop this thin. There is also no per-key RGB customisation for the keyboard backlighting, and you’re limited to just three independent lighting zones.
I also wish that the I/O ports were either moved forward or pushed further back on the notebook. Right now they sit right smack in the middle, which is especially awkward for the power cable as it’ll either end up blocking the vents or its adjacent ports.
Cooling is handled by a total of three fans and ve heat pipes. Some are shared across the CPU and GPU, but they each also get their own dedicated heat pipes, as does the VRM circuitry. The three fans, of which two are dedicated to the GPU, do quite a good job of keeping the laptop cool, and there are four vents at the side where hot air is exhausted.
The bottom panel is held in place by Torx screws, which you’ll need a T6 screwdriver to remove. Sadly, the Triton 500 doesn’t rank high in terms of upgradeability, as all you see after removing the bottom panel are the battery, three fans, and the Killer Wireless-AC 1550i network adapter. Things like the DIMM and M.2 slots are located on the other side of the motherboard, which means you’ll have to remove the entire thing from the chassis, an unenviable task.
Competitive price. Not easy to upgrade.