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Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI (PHN18-I71)
Acer's Predator Helios Neo 18 AI (PHN18-I71) is the 2026 refresh of its 18-inch gaming laptop, announced in March 2026 with Intel Core Ultra 200HX Plus chips and up to an RTX 5080. This record lists the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, RTX 5080, 32GB and 1TB configuration with a 240Hz IPS screen; Acer also offers a Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus. The line reached Europe from May 2026, with this RTX 5080 configuration following in early June.
Pros
- Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus with up to an RTX 5080 Laptop GPU (16GB GDDR7)
- 240Hz WQXGA IPS panel with 100% DCI-P3 coverage and anti-glare ACR film
- Two PCIe Gen 4 SSD slots and DDR5-6400 memory, up to 2TB and 64GB
- Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, microSD and RJ-45 Ethernet on board
- 92Wh battery, 2Wh larger than the 2025 model
Cons
- Heavy at 3.4kg and up to 28mm thick
- Wi-Fi 6E rather than Wi-Fi 7
- Mini LED option dropped, leaving a 500-nit IPS panel
- UK price of £3,499 for this configuration is £200 above the equivalent 2025 model
Good
Computed from specs & benchmarks via our public methodology.
Performance uses the published results of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, because we have no benchmark result for this device itself yet.
Full specifications
Everything we track for the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI (PHN18-I71)
Display
- Screen size
- 18 ″
- Panel type
- IPS (ACR anti-glare film)
- Resolution
- 2560x1600
- Refresh rate
- 240 Hz
- Peak brightness
- 500 nits
Performance
- Processor
- Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus
- Graphics
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU
- RAM
- 32 GB
- RAM type
- DDR5-6400
- Storage
- 1,024 GB
- Storage type
- PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD (2 slots)
Battery
- Capacity
- 92 Wh
Design
- Weight
- 3.4 kg
- Thickness
- 28 mm
Connectivity
- Ports
- 1x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, RJ-45 Ethernet, microSD, 3.5mm combo jack
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6E (Intel 1675i)
- Bluetooth
- 5.4
- Webcam
- FHD 1080p IR camera
Software
- Operating system
- Windows 11 Home
Quick answers
Is the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI (PHN18-I71) good in 2026?
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI (PHN18-I71) earns an Inno Score of 61.1/100 (“Good”) based on its specs and benchmark results. Acer's Predator Helios Neo 18 AI (PHN18-I71) is the 2026 refresh of its 18-inch gaming laptop, announced in March 2026 with Intel Core Ultra 200HX Plus chips and up to an RTX 5080. This record lists the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, RTX 5080, 32GB and 1TB configuration with a 240Hz IPS screen; Acer also offers a Core Ultra 7 270HX Plus. The line reached Europe from May 2026, with this RTX 5080 configuration following in early June.
What are the key specs of the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI (PHN18-I71)?
Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus · RAM: 32 GB · Screen size: 18 ″ · Weight: 3.4 kg
What are the closest alternatives to the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI (PHN18-I71)?
Its closest rivals on InnoReviews are Acer Predator Helios 18 AI (PH18-I71), Lenovo ThinkPad T1g Gen 9, ASUS Zenbook A14 (2026) UX3407NA — open the comparison pages for a spec-by-spec breakdown.
