Acer has expanded its Predator Helios laptop family this year with a new flagship configuration, updating the 18-inch Predator Helios 18 AI to incorporate Intel’s latest mobile processor. The machine, which previously topped out with the Core Ultra 9 275HX, now gains the more powerful Arrow Lake HX refresh silicon.
A boost in processing and thermal design
The new variant is built around the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus. Based on internal benchmarking, this processor should deliver roughly a 7 percent uplift in CPU performance compared to the prior top-tier chip. Graphics duties are handled by Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5090 laptop GPU, and the system relies on 6th Gen Predator AeroBlade 3D fans to sustain peak thermal headroom during extended gaming sessions.
Display and connectivity highlights
Acer pairs the internals with an 18-inch Mini LED panel that reaches up to 1,000 nits peak brightness. The display runs at a native resolution of 3,840 x 2,400 pixels, offers a 120 Hz refresh rate, and covers 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color space. For wired connectivity, the laptop includes a 400 W power supply that connects via a proprietary rear port, flanked by an HDMI 2.1 output and two Thunderbolt 5 ports.
Pricing and regional configurations
In the United States, the Predator Helios 18 AI with the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is listed at $4,499, a configuration that includes 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD. Buyers in the Eurozone and the United Kingdom gain access to a higher-capacity variant equipped with 96 GB of RAM and 2 TB of storage, priced at £4,999 in the UK and €5,999 (approximately $6,854) including local taxes in the Eurozone. Full specifications and availability can be found through regional Acer storefronts.
Sources: store.acer.com, store.acer.com, store.acer.com, www.bestbuy.com